AN

NU

AL

RE

PO

RT

2

01

3

The NAVY The ARMY The AIR FORCE The LEAGUE

!!

RSL NSW - Welfare and Benevolent Institution

DONATIONS to RSL WBI From RSL sub-Branches

Abermain Albion Park Armidale Arncliffe Ashfield Auburn

Avalon Beach Balgowlah-Seaforth-Clontarf

Ballina Balranald Bangalow Bankstown

Bass Hill Bathurst Batlow

Bellinger River Belmore

Bermagui Bingara

Blackheath-Mt Victoria Blacktown Boggabri

Bomaderry Bondi Junction-Waverley

Botany Branxton Bronte

Brunswick Heads-Billinudgel Bundeena Burwood

Callala Beach Camden

Campbelltown Campsie

Canowindra Canterbury-Hurlstone Park

Cardiff Castle Hill & District

Chatswood Chatsworth-Iluka

Chester Hill-Carramar Clovelly

Coffs Harbour Collaroy

Combined Services Concord District

Cootamundra Corrimal Cowra

Cronulla Crookwell

Darlington Point-Coleambally Dorrigo

Doyalson-Wyee East Maitland

Enfield-Croydon Park Epping Fairfield

Five Dock Forestville

Forster-Tuncurry Gerringong Gilgandra Gladesville

Glenorie Gloucester

Gosford Goulburn Grafton Greek

Grenfell Griffith Guyra

Hamilton Hay

Henty Hills District

Holbrook Hornsby Howlong Huskisson Ingleburn

Inverell Islington

Junee Kempsey-Macleay

Kensington Kiama-Jamberoo

Kingsgrove Kirribilli Kogarah

Kurri Kurri Laurieton

Leeton Lidcombe Lismore

Liverpool Malabar Manilla Mascot Masonic

Merimbula Merrylands

Miranda Moama

Mortdale Mosman

Mullumbimby Murwillumbah

Muswellbrook Narrabeen

Narrabri Narromine Nelson Bay Newtown

North Bondi Nowra-Greenwell Point

Nyngan Oatley Oberon

Old Bar Beach Paddington-Woollahra

Padstow Panania Penrith

Penshurst Port Macquarie

Queanbeyan Quirindi

Raymond Terrace Redfern

Revesby Heights Richmond Rooty Hill Rose Bay Smithfield

South Grafton South Hurstville

South Lake Macquarie Springwood

Sydney Taralga

The Entrance-Long Jetty Thirroul Trundle

Urbenville Wagga Wagga

Walgett Wallsend & District

War Vets Village (N'been) Warilla

Wellington Werris Creek

West Wyalong Westpac Wingham

Wollongong Woolgoolga

Woonona-Bulli Woy Woy-Ettalong-Hardy’s Bay

Wyong Yass

Yenda

2

RSL - Welfare and Benevolent Institution

Table of Contents ! !Trustees Report 5 !DefenceCare Report 6 !National Veteran’s Affairs Advisor’s Report 15 !Financial Report 17 !!!RSL NSW State Headquarters ANZAC House 245 Castlereagh St, Sydney NSW 2000. !Phone 02 - 9264 8188 Fax 02 - 9264 8466 Email admin@rslnsw.org.au Web rslnsw.org.au

The LEAGUE

Liam Howard from Newcastle, dockside at Garden Island to welcome home his uncle Able Seaman Justin Fairhall-Houston who was on board HMAS Melbourne. !Photo by: !Mark Lee RSL Australia - NSW

!RSL WBI - 2013 Annual Report Prepared to give a focus on the majority of activities undertaken by members and staff of The Returned and Services League of Australia, New South Wales Branch during 2013. A full comprehensive Annual Report PDF format with complete financial reports is available by downloading from the corporate website www.rslnsw.org.au. !!Copyright Disclaimer The Returned and Services League of Australia (New South Wales). The material in this publication and website is protected by copyright under the laws of Australia.You may view this publication, website and print, display, transmit and reproduce the material for your own information and/or research or study in unaltered form only. !Permission to transmit, broadcast, print or adapt a link to any of the material on this website is not permitted except with the written prior consent from the Chief Executive Officer of The Returned and Services League of Australia, New South Wales. !!Printing & Preparation ASAP Press - 195/365 Kent Street, Sydney. NSW Phone 02 - 9279 4600 !RSL WBI Annual Report - Corporate Communications Department Production and Design by Mark Lee, Corporate Communications Manager Photography Mark Lee and RAN Imagery Unit

3

4

DefenceCare Cards - Artworks from the winning collection of entries from the 2013 RSL ANZAC ART Awards, an annual art competition

for NSW students conducted by RSL NSW.

Trustees Report

Don Rowe OAM Trustee !Rod White AM, RFD Trustee !Chris Perrin Trustee

5

The Trustees of the RSL Welfare and Benevolent Institution are the RSL (NSW) State President Don Rowe OAM, the State Honorary Treasurer Rod White AM RFD and the State Secretary Chris Perrin. To achieve their object ives the trustees frequently meet at Anzac House to review overall performance of the Institution, to consider opportunities to provide support to serving and recently discharged members of the Australian Defence Force and their dependants, as well as to the broader veteran community.

Through the operational activities of DefenceCare led by General Manager Robyn Collins, significant resources are directed to the specific care and support services that are crucial to the ongoing wellbeing of so many, who turn to the RSL WBI as t h e p re - e m i n e n t e x - s e r v i c e organisation for occasional or ongoing support in varying forms.

Without the financial donations from those who see this important service as a key element of assisting younger veterans and those that served our nation previously, the trustees would simply be unable to meet their objectives.

If you require more information regarding the services provided by DefenceCare and may be able to make a donation to the Welfare and Benevolent Institution, or to seek

further details if considering leaving a b e q u e s t , p l e a s e c o n t a c t DefenceCare General Manager, Robyn Collins at Anzac House.

Throughout the past year there have been many examples of support to DefenceCare through financial donations and the gift of a motor vehicle by RSL LifeCare. If you would like to receive a presentation in your location about the services of DefenceCare then this is can be easily arranged.

This report includes several stories about actual support provided to a range of clients and the Trustees encourage members and others to advise potential clients of the support available to them.

As a result of the Trustees wanting to increase the level of support to serving members of the Australian Defence Force, considerable support continues to be provided to ADF and RSL programmes involving ADF members participating in offshore o p p o r t u n i t i e s i n v o l v i n g commemorative and sporting activities.

The Trustees are extremely grateful for all those who support the RSL WBI;

“Our lives are in their hands…. Their welfare in ours”.

“Our lives are in their hands … Their welfare in ours”.

2013 was a significant year for DefenceCare. !Before reviewing our achievements, I would like to thank our donors, supporters and staff. !To our donors and supporters, thank you for the money you raise, the money you donate and most of all the time you give – to visit others in hospital, to pay tribute to a fallen or injured comrade, to help another with a claim, to be a mate. !Our donors - RSL NSW sub-Branches, Women’s Auxiliaries, the Hyde Park Inn, the United Returned Soldiers Fund (URSF), Learning and Development Solutions, individuals through our website and Minute to Remember campaign, current and ex - se r v i ng member s o f t he Australian Defence Force and Registered Clubs – all make an important contribution to defence families in need. As a small charity, every dollar counts. !Our s ta ff ’s profess ional and compassionate approach to clients, w i t h s o m e t i m e s s i g n i f i c a n t challenges, is the reason for DefenceCare’s success. Our team has grown with DefenceCare, helping to shape the organisation’s values, goals and ethos. !What resonates with me since I came into this role mid-way through 2012, is the respect and care shown by veterans of all ages to other

veterans and their families – all unified by a common experience and a desire to ensure that those who saw what they saw and endured what they endured, are looked after. !This long-standing volunteer network plays such an important role in this community. !We live in a world, however, where no one organisation or group of volunteers can be all things to all people. It takes a team with varying levels of expertise to provide the range of support needed by our veterans and their families. !DefenceCare would not exist without its staff – a team of true professionals, some from the Defence sector, some not; all joining together in a common purpose and shared values. !The challenge for DefenceCare is to change and grow – so that never again do we read about a recently returned veteran travelling alone to a town he had never been to before , to walk off in to an unforgiving wilderness and to die alone. This sad event happened in late 2013 and tells us that there is so much more we need to do.

DefenceCare Report

Robyn Collins General Manager DefenceCare

“DefenceCare would not exist without its staff – a team of true professionals, some from the Defence sector, some not; all joining together in a common purpose and shared values.”

6

Who do we help? !DefenceCare continued to help current and ex-serving members of Australia’s Defence Force and their families in times of injury, illness and crisis. !I thank the original Trustees who had the foresight many years ago to set up the organisation behind DefenceCare (RSL Welfare and Benevolent Institution) to help veterans and their families, whatever the need. !As a result of their decisions, we can help more people than other ex-service organisations – we can help veterans, their partners, children and when needed, parents of young soldiers who are injured as a result of their service. We can also help with a wider range of needs – listening to our clients and working with them to help overcome their difficulties, no matter what they might be. !The challenge for DefenceCare is to raise sufficient funds to help those in need.

!!In February, a new database developed by one of our staff members, allowed us to track client numbers and the services provided. Although temporary, pending the implementation of a new customer relationship management system, the database provided us with process control, as well as statistics for grant reporting. !From February until December, we responded to 2,651 calls for help from veterans and their families. !This was a remarkable statistic for many reasons. !

!!The first is that this was the first full year DefenceCare was operational with a full complement of staff. The second is that there were so many veterans and their families in trouble. The third and of concern, was that despite low awareness of our organisation, people reached out to us in strong numbers and with such desperation. !By far the largest area of need was community support. Our counsellors provided 1,385 services such as financial assistance, counselling and relief. We also lodged 282 claims with the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (DVA) and completed 152 appeals to the Veteran’s Review Board (VRB). !DefenceCare helped 1,276 ex-serving members or their surviving spouse, 1,042 current serving members and 71 family members such as parents and children of serving and ex-serving members. DefenceCare provides short term support and fills gaps at times of injury, illness and crisis. Our client turnover is high. !Some clients, however, are in dire financial or health circumstances and we see these clients more often, sometimes over a period of years. !

!!

In 2013 DefenceCare: !

• Responded to 2,651 calls for help from veterans and their families !

• Provided 1,385 services such as financial assistance, counselling and disaster relief !

• Submitted 282 claims to the DVA !• Completed 152 appeals to the Veterans’

Review Board !• Helped 1,276 ex-serving members or their

surviving spouse !• Helped 1,042 current serving members !• Helped 71 family members such as parents

and children of serving and ex-serving members. ”The challenge for

DefenceCare is to raise sufficient money to help

those in need.”

7

DefenceCare’s services !During the first quarter, DefenceCare implemented a client-focused service model to ensure clients’ needs are identified, respected and met. As a result of this and the commitment of our staff, the organisation is now a sought-after service of integrity and professionalism, attracting clients from other states of Australia and regularly sought out by other organisations, both government and non-government. !To help us better understand where we can improve, DefenceCare also developed online and paper-based client surveys. !All responses are read and whenever we find we could have handled a situation better or a client expresses concern, we analyse how we responded and what we could have done better. 98% of respondents to our survey said DefenceCare met their needs, while 98% said they were satisfied with DefenceCare’s customer service. !As part of the new service model, we established a Client Services Coordinator as the first point of call for clients accessing our services. In addition to our specialists, the Client Services team includes an Administration Assistant whose role is to provide vital administrative support for clients through the claims and appeals processes. !!

Assistance with DVA entitlements !DefenceCare employed two full-time Entitlements Advisors. !Our Advisors work to obtain the best outcome for clients who lodge compensation claims and seek benefits from the DVA under the Military Rehabilitation & Compensation Act (MRCA), the Safety, Rehabilitation & Compensation Act (SRCA), and Veterans’ Entitlement Act (VEA). We meet clients on Defence bases and at ANZAC House. !Our Entitlements’ clients numbered between 200 and 300 at any one time. Of this, around 80 to 120 were active at any one time; with others waiting for processes to occur. !Working in this area full-time allowed our Advisors to develop strong relationships with DVA, focus on developing their expertise and provide support to pension officers in RSL NSW sub-Branches. !For many clients, a claim for injury or illness related to their service is the first point of contact with DefenceCare. An injury in service is also sadly often the start of a lifetime of problems for a service member and their family and we have numerous instances of Entitlements’ clients who also receive other services, either at the time of the claim or at a later date.

DefenceCare Client Enquiries

0

125

250

375

500

Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

336

443

379

314

246268

169184

151

104

57

8

Advocacy at the Veteran’s Review Board !DefenceCare started the year with one full-time and one casual Advocate and mid-way moved to two full-time Advocates handling appeals to the VRB. !At any one time during the year we had around 150 appeals lodged for hearing and another 100 or so clients with their appeal at various stages of review. In early 2014, the number of appeals lodged with the VRB jumped to just under 200. !Our Advocacy service leads the way in terms of professionalism and we continue to strive to provide the best service to our clients. !!Community Support !DefenceCare employs a qualified counsellor to provide practical information, support, counselling and referral services to members and their families, including widows. Our counsellor has over 30 years’ experience, including many years with Lifeline. !Our community support activities include the following. !

• counselling and crisis support !• financial assistance – such as urgent bills,

medical equipment, emergency accommodation – when expenses become too much to handle !

• home services such as cleaning and lawn mowing for veterans recovering from serious illness !

• family support during difficult times, such as when a partner or child is ill or injured !

• emergency relief and ongoing disaster assistance !

• bereavement assistance and support after the death of a serving or ex-serving member or family member

• information and referrals to government and

non-government health and welfare services • assistance with transition to civilian life

including employment counselling, assistance with resume preparation, improving job interview skills, subsidising the cost of training courses and coaching for new employment when these aren’t covered by Defence !

• activities to promote the health and well-being of serving and ex-serving members of the Australian Defence Force, their families and the wider community !!!!

!!Many requests were received for funeral tributes and we liaised with the volunteer network at RSL NSW sub-Branches, who provide these whenever possible. !If financial assistance is needed, as a public benevolent institution, we first assess a client’s financial situation to ensure they are in need. !As a result of these assessments, we have referred increasing numbers of younger clients to financial counsellors. This helps us not only determine how best to help during a crisis but also to empower clients to manage their finances to better cope with difficult times in the future. !DefenceCare also tries to source support from government departments or other sources prior to providing financial assistance to minimise unnecessary duplication. !To promote the health and well-being of veterans and their families, DefenceCare supplied morning tea for families waiting for their loved ones to return home on ships as well as those farewelling their loved ones on deployment at Garden Island, NSW. The morning teas were accompanied by colouring in activities for the children and plentiful supplies of tissues and sunscreen. !Our community activities also included talks and stalls at a variety of seminars and the second annual Fun Run for Veterans’ Health Week at Cronulla.

9

Working with other organisations !DefenceCare reached out to other organisations to seek the best possible outcomes for our veterans and their families in need. !We continued to work alongside RSL NSW sub-Branches and their extensive volunteer network, referring clients back and forth where appropriate and supporting sub-Branch Welfare and Pension Officers with advice. !We surveyed the sub-Branch Welfare and Pension Officers to understand their levels of expertise and need for support. We produced a high level summary of the results at the end of 2013 and in early 2014 will be analysing the results in more detail to prioritise their needs and provide support commensurate with their requirements. !Relationships with Defence Bases, the DVA and Government organisations such as Defence Community Organisation (DCO) and the Veterans and Veterans’ Families Counselling Service (VVCS) were actively fostered both directly and in the online space through social networks. !DefenceCare responded to a request from Joint Health Command to deliver services on base at Holsworthy, Kuttabul and Will iamtown and forged strong relationships not only with ADF Rehabilitation personnel but also with companies who provide contract on-base Rehabilitation Services. !!

!!Limited staff means that we cannot provide the service as much as requested and until we raise more money, we will have to limit our Entitlements Advisors to the existing two positions. !In particular, we reached out to Soldier On and Sydney Legacy to share information on services and foster working relationships. !We were approached by Soldier On in late 2013 to support their proposal for a Sydney Reintegration Centre for injured veterans transitioning out of Defence. We also commenced working with Sydney Legacy on a case coordination model for veterans with complex needs. !DefenceCare also developed links with other relevant organisations (such as Beyond Blue, Black Dog Institute, R U OK?, Men’s Health Week, Learning and Development Solutions and In and Out Fitness Organisation) to help broaden options for veterans in crisis and take advantage of community expertise and resources.

Strategic Plan - Mission, Vision and Values !In the second half of 2013, the DefenceCare team came together to develop the organisation’s Mission, Vision and Values for the Trustees to review and sign-off. Following this, the team and Trustees developed the organisation’s first ever Strategic Plan – for the period 2013 to 2016 to

bring the organisation into line with RSL NSW’s Strategic Planning cycle. !MISSION

DefenceCare is dedicated to meeting the needs of serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members and their families seeking help with entitlements, advocacy and well-being. !

VISION DefenceCare is an innovative leader in the Defence community

providing professional, client-focused services.

VALUES Professional

DefenceCare will provide quality, client- focused services with integrity, reliability and openness. !Caring

DefenceCare will interact with compassion, understanding, commitment and respect. !Innovative

DefenceCare will be responsive and adaptable with the commitment to meet goals and the courage to evaluate our services and achievements. !

Dedicated DefenceCare’s team will have a culture of professional and personal growth; respect and

loyalty to clients and each other; dedication and diligence. !Respectful

DefenceCare will honour our RSL NSW heritage and community.

DefenceCare would like to thank the following donors for their 2013 contributions !

• East Wagga Koringal Football & Netball Club • Global Creatures • MNBC-TK Welfare Fund • Prime Projects Construction - Western Australia

10

Fundraising and Marketing !We had experienced a surge in requests for help towards the end of 2012 that continued unabated in 2013. Coupled with this, without additional funding the 2012 deficit was expected to widen further. !Rather than turn away clients who had nowhere else to go for help, we took the decision to publicly launch DefenceCare to broaden our donation base and increase income. !We knew this would cost money and we knew it would take time, but the alternative of saying no to clients was worse. !With the help of advertising company LOUD, we launched the Invisible Battles campaign for donations. It featured renowned make-up artist Emma Hack and was designed to challenge the stereotype of a veteran and raise money for DefenceCare. !While it didn’t initially raise the hoped for target, the investment gave us two television commercials for use over a number of years as well as images and advertisements for use in a variety of media. Most importantly, it brought us to the attention of the general public and increased awareness of our organisation. !As well as this campaign, we developed and launched a new search engine optimised website with an online donation facility. In the second half of the year we made the website mobile and tablet friendly. !In the first month of operation (April 2013), DefenceCare’s website had over 7,000 unique visitors. In addition, the website has a ‘contact us’ enquiry page that generated 166 enquiries from launch to 31 October, an average of 20 enquires a month. !We applied for and were awarded Google Adwords for Charities, helping drive more traffic to our site. As a new organisation, one of the critical tasks was the development of a marketing style manual to ensure brand consistency and as a result , improve recognisabi l i ty, awareness and t rust in the professionalism of our organisation. !!

2013 also saw the continuation of our innovative approach to social media, setting the benchmark for ex-service organisations in this area. !From its early days, DefenceCare embraced the social media landscape, using it to connect with, listen to and engage with the defence community and its supporters. As part of our engagement with the community and to raise vital funds, DefenceCare continued with the Minute to Remember campaign to engage with younger Australians and encourage them to turn off their mobile phones for one minute at 11am on 11 November. !Our thanks to Peter Fitzsimons and Damien Thomlinson who agreed to be ambassadors for the 2013 Minute to Remember campaign. !Critical to long term fundraising was the need to ensure we regularly communicate with our donors, sharing with them stories of some of the clients helped by their donations. !These stories were shared through regular monthly newsletters to RSL NSW sub-Branches, Women’s Auxiliaries and with our supporters via our website and publications such as RSL NSW’s Reveille. Our sincere thanks to those clients who were able to share their stories and how DefenceCare has contributed to their lives. !DefenceCare registered with Everyday Hero, the primary fundraising site for individuals wanting to raise money for a charity, giving our supporters another option for raising money for veterans and their families in need. !Our thanks to the Registered Clubs who responded to our request for a donation at the year end namely Bexley RSL, Brighton Le Sands RSL, Ingleburn RSL, Sydney RSL and Liverpool Catholic Club.

11

2014 - Our Mission, Vision and Values !Without doubt, the most important goal for DefenceCare is raising money to fund the growing requests for assistance we receive every day. !With constant calls and a counsellor who is run off his feet, we worry every day that someone will slip through the cracks - that we will miss that all important detail that could make a difference. We desperately need an extra community support worker but can’t afford one. !We want to continue to build stronger relationships with RSL NSW sub-Branches, Defence bases, DVA and other ex-service organisations to provide better, more holistic services for veterans and their families. !We have Defence bases waiting for us to be able to employ someone to spend time on their base – at the moment we can’t help. !We would like to find companies and organisations that would like to fund a particular aspect of our work such as house cleaning services for ill veterans, financial counselling or counselling services. !We are also looking for people to help us connect with well-known people who may like to be an ambassador for DefenceCare, to help bring attention to the needs of veterans and their families. !

!!94,000 NSW ex-service men and women and their families received support from DVA and tens of thousands of current serving Defence Force personnel are stationed in bases from the south west to Northern NSW. !Our clients are telling us that we are making a difference. Other charities such as Soldier On are asking us to join with them to help veterans and their families. Calls increase every month and we remain stretched and at maximum capacity. !We can’t provide financial counselling in our office, and yet over 95% of our younger clients need this service. At the moment we have to refer veterans to charities in record numbers and as a result, the waiting list is growing. !We just don’t have enough money – it is as simple as that. !If you can join with us in any way, no matter how small, you will make a difference. This is a community that has given so much to Australia – they deserve the chance to regain their dignity and find help and support in their time of need.

How you can help ! 1. Raise money for or donate directly to DefenceCare. 2. Leave a bequest to DefenceCare in your will for a lasting legacy to help veterans in crisis. 3. Talk to your workplace or your children about company or business donations to DefenceCare. 4. Become a corporate supporter of DefenceCare. 5. Tell friends about DefenceCare. 6. Ask well known friends or colleagues to be an ambassador for DefenceCare. !

If you can help, please call 02 - 8088 0388 or email defencecare@rslnsw.org.au

“We can’t provide financial counselling in our office, and yet over 95% of our younger clients need this service.”

12

Geoff !Geoff Evans has post-traumatic stress and physical wounds from being blown into the air when his Bushmaster-armoured vehicle ran over a road mine in Afghanistan. His brain suffered a severe traumatic injury from his head being violently shaken. It led him to be medically discharged on the day after he was promoted to lieutenant. !When he returned from the second tour and was medically discharged from the army, DefenceCare stepped in to help him with adapting to civilian life and getting his pension entitlements from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Garry and family !In June 2010 a helicopter crash caused multiple injuries for 2 Commando Sergeant Garry Robinson: a traumatic brain injury, broken ribs, a broken lower spine, dislocated and broken hip, fractured leg and internal bleeding. When the accident occurred, family members, Garry’s mates and the 2 Commando unit pulled together to help out. DefenceCare supported the family by paying for house cleaning services while Katrina focused on helping her husband recover. DefenceCare also arranged for Garry and his son to see a football game together to help them bond and move forward.Due to his badly fractured leg that wasn't healing, Garry had no choice but to have his leg amputated in 2011. His injuries brought on bouts of anger and depression. Garry is now back at home and undertakes rehabilitation three days a week.“Garry is much better now. He is walking independently and can do things by himself now and has his own confidence. What DefenceCare did for us just made things much easier – it was a load off our shoulders. Thank you for the help and support and helping us though the tough times.” says Katrina.

Graeme !Graeme served for almost 20 years in South East Asia and

the Pacific in the Royal Australian Navy. He was

discharged suffering from a mood disorder. Looking back,

Graeme recalls how serving his country impacted on his family

and his own mental health.

Graeme was away for up to nine months a year. “I missed

all the birthdays and family occasions and after a while, I

was not part of the family anymore. I was a visitor.” !

After being torn away from his family for one too many times,

Graeme and his wife separated. Graeme had no choice but to continue his

service and he didn’t talk to anyone aboard the ship about his troubles. “That was when I started drinking to cope with

my wife leaving me. I didn’t speak up and admit that I

needed help. It just wasn’t done.”

Graeme was medically

discharged and eventually contacted DefenceCare for help. DefenceCare helped

Graeme with his entitlements and his claims have now been

accepted. This has been a huge relief and will allow

Graeme to better manage his mental health. DefenceCare

also helps with counselling and paying urgent bills for his

ex-wife and children.

13

PatriciaDoreen "Peggy" Cruise met her husband, Fred, at Coogee when she was only 14. It was love at first sight. !Fred Cruise volunteered for the Army with his brother, Jack, and the story goes that the brothers in arms were required to re-enlist for service. The brothers "got a bit tipsy", causing Fred to fill in the wrong form. The form was for joining the Royal Australian Air Force, which was where he ended up, fighting the Germans in WWII. In the last year of the war, Fred trained the allies to become pilots. When he returned home, Fred connected with The Returned Services League of Australia and eventually became Treasurer of Oatley RSL sub-Branch. Sadly, Peggy’s rock and Patricia’s beloved father suffered a massive cardiac arrest in 1991 and passed away. !When Patricia found out the cemetery her father was buried in !!!

!!did not have any room next to his plot for her mother, she became concerned. "When my mother passes, they will not have any room for my mum, Peggy. The family want them together. They had to be together. But I could not afford the cost of unearth ing and removing my father.” !DefenceCare arranged for the moving of Fred to a cemetery that was closer to Patricia and Peggy and had room for Peggy when she is laid to rest. Fred’s new home has a beautiful view – it is under the gumtrees and next to a gazebo. To c o m m e m o r a t e h i s s e r v i c e , DefenceCare also arranged for a new plaque bearing the Australian Army and RAAF symbols. !Sadly since this story was written, Peggy has passed away and most recently DefenceCare helped with a contribution to the cost of her funeral. Our thoughts are with Patricia and her family at this sad time.

Eric !When WWII veteran Eric Geddes decided to give DefenceCare a call, he did not expect to receive the help he was given and the improvement to his quality of life.At the age of 95, the humble hero lives alone suffering from cataracts, macular degeneration, sleep apnoea and lives on a limited pension payment.DefenceCare successfully helped Eric increase his pension payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs. These payments now allow him to pay for medical bills and the rising cost of everyday expenses.DefenceCare also visited Eric in his home and helped him obtain items to make his life easier. !DefenceCare provided a special wireless telephone for hearing and sight impaired patients as well as a mask for his sleep apnoea respiratory machine. Eric was overwhelmed with his new mask and can now enjoy a restful sleep every night. “This has been a personal problem for nigh on 30 years until DefenceCare did their research and were able to locate a mask that was up to date”.Eric is grateful for the help he received. “I sincerely appreciate the services rendered to me by DefenceCare…Thank you.”

14

National Veterans Report

Commander John Hodges RAN (Red) !National Veterans’ Affairs Advisor

The Nat iona l Veterans ’ Affa i r s Committee (NVAC) is charged with advising the National Executive on all matters pertaining to assistance and care of serving and former members of the Australian Defence Force and their families. !Membership of the committee is drawn from all States and Territories as nominated by the respective State President/Council. !The 2013 membership comprised: Mr Viv Quinn -QLD, Ms Robyn Collins, Mr John Haines -NSW, Messrs Peter Collas, Jim Gilchrist -ACT, MAJGEN David McLachlan, Mr Jeff Jackson -VIC, Mr David Skinner -TAS, Ms Wendy Rydon -SA/NT, Hon Graham Edwards, Mr John McCourt -WA and Mr Mickey Michaelis -NHQ (Secretary). !!2013 National Congress !Arising out of each National Congress is the RSL’s Budget Submission to the Government. The Priority Proposals are as follows: !!Indexation !That the indexation of all components of Military Superannuation under the DFRDB and MSBS schemes be calculated by an indexation regime matching cost of living increases. !!BEST Funding !That the Government immediately reinstate funding for BEST Round 15 to the Round 13 appropriation. !!Additional Resources for the improved Management of Mental Health That the Government provides additional resources (Financial) for the improved management of the mental

health issues of the serving and ex-serving personnel and their families. Specifically in the areas of: !

• The establishment of a ‘Centre of Excellence’ in Mental Health

• The establishment of the position of ‘Commissioner for Mental Health’ w i t h i n t h e R e p a t r i a t i o n Commission.

• Improvement in the identification of personnel with mental health issues transitioning out of the ADF.

• Improve the coordination between the ADF and DVA relating to mental health issues.

• Establishment of a coordinated "Mental Health Service Delivery Model" to manage the ''patient journey " through the "Whole of Life Continuum"

• Increasing funding to primary health care providers to understand the "patient journey" of serving and ex-serving personnel and their families.

• Ensure that Research commissioned in the area of mental health i n c l u d e s a ' ' W h o l e o f L i f e Continuum”.

!Residential Care-Younger Veterans !That the Government develop a system to ensure access to appropriate accommodation for disabled Veterans who require 24 hour supported living but are too young to qualify for aged care services.

15

“The Government will be restoring funding for advocacy, welfare and training services in the BEST programme by $1 million per annum.”

Veterans’ Aged Care !That the Government remove the barriers to Veterans and war widows accessing higher levels of community aged care and thereby enabling them to make informed and appropriate choices regarding their ability to continue to live in the community. For Nursing Home accommodation, ensure that the Special Needs status of Veterans is recognised consistently across all States in the annual advertising and allocation of new aged care places and packages. !!Home Respite Care!That the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) adequately resource the provision of the yearly allocation of 8 days of in-home respite care under the Veterans’ Home Care Program (VHC). !!Veterans’ Disability Pensions Rates !That all rates for Veterans’ Disability Pensions be adjusted by the same increment that was granted at the time for the Single Rate of Service Pension in the 2009 Budget which was by 2.7% increase of MTAWE (Male Total Average Weekly Earnings). !!Income Support Payments !That the Government legislate that the following payments to Veterans are administered and paid by DVA on behalf of the Department of Human Services: !

• Carers Allowance

• Newstart Allowance

Military Rehabilitation & Compensation Act ReviewOn the 28th June 2013 the Veterans’ Affairs Legislation Amendment (Military Compensation Review and Other Measures) Bill 2013 gained Royal Assent and became the 99th Act of Parliament for 2013.

All 18 recommendations and one observation addressed in the Government response to the Review were enacted in the Bill. !This completed a long process which commenced in mid-2009 with the establishment of the Review Committee. I represented the RSL at the ESO’s subcommittee at which I expounded the RSL’s view to

!!changes we sought to the Act. These recommended changes were bought to NVAC from the various State Delegates, debated and formulated and then placed before the RSL National Executive for endorsement. !Although we did not achieve all that we asked for, the subsequent amendments to the MRCA Act were endorsed by the RSL and will benefit both serving and ex-serving members of the ADF. !!BEST Grants !As was detailed in my 2012 Report, there was widespread criticism throughout the League of the reduction in total funding of the Building Excellence in Support & Training (BEST) grants. !It was pleasing to note that the incoming Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Senator the Hon. Michael Ronaldson, announced at the Supplementary Budget Estimate Committee hearings on 29th November 2013 that the Government will be restoring funding for advocacy, welfare and training services in the BEST programme by $1 million per annum. !!National Veterans’ Affairs Committee (NVAC) Meetings !Meeting summaries of NVAC meetings are now on the RSL National Website. This allows all members of the League to view what was discussed and what actions were taken on any particular issue. !All members are still encouraged to bring to the attention of their relevant State Veterans’ Affairs Committee any issue in the Veterans’ Affairs portfolio that is of concern. !!Conclusion !The main focus of NVAC continues to ensure that our hard won entitlements and benefits are not eroded either by budget restraints or the natural downsizing of DVA as the Veteran population diminishes. I would like to thank the National President, National Executive, fellow members of NVAC and the staff at National Headquarters for their support throughout the year.

16

!Financial Report

STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

WHAT WE RECEIVED $

Donations 1,222,269

Interest & Dividends 335,131

Grants 91,724

Other Income 19,630

Total Revenue 1,668,754

WHAT WE SPENT $

Support, Assistance & Service Delivery 1,872,941

Contract & Management Fees 247,180

Legal & Consulting 44,990

Depreciation & Amortization 100,572

Advertising & Promotion 698,535

Other Costs 29,417

Total Expenditure 2,993,635

Net Operating Deficit (1,324,881)

DONATIONSINTEREST & DIVIDENDSGRANTSOTHER INCOME

SUPPORT, ASSISTANCE,SERVICECONTRACT & M’MENT FEESLEGAL & CONSULTINGDEPRECIATION & AMORTIZATIONADVERTISING & PROMOTIONOTHER COSTS

The complete financial statements are on the website www.rslnsw.org.au

17

WHAT WE OWN $

Plant & Equipment 317,023

Intangible 49,848

Cash & Short Term Deposits 2,985,072

Available-for-sale Assets 3,279,452

Receivables 72,262

Other 61,643

6,765,300

WHAT WE OWE $

Creditors 84,488

Staff Entitlements 34,167

Trust Funds 460,644

579,299

Net Assets 6,186,001

PLANT & EQUIPMENTINTANGIBLECASH & SHORT TERM DEPAVAIL FOR SALE ASSETSRECEIVABLESOTHER

CREDITORSSTAFF ENTITLEMENTSTRUST FUNDS

The complete financial statements are on the website www.rslnsw.org.au

18

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

DONATIONS to RSL WBI From Women’s Auxiliaries

Adamstown

Albion Park

Baradine

Bass Hill

Batemans Bay

Bathurst

Bellinger River

Berry

Bexley

Blacktown

Bondi Junction-Waverley

Bundeena

Byron Bay

Callala Beach

Campbelltown

Canterbury-Hurlstone Park

Cardiff

Casino

Cessnock

Chester Hill-Carramar

Combined RSL Aux

Concord District

Coogee-Randwick

Coonabarabran

Davistown

Doyalson/Wyee

Dubbo

Emmaville

Fairfield

Far Nth Coast Area Group

Gilgandra

Gladesville

Gloucester

Gosford

Gunnedah

Henty

Huskisson

Ingleburn

Kandos

Kempsey-Macleay

Kingsgrove

Lambton-New Lambton

Laurieton

Leeton

Lidcombe

Lismore

Liverpool

Maclean

Malabar

Manilla

Maroubra

Mascot

Matraville

Mendooran

Miranda

Mittagong

Mortdale

Nambucca Heads

Norfolk Island

North Ryde

Padstow

Parkes

Penrith

Port Macquarie

Portland

Queanbeyan

Richmond

Ryde District

Singleton

Smithfield

South Hurstville

South Lake Macquarie

St Marys

Sussex Inlet

Tamworth

Tea Gardens

Temora

The Entrance-Long Jetty

Upper Group Illawarra Welfare

Uralla

Wagga Wagga

Walcha

West Wyalong

Western & Southern Welfare Grp

Windsor & District

Wingham

Wollongong

Woodburn-Evans Head

Woolgoolga

Woonona-Bulli

Wyong

Yamba

Yass

Yeoval

19

The LEAGUE

Poppy Day - Sydney 2013