Royal Canadian Legion

MINUTES OF THE ZONE MEETING HELD AT BRANCH 002
IN LAHR-RICHENBACH ON SATURDAY 21 AUGUST 2010

In Attendance:

Zone Zone Commander - Reg Bonnar
Deputy Zone Commander - Gerry Lemay
Zone Sgt-at-Arms - Josh Gelinas

Branch 001 President - Kevin Grainger
Past President - John Wallace
Membership - Cam Audet

Branch 002 President - Alphonse Deguire
1st Vice President - Ken Gardiner
Sgt-at-Arms - Guy O’Quinn

Branch 003 Member - Valerie Corbeil

Branch 004 President - Gaetan Bienvenue
1st Vice President - Harry Irish

Branch 005 President - Peter Spierenburg

Observer Members in Attendance:

Comrade Frank Becker
Comrade Lucien Perraut
Comrade Erika Bienvenue
Comrade Robert Wallace
Comrade Irma Irish
Comrade Hans Waeldin
Comrade Theresia Lemay
Comrade Ben Zonnenberg

Item Description

Prior to the commencement of the meeting the Zone Commander distributed to each Branch an information folder. The contents of the folder will be listed as Annex A.

1. The Zone Commander opened the meeting at 1400 hours by welcoming all in attendance.

2. The Zone Commander reviewed the minutes of the last Zone Meeting held at Branch 005 in the Netherlands on 8 May 2010 .

3. Adoption of the minutes

There being no observations of errors or omissions to report the minutes were adopted as presented. A motion to adopt the minutes was made by Comrade Alphonse Deguire and seconded by Comrade Josh Gelinas.

Motion Carried

4. The Zone Financial Statement included in the information folder was reviewed.

5. Adoption of the Financial Statement

There being no observations raised to the report a motion to adopt the financial statement as presented was made by Comrade Ken Gardiner and seconded by Comrade Kevin Grainger.

Motion Carried

Old Business

6. 2-10 May Liberation of the Netherlands Ceremonies

The Zone Commander thanked the members of Branch 005 who contributed to the success of all the ceremonies that took place during our week long stay in the Netherlands. In particular to Comrade Hendrik Kuiper who arranged accommodations and stayed with us through the week making sure we arrived at our destination in a timely manner. He also did an outstanding job as Sgt-at-Arms at the ceremonies. Thanks also to Comrade Ben Zonnenberg who arranged the visit to the Palace in Apeldoorn and our participation at the Ceremony in Otterlo. Last but not least thanks to Comrades Berry & Yvonne Swarthoff for hosting us for the zone meeting in Lochem.

Throughout the week we had the honour to meet with many Canadian and Dutch dignitaries and most importantly the opportunity to meet and chat with our war heroes the Canadian Veterans. All ceremonies were very well organized by our Dutch hosts and we were honoured to participate with a Legion Colour Party and members as all Branches of Zone Europe were represented.

Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek - In addition to the presence of our Canadian Veterans the ceremony was highlighted with the presents of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.

Canadian War Cemetery in Holten - In addition to the presence of our Canadian Veterans the ceremony was highlighted by the participation of the youth who laid flowers on each soldier’s grave in the cemetery.

Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen-Op-Zoom - In addition to the presence of our Canadian Veterans the ceremony was highlighted with the presence of the Prime Minister of Canada.

The National Commemoration Capitulations 1945 Ceremony and the march through the city of Wageningen. It was a first class parade that honoured the Canadian Veterans.

Otterlo Ceremony - A memorial plaque was unveiled in honour of the 5th Canadian Armoured Division who liberated this area, known as "Hoffie's Mighty Maroon Machenine”. The memorial was named after the Commanding Officer of the unit Major General Bert Hoffmeister.

Liberation of Apeldoorn Parade - It was the final parade which honoured their Canadian Liberators. It was simply a great day for the Canadian Veterans.

7. 30 May Branch 004 Werl Ceremony

The Zone Commander said he is sure the president will present the details of this ceremony in his report but he was honoured to be the Parade Commander at this first class ceremony. He extended his congratulations to Branch 004 for their dedication and it was evident that a lot of effort was put into the planning and conducting of this ceremony. It was also great to see that members from all Branches of Zone Europe were present at this ceremony.

Following the ceremony a reception was held where we had the opportunity to meet with fellow Canadians that have made there home in this area, the Mayor of Werl Michael Grossmann, the Canadian Defence Attaché of Germany, Austria and Switzerland Colonel Tony Battista, a delegation of visiting former soldiers that served in this area that joined us for the ceremony and our comrades from the Royal British Legion that were present.

Not related to the ceremony the reception did provide a platform to sign an official “Friendship Agreement” between the Royal Canadian Legion and the Royal British Legion that could be witnessed by members of both organizations.

8. 13-16 June Legion Convention in Winnipeg

The Legion Convention commenced on Sunday under sunny skies with a wonderful parade and wreath laying ceremony at the memorial near the legislation building in downtown Winnipeg. This was followed by the opening ceremonies in the afternoon.

Business sessions commenced on Monday morning under the watchful eye of our Dominion Chairman Tom Irvine who is to be congratulated on the tremendous job he done in controlling procedures for the remainder of the convention. There were 1,071 accredited delights caring 2,590 proxy votes present at the convention. Since most of the resolutions had to do with Veterans and Seniors which is a mandate of the Legion very little negative debate arose and most all resolutions passed.

Many interesting presentations were given by invited dignitaries throughout the convention. Notably our new Minister of Veterans Affairs the Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn very passionately outlined what he sees as the way forward in relation to Veterans Care. He did manage to raise a few eyebrows among the delegates when he made reference to “Canadians and Quebecers” in the same sentence but in general it was a very motivating speech. Since then however the minister is under pressure from all veteran organizations and the CDS in that he is supporting the government policy in paying out lump sum payments to injured veterans rather than providing proper pensions and the governments announcement to downsizing the department of veterans affairs at a time when it is felt their services will be required more than ever in the future.

The elections went very well with Comrade Pat Varga being elected as the new Dominion President. All the Dominion Officers with biography can be found on the Legion webpage.

One of the most important events that take place at conventions is the contribution made by the Branches and members to the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Serviceman League (RCEL) allowing the Royal Canadian Legion to continue meeting its mandate of assisting these needy veterans. This year was no exception to the generosity for this important cause and donated $225,529.45. In addition $44,658.58 was donated to the Troop Morale Fund.

In summary it was evident that a lot of effort was put into the planning by our Dominion Command Staff which contributed to the success of the convention.

9. 1 July Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial Service

The Zone Commander thanked the President of Branch 002, Alphonse Deguire, for conducting this ceremony while he was in Canada and added that he has received several good reports that all went very well regarding our participation. Thanks again for a job well done.

10. 1 July Branch Canada Day Activities

This item will be reported on in the report by Branches later in the agenda.

11. 17 July Branch 005 Groesbeek Ceremony in support of the Canadian Forces Members that participated in the Nijmegen March

The President will report on this event in his report by Branches later in the agenda.

New Business

12. 28 Aug Branch 003 Ceremony at the De La Haye Memorial in Belgium

This annual ceremony hosted by Branch 003 is to honour the six Canadian and one British Airmen, the crew of a Halifax Bomber that crashed on 2 November 1944 . The town's people were able to remove the bodies from the wreckage and hide them before the Germans arrived. Later they were able to give the airmen a proper burial. For further information on this ceremony contact a member of the Branch Executive.

13. 10-13 September Liberation of Belgium Ceremonies

As was sent to the Branches and posted on the Zone webpage; In preparation for the Liberation of Belgium Ceremonies Branches were to submit names of members wishing to attend these ceremonies not later that Friday 13 August 2010. Limited accommodations have been arranged at the Naval Barracks in Sint-Kuris near Brugge. Names will be accepted on a first come first serve basis. The following is a brief itinerary regarding ceremonies and events

Friday 10 September members travel to Belgium

Saturday 11 September at approximately 0700 hours depart barracks to parade the colours for the commencement of the Operation Switchback March which will be held in Aalter. At approximately 1030 hours we will do a wreath laying ceremony at the memorial in Oostkamp and in the afternoon will visit Ieper (Ypres). While in Ypres Comrade Steve Douglas, who lives there will provide us with a local guided tour as time permits. Steve will also arrange a place for us to have supper together. Attend the ceremony at the Menin Gate at 2000 hours and possibly lay a wreath and return to barracks.

Sunday 12 September we will parade the colours and participate in the Liberation of Belgium Ceremony at the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem. 0715 hours depart the barracks and have breakfast on route in Adegem depart for the cemetery at 0900 hours. After the ceremony we will attend the reception in Adegem followed by a visit to the Canadian Museum and return to the barracks.

Monday 13 September after breakfast which has been arranged in the mess member will return home.

14. 20 October IJzendijke Ceremony

On this date in 1944 at a farm on Isabelleweg near the town of Ijzendijke , the Netherlands a horrific accidental explosion occurred. The explosion caused the death of forty-one British and Canadian soldiers and caused injury to another fifty-one some of which would be fatal. The majority of the soldiers present on that fateful day were from 204 Armoured Assault Squadron, Royal Engineers and ten soldiers of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps of the 7th Infantry Brigade. If this ceremony develops the Zone Commander and a couple of members will attend with our Belgium members providing the Colour Party.

15. 5-8 November Beaumont-Hamel & Vimy Remembrance Day Ceremonies

Friday 05 Nov a Colour Party will depart for France to take part in the Annual Remembrance Day Ceremonies at Beaumont-Hamel on Saturday 06 Nov followed by the Vimy Ceremony on Sunday 07 Nov. Timings, accommodations and details of the events to be announced at a later date.

16. 11 November Branch Remembrance Day Services

Branches are to organize their Remembrance Day Services as appropriate.

17. 21 November Branch 001 Remembrance Ceremony at Choloy , France

This ceremony pays tribute and honour the sacrifice of the 778 burials in this cemetery. Most of the burials are allied Air Force personnel of the Second World War with 62 being Canadian along with two Canadian Soldiers.

In addition there are 332 post war graves of Canadian Military Personnel and their family members who died in the service of their country while serving with NATO from 1953 to 1994. 276 are Military Members and 56 Family Members.

Branch 001 is requested to forward an itinerary well in advance of the ceremony to the Branch Presidents and the Zone Commander so members particularly in the Baden and Lahr will be able to attend.

18. Correspondence

The Zone Commander received communications from Colonel Battista, Canadian Military Attaché in Berlin where he expressed his disappointment with the response from the Legion Magazine on an article that was submitted for publication of the Werl Ceremony.

Editors Comment; “It is nice to know that Canadian soldiers are still remembered there. However, our space is very limited and we don’t have room for celebrations abroad unless they were official Government of Canada events such as those recently in the Netherlands. Occasionally we get a photo from the branches in Germany for our Snapshots Section. We appreciate you taking the time to inform us of the ceremony”.

Colonel Battista Commented; Thank you for informing me, I am sorry to read such response from our Canadian Legion magazine. Nathalie - please assist Mrs Stapper by connecting her with the editor of Maple Leaf magazine. I am quite confident they will publish the article and photos.

The Zone Commander said he believes there is obviously some misunderstanding this ceremony is not a celebration but a dignified Legion Ceremony honouring the sacrifice of 124 Canadian soldiers who gave their lives in the defence of Canada. As any soldier regardless of time they deserve receiving recognition that honour and respect their sacrifice. In addition to the soldiers buried in this cemetery there are 324 family members laid to rest who also deserve not to be forgotten. In this cemetery, the Werl Park Cemetery, there is 448 Canadian burials. It is the largest concentration of post war graves in Europe …. “Lest we forget”.

On 03 October there will be a celebration in Zweibrücken to mark the 600th anniversary of the founding of the Duchy of Pfalz-Zweibruecken, an independent state of the Holy Roman Empire . The twin cities of Zweibruecken have all been invited to send an official delegation to attend the review. Barrie , Ontario twinned since 1997 will be sending 6 representatives. The main functions are going to be historical in nature and will highlight the history of the Herzogtum (Duchy). I have prepared a more detailed report that is available on the event with information so kindly sent to me by Jean Maurice Pigeon, Wing Heritage Officer, 16 Wing Borden for branches or anyone that may be interested in attending.

19. Report by Branches

Branch 001; The President Kevin Grainger reported Branch members attended Canada Day activities with the Canadian Military members in Heidelberg and a good time was had by all. He thanked his Membership Chairman, Comrade Cam Audet, for all the work he has been doing with membership and in fact keeping the Branch going. The Branch will have a general meeting on 11 September to set a date for elections. Discuss bingo’s, request more participation from members etc. The Choloy Ceremony will be discussed and possibly a change of date to which the Branches and the Zone Commander will be notified. The Canadian Ambassador from Berlin the Honourable Peter M. Boehm visited the Canadian Museum where a number of our members turned out to meet him.

Branch 002; The President Alphonse Deguire congratulated Branch 004 on the super ceremony in Werl that he enjoyed. The ceremony at Beaumont-Hamel went very well but he was disappointed that the members of Branch 001 cancelled the day before the trip which created a problem with the Hotel bookings and cancellation of five rooms to which they were going to charges 25 Euro cancellation fees fortunately negotiation with the manager he wavered the fee. On entertainment the Branch has bingo once a month and will look to increase to at least twice a month this fall. Plans to have a country and western night with a BBQ this fall is being look into. Members of the Branch will be represented at the Ceremonies in Belgium 10-13 September and the Vimy Beaumont-Hamel Ceremonies in November. The President also submitted a proposal requesting Branch 004 to consider having a joint ceremony together with Branch 002 for the November 11 Remembrance Day Ceremony at the Canadian Section of the Lahr Cemetery.

Branch 003; Comrade Valerie Corbeil said she has been given no report to submit but from her knowledge things are going well with good participation at all planned events. She will contact the president on her return to GK and request he submit a report.

Branch 004; The President Gaetan Bienvenue said he was pleased with the ceremony in Werl and must thank many people who contributed to its success and also for their participation. Mayor of Werl and his staff, members of a local shooting club who participated and fired a salute in honour of the Canadians, Colonel Battista from the Embassy in Berlin, Colonel Fournier representing R22eR who also laid a wreath with their unit colours, 25 members of Branch 265 from the area of Lorettville, Quebec that attended the ceremony, Danny Cromwell who sang amazing grace and our German friend that played the trumpet throughout the ceremony. Thanks also to the members of the Royal British Legion and of course all of our comrades, members from all Branches that supported the ceremony including three of our Korean War Veterans. The most emotional part of the ceremony was when all gathered at the grave of Sylvia Jean Bergevin as her son and daughter Tony and Rita paid their respect and laid a floral tribute to their mother that they lost 45 years ago when they were small children. The Branch Canada Day was smaller this year and held at the Branch, it was a nice day and enjoyed by all who attended. The Branch will reopen following the summer break on 25 September with elections held on that date. In response to Branch 002 request to hold a joint Remembrance Day Ceremony; unfortunately this year it has already been approved by a vote at the Branch and arrangements has already been made with Kippenheim administration to hold a special ceremony at the Canadian Memorial in Kippenheim but the request will be considered for the future.

Branch 005; The President Peter Spierenburg said the Liberation Ceremonies in May was superb and thanked all members for their participation. The Groesbeek Ceremony in support of the Canadian Forces Members that participated in the Nijmegen March went very well and the contact he has made with the Canadian organizers will finally result in no problems for the future. The focus at the moment with the executive committee is to establish better relationship with the members which he hopes to achieve via personal news letters and electronic information posted to their Branch website. In the planning is a get together with members in perhaps a BBQ setting where everyone can meet to foster comradeship.

20 Open Discussion

The Zone Commander opened the discussion by outlining member’s responsibilities when attending Ceremonies with Zone. First of course is the Colour Party every member should be available to carry a flag as a matter of fact you should be honoured to do so. Keep in mind you are not on tour, the itinerary is set before we go so be prepared to partake as a group. The Zone Commander said he is approachable but please refrain from making alternate suggestions to a few members within our delegation it only adds to the confusion amid the organized kayos we find ourselves in occasionally. Be prepared to take responsibility if requested to do so.

Special Presentations

The Zone Commander said occasionally he gets a pleasant task to perform and today he is pleased to present two awards to deserving members. First I would like to present a Legion Plaque to our Deputy Zone Commander Gerard Lemay. Gerry and I have been friends for many years commencing in the early 80’s when I got posted to Europe. I have over the years admired his work with the Royal Canadian Legion from carrying flags together in the Colour Party, his many years as President of Branch 001 and my good fortune to have him as my Deputy Zone Commander.

His leadership as president of Branch 001 during the rough years after the Canadian Forces were pulled out of Europe was instrumental in keeping the Branch alive and functioning and without a doubt he would still be the president of the Branch if he had decided to run for further terms.

What is most admirable is the fact Gerry knows when it’s time to pass the torch on to new leadership as he demonstrated when he decided not to run for president of his Branch. Gerry has now done it again when through consultation with me has requested to tender his resignation as Deputy Zone Commander.

It is with some regret although I understand completely his personal situation that I support his decision and have accepted his request. This however doesn’t let him off the hook completely and I am sure he will continue to support Zone in the future as requested.

Gerry would you please come forward and accept this small token of our gratitude for your comradeship and hopefully in some way it will honour your dedication to the Royal Canadian Legion. Gerry received a standing ovation and congratulations from all present.

For the second award I am indeed privileged on behalf of the Dominion President to present one of our members with MSM (Meritorious Service Medal) in recognition for all he has done over the years in the area of Remembrance and Assistance to Veterans on behalf of the Royal Canadian Legion. [At this time Ben was busy with his camera taking pictures and trying to get himself in a good position to take pictures of whoever would receive this award] When I said it gives me great pleasure to present this award to Comrade Ben Zonnenberg, Comrade Ben would you please come forward .... I thought for a minute he would pass out on me, however, the rest of the members present gave him such a warm and deserving reception that it seemed to ease the moment ... he was totally unaware of the award. I continued and read the citation, presented the plaque, pinned the medal on his blazer hoping to give him time to compose himself. When the members asked for a speech, it was the first time I seen Ben speechless! When he began he said I speak three languages but at this moment I find it very difficult to say something in any one of them .... I am completely overwhelmed that I would receive or even be considered for such a prestigious award .... anyone who ever met Ben knows how genuinely modest he is! It wasn't long and the handshakes form everyone began as they congratulate him personally and admired the hardware he received.

From my point of view it was simply heartwarming to see both Ben and Gerry get the recognition they so greatly deserves and of course the comradeship displayed by everyone present.

21. Meeting Adjournment

There being no further business to discuss a motion was made by Comrade Alphonse Deguire and seconded by Comrade Kevin Grainger that the meeting be adjourned. The meeting was adjourned at 1630 hours.

Note: The next Zone Meeting will be hosted by Branch 003 in Geilenkirchen on Saturday 26 February 2011 at 1400 hours.




Frank Becker
A/Zone Europe Secretary

Reg Bonnar
Zone Commander, Europe

Annex A to the

Minutes of the Zone Meeting

Held on 21 August 2010

Contents of the Folder,

* Itinerary for the Zone Meeting
* Minutes of last Zone Meeting held at Branch 005 on 08 May 2010
* Financial Statement covering period 26 April to 18 August 2010
* Correspondence
* Branch contribution to the Ceremonial Fund