MINUTES OF THE ZONE MEETING HELD AT

BRANCH 003 IN GEILENKIRCHEN

ON SATURDAY 26 JULY 2008

In Attendance:

Zone                                      Zone Commander                                          Reg Bonnar

                                             Zone Service Officer                                     Valerie Laucke

                                             Sgt-at-Arms                                                  Jocelyn Gelinas

Branch 001                                                                                                 Not Represented     

Branch 002                            President                                                       Bill Fairley

Branch 003                            1^st Vice President                                          John De Laney

                                             2^nd Vice President                                          Yvonne Lachmund

                                             Poppy Chairman                                            Brent Burden

                                             Secretary                                                      Kaye Thorne

                                             Sgt-at-Arms                                                  Denis St Pierre

Branch 004                            Member                                                        Stephanie Politano

Branch 005                            1^st Vice President                                          Howard Miller        

Observer Members in Attendance:

Branch 002                           Member                                                        Lucien Perraut

                                             Member                                                        Hans Von Jutrzenka

                                             Member                                                        Steve Douglas

                                             Member                                                        Daniel Van Landschoot

Branch 003                            Member                                                        Ben Zonnenberg

Branch 004                            Member                                                        Iris Van Landschoot

Branch 005                            Member                                                        Myrna Miller

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 and said before we commence the meeting that has brought us together we will pause for a moment to reflect on the life of George Mac Mullen, our last remaining war veteran in the Lahr area who passed away on 19 July at the age of 86.

Continuing his opening remarks the Zone Commander announced the appointment of Comrade Valerie Laucke from Branch 003 as a member of the Zone Europe Council. Her primary task will be that of the Zone Service Officer.

2.      The Zone Commander reviewed the minutes of the last Zone Meeting held at Branch 001 in Söllingen on 26 April 2008 . There being no observations of errors or omissions to the report a motion to adopt the minutes as presented was made by Comrade Bill Fairley and seconded by Comrade Josh Gelinas.

Motion Carried

3.   The Zone Financial Statement included in the information folder was reviewed. The Zone Commander noted there are a couple of transfers that he will make to the Branch 003 poppy fund. Money collected by Steve Douglas in Ypres . There being no observations raised the financial statement was adopted as presented by Comrade Brent Burden and seconded by Comrade Denis St Pierre.

Motion Carried

Old Business

4.   Wreaths and Poppies

The Zone Commander received the name from Branch 003 that has been forwarded to Dominion Command Supply so we can use the CFPO forwarding address to get the allotment of wreaths and poppies sent to us which should happen in the near future. The Zone Commander thanked Branch 003 for their support in arranging this interim solution.

5.   Poppy Fund

The Zone Commander thanked Branch 003 for the copy of their Poppy Trust Fund and the Annual Audit Report of their General Legion Account. For accountability purposes the Zone Commander requested the other branches to provide a copy of their Branch Financial Reports not later than the next zone meeting.

6.       Membership

The Zone Commander stressed how important membership is to your Branch and encouraged the presidents to check often with their membership chairperson to be sure membership lists are up to date. Keep your members aware of what is happening at the branch. You will find in the handouts how Dominion Command sees your membership if there is discrepancies get them sorted out.

7.   4-5 May - Liberation of the Netherlands Ceremonies

On 4 May at 1100 hours we did a very nice ceremony at the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten. It was a nice day and a large crowd had gathered even though it was not a special year. The Zone Commander thanked Branch 005 for providing the Colour Party and a wreath was laid on behalf of the Royal Canadian Legion.

Following the ceremony in Holten we went to the clubhouse of Branch 005 in Lochem had lunch and enjoyed the afternoon. During the course of the afternoon we met two British gentlemen. One was a war veteran who comes every year to lay a wreath and remember his fallen comrades at a small memorial on the outskirts of the village. Since there was only two of them the Zone Commander had all of our members join them for this small ceremony. The war veteran was overwhelmed by our presence and thanked us very much for our participation.

Too end the day on an invitation from the mayor of Apeldoorn we participated in the silent march ceremony in the city center.

On 5 May we paraded in the city of Wageningen that marks the Liberation of the Netherlands . The parade was bigger than ever and we were fortunate to have a group of Canadians both veterans and Legion members join us in this celebration parade.

8.   Annual Ceremonies at Hotten and Bure in Belgium Branch 003

This event will be covered in report by branches later in the agenda.

9.   7-8 Jun - Remembrance Ceremony in Werl , Germany Branch 004

This event will be covered in report by branches later in the agenda.

10.  21-25 Jun - Legion Convention held in Ottawa .

The Zone Commander gave a briefing on the Legion Convention details were included in the handouts. He considered the convention a success but not all issues of concern has been completely resolved in particular the flag protocol, however, our capable staff at command will resolve this issue before the resolutions take effect on 1 October.

11.  01 July will be the annual Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial Service.

The ceremony was well organized and there was a large contingent of Veterans, dignitaries and Legionaries from Newfoundland that is always a bonus. Following the ceremony we had the opportunity to meet with visiting members and have an enjoyable time. A wreath was laid on behalf of the Royal Canadian Legion.

12.  01 Jul Branches will celebrate Canada Day

These events will be covered in report by branches later in the agenda.

13.  19 Jul - Ceremony in support of the Canadian Military Contingent that participates in the Nijmegen March at the Canadian War Cemetery at Groesbeek Branch 005

This event will be covered in report by branches later in the agenda.

14. 13-14 Sep Liberation of the Belgium Ceremonies

The Zone Commander is in the process of organizing this ceremony and will require the names of members wishing to attend not later than 15 August. On Saturday Sep 13^th at 0830 hours we will parade the Colours for the commencement of the Operation Switchback March which this year will start at the Hickman Bridge which is located just over the border in the Netherlands at Retranchement (Sluis- the Netherlands ). In the early afternoon we have been requested to attend and take part in the unveiling of a memorial stone at the Canadian Museum in Adegem. Later in the afternoon we will do a ceremony at the Moerbrugge Monument . Actual timings TBA.

On Sunday 14 September we will provide a Colour Party and participate at the Canadian/Polish Liberation of Belgium Ceremony at the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem.  Details of the events will be posted on the Zone Website as they develop.

15.  Correspondence

Letter to Steve Douglas thanking him for his dedication and efforts that resulted in a substantial contribution to the Poppy Fund of Branch 003

Letter to Danny Murphy, Chairman of the Royal British Legion, reference the 450 Ceremony. Unfortunately there will be no official 450 Ceremony this year.

Other correspondence of importance is included in the handouts.

16.  Report by Branches

Branch 001; Due to unforeseen circumstances and sudden work commitments of the Branch President the Branch was not represented at this meeting.

Branch 002; The President Bill Fairley reported the Branch had a executive meeting to discuss membership, finances and what could be done to improve both of these issues. The consensus was that events would be the answer. Bingo’s is already an established event so it was agreed to conduct a BBQ in the afternoon of the bingo’s advertise this well in advance encourage member participation and hope for the best. The first BBQ/Bingo will be held on 24 August and the next on 21 September. BBQ to commence at 1500 hours and the Bingo at approximately 1800 hours other Branch members are also welcome and encouraged to attend. The President has initiated a bulletin to keep the membership informed of what is happening and in the planning stages for the Branch. A Branch General Meeting is planned for the afternoon of Sunday 7 September 2008 .

Branch 03; On behalf of the President Brian Burchard who was on duty the Branch Representatives said the branch is doing well. A good turn out for branch social activities continues. Activities are well advertised on the webpage and in the club. On 5 May the branch did a ceremony in Hotten-Bure , Belgium also present was members of the Royal British Legion, Brussels . This ceremony is dedicated to the memory of the soldiers of the British 6^th Airborne Division and the Belgium SAS (Special Air Service) who were killed in the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 through January 1945 or in skirmishes leading up to the battle. The branch did a commemorative ceremony along with Royal British Legion members from Rheindahlen in St. Vith , Belgium . The ceremony honours the crew of a RCAF Halifax Bomber that was shot down 3 October 1943 . The pilot and five crew members was Canadian along with two RAF crew members. On 31 August the branch will hold a Ceremony at the De La Haye Memorial in Belgium . This ceremony is dedicated in honour of six Canadian and one British Airmen, the crew of a Halifax Bomber. On 2 November 1944 the plane crashed in a field near the farm of Mr. Albert Adans. 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. The Ceremony usually starts with a church service after which a wreath laying takes place at the town monument followed by a ceremony and wreath laying at the site of the memorial.The Branch held a remembrance service for our former Zone Commander Thomas Andrews and plan to lay a Poppy Cross in his honour at this year’s Remembrance Day in Groesbeek.

Branch 004; On behalf of the President Gaetan Bienvenue Comrade Stephanie gave the following report. The Branch is doing very well. The Werl Ceremony was a great success. Guest of honour was Colonel Batista the Military Attaché in Berlin and his wife. Other guests included members of the Royal British Legion one of which had his bagpipes. A young man from Dortmund in a British Band Uniform was also present with his drum and trumpet. Stephanie’s daughter sang the National Anthem in both languages. The Branch is preparing for the 2010 Ceremony which marks the 40^th Anniversary of the departure of the brigade from this area. Canada Day was also a great success with an unexpected number attended estimated around 140 people turned out it was a beautiful day and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. The Branch will move to a new location on October a grand opening is planned for 25 October everyone is welcome and the President would like other Branches to give him some idea of the number of members planning to attend by 18 October. More information will follow.

Branch 005; The 1^st Vice President Howard Miller was not given a formal presentation to present but did elaborate on the Ceremony in Groesbeek. He said there was a large crowd and with the controlled access to the cemetery he along with many others was no able to get to the site in time for the ceremony.

17.  Open Discussion

The Zone Commander has posted the “Last Post” section on the Zone Webpage that was discussed at the last meeting. He has been able to do the entry for Branch 002 and has received a list from Branch 001 but he believes a write up on the deceased members is in order. He requested the Branches to have a look at the entries from Branch 002 as an example and forward appropriate information to him that will be posted.

The funeral for George will take place on Thursday 31 July at 1100 hours in the Bergfriedhof in Lahr. The Zone Commander requested Legion Members particularly in the Lahr and Baden Area to make a special effort to attend the Funeral.

The question of a trip to Normandy was brought to the table. The Zone Commander said he has this trip in the plan for next year in June 2009. Dates to consider would be 6-11 June. His biggest concern is accommodations in this area at that time. Comrade Josh Gelinas volunteered to coordinate accommodations. More information on this trip to follow.

18.  Meeting Adjournment

There being no further business to discuss a motion was made by Comrade Bill Fairley and seconded by Comrade Val Laucke that the meeting be adjourned. The meeting was adjourned at 1634 hours.

Note: The next Zone Meeting is scheduled to be hosted by Branch 005 in Lochem, the Netherlands on Saturday 11 October 2008 at 1400 hours.

Annex A to the

Minutes of the Zone Meeting

Held on 26 April 2008

Contents of the Folder,

• Itinerary for the Zone Meeting

• Minutes of last Zone Meeting held at Branch 001 on 26 April 2008
• Financial Statement covering period 5 April to 21 July 2008
• Correspondence
• 42^nd Dominion Convention information
• Branch contribution to the ceremonial fund
• Branch Membership Picture