MINUTES OF THE ZONE MEETING HELD AT

BRANCH 005 IN LOCHEM, THE NETHERLANDS

ON SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER 2008

In Attendance:

Zone                                      Zone Commander                                          Reg Bonnar

                                             Deputy Zone Commander                              Gerard Lemay

                                             Zone Service Officer                                     Valerie Laucke

                                             Sgt-at-Arms                                                  Jocelyn Gelinas

Branch 001                            President                                                       Kevin Grainger

                                             2^nd Vice President                                          Stew Merlin

                                             Treasurer                                                      Jeoff Sanger

                                             Membership Chairman                                   Cam Audet 

Branch 002                            President                                                       Bill Fairley

Branch 003                            Sgt-at-Arms                                                  Denis St Pierre

Branch 004                            President                                                       Geatan Bienvenue

                                             Past President                                               Lasca Monrose

                                             1^st Vive President                                          Harry Irish

                                             Treasurer                                                      Erika Bienvenue

Branch 005                            President                                                       Marga Timmerman

                                             1^st Vice President                                          Howard Miller

                                             2^nd Vice President                                          Peter Spierenburg

                                             Secretary                                                      Bob Veenestra

                                             Sgt-at-Arms                                                  Hendrik Kuiper

Observer Members in Attendance:

Branch 001                            Member                                                        Heinz Birnesser

Branch 003                            Member                                                        Liz Hine

Branch 005                            Member                                                        Myrna Miller

                                             Member                                                        Tineke Lamberts

                                             Member                                                        Jan Sievers

                                             Member                                                        Wayne Johnson

                                             Member                                                        Gradus Visser         

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 and thanked them for their attendance.

2.      The Zone Commander reviewed the minutes of the last Zone Meeting held at Branch 003 in Geilenkirchen on 26 July 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 Kevin Grainger.

Motion Carried

3.   The Zone Financial Statement included in the information folder was reviewed. There being no observations raised the financial statement was adopted as presented by Comrade Josh Gelinas and seconded by Comrade Kevin Grainger.

Motion Carried

Old Business

4.   13-14 Sep Liberation of the Belgium Ceremonies

The Zone Commander reported that on Saturday morning at 0730 hours the Colours were paraded for the commencement of the Operation Switchback March at the Hickman Bridge in Retrenchment located just over the border into the Netherlands . Present also was a Canadian Military Contingent from SHAPE who participated in the march.

In the afternoon at 1430 hours we did a Ceremony in Moerbrugge/Oostkamp honouring the Canadians that fell during the first fighting in Belgium in early September 1944.

Sunday we provided a Colour Party and took part in the Liberation Belgium Ceremony at the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem. The two hour ceremony was very well attended highlighted by the participation of the school children.

All ceremonies were done under warm sunny conditions and a wreath was laid on behalf of the Royal Canadian Legion at all ceremonies.

New Business

5.   12 October the Royal British Legion 450 Ceremony

The Zone Commander thanked Comrade Danny Murphy for his dedication in organizing the 450 Ceremony tomorrow. Although we are all familiar with Danny as a member of Branch 005 he is also the Chairman of the Arnhem/Nijmegen Branch of the Royal British Legion. The Zone Commander then turned the meeting over to Danny who gave a final update on the event.

The ceremony will take place at 1230 hours at the Cemetery (Begraafplaats) Rustoord in Nijmegen . A meet and greet has been arranged at the Grand Cafe De Kolonie, Molenveldlann 146, 6532RN Nijmegen 1115 - 1210 and also following the ceremony 1330-1500.

The ceremony will pay tribute to four UK graves from the First World War three Army and one Navy. How these people managed to get buried in the Netherlands , a neutral country at the time remains a mystery, there is much speculation but little or no facts. It is believed that these men were prisoners of war in Germany and at the end of the war were being transported via the Netherlands back to the UK and died on route. Also there is one UK soldier from WWII who died in September 1944. Little known facts about why he is buried in this particular cemetery since there is a British War Cemetery nearby but this all seems fitting for a 450 ceremony.

6.       20 October the IJzendijke Ceremony

This ceremony honours the victims of an accidental explosion that occurred on this date in 1944. 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.

The Zone Commander and a couple of members will travel to Belgium to attend this ceremony. Belgium members will form the colour party. The ceremony is done in two parts; in the morning we do a ceremony at the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem where those who were found are buried the remainder are listed on the memorial in Groesbeek in the Netherlands . In the afternoon we do a ceremony at the memorial that has been erected on the actual site near the farm where the explosion took place near the town of IJzrndijke , just across the border in the Netherlands .

7.   08-09 Nov Beaumont-Hamel & Vimy Ceremony

The Zone Commander stated that he did not receive the official invitation at this point but in summary we will travel to Arras on Friday 7 November where limited accommodations has been arranged at the Hotel Campanile in Arras. We will provide a colour party and attend the ceremony in Beaumont-Hamel on Saturday and Vimy on Sunday.

The Zone Commander set the deadline for members wishing to attend at Friday 17 October. Branches are to include also when members will arrive and depart for home. Further details of these events TBA

8.   10-11 Nov Passchendale and either the Mennin Gate Ceremony or the Ceremony in Mons .

Following the ceremonies at Beaumont-Hamel and Vimy a small group will travel to Belgium to attend the ceremonies at Passchendale scheduled for the late afternoon on 10 Nov. On 11 Nov we will attend the ceremony either at the Mennin Gate in Ypres or the ceremony announced by the Canadian Ambassador during the ceremony in Adegen in September at Mons . Belgium members will provide the flag party. Further details of these events will follow.

9.   Branch Remembrance Day Ceremonies

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

10.  23 Nov Choloy Ceremony

Branch 001 will host this event at 1400 hours in the Canadian Section of the Cemetery in Choloy. All members in the Lahr/Baden area are encouraged to attend. This ceremony pays tribute and honours 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.

11.  4-7 June 2009 Normandy Pilgrimage

The Zone Commander said that since there are no French Military establishments open in this area anymore other forms of accommodations would have to be found. In discussion with the Zone Council it was determined that accommodation for a group of Legionnaires in the area is impossible to find. One alternative would be that individual members would have to find their own lodging such as bed and breakfast. An RV point could be arranged each morning and we could travel as a group to different locations. Some inquires have been made and even bed and breakfast accommodations are rare during this time frame. During the ensuing discussion other options were mentioned such as other dates for our visit. Comrade Josh Gelinas will make further enquires regarding accommodations.

The Zone Commander requested Branch Presidents to provide a list of members, with a full commitment of attendance, of those wishing to participate in this event at the next zone meeting in January. If the interest is sufficient this event will be discussed in more detail and a final decision will be made.

12.  Proposed Calendar of Ceremonial Events for 2009

The Zone Commander reviewed the proposed schedule of ceremonies that can be predicted at this time. Additional information pertaining to the schedule and further requests for ceremonies are to be forwarded to the Zone Commander for consideration. Copy attached as Annex B.

13.  Membership

This is to inform you that the membership monthly statistical reports will no longer be mailed out. Instead they have now been posted to the Legion website. The "Membership Reports" can be found under the Membership tab on the Dominion Command Website.

14. Correspondence

The Zone Commander has received information from Dominion Command regarding flag protocol during ceremonies:

Amendments for the Ritual and Insignia Manual will be circulated shortly with the Convention Report.  The amendments will show that no flags in a Legion Colour Party will be dipped at any time, except for the Legion Banner, which will be dipped at the playing of "Last Post" through the Silence, and returning to the Carry during the playing of "Rouse." In a line formation this will work fine. A further inquiry reference other formations resulted in the following:

It is difficult to come up with a protocol that will suit all circumstances. In recognition of that the Ritual and Insignia Committee give a general direction and has afforded flexibility in certain circumstances. For example when we are in a three rank formation such as the ceremony at Beaumont-Hamel it is important that the bearer of the Legion Banner take a pace forward before dipping the banner. The following procedure will take place:

On the command from the Sgt-at-Arms to “carry colours” (for the playing of the Last Post) the bearer of the Legion Banner once at the carry will march to a position forward, front and center of the Colour Party - halt and perform the dip on the first note of the Last Post - remain in the dip position through the silence and return to the carry during the playing of “Rouse”. On completion of the “Rouse” the flag bearer will make a right turn and march to his/her original location in the formation. When the Legion Banner has been returned to position the Sgt-at-Arms can then give the command to “order colours”.

15.  Report by Branches

Branch 001; The President Kevin Grainger first gave thanks to his committee for the work they have been doing for the last couple of months under difficult circumstances. The branch had to find a new clubhouse since the former location in the village of Söllingen went out of business. Through the efforts of the committee members a new location has been found. Branch 001 will no be located at the curling rink in the former Canadian Forces Base Baden which is today the Baden Airpark. The curling club manager is very cooperative and is looking forward to the joint relationship. For the Branch it is an ideal location where they have plenty of room for Legion activities and the club is open all year. The Canada Day activities were a flop that actually cost the Branch money. Bingo is successful with a good turnout and is expected to get better when they return back to Thursday night. The Remembrance Day Service this year will commence with a meet and greet at the Legion and will be done in two parts; a service at the memorial in Hügelsheim which pays tribute to the military members who lost there lives while serving at CFB Baden and at the Legion Memorial in the Canadian section of the Söllingen cemetery after which all will return to the Legion Hall. It is expected that a good number of military members from Heidelberg , Ramstein and other locations will be in attendance.

Branch 002; The President Bill Fairley reported the Branch is going through a difficult time trying to get members to support Branch functions. Several BBQ’s were held over the last few months with a poor turnout of members. Participation at bingos has also declined which has caused us to try having them once a month in hopes of getting more participation. Remembrance Day Service will be held in the Canadian Section of the Lahr Bergfriedhof. Last year we had a good turn out of members and hopefully this year will be the same. A get together will be held at the Gasthaus Linde in Reichenbach following the ceremony. The President gave special thanks to Hans Waeldin who organizes a local band and a sound system for the ceremony.

Branch 03; On behalf of the President Brian Burchard who was on duty the Branch Sgt-at-Arms reported the branch is doing very well.  The Ceremony on the 31^st August at Tigilot-Jalhay was very well done. Brent Burden our Poppy Chairman has our Poppy Campaign well in hand. We have a Halloween Party coming up on the 31^st of October and a Christmas party on the 13^th of December. Our dart league is up and running for another season. The wing and poker nights are still going strong with good attendance. Our Early Bird membership campaign has started; 32 Euro for early bird and 42 Euro for our regular 2009 membership. It is hoped that this program will encourage members to pay membership dues early.

Branch 004; The President Gaetan Bienvenue reported the Branch is doing fine and most members have already paid their membership dues for 2009. Branch 004 is also moving to a new location on the former Airfield of Canadian Forces Base Lahr and will be located in the building next to the Black Forest Airport . Renovations are being done by the members and opening ceremonies will take place on 25 October commencing at 1730 hours. Following the opening ceremony food and refreshments will be available at minimum cost. Since the location is not that big it is impossible to invite everyone so it will be by invitation. For those not invited there will be an open house on Saturday 2 Nov 1800 to 2130 hours where everyone is more than welcome. The Branch has been invited by the Royal British Legion to participate at a ceremony in Hannover . In addition to the plus 3000 World War II graves in the Hannover War Cemetery the Hannover Military Cemetery which lies adjacent to it has became the last resting place of 85 post war Canadian military and 67 Canadian dependant wives and children. In the early 1950’s 27 Brigade was garrisoned in the area of Hannover . Prior to the establishment of a Canadian Section in the Werl Cemetery , post war military and dependants from the Werl area were also buried in Hannover . The Branch Remembrance Day Service will take place on 11 November at the Canadian Memorial in the Kippenheim Cemetery with a get together following the service at the Legion Clubhouse with food and beverage at a low price.

Branch 005; The President Marga Timmerman reported that their treasurer Piet Polderdijk is in hospital where he had an operation on his back but is recovering well. The Branch has been busy preparing for the Remembrance Day Ceremony that will be held at the memorial (the man with two hats) in Apeldoorn . The Branch received a nice letter of appreciation from Brigadier-General R.R. Romses on behalf of the 205 Canadian Military Members that took part in Operation Nijmegen (Nijmegen March) this year. The Branch provided a Colour Party and laid a wreath on behalf of the Royal Canadian Legion in support of the Remembrance Service held as part of the Operation Nijmegen at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek on 17 July.

17.  Open Discussion

Branch 004 requested to put a motion on the floor. The motion was; “That Zone contributes €150.00 in support of the trip the Branch will make to the Hannover Ceremony.” Following the debate the Zone Commander asked for a vote on the motion. The motion was passed.

Action Zone Commander

18.  Meeting Adjournment

There being no further business to discuss a motion was made by Comrade Bill Fairley and seconded by Comrade Stew Merlin that the meeting be adjourned. The meeting was adjourned at 1645 hours.

Note: The next Zone Meeting is scheduled to be hosted by Branch 004 in Lahr on Saturday 31 January 2009 at 1400 hours.

Annex A to the

Minutes of the Zone Meeting

Held on 11 October 2008

Contents of the Folder,

• Itinerary for the Zone Meeting

• Minutes of last Zone Meeting held at Branch 003 on 26 July 2008
• Financial Statement covering period 21 July to 7 October 2008
• Correspondence
• Calendar of Events for 2009
• Branch contribution to the Ceremonial Fund
• Branch Membership Information
• Flag Protocol for Ceremonies

Annex B to the

Minutes of the Zone Meeting

Held on 11 October 2008

Royal Canadian Legion Branches Europe

Events Calendar For The Year 2009

26 Jan 2009            Saturday 31 Jan a Zone Meeting will be held at 1400 hours in the Legion Hall of Branch 004 in Lahr.

09 Apr 2009           Thursday 09 April is Vimy Ridge Day. I have been advised by the Director that this year they may have a large ceremony and if so we will be requested to attend with a Colour Party. Details TBA.

25 Apr 2009           Saturday 25 Apr a Zone Meeting will be held at 1400 hours in the Legion Hall of Branch 001.

04-5 May 2009      Annual Liberation Ceremonies in the Netherlands . On Monday 4 May we will attend the ceremony in Holten and 5 May in Wageningen.

?? May 2009         Branch 003 will participate in the annual ceremonies at Hotten and Bure in Belgium . For information of this event contact an executive member of Branch 003

04-07 Jun 2009      Pilgrimage to Normandy . Details of this event will be announced.

01 Jul 2009             Wednesday 01 July there will be the annual Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial Service.

01 Jul 2009             Wednesday 01 Jul Branches will celebrate Canada Day with scheduled events as appropriate. For info contact your Branch.

16 Jul 2009             Branch 005 will do a ceremony in support of the Canadian Military Contingent that participates in the Nijmegen March at the Canadian War Cemetery at Groesbeek.

25 Jul 2009             Saturday 25 Jul a Zone Meeting will be held at 1400 hours at Branch 003 in Geilenkirchen.

?? Aug 2009          Branch 003 will participate in the Ceremony at the De La Haye Memorial in Belgium . For details contact an executive member of Branch 003.

12-13 Sep 2009      Saturday 12 Sep there will be a Ceremony at the Moorbrugge Memorial in Belgium followed by the Liberation of Belgium ceremony on Sunday 13 Sep 2009 at the Canadian War Cemetery in Adagem. The details of this event will be announced at a later date.

10-11 Oct 2009      A Zone meeting to be hosted by Branch 005 at 1400 hrs on Saturday 10 Oct in Lochem on route to the Annual Royal British Legion 450 Ceremony that will be held on Sunday 11October. Details TBA

20 Oct 2009          Tuesday 20 Oct Ceremony at IJzendijke, the Netherlands , if this ceremony develops the Zone Commander and Deputy Zone Commander will travel to Belgium and our Belgium members will form the Colour Party.

07-08 Nov 2009     Friday 06 Nov a Colour Party will depart for France to take part in the Annual Remembrance Day Ceremonies at Beaumint-Hamel on Saturday 07 Nov followed by the Vimy Ceremony on Sunday 08 Nov. Timings, accommodations and details of the events to be announced at a later date.

11 Nov 2009           Wednesday 11 November is the Official Remembrance Day in Canada . Branches will host their Remembrance Day Services accordingly as appropriate.

22 Nov 2009           Sunday 22 Nov Branch 001 will host a Remembrance Ceremony at Choloy , France , commemorating the 332 Canadians buried there. Members of other Branches are also welcome and encouraged to attend. Members will meet at the Cemetery in Choloy at 1430 hours. The Colours will be parades to the Cross of Remembrance where a small ceremony will take place. Following the ceremony members will have the opportunity to visit grave of friends. This ceremony is considered basically a day trip so following the ceremony we will depart for home.

Note:                    All dates are subject to change. Branches will be notified of amendments, as additional information becomes available. Future requests received by Zone for further ceremonies we may be required to attend will also be added to this list as an amendment notification. This schedule will also be published on the Zone Webpage at www.rcl-europe.org

This schedule was distributed to Branches on 11 October 2008 and will be amended as necessary by the Zone Commander. Additional information pertaining to the schedule and further requests for ceremonies are to be forwarded to the Zone Commander for consideration.