SUNDRE – Following the past few stifling years made challenging by the COVID-19 pandemic, the new president of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #223 plans to revitalize efforts to enhance the local organization’s profile in the community.
“There’s so much that the legion does and can do in the community,” said Rev. Todd MacDonald, a longtime Sundre branch member who formerly served as chaplain.
“We need to start getting that back out there again,” MacDonald told the Albertan during a Jan. 10 phone interview.
At its hall on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 7, the local branch held the annual installation service for the new leadership – which was also attended by Sundre mayor Richard Warnock as well as Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre riding’s MLA Jason Nixon – followed a couple of days later by the new year’s first general meeting.
“One of the major changes was Christina Ferguson stepped away from the position of president,” said MacDonald, adding she nevertheless remains an active member of the branch and will now serve as past president as well as chair of the entertainment committee.
Ferguson steered the Sundre branch for more than three years, the bulk of which was navigating through the stormy, uncharted seas of the pandemic and public health restrictions.
“She held it all together through all of that pandemic stuff that was going on,” said MacDonald. “She did a fabulous job.”
But the time to tap out had come, so Ferguson decided to step away from the leadership role while staying “very much involved," he said.
“She’s taken on more of a role of the coordinator for the entertainment side of things,” he said.
Asked by the branch’s membership to assume the presidency, MacDonald agreed to let his name stand and was elected president.
There otherwise was minor shuffling on the executive. Betty Bennett remains secretary but will be stepping into the role of chaplain and Bill Edwards is now the service officer, a position held previously by MacDonald.
Other positions on the branch’s executive are as follows: Art Dickson, vice president; Jim McAllister, treasurer; and Stewart Sheridan, sergeant-at-arms; as well as seven committee members.
Additionally, the Ladies Auxiliary elected its executive as follows: Rhonda Fullerton, president; Kristi Gamble, past president and secretary; Nancy Whitewood, vice-president; Gillian Reap, treasurer; Hilda Gamble, sergeant-at-arms; Yvonne Hopkins, chaplain and executive member; and Cheryl Neufeld, membership secretary.
Asked whether any initial discussions were already had on preliminary ideas for the year ahead, MacDonald responded, “I pretty much laid out the plan as to how we’re going to proceed going forward, which is building our name brand out into the public once again because we’ve been silent for years because of the pandemic.”
So the focus will for the time being be set on enhancing the branch’s presence.
“It’s creating that public awareness that the legion exists to service the needs of the community on a whole, but in respect to those who have served – or families of those who have served – in either the Canadian Armed Forces or with the RCMP.”
The Sundre branch’s first community event of the year, the Robbie Burns’ Day Social, is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 21 at the local hall with doors set to open at 5 p.m. and entertainment starting at 8 p.m. Those who are so inclined are also encouraged to don a kilt and cairngorm.
According to a promotional poster for the event, while there will be “a wee bit of the haggis” available, the evening’s main menu is a hearty stew with a side of bread to sop it up, followed by dessert.
Born on Jan. 25, 1759, Robert Burns was a Scottish poet whose reputation as a lyricist solidified his unofficial title as Scotland’s national poet who is celebrated around the world. He died in 1796 at the age of 37.
