Vancouver Division Summary – September 2019

RCMP Veterans’ Association – Vancouver Division
Mailstop #1004 – 14200 Green Timbers Way
Surrey, B.C., V3T 6P3
 www.rcmpveteransvancouver.com
E-mail:  rcmpvavancouver@gmail.com

As summer disappears in the rear-view mirror, the Vancouver Division is settling in for a busy fall agenda.  Since the Scarlet & Gold Newsletter has been retired in favour of the Veterans Website, your Executive wanted to keep you posted on some of the things that we have been working on over the summer months and events coming this fall.  For updates, you are encouraged to visit the website at:  www.rcmpveteransvancouver.com

If you wish to receive notification of new posts to the site, there is a subscription area on the webpage:

1. AGM 2021 – Vancouver: Vancouver Division will be hosting the Veterans Association AGM in 2021.  Dates and venue are being firmed up.  If you are interested in being involved in the organizing committee, please contact President Bob Underh

2. New Members:  The Division has welcomed 19 new members since January 1,2019.  In addition, there are 3 membership applications being processed.  All members are invited and encouraged to participate in Division events.

3. Long / Good Service Pins & Bars:  Our Membership Director, Ric Hall advised that there are 9 eligible recipients (under current criteria of 30+ years) that he has been unable to contact either by e-mail or telephone.  Those persons who are entitled to receive the service recognition are noted in the webpage posting:

The Division will be adopting a change in the recognition criteria to 10+ years.  Further details on this change will be forthcoming.

4. Executive Position Openings 2020/21:  There are open positions on the Vancouver Division Executive for the 2020/2021 term.  These positions together with the job descriptions have been posted on the Division website.  If you are interested in volunteering to assist, please contact Past President Donna Morse.  Here is the link to the posting:

5. Division Office – Surrey:  Due to space requirements, the Veterans Association were forced to vacate office space at “E” Division Headquarters.  Surrey Detachment kindly offered an office to the Veterans.  We have settled in and unpacked boxes that had been in storage for many years.  The original minutes book from the establishment of the RNWMP Veterans Association was among the treasures and is now on display in our office.  Copies of the Quarterly, the Scarlet & Gold and The RCMP Annual Report are also held in the office.  The Division has advised Surrey Detachment that an attempt will be made to have representatives in the office on the third Tuesday of each month.  If any member who wishes to represent the Association at one of the “Open House” events, please contact a member of your executive.

6. September Social:  Our Social Director, Dorothy Martinson made inquiries with the Interurban Tram in Cloverdale for a September event.  The line runs from Cloverdale to Sullivan on Saturdays & Sundays between May and September.  Inquires suggested that the logistics of ticketing would not be favourable for a Veterans event.  Consequently, there will be no September social event this year.

7. Veterans Levee:  The Division Levee has been scheduled for December 6, 2019 at Hazelmere G&CC.  Air Services will be honored this year.  We are finalizing plans for a retired member of Air Services to be the guest speaker.  Please mark your calendar.

8. Challenge Coins:  We are considering the purchase of Vancouver Division custom challenge coins for resale.  The face of the coin will have the Veterans crest.  There have been several suggestions for the back of the coin, however, nothing has been finalized.  If you have any suggestions for a design, please feel free to send them to rcmpvavancouver@gmail.com.

9. Fairmont Property:  Past President Donna Morse will represent the Division at a meeting with the City of Vancouver and other stakeholders on October 1, 2019.  For background information on this project, here is the link to the Quarterly article:

10. Dues Collection:  Just a friendly reminder, our Treasurer is still trying to collect unpaid dues from 28 members.  You can pay by cheque or cash at our monthly general meeting or by Interac e-transfer.

11. Honour Guard:  The family of any deceased former member of the Force can make a request to the Division to have an Honour Guard at the service (funeral service or celebration of life) of the member.  The Veterans Honour Guard is provided at no cost to the family.  Please direct any requests to Honour Guard Coordinator Alf Erickson.  If you are interested in becoming a member of the Guard, please contact Alf.

12. Keep The RCMP In Surrey:  To Vancouver Division Members:

Ivan Scott, leading the Keep the RCMP in Surrey Campaign, has requested the attached petition be distributed throughout our membership.  You can print the petition, sign it (having friends and family add their signatures) and mail the petition form back to Ivan Scott at 3576 150 A Street, Surrey, B.C. V3Z 0Y2.  Or you can contact Ivan directly who will arrange pick up of the form – 778-229-5108.  FYI – Any adult living in British Columbia can sign the petition and all completed petition sheets are sent to Minister Mike Farnworth in Victoria.   Below is a copy of Ivan’s email to Vancouver Division:

“We of the KEEP THE RCMP IN SURREY CAMPAIGN would like to introduce ourselves to you and inform you of our goal and our progress to date. We are a community based, grass roots, purely volunteer, concerned group of citizens who are tirelessly working to achieve our goal of KEEPING THE RCMP IN SURREY and retaining them as our municipal police force. We are a completely apolitical organization with no other agenda but to keep the RCMP in Surrey. In support of our quest, the current Surrey RCMP Officer-in-Charge, Dwayne MacDonald has assured us that any RCMP member under his service is quite entitled to sign our, or any petition whether they are on or off duty, or whether they are in or out of uniform  and at any time. He has also stated to us that he and his detachment want to stay in Surrey, and that he is 100% behind our campaign goal. With you being the RCMP Veterans Association, I am assuming that we will receive your total support of our KEEP THE RCMP IN SURREY CAMPAIGN. What we would like is no more than to have you or us solicit your members if they would like to sign our petition of which we will supply copies. The petition must be physically signed and the originals  be delivered back to us (no electronic copies are acceptable). I am attaching a PDF of a blank petition for your information and possible distribution.” 

13. NCOs Mess:  The Fall Dinner is scheduled for September 17.  Details are posted:

http://www.rcmpveteransvancouver.com/ncos-mess-fall-dinner-sept-17/


Our next General Meeting will be held on October 17, 2019 at Hazelmere G&CC.  The guest speaker will be Curt Petrovich, author of the book “Blamed and Broken: The Mounties and the Death of Robert Dziekanski”.  Please contact Social Director Dorothy Martinson at demartinson@shaw.ca or 604-261-4630 to advise your attendance.

Ron Morse, Secretary
RCMP Veterans’ Association – Vancouver Division