The Royal Canadian Legion Saskatchewan Command LEST WE FORGET 75 PUNNICHY BRANCH 45 (...Cont’d) A Legion Hall materialized in 1949. It was bought for the sum of $300.00 and set on a lot purchased from the town of Punnichy for $25.00. The hall had many facelifts over the years, which included the addition of a kitchen, carpet, paneling, a gas furnace, shingles, water and sewer. Unfortunately, with the declining enrollment of memberships and the cost of the upkeep of the building, the decision was made to sell the building in September of 2006. All the Legion material (books, scrolls, posters, pictures), which were displayed in the hall can now be found in the Punnichy Museum. Today, the Branch remains active with one Lifetime member, eleven Ordinary members, and sixteen Associate members. Members hold meetings at the Punnichy Senior Citizens Hall about four times a year with a lunch and social following each meeting. Poppy sales continue as they have since 1921, and the members take an active role in Remembrance Day Ceremonies and Services in the local schools. The members judge poppy, poster and essay entries for further advancement and award prizes when necessary. The Branch has hosted various sporting events through the years and members participate when possible. Donations continue to be made to the Canadian Paraplegic Association, the RC Church (in Punnichy), St. Joseph's Hospital (in Lestock), Silver Heights Special Care Home (in Raymore), and a bursary program has also been set up for a graduating student from Punnichy High School. If you are ever in the Punnichy area, stop into the museum - as words cannot express the amount of history this Legion Branch has had. The Remembrance Day Service is always held at 10:00am on the morning of November 11th. Come walk with comrades and community members to the Main Street Cenotaph and lay a wreathe in memory of fallen comrades and to share in the freedom which we all enjoy today! Branch 47 is located in downtown Weyburn, SK. This Branch was formed under the Charter on December 13, 1926. The Weyburn Legion, under the BESL Charter, operated out of the Holder Block basement until the present building of the Legion Hall was completed in the Fall of 1938. The first of three additions was started in 1960, and finished in 1990. The north half of the building was rented to the National Defence Dept., occupied by the 854 Regiment until well after World War II. Branch 47 has in its possession, the last ensign to fly over the House of Commons in 1964. They have a photo gallery of Veterans in the lounge area, which is very interesting. The Ladies' Auxiliary is an essential part of the organization. Their efforts contribute greatly to the success of the Branch. The Branch members and executive, along with the Ladies’ Auxiliary, relies on its volunteers to help out with the many functions. They hold a cribbage tournament every Tuesday, and have a weekly meat draw on Saturday. They have many up and coming events in the works. Please feel free to stop in and take a look around. WEYBURN BRANCH 47 The Windthorst Branch 49 began as The Great War Veterans Association. The first meeting was held on December 9, 1919, with 21 members present; enrolment soon increased to 62 members. The main project at that time was to establish a building fund. The Veterans sponsored Christmas concerts, amateur hours and raffles. In 1926, the Presbyterian Church building became vacant and the Branch made a down payment. After many renovations, it became the Legion hall and served the community until 1976, when a new hall was built and the Legion clubrooms moved to the new hall and the old hall was sold. In July 1926, the Dominion Command issued Branch 49’s charter and the Branch was officially formed. The Ladies’ Auxiliary to the Legion began during World War I, as the soldiers’ friends to send parcels to Windthorst boys on active service. In 1919, they were invited to become the Auxiliary to the Great War Veterans Association and in 1926, they were accepted as an Auxiliary to the Legion Branch. During WWII, the Auxiliary was active sending parcels to the boys on active service and over the years they helped the Legion in many ways. During WWII, Legion members organized a home guard or militia, known as the Green Berets, drilling once a week on home defense tactics. After World War II, many young Veterans joined the Legion and over the years have helped the community in many ways. In 1976, the sons and daughters became a part of the Legion and also helped our organization thrive for the betterment of the community. Our Branch has held a Remembrance Day service and Poppy Campaign since the Branch’s inception and they continue to donate to many local events. Present membership of Branch 49 stands at 22. The Ladies’ Auxiliary have since disbanded. WINDTHORST BRANCH 49
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