The Royal Canadian Legion Saskatchewan Command LEST WE FORGET 83 Community Hall; provided a Christmas Supper for widowed Veterans; presented award to most improved student in Industrial Arts Class at Grenfell High School; delivered Meals on Wheels to the community each year in July; attended to the Grenfell Museum for one week each summer; assisted the Legion with the weekly bingo; marched with the Legion in annual Canada Day Parade; there was a committee called Hand of Friendship who visited shut in Veterans on their birthday, Christmas, Easter and one other time of the year, taking them a little gift. Grenfell Auxiliary had two members as Zone Reps: Mrs. May Walton and Mrs. Violet Broome. Mrs. Broome moved on to District Rep. and then onto 2nd Provincial President, and she was the Provincial President for the term 1980-1982. The Auxiliary honored many of its members in various ways: a cloth for the meeting table was made in honor of a deceased member (this cloth is still used by local Branch 55 at the monthly meetings), and a silver serving tray in memory of another member (this tray was given to the deceased member’s family when the Auxiliary disbanded), also silver tea service in memory of another member (the tea service was given to the family of the deceased member when the Auxiliary disbanded). Throughout the years, the main object of the Auxiliary was to help the Legion Branch and Veterans, which they did very faithfully. There were so many women involved throughout the years that it would be hard to mention them all. GRENFELL BRANCH 55 (...Cont’d) The first record of a Veteran's organization in Swift Current was a Branch of the "Great War Veterans Association," dating back to 1919. They met in the basement of the Lyric Theatre. On October 23, 1926, the charter for the Canadian Legion of the British Empire Service League was granted. There are fourteen names listed on the charter; and one hundred and eleven names on one of the early membership lists. The Ladies’ Auxiliary to Branch 56 received their charter on June 23, 1939, with twenty-one names listed on the charter. Since then, they have been a very integral part of Branch 56. Following several years of meeting in the Lyric Theatre, the Branch moved into a house on 1st Avenue NE - the approximate location of the present Branch building. There was a small hall upstairs and a lounge in the basement that was well used. There are stories of wives trying to get their husbands to "come home from the Legion." In 1948, an H-hut building was moved to the site from the airport. It had been used as one of the buildings for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan during WWII. This building served until a new state-of-the-art building (the present Branch facility) was constructed. The official opening was held on June 12, 1967. It has a large hall upstairs and lounge, offices and meeting room on the lower level. The Branch burned the mortgage on this building at a celebration in 1986. The Branch and Ladies’ Auxiliary have been a tremendous support to all community projects in Swift Current and area over the years with annual donations as high as $65,000 in the peak years. They have sponsored Royal Canadian Sea, Army and Air Cadet Units in the city. A weekly bingo to raise funds has been held in the Branch hall for over 50 years. They are strong supporters of the local Salvation Army. The Branch has been affiliated with the Swift Current Legionnaires AAA Midget hockey team for 61 years. In recent years, they have used Poppy Funds to support the new Cypress Regional Hospital. In 2003, the Branch co-coordinated a service organization project to present a Chain of Office to the City of Swift Current. The Branch is especially proud of the service of the 209th Battalion, headquartered in Swift Current, and serving valiantly in WWI. Many local lads served in the 209th. They are equally proud of the 14th Canadian Light Horse (1920 - 1940). This unit went overseas inWWII as the 8th Recce (1941 - 1945). They were named the 14th Canadian Hussars and served from 1941-1968. They now have a small detachment of the Saskatchewan Dragoons training in Swift Current. Branch membership is about 350, with about 30 members in the Ladies’Auxiliary. Like many other Branches, they struggle with membership and finances, but look forward to a bright future as Branch 56 of The Royal Canadian Legion, Saskatchewan Command. SWIFT CURRENT BRANCH 56
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