PEC Meeting - Legion BC/Yukon · 2016. 11. 4. · PEC Meeting Held at Vedder/Golden Branch #280, Chilliwack BC October 3, 2015 Roll Call In attendance: Marc Tremblay, Command President;

PEC Meeting Held at Vedder/Golden Branch #280, Chilliwack BC

October 3, 2015

Roll Call In attendance: Marc Tremblay, Command President; Angus Stanfield, Command Immediate Past President; Glenn Hodge, Command 1st Vice President; Valerie Macgregor, Command Vice President; John Scott, Command Vice President; Jim Diack, Command Treasurer Vivian MacNeil, Zone Commander, Cariboo; Al Turner, Zone Commander, Central BC; Laurie Meadows, Zone Commander, East Kootenay; Sharon Brady, Zone Commander, Fraser Valley; Peter Dunford, Zone Commander, New West & District; Craig Thomson, Zone Commander Nicola Thompson; Roy Cardinal, Zone Commander, Central Vancouver Island; Leo Crossland, Zone Commander, North Shore & Howe Sound; Bonnie West, Zone Commander, North Vancouver Island; Dale Johnston, Zone Commander, Peace Arch; Rick Lundin, Zone Commander. South Okanagan & Similkameen; Richard Steele, Zone Commander, South Vancouver Island; Bev Mansell, Zone Commander, Sunshine Coast; Jane Anderson, Zone Commander, Vancouver/Burnaby; John Gates, Zone Commander, West Kootenay; Lizz Lindsay, TVS Rep Chairman: Dwight Grieve Absent: Glen Hill, Zone Commander, North Okanagan; Ray Hallock, Zone Commander, Northwestern Deputy Zone Commanders: in Attendance Karen Kuzek, Fraser Valley; Dan Coyle, New West & District; George Cooke Nicola Thompson; Achim Sen, Central Vancouver Island; Steve Cochrane, North Shore & Howe Sound; Bonnie MacMillan, Peace Arch; Wayne Knight, South Okanagan & Similkameen; Peter Merola, Vancouver/Burnaby Staff members: Inga Kruse – Executive Director, Tamara Isaak – Controller, Michelle Courtney – minutes Chairman’s Remarks Motion to adopt agenda - MSC No discussion of previous minutes. Motion to adopt previous minutes of March 28, 2015 - MSC Motion to hold PEC on April 9th & 10th 2016 - MSC Electronic Votes Motion to adopt that the electronic votes listed in the handout were distributed - MSC

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President’s Remarks Marc Tremblay shared that PEC is where council members have a chance to have their opinions voiced, but once something has been voted upon, the council must present a unified front when communicating these decisions to branches. Code of Ethics – see Appendix A Marc Tremblay instructed that everyone on the council needs to read and sign the Code of Ethics document (Zone Commanders and Deputy Zone Commanders). Command staff will also be required to sign the document. – as required by 2015 Convention resolution. Email Policy – see Appendix B Inga Kruse outlined the email policy document and stressed that all Legion email business should go through BC/Yukon accounts. She encouraged everyone to be active with these email accounts. Standing Committee Remarks Honours & Awards Rick Lundin apologized for the delay in processing applications, and assured everyone that the committee is working to get everything back on track. He stressed the importance of Honours & Awards to ensure good members are being rewarded for all their hard work. Military and Veterans Dwight Grieve outlined the letter sent out by Joseph Waugh and himself to the Provincial Government on testing for seniors over 80 who wish to continue driving. The New Chelsea Society is celebrating their 60th Anniversary and is expanding. Sports Dale Johnston outlined all the sports events that have taken place since Convention. All host branches did an excellent job. Zone Participation forms are due to Command by December 1st. There will be no Dominion Championships for eight ball and curling in 2016. Dale proposed a new format asking branches to consider allowing all interested in curling and eight ball to go directly to Provincial playoffs. Youth John Scott outlined his trip to Quebec for the National Youth Championships for Track and Field. The young people were world class athletes who did a wonderful job. Marketing and PR Jane Anderson made remarks on the 2015 Legion Week grants. 55 grants were awarded at $61,000.00 total. Jane thanked all the volunteers who will be attending the West Coast Women’s Show from October 16th-18th. The committee is currently working on the Salute to Veterans Halftime show at BC Place. Vancity Investments – see Appendix C Doug Pronovost spoke about the Command bank accounts and investments.

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Foundation – see Appendix D Angus Stanfield highlighted Legion Veterans Village. The City of Surrey is very receptive to the project. Construction is possible begin by 2017. TVS Lizz Lindsay encouraged PEC to remind branches that anyone can hold dual membership through the TVS branch. The branch will be celebrating its 90th anniversary this year (charter was received on December 16, 1926). Membership Glenn Hodge outlined the memo that went out to branches informing them of the per capita increase of $1.00 this year. The memo also included a breakdown of where the funds go. Dominion Command has been having some problems in the Membership department with the resignation of their Membership Manager, but they are hoping to be back on track soon. Constitution and Laws Glenn Hodge informed the council that a special committee has been formed to make changes to the Zone regulations and Pro Formas. All changes will be ratified via electronic vote. The committee will also be working on updating the Provincial Command bylaws to better reflect Dominion Command’s general bylaws. Notice of Motion – To Amend BC/Yukon Command By-Laws to align with the Dominion Command By-Laws for Spring Complaints have been very heavy this year, with a record high of 35. Glenn urged the Zone Commanders to bring up proper conduct of Branch executives when alcohol is involved, as a number of these complaints have been directed toward Branch Presidents. Zone Accountability Task Force Marc Tremblay thanked Rick Lundin, Jim Diack, Bev Mansell and Leo Crossland for their hard work in recommending amendments to the Zone pro forma which are aimed at covering financial accountability at zone level. Branch Advisory & BOA Update Val MacGregor presented a Branch Advisory Status report. The report covered all branches currently under some level of the Performance Standard Policy. Val remarked on how the committee has been very busy and made some great changes over the summer. The newly hired Branch Operations Advisors (BOA’s) have been travelling the province and meeting all the Zone Commanders and branches. Val urged everyone to welcome the BOA’s and make them feel comfortable. She also reminded everyone that they are staff support. Terms of Reference outlining communication expectations between the BOA’s and the council/branches will be created so their role is clearly defined. Val said she would also like to see standardized reporting from the BOA’s so the issues they are working on with their branches are reflected in the branch files.

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2015 West Kootenay Bike Ride Presented by John Gates, donations as follows:

- Branch 170 (Castlegar/Robson) $2350.00 - Branch 276 (Slocan Valley) $219.81 - Branch 20 (Nakusp) $750.00 - Branch 74 (Kaslo) $100.00

Treasurer’s Remarks – see Appendix E Jim Diack explained that due to some unexpected circumstances in the office, the budget vote will be delayed until December. PEC will be asked to vote on the 2016 budget via electronic vote. Two changes were proposed to amend the 2015 budget. One was an increase in line 12 for Legal and Professional Services. The second was to allow for the hiring of two temporary positions to bring the bookkeeping back on schedule. A motion was adopted to move 2015 budget changes as presented - MSC Branch Sustainability Fund – see Appendix F Jim Diack explained that this fund has been put in place to fund innovative ideas and sustainable initiatives for branches. The money has come from excess fund in the Command Care Fund. Motion to approve the Branch Sustainability fund Terms of Reference as presented - MSC Peer to Peer Lending – see Appendix G Tamara Isaak explained that this is a new fund idea which would allow branches who are in good financial situations to lend money to branches needing assistance. All of this would be facilitated through the Command Office. Poppy Operations Report – see Appendix H Jim Diack explained how the new Poppy Assessment that was passed at Convention will work. Joanne Henderson in the Command office can answer any questions. 5 Year Projections – see Appendix I Jim Diack outlined the 5 year projections on revenue. He explained that if we do not change anything, and remain on our current track, we have until 2022, at which point the revenue for BC/Yukon Command will collide with expenses and we would need to operate by drawing from investments. Poster and Literary Fundraising Idea Inga Kruse outlined the idea to hold a Foundation Cocktail Party that would allow anyone to buy a ticket and come and judge the Poster and Literary contest submissions to pick first place winners. John Scott requested that Youth Committee members in the lower mainland be included as the planning committee for this idea.

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A motion was adopted to proceed with the Poster and Literary Fundraising idea - MSC Discussion of Club License Survey – see Appendix J Marc Tremblay outlined the results of the survey asking branches whether or not their club license is something they want to keep. The Provincial Government asked for input from BC/Yukon Command as they are looking at making changes to the Club License system. Based on the responses, command staff drafted a letter to send to the government which was endorsed by PEC and signed by Marc A motion was adopted to send the proposed letter to the government - MSC BC/Yukon Strategic Plan- see Appendix K Marc Tremblay presented the Strategic Plan to the Council. The Plan is meant to be a living document which permits flexibility to incorporate specific action items when identified that are in support of the plan and that move the organization forward. It is understood that the contents are not all inclusive as not all possible options can be known at this date. The content of the plan is a starting point and the items are to be implemented as and when capacity and resources permit. Items having financial implications will be presented through our budget process and implemented upon adoption of our annual operating budget.

Operating within organizational guidelines, it is understood that the items in the Strategic Plan have been approved for implementation contingent on our resource abilities to do so; and, when resources permit, they will be implemented.

A motion was adopted to accept the Strategic Vision Plan as amended and presented - MSC 2:30pm Adjournment

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BC/Yukon Command of The Royal Canadian Legion

Executive Professional and Ethical Behaviour Policy

(also known as) Code of Ethics

Mission

“...to serve Veterans and their dependants, promote Remembrance and act in the service of Canada and its communities...”

Elected officers of The Royal Canadian Legion must abide by the Testament and Articles of Faith and The General By-Laws of The Royal Canadian Legion. In addition, BC/Yukon Command has instituted this Executive Professional and Ethical Behaviour Policy to reinforce the proud and respectful representation of the Legion and its membership.

BC/Yukon Command is governed by a volunteer executive comprised of elected officials holding the positions of: President; Immediate Past President; Vice-Presidents; Treasurer; Chairman; Zone Commanders; TVS Rep and Deputy Zone Commanders. As the senior public face of the Legion and by virtue of these individual’s expertise and experience, each and every member of the executive is an integral part of BC/Yukon Command’s overall governance, leadership and management.

The command’s governance, leadership and management are guided by this policy which is based upon five principles.

Integrity

Executives will act with honesty and fairness, striving in all endeavours for the highest standards of ethical practice and representation.

Diversity

Executives will embrace diversity and the strength that comes from involvement of those from a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives.

Innovation

Executives will seek out opportunities for positive change, creatively responding to challenges with determination for the betterment of the membership and communities served.

Respect

Executives will behave in a manner that facilitates constructive communication, building partnerships and alliances both internally and externally.

Accountability

Executives will be accountable to conduct business affairs in a careful and prudent manner at all times.

The Executive Council is elected by fellow members and must lead by example.

Integrity

Executives will act with honesty and fairness, striving in all endeavours for the highest standards of ethical practice and representation by:

ensuring public commentary is in keeping with BC/Yukon Command’s mandated position; communicating accurate and respectful information about command decisions;

Appendix A

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G:\Policy\Code of Ethics\2013 Code of Ethics.docx

conducting themselves in a manner that will not reflect unfavourably upon command; maintaining appropriate legion dress code and deportment; always adhering to all laws regulating licensed premises , public consumption of alcohol and

licensed gaming; and specifically laws around operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

using appropriate language which is proud and respectful reflection of the command; behaving at meetings and social activities with dignity for the mandate; the uniform, and the

members represented.

Diversity

Discrimination and harassment are unacceptable and against the law. The Legion endorses the principles set out in the provincial and territorial labour legislation and Human Rights Codes and expects all of its Executive Council members to comply with these codes. Executives will embrace diversity and the strength that comes from involvement of those from a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives by:

demonstrating courteous and sensitive behaviour that does not discriminate; and encouraging and welcoming all segments of society to participate in Legion programs.

Innovation

Executives will seek out and support opportunities for positive change, creatively responding to challenges with determination for the betterment of the membership and communities served by:

bringing forward new ideas which encourage membership and involvement in Legion services and programs;

enthusiastically endorsing and promoting command decisions and initiatives; and effectively communicating new initiatives, encouraging involvement and reporting on

implementation within areas of responsibility.

Respect

Executives will behave in a manner that facilitates constructive communication, building partnerships and alliances both internally and externally by:

encouraging a team approach in an environment of mutual respect, trust and acceptance; acknowledging and considering all points of view; acting in good faith and not for improper or ulterior motives; ensuring personal interests do not adversely influence their performance and command

interests; and developing relationships that are mature and constructive.

Accountability

Executive Council members will be accountable to conduct business affairs in a careful and prudent manner at all times by:

being reliable and responsible in the performance of duties and representation; acting as Chairman for specific committees, drawing upon the expertise of all members; preparing for meetings by reviewing material and submitting written reports as required; engaging in positive debate on issues and upholding majority decisions without external

criticism; ensuring that the witnessing of, and/or knowledge of branch non-compliance matters are

reported to the Executive Director maintaining confidentiality of privileged discussion and information ensuring it is not used for

any purpose that results in adverse impact upon command business;

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ensuring confidential and personal information is handled in accordance with privacy laws; enforcing clear lines of communication about complaints and conflict resolution; declaring any

known conflict of Interest and not participating in any decision where this may arise

In terms of BC/Yukon Command’s Executive Professional and Ethical Behaviour Policy, each of the five principles and subsequent actionable responsibilities will be monitored collectively through a compliance process. This process will apply to PEC which is comprised of elected officials holding the positions of: President; Immediate Past President; Vice-Presidents; Treasurer; Chairman; TVS Rep and Zone Commanders. This process will also apply to Deputy Zone Commanders.

Notification

The Executive Director must be notified either verbally or in writing if any of these standards of conduct are perceived to be compromised. The Executive Director will immediately bring the matter to the attention of the Admin Committee. The Command President has the option to convene a private meeting with the member making the accusation to discuss the allegation, or request further information in writing or verbally. The Command President and Executive Director will then either meet with the member accused of inappropriate representation and learn more about the context and substance of the situation, or issue a letter of formal reprimand. The Command President will have the Executive Director prepare a report for the Admin Committee for further discussion and remedial action if required. Formal complaints lodged in accordance with The General By-Laws Article III, Complaints and Appeals, will be processed as per the procedures laid out in those by-laws.

Workplace Relationship

BC/Yukon Command of The Royal Canadian Legion (herein after referred to as the Legion) believes in

a working environment that is supportive of the dignity and the worth of every individual. Discrimination

and harassment undermine the achievement of this desired environment. The Legion recognizes that

all employees and volunteers (herein also referred to as workers) are entitled to a respectful workplace

environment free of harassment and discrimination. Every reasonable measure necessary will be taken

to prevent abusive behaviours.

All workers have the right to work or volunteer in an environment free from harassment or

discrimination. Prohibited grounds of discrimination vary from province to province. Each Provincial

Human Rights Code includes six common grounds of discrimination that are similar for each province.

The Codes include disability, marital status, sex, age, colour, and race, as well as other grounds that

are provincially legislated.

Objective

Discrimination and harassment are unacceptable and against the law. The Legion endorses the

principles set out in provincial and territorial labour legislation and Human Rights Codes and expects all

of its workers to comply with these codes.

Application

The working environment is defined as the environment wherein Legion workers are required to carry

out responsibilities or perform duties on behalf of the Legion during or outside of normal working hours.

This policy applies not only to work-related activities at the Legion locations, but to Legion approved

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social functions and work assignments that take place outside of the location; telephone conversations,

travelling, electronic communications, or work-related activities in any environment where the worker

harassed is required to be present as a result of a Legion related responsibility or relationship. This

compliance will also apply to interactions between the public/customers/suppliers by workers.

Employee and Volunteer Responsibilities

All workers have a personal responsibility to ensure that their behavior is not contrary to this policy. All

workers are responsible for promptly reporting incidents that they believe are contrary to this policy, to

the Executive Director, who must be made aware of contraventions in order to deal with them

effectively.

Cautionary Guidance

The Admin Committee, will decide if the non-compliance incident warrants further action by issuing cautionary guidance to the accused member. Cautionary guidance may include such things as:

collegial review of the standards of conduct, reinforcing areas where compliance was jeopardized;

training in the proper conduct of public speaking; reassignment or removal from committee appointment(s); and formal complaint procedures

________________________________ _______________________ Signature (Name and Title) Date Approved at Fall 2013 PEC

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BC/Yukon Command Email Policy for PEC and Official Representatives

In order to assist Executive Council members (as outlined in Article 4 of the BC/Yukon Command By-laws) and any other persons officially representing BC/Yukon Command with organizing and separating Legion related email and personal email, a Legion email address will be provided.

This email is to be used strictly for Legion business and is considered Legion property. All email addresses set up by BC/Yukon Command are “business accounts“ and the property of BC/Yukon Command.

The purpose of this Email Policy is to clarify to those parties outlined above, that any email sent to or from their BC/Yukon Command email account, can be monitored and to have no expectation of privacy when using this Legion email address.

This email address is for Legion related business through your role as a PEC member or as an official representative of BC/Yukon Command. Although BC/Yukon Command has the right to monitor and access the business email address set up for you, it is not obliged to monitor this email address.

Agreement All members of PEC and those representing BC/Yukon Command who have been granted the right to use BC/Yukon Command’s email account services are required to confirm their understanding and acceptance of this Email Policy by signing this document. Please keep a copy for your records and return a copy to BC/Yukon Command.

Signed ____________________________

Print Name ____________________________

Dated ____________________________ June 2015

g:\policy\communication\legion email policy for pec and official representatives.doc

Appendix B

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Douglas Pronovost, CFA Portfolio Manager

Suite 300 – 900 West Hastings Street Vancouver, BC V6C 1E5 Tel: 604 871-5355 Fax: 604 877-4963 www.vcim.ca

I N V E S T I N G W I T H D I S C I P L I N E

Royal Canadian Legion Portfolio Review

September 30, 2015

Appendix C

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Portfolio Returns to June 30, 2015

Rate of return is after fees and includes accrued interest.

Account 3 Month 1 Year 3 Year 5 Year173102001 (Reserve) -1.58% 2.46% 6.66% 6.86%173100001 (Command) -1.32% 1.09% 5.87% 5.89%173098001 (Foundation) -1.44% N/A N/A N/A173099001 (General) -1.24% 1.49% 5.66% 6.00%173101001 (Poppy) -1.23% 0.99% 6.11% 6.61%180200001 (Family Practice) -1.41% N/A N/A N/A

Rates of Return to June 30, 2015

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Performance to June 30, 2015

Continued on next page….

Deposits Withdrawals Rates of Return

Date

Combined Account Value

in CDN$

Total Deposits in

CDN$ Account

Total Withdrawals in CDN$ Account

Net Cash Flow in CDN$

Quarterly Rate of Return

Last 4 Quarters Rate of Return

Cumulative

Growth Index100.00

31-Mar-05 600,000 600,000.00 600,000.00 100.0030-Jun-05 1,086,566 387,673.78 387,673.78 12.46% 112.4630-Sep-05 1,726,901 600,000.00 600,000.00 2.91% 115.7331-Dec-05 2,439,825 695,685.13 695,685.13 0.83% 116.6931-Mar-06 2,478,755 0.00 1.60% 18.55% 118.5530-Jun-06 2,448,620 0.00 -1.22% 4.14% 117.1130-Sep-06 2,537,636 0.00 3.64% 4.87% 121.3731-Dec-06 2,600,467 0.00 2.48% 6.58% 124.3731-Mar-07 2,564,177 60,000.00 -60,000.00 0.92% 5.88% 125.5230-Jun-07 2,589,206 0.00 0.98% 8.23% 126.7530-Sep-07 2,630,166 0.00 1.58% 6.08% 128.7531-Dec-07 2,564,598 60,000.00 -60,000.00 -0.21% 3.30% 128.4831-Mar-08 2,562,594 0.00 -0.08% 2.27% 128.3730-Jun-08 2,576,259 0.00 0.53% 1.83% 129.0630-Sep-08 2,511,802 0.00 -2.50% -2.27% 125.8331-Dec-08 2,363,447 0.00 -5.91% -7.84% 118.4031-Mar-09 2,274,493 60,000.00 -60,000.00 -1.24% -8.92% 116.9330-Jun-09 2,424,659 0.00 6.60% -3.42% 124.6530-Sep-09 2,520,531 0.00 3.95% 2.98% 129.5831-Dec-09 2,562,388 0.00 1.66% 11.26% 131.7331-Mar-10 2,606,891 0.00 1.74% 14.61% 134.0230-Jun-10 2,522,323 60,000.00 -60,000.00 -0.95% 6.49% 132.7430-Sep-10 2,587,454 40,000.00 -40,000.00 4.20% 6.74% 138.3231-Dec-10 2,631,231 0.00 1.69% 6.78% 140.66

RATE OF RETURN CALCULATIONRoyal Canadian Legion BC/Yukon (Command Care )Private Investment Management Account 173100001

Account Values

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Deposits Withdrawals Rates of Return

Date


in CDN$

Total Deposits in

CDN$ Account

Total Withdrawals in CDN$ Account




Cumulative Growth Index

31-Mar-11 2,700,775 0.00 2.64% 7.73% 144.3730-Jun-11 2,655,722 60,000.00 -60,000.00 0.56% 9.37% 145.1830-Sep-11 2,649,589 0.00 -0.23% 4.72% 144.8531-Dec-11 2,577,646 150,000.00 -150,000.00 3.03% 6.10% 149.2431-Mar-12 2,600,986 0.00 0.91% 4.31% 150.5930-Jun-12 2,512,352 60,000.00 -60,000.00 -1.11% 2.57% 148.9130-Sep-12 2,590,380 0.00 3.11% 6.00% 153.5431-Dec-12 2,638,182 0.00 1.85% 4.78% 156.3731-Mar-13 2,702,462 0.00 2.44% 6.37% 160.1830-Jun-13 2,632,611 0.00 -2.58% 4.79% 156.0430-Sep-13 2,685,200 0.00 2.00% 3.66% 159.1631-Dec-13 2,801,711 0.00 4.34% 6.20% 166.0631-Mar-14 2,868,760 0.00 2.39% 6.15% 170.0430-Jun-14 2,948,644 0.00 2.78% 12.00% 174.7730-Sep-14 2,966,303 0.00 0.60% 10.47% 175.8231-Dec-14 2,977,160 0.00 0.37% 6.26% 176.4631-Mar-15 3,020,601 0.00 1.46% 5.29% 179.0430-Jun-15 2,980,839 0.00 -1.32% 1.09% 176.6831-Aug-15 2,971,946 0.00

Totals 2,283,358.91 550,000.00 1,733,358.91

Cumulative Growth in the Account:

Compound Rate of Return:

Last 12 months Rate of Return:

76.68%1.09%5.71%

10.25

Account Values

Total Years Invested:

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Portfolio Overview to June 30, 2015

Materials 1.5%1 ROYAL BANK OF CANADA 6.5% Energy 18.0%2 BANK NOVA SCOTIA 5.9% Industrials 6.4%3 TORONTO DOMINION BANK 5.5% Information Technology 0.0%4 CANADIAN IMPERIAL BANK OF COMMERCE C 4.1% Consumer Discretionary 2.5%5 EMERA INC COMMON 3.7% Health Care 0.0%6 SUN LIFE FINANCIAL INC 3.3% Consumer Staples 2.5%7 TELUS CORPORATION COM 3.3% Telecom Services 10.0%8 BCE INC COMMON NEW 3.2% Financials 42.2%9 POWER FINL CORP 3.0% Utilities 11.7%10 DH CORPORATION COMMON 3.0% Other 5.2%

41.6% 100.0%

Cash & Cash Equivalents 0.9% Federal Bonds 10.5%

Fixed Income 59.0% Provincial Bonds 43.1%

Equities 39.5% Corporate Bonds 46.4%

Accrued Income 0.6%

100.0% 100.0%

Top 10 Holdings (% of Equities) Sector Allocation

Asset Mix Bond Portfolio by Issuer (%)

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Account Values Deposits Withdrawals Rates of Return

Date

Combined Account Value in

CDN$

Total Deposits in

CDN$ Account

Total Withdrawals

in CDN$ Account




Cumulative

Growth Index100.00

31-Mar-06 611,461 611,821.28 611,821.28 100.0030-Jun-06 609,887 0.00 -0.26% 99.7430-Sep-06 630,497 0.00 3.38% 103.1131-Dec-06 647,382 0.00 2.68% 105.8731-Mar-07 653,681 0.00 0.97% 6.90% 106.9030-Jun-07 660,011 0.00 0.97% 8.22% 107.9430-Sep-07 671,289 0.00 1.71% 6.47% 109.7831-Dec-07 670,457 0.00 -0.12% 3.56% 109.6531-Mar-08 670,193 0.00 -0.04% 2.53% 109.6130-Jun-08 673,969 0.00 0.56% 2.11% 110.2230-Sep-08 656,852 0.00 -2.54% -2.15% 107.4231-Dec-08 620,185 0.00 -5.58% -7.50% 101.4331-Mar-09 617,063 0.00 -0.50% -7.93% 100.9230-Jun-09 653,925 0.00 5.97% -2.97% 106.9430-Sep-09 1,731,172 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 6.69% 6.22% 114.1031-Dec-09 1,757,551 0.00 1.52% 14.21% 115.8431-Mar-10 1,790,550 0.00 1.88% 16.95% 118.0230-Jun-10 1,700,903 80,000.00 -80,000.00 -0.55% 9.75% 117.3730-Sep-10 1,695,526 82,500.00 -82,500.00 4.65% 7.64% 122.8231-Dec-10 1,722,516 0.00 1.59% 7.71% 124.78

RATE OF RETURN CALCULATIONRoyal Canadian Legion BC/Yukon (General Funds)

Private Investment Management Account 173099001

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Date

Combined Account Value in

CDN$

Total Deposits in

CDN$ Account

Total Withdrawals

in CDN$ Account





31-Mar-11 1,763,964 0.00 2.41% 8.27% 127.7830-Jun-11 1,778,753 0.00 0.84% 9.78% 128.8530-Sep-11 1,686,473 100,000.00 -100,000.00 0.45% 5.38% 129.4331-Dec-11 1,686,603 49,000.00 -49,000.00 2.96% 6.79% 133.2531-Mar-12 1,697,696 0.00 0.66% 4.97% 134.1330-Jun-12 1,685,479 0.00 -0.72% 3.35% 133.1630-Sep-12 1,729,652 0.00 2.62% 5.58% 136.6531-Dec-12 1,757,969 0.00 1.64% 4.23% 138.8931-Mar-13 1,795,035 0.00 2.11% 5.73% 141.8230-Jun-13 1,753,353 0.00 -2.32% 4.03% 138.5230-Sep-13 1,787,054 0.00 1.92% 3.32% 141.1931-Dec-13 1,772,885 90,000.00 -90,000.00 4.35% 6.08% 147.3331-Mar-14 1,814,184 0.00 2.33% 6.31% 150.7730-Jun-14 1,953,382 90,000.00 90,000.00 2.65% 11.72% 154.7530-Sep-14 1,964,103 0.00 0.55% 10.21% 155.6031-Dec-14 1,975,318 0.00 0.57% 6.22% 156.4931-Mar-15 2,007,511 0.00 1.63% 5.49% 159.0430-Jun-15 1,982,531 0.00 -1.24% 1.49% 157.06

Totals 1,701,821.28 401,500.00 1,300,321.28

Last 12 months Rate of Return:Compound Rate of Return:

57.06%1.49%5.00%

9.25Total Years Invested:Cumulative Growth in the Account:


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Materials 1.4%1 ROYAL BANK OF CANADA 6.5% Energy 18.1%2 BANK NOVA SCOTIA 6.0% Industrials 6.5%3 TORONTO DOMINION BANK 5.5% Information Technology 0.0%4 CANADIAN IMPERIAL BANK OF COMMERCE 4.0% Consumer Discretionary 2.5%5 EMERA INC COMMON 3.7% Health Care 0.0%6 SUN LIFE FINANCIAL INC 3.4% Consumer Staples 2.7%7 TELUS CORPORATION COM 3.3% Telecom Services 10.0%8 BCE INC COMMON NEW 3.2% Financials 41.9%9 POWER FINL CORP 3.0% Utilities 11.7%10 DH CORPORATION COMMON 3.0% Other 5.3%

41.5% 100.0%




Accrued Income 0.5%

100.0% 100.0%



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Account values Deposits Withdrawals Rates of Return

Date


in CDN$

Total Deposits in CDN$ Account

Total Withdrawals

in CDN$ Account



Last 4 Quarters Rate

of Return

Cumulative

Growth Index100.00

30-Jun-07 301,047 300,000.00 300,000.00 100.0030-Sep-07 305,465 0.00 1.47% 101.4731-Dec-07 307,416 0.00 0.64% 102.1231-Mar-08 309,009 0.00 0.52% 102.6430-Jun-08 310,363 0.00 0.44% 3.09% 103.0930-Sep-08 305,323 0.00 -1.62% -0.05% 101.4231-Dec-08 295,135 0.00 -3.34% -4.00% 98.0431-Mar-09 297,349 0.00 0.75% -3.77% 98.7730-Jun-09 313,352 0.00 5.38% 0.96% 104.0930-Sep-09 325,858 0.00 3.99% 6.73% 108.2431-Dec-09 329,807 0.00 1.21% 11.75% 109.5531-Mar-10 334,125 0.00 1.31% 12.37% 110.9930-Jun-10 1,336,802 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 0.32% 6.97% 111.3430-Sep-10 1,406,061 0.00 5.18% 8.20% 117.1131-Dec-10 1,061,571 370,000.00 -370,000.00 2.09% 9.13% 119.56

RATE OF RETURN CALCULATIONRoyal Canadian Legion BC/Yukon (Poppy Funds)


19


Account values Deposits Withdrawals Rates of Return

Date


in CDN$

Total Deposits in CDN$ Account

Total Withdrawals

in CDN$ Account



Last 4 Quarters Rate

of Return


31-Mar-11 1,093,218 0.00 2.98% 10.93% 123.1230-Jun-11 1,099,076 0.00 0.54% 11.17% 123.7830-Sep-11 972,153 126,000.00 -126,000.00 -0.09% 5.60% 123.6731-Dec-11 1,008,464 0.00 3.74% 7.30% 128.2931-Mar-12 1,016,263 0.00 0.77% 5.00% 129.2830-Jun-12 1,008,762 0.00 -0.74% 3.67% 128.3330-Sep-12 1,040,809 0.00 3.18% 7.06% 132.4131-Dec-12 1,060,038 0.00 1.85% 5.11% 134.8531-Mar-13 1,086,535 0.00 2.50% 6.91% 138.2230-Jun-13 1,056,730 0.00 -2.74% 4.76% 134.4330-Sep-13 1,080,183 0.00 2.22% 3.78% 137.4231-Dec-13 1,132,164 0.00 4.81% 6.80% 144.0331-Mar-14 1,159,238 0.00 2.39% 6.69% 147.4730-Jun-14 1,193,412 0.00 2.95% 12.93% 151.8230-Sep-14 1,200,795 0.00 0.62% 11.17% 152.7631-Dec-14 1,203,414 0.00 0.22% 6.29% 153.0931-Mar-15 1,220,149 0.00 1.39% 5.25% 155.2230-Jun-15 1,205,185 0.00 -1.23% 0.99% 153.3231-Aug-15 1,200,001 0.00

Totals 1,300,000.00 496,000.00 804,000.00

Last 12 months Rate of Return:Compound Rate of Return:

53.32%0.99%5.49%

8.00Total Years Invested:Cumulative Growth in the Account:


20



41.9% 100.0%




Accrued Income 0.5%

100.0% 100.0%



21



Account Values Rates of Return

Date


in CDN$

Total Deposits in

CDN$ Account

Total Withdrawals

in CDN$ Account




Cumulative Growth Index100.00

30-Jun-14 434,302 0.00 100.0030-Sep-14 437,367 0.00 0.71% 100.7131-Dec-14 437,909 0.00 0.12% 100.8331-Mar-15 445,981 0.00 1.84% 102.6930-Jun-15 439,555 0.00 -1.44% 1.21% 101.2131-Aug-15 437,718 0.00

Totals 0.00 0.00 0.00

Cumulative Growth in the Account: 1.21%Last 12 months Rate of Return: 1.21%

Compound Rate of Return: 1.21%

RATE OF RETURN CALCULATIONBC Yukon Command of the Royal Canadian Legion Foundation


Deposits Withdrawals

Total Years Invested: 1.00

22



41.9% 100.0%




Accrued Income 0.6%

100.0% 100.0%



23



Account Values Rates of Return

Date


in CDN$

Total Deposits in

CDN$ Account

Total Withdrawals

in CDN$ Account





30-Jun-14 480,355 499,693.72 29,235.37 470,458.35 100.0030-Sep-14 482,263 0.00 0.40% 100.4031-Dec-14 494,115 0.00 2.46% 102.8631-Mar-15 510,415 0.00 3.30% 106.2630-Jun-15 493,821 9,469.78 -9,469.78 -1.41% 4.76% 104.7631-Aug-15 489,773 0.00

Totals 499,693.72 38,705.15 460,988.57

RATE OF RETURN CALCULATIONBC Yukon Command of the Royal Canadian Legion Foundation* (The Chair of Family Practice)

Private Investment Management Account 180200001-002

Deposits Withdrawals

Total Years Invested: 1.00Cumulative Growth in the Account: 4.76%

Last 12 months Rate of Return: 4.76%Compound Rate of Return: 4.76%

24


1 ROYAL BANK OF CANADA 5.3% Materials 3.4%2 BANK NOVA SCOTIA 4.8% Energy 12.9%3 TORONTO DOMINION BANK 4.8% Industrials 7.4%4 DISNEY (WALT) COMPANY HOLDING CO 3.2% Information Technology 10.1%5 SUN LIFE FINANCIAL INC 3.0% Consumer Discretionary 10.8%6 JPMORGAN CHASE & CO 2.5% Health Care 8.5%7 ST JUDE MED INC 2.5% Consumer Staples 3.3%8 TELUS CORPORATION COM 2.3% Telecom Services 4.9%9 BCE INC COMMON NEW 2.2% Financials 35.3%10 FORTIS INC 2.2% Utilities 3.5%

32.8% 100.0%




Accrued Income 0.5%

100.0% 100.0%



25




Date

Combined Account

Value in CDN$

Total Deposits in

CDN$ Account

Total Withdrawals

in CDN$ Account





30-Jun-05 54,152 27,333.05 27,333.05 100.0030-Sep-05 54,008 0.00 -0.27% 99.7331-Dec-05 54,216 0.00 0.39% 100.1231-Mar-06 144,494 90,000.00 90,000.00 0.28% 100.4030-Jun-06 144,541 0.00 0.03% 0.43% 100.4330-Sep-06 148,522 0.00 2.75% 3.47% 103.2031-Dec-06 149,703 0.00 0.79% 3.90% 104.0231-Mar-07 151,285 0.00 1.06% 4.70% 105.1230-Jun-07 160,281 10,000.00 10,000.00 -0.64% 3.99% 104.4430-Sep-07 163,201 0.00 1.82% 3.05% 106.3531-Dec-07 165,506 0.00 1.41% 3.68% 107.8531-Mar-08 170,189 0.00 2.83% 5.50% 110.9030-Jun-08 169,885 0.00 -0.18% 5.99% 110.7030-Sep-08 170,622 0.00 0.43% 4.55% 111.1831-Dec-08 177,422 0.00 3.99% 7.20% 115.6131-Mar-09 182,017 0.00 2.59% 6.95% 118.6130-Jun-09 183,417 0.00 0.77% 7.97% 119.5230-Sep-09 187,442 0.00 2.19% 9.86% 122.1431-Dec-09 187,492 0.00 0.03% 5.68% 122.1731-Mar-10 188,501 0.00 0.54% 3.56% 122.8330-Jun-10 186,730 0.00 -0.94% 1.81% 121.6830-Sep-10 187,442 0.00 0.38% 0.00% 122.1431-Dec-10 201,375 0.00 7.43% 7.40% 131.22

RATE OF RETURN CALCULATION

Private Investment Management Account 173102001Royal Canadian Legion BC Yukon (Reserve)

26




Date

Combined Account

Value in CDN$

Total Deposits in

CDN$ Account

Total Withdrawals

in CDN$ Account





31-Mar-11 207,957 0.00 3.27% 10.32% 135.5130-Jun-11 207,925 0.00 -0.02% 11.35% 135.4930-Sep-11 208,128 0.00 0.10% 11.04% 135.6231-Dec-11 213,523 0.00 2.59% 6.03% 139.1431-Mar-12 216,396 0.00 1.35% 4.06% 141.0130-Jun-12 214,457 0.00 -0.90% 3.14% 139.7430-Sep-12 220,365 0.00 2.75% 5.88% 143.5931-Dec-12 224,384 0.00 1.82% 5.09% 146.2131-Mar-13 230,197 0.00 2.59% 6.38% 150.0030-Jun-13 224,422 0.00 -2.51% 4.65% 146.2430-Sep-13 228,219 0.00 1.69% 3.56% 148.7131-Dec-13 237,858 0.00 4.22% 6.01% 154.9931-Mar-14 246,057 0.00 3.45% 6.89% 160.3430-Jun-14 274,320 20,000.00 20,000.00 3.23% 13.18% 165.5130-Sep-14 276,327 0.00 0.73% 12.11% 166.7231-Dec-14 280,328 0.00 1.45% 9.12% 169.1431-Mar-15 285,583 0.00 1.87% 7.47% 172.3130-Jun-15 281,073 0.00 -1.58% 2.46% 169.5831-Aug-15 279,983 0.00

Totals 147,333.05 0.00 147,333.05

Last 12 months Rate of Return:Compound Rate of Return: 5.42%

10.0069.58%2.46%

Total Years Invested:Cumulative Growth in the Account:

27


Materials 0.0%1 ISHARES CORE S&P 500 INDEX ETF (CAD- HE 12.5% Energy 6.8%2 ISHARES S&P/TSX 60 INDEX ETF 11.7% Industrials 0.0%3 NORTH WEST COMPANY INC (THE) COMMON 5.2% Information Technology 0.0%4 SUN LIFE FINANCIAL INC 5.2% Consumer Discretionary 0.0%5 TORONTO DOMINION BANK 5.1% Health Care 0.0%6 EMERA INC COMMON 5.0% Consumer Staples 5.6%7 FORTIS INC 5.0% Telecom Services 10.5%8 BCE INC COMMON NEW 4.9% Financials 37.7%9 POWER FINL CORP 4.8% Utilities 13.3%10 TELUS CORPORATION COM 4.8% Other 26.1%

64.2% 100.0%




Accrued Income 0.5%

100.0% 100.0%



28

29

Foundation Report to PEC October 2015

I am so pleased to submit this report regarding the performance and role of the Legion Foundation which continues to grow as the well-recognized giving arm of the branches and LAs of this Command. We can see that thanks to the Foundation Board, the right decisions have been made, and members can be proud of your Foundation.

As a reminder:

• The Legion Foundation is a registered charity and we can issue receipts for tax purposes todonors.

• The Foundation is where branches and LAs can donate to key programs like Veterans TransitionProgram, BCIT Military Skills Conversion and others.

o Branches also donate to local causes, but we have this efficient way of supporting themandate of the Legion through the Foundation’s larger program which benefits peoplein all communities.

• The Foundation also gives the public a way of donating directly to Legion cherished causes,which relieves some of the pressure on our members to do all the fundraising yourselves. Forexample, in 2014, the Foundation received $19,000 in donations from outside our organization.

We are very proud of our CRA rating as a foundation for having low expenses for administration of donations. The BC Yukon Legion Foundation enjoys an exceptional performance level because it is so well supported by Legion branches and our fundraising powerhouses, the Ladies Auxiliary.

Another benefit we have as a charity is our shared resources with Command. We are able to deliver incredible giving to needy areas with a rock bottom percentage for administration. Our administration fees on unrestricted general donations are 10%. Our administration on “earmarked” donations in trust for specific causes is 0%. The average range for charities is upward of 35%.

The finances of the Foundation are audited externally just like Command’s books. Full audited financial statements for Foundation are provided to the board and Zone Commanders every year. Any member who would like to receive them by email is more than welcome to request them from the office.

Foundation Programs

BCIT Military Skills Conversion Program

At the last Board meeting in October, the Foundation Directors elected to further fund the BCIT skills conversion program. In order to supplement Legion dollars going into the program, Command applied for a gaming grant. We are so pleased to say that out of this year’s commitment to BCIT Veterans’ program of $60,000 we are able to cover part of it with the BC Gaming grant we received in the amount of $35,000.

Appendix D

30

Here is some great information about this program and how it works. We know this is unique in the country and once again, you can be very proud of your contributions to this important service to transitioning Military personnel:

http://www.theprovince.com/touch/story.html?id=10682868

We have since been informed that Human Resources and Development Canada is granting BCIT $800,000 to take the Military skills conversion program National. In a very familiar scenario to the Veterans’ Transition Network, the Legion funded this important program, and the Government has followed suit. The team who created the database for military careers and linked them with education qualifications will continue to serve BC, but now they are funded to do the same thing across Canada for two years.

We will be working with them to see how we can partner with them to promote our organization.

Trevor Greene - Exoskeleton

As you know, we have completed our fundraising for Trevor’s Exoskeleton. We have been following his progress and have some amazing news for you. Trevor has been working with a renowned Neurologist on his exoskeleton. They call it “Project Iron Soldier” because it is going to use some of the most modern technologies to create a brain interface for the machinery he will use to walk. This is space age stuff. As with any new technology, it will likely be reviewed for its medical impact for Veterans by VAC. In the meantime, the Legion once again leads the way in funding some of the most important innovations for Veterans health. Remember back when PTSD and Trauma counseling weren’t on the radar of the Government of the day? They are now, and BC Yukon Legion has been at the forefront of it by funding VTP for over 10 years.

This September we were instrumental in turning the eyes of our country to our project with Trevor in a media event where he walked for the first time in public. This command can be very proud of our work and fundraising prowess to support modern technology to help Veterans and set the stage for others to get help to live independently. MacLean’s magazine published a 5 page article about Trevor, the event, and The Legion’s involvement.

Legion Veterans Village

Through our relationship with the medical professionals, scientists, researchers and engineers involved in Trevor’s return to mobility we got to know the founders of Innovation Blvd. They are building a health technologies center of excellence and research in facilities all over Surrey. Our idea came from their need to expand, and our mandate for branch redevelopment. Innovation Blvd Institute is now fundraising to provide seed money for the new Legion Veterans Village on the site of Whalley branch. These funds, for the short term anyway, will be received by our Foundation and earmarked for the building.

31

http://www.theprovince.com/touch/story.html?id=10682868

Veterans’ Transition Programs (Now called VTN)

In 2015 VTN has already run 3 programs for Veterans and they have one more in process. With VAC now paying for some of its clients to go through the VTN, it may allow for room to run a 4th program. Not all Veterans are funded by VAC, but the ones who are clients have their way paid. In Spring of 2015 the foundation committed to run 3 programs and we are waiting for VTN’s report on this outside funding and actual costs for the year to see if we will have funds remaining for a 4th program this year.

The VTN program has now successfully provided critical trauma counseling to over 500 Veterans in the years that the Legion has been involved. Your work to fund this important program has prevented suicides, mended families and healed hearts. It is one of the most important things this organization has

This video is so well done and really shows the impact of the work we fund as an organization. Please watch it and share far and wide:

http://www.legionbcyukon.ca/content/veterans-transition-programs (scroll down to the video on the web page)

Kimberly Branch

When the members of Kimberly branch voted to terminate their charter, they made decisions about their remaining assets. At the time they designated $36,000 to be held by Command for three years, in the event they would need funds to reconstitute. They have not, and we have been directed by their former membership to turn those funds over to Foundation for charitable purposes. It is always so sad to see a community lose its Legion branch, but we will ensure their directives are followed so good things can come of their generous donation.

Service Dogs for PTSD

I will recap the issue on this: There are two conditions that we are responding to. One is that there is currently no single “supplier” in BC that we believe is both reputable and able to meet the demand across this command. The other change is that now Veterans Affairs is funding a study to validate that Service Dogs are beneficial to PTSD treatment. We believe that this interest by VAC and the anticipated national training standards for service dogs will make for a higher quality system for Vets who need it. We see the value of supporting national standards because we are starting to understand how complicated this “industry” can be. Just because people say they can train a dog to help with PTSD doesn’t mean they can actually do it. There are now many of those types of organizations asking us for money.

The most important part of this is that the Legion and Veterans Affairs are pushing for a common training standard for these dogs. There is quite a bit to tell you about all this, but the main piece is that we are speaking with BC-based training organizations who aim for their training methods to pass what they anticipate the standards to be. We like working with organizations who deliver the best in service animals and who embrace high standards.

32

http://www.legionbcyukon.ca/content/veterans-transition-programs

In order to get the program going again, we will be considering extending a grant to a regional organization that trains PTSD dogs with a view to helping them expand operations to the point where they are able to provide dogs across the province. This will be reported on at a later date.

Fundraising

Key Tag Mailing

This issue continues to be under discussion. The administrative load of doing this mailing in the office was unsustainable and prevented our staff from working on their regular roles in order to process this mailing. At the end it did not net significantly more than our prior arrangements.

There is pressure to conduct another mailing in 2015 in order that we not lose our Canada Post agreement for returning keys.

We will be considering other avenues to accomplish this and will report further.

Toonies for Troops

Did you know that the Legion Foundation owns the Toonies for Troops name? That means you can use that term in any fundraisers you like. It can’t be for something that isn’t for Veterans or their families, but other than that it is pretty open. If you need materials with Toonies for Troops logos or promotional stuff, contact our office.

Summary

We have amazing provincial foundation programs for Veterans in this Command, we continue to encourage branches to consider supporting them through a Poppy Fund SUE to their preferred program.

Thank you to everybody involved in making the Legion and our Foundation a success. On behalf of the staff team here at Command office, we thank you for your great support and contributions.

Respectfully submitted, Inga Kruse, Executive Director

33

BC/Yukon Command of The Royal Canadian Legion2015 Budget Summarywith 2014 Budget Comparison

CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENT: Please do not share this information outside of this meeting.

2014 Budget 2015 Budget

REVENUES:1 Membership 700,000$ 755,000$ 2 Military Services Recognition Book 125,000$ 125,000$ 3 Investment Income (net) 50,000$ 50,000$ 4 Insurance Program 27,000$ 28,000$ 5 Foundation Administration Transfer - 10% 4,000$ 5,000$ 6 Supply Sales (net) 2,000$ 4,000$ 7 Branch #039 and #000 membership revenue (net) 1,200$ 1,000$ 8 Other income (DC profit sharing & misc) 2,000$ 1,500$ 9 Vehicle Licence Plates (net) 800$ 500$

10 Burnaby Property (net) 25,000$ 25,000$ 11 Convention Hosting (net) -$ 2,500$

Total Budgeted Revenues 937,000$ 997,500$

EXPENSES:12 Command (Schedule 1) $ 267,178 $ 283,500 13 Administration Costs (Schedule 2) $ 126,425 $ 138,250 14 Salaries (Command Only) $ 428,739 $ 450,362 14 Benefits (Command Only) $ 54,261 $ 60,638

Total Budgeted Expenditures 876,603$ 932,750$

Surplus/(Deficit) of revenue of expenses before other items 60,397$ 64,750$

OTHER ITEMS:16 Amortization (non-cash item) $ 51,815 $ 42,000

Surplus/(Deficit) 8,582$ 22,750$

TRANSFERS (TO)/ FROM OTHER FUNDS17 Replacement Reserve Transfer $ (20,000) $ (20,000)

Total Transfers (To)/ From Other Funds $ (20,000) $ (20,000)

F:\4. Budget\2015 Budget\General Fund Budget\2015 Budget approved at Oct PEC w changes presented at Oct 2016 changesBudget (Summary Sheet) 30/09/2015

Appendix E

34

BC/Yukon Command of The Royal Canadian Legion2015 Budget: Line 12 Command (Schedule 1)with 2014 Budget Comparison

Schedule 1 Command Expenses


54051 12-1 Branch Advisory 43,000 45,000 54601 12-2 Clothing Allowance 300 900 54651 12-3 Command Convention 1,500 55,000 54611 12-6 Constitution & Laws 1,500 1,500 54251 12-7 Dominion Convention 50,000 500 54701 12-8 Executive Council Meetings 46,000 46,500 54091 12-9 Executive Council Training & Workshops (was Exec. board development) 2,000 2,000 54511 12-11 Government liaison 1,000 2,500 54401 12-12 Legal and Professional Services 5,000 12,000 54351 12-13 Legion Branch Workshops (was Leadership and development) 5,500 5,500 54501 12-15 Membership Committee 11,750 11,000 54551 12-16 Military/ Veterans/ Seniors 3,200 3,900 54751 12-17 Public Relations, promotions and communications 50,600 50,600 55401 12-18 Presentation & Ceremonies 2,000 1,000 54851 12-19 Travel - officers 10,000 10,000 54861 12-20 Travel - staff 2,000 2,000 55211 12-21 Website management 5,600 5,600 54951 12-22 Youth committee 3,000 4,000 54981 12-23 Zone Commanders 23,228 24,000

Total Schedule 1 267,178 283,500

F:\4. Budget\2015 Budget\General Fund Budget\2015 Budget approved at Oct PEC w changes presented at Oct 2016 changes12-Command-Schedule 1 30/09/2015

35

BC/Yukon Command of The Royal Canadian Legion2015 Budget: Line 13 Administration Costs (Schedule 2)with 2014 Budget Comparison

Schedule 2 Office and building expenses


55001 13-1 Audit and Accounting 32,500 35,000 55101 13-2 Bank Charges 900 900 55201 13-3 Computer maintenance and software 8,000 8,000 55251 13-4 Insurance 6,800 7,000 55301 13-5 Janitorial 3,700 4,000

13-6 New Building Investigation - 5,000 55351 13-7 Office Supplies 11,200 11,500 55371 13-8 Postage, meter & scale 4,000 5,000 55451 13-9 Professional Fees & Training 6,000 7,000 55551 13-10 Repairs/Maintenance 2,900 3,000 55651 13-11 Sundry 1,500 1,600

13-12 Telephone 11,900 12,000 13-13 Lease cost 62,400 70,000 13-14 Poppy Recovery of Office and Building expenses (25,375) (31,750)

Total Schedule 2 126,425 138,250

F:\4. Budget\2015 Budget\General Fund Budget\2015 Budget approved at Oct PEC w changes presented at Oct 2016 changes13- Admin costs -Schedule 2 30/09/2015

36

Terms of Reference Branch Sustainability Fund

Approved at PEC at October 2015

The Branch Sustainability Fund (the Fund) is a pool of funds restricted by the Provincial Executive Council (PEC) for the purpose of programming, assistance to branches, and diversification. It was created for the purpose of funding innovative ideas supporting sustainable branches within the BC/Yukon Command (Command). This fund is not meant for the direct administration of the Command’s office.

At the inception of this fund, the sources of monies have come from two sources:

1. Excess of the Command Care Fund (2014 PEC motion and 2015 Provincial Convention

Resolution); and

2. 25% of net assets received as a result of Section 124.a. (2014 PEC motion and 2015

Provincial Resolution).

The Fund can be used for the following disbursements:

• to cover the cost of a two-year contract for a Branch Advisory Clerical Support Staff;

• to fund four regional Branch Operations Advisors for the purpose of providing direct

assistance to branches1;

• to fund or provide financing for the Duncan Branch Coffee Shop pilot project with a PEC

approved 3-year budget up to $300,000;

• to fund other innovative initiatives promoting branch sustainability up to a combined

annual maximum disbursement of $50,000;

• to fund administrative fees related to the administration of this restricted fund on a cost-

recovery basis; and

• to operate a bridge financing pool for the purpose of extending to branches who need

short-term financing to keep them afloat for the long-term.

M/S/C Admin Finance 2 Oct 2015 M/S/C Provincial Executive Council 3 Oct 2015

1 One year contracts commencing June 10, 2015; to be reviewed for continuance for the 2016 budget approved by PEC.

Appendix F

37

STAFF BRIEFING TO ADMIN/FINANCE October 2, 2015

Topic: Peer-to-Peer Lending

To: Admin/Finance Committee, P.E.C., Inga Kruse

From: Jamie Morrison, Branch Advisory Coordinator & Tamara Isaak, Controller

Purpose The purpose of this briefing is to provide an outline of how Command might create, supply, or facilitate an alternative lending pool for branches seeking funding outside of the BRASS loan criteria.

Context Requests for financial assistance from branches are increasing. These requests are not necessarily falling within the boundaries of Branch Assistance Loan criteria and may exceed the $10,000 loan limit in the proposed Branch Sustainability criteria. These requests for assistance are to cover working capital, overdue repairs, back taxes, basic operating costs, etc.

Command resources are limited. Command does not have the capacity to fund every branch that needs help, and each dollar that goes out to a branch limits our ability to explore new initiatives (BOAs, Serious Coffee, etc.).

There are, however, examples of branches throughout the province that are somewhat cash rich. These branches tend to invest in very conservative funds – short term deposits, for example – and are realizing low returns on their money. One branch, for example, with large cash reserves but little revenue, has investments earning as little as 1% (“Branch Y”).

There exists significant middle ground between the rates that branches can borrow money (sometimes as much as 6.5% or more) and the returns that branches are getting on their funds (as little as 1%). Branches lending money to fellow branches at even 2% provides a win for both the lender and borrower – twice the returns at half the cost.

Recommendation Command approaches a branch that is not in trusteeship or any other stage of Performance Standards oversight to gauge their willingness to lend to another branch. Command can then approach a branch in need to gauge their willingness to borrow from another branch at a non-zero rate.

Once two suitable candidates have agreed in principal, Command can then pay for the drafting of a loan template to be used in this case and any future instances. This upfront cost is not recoupable, but I believe it to be justified as it may dramatically increase Command’s access to lendable funds. An administrative charge could also be charged to the borrower to cover the cost of Command staff time and registration fees.

Appendix G

38

Command has the ability, through Branch Advisory rules that are already in place, to prevent any loans that are not in the best interest of both branches. For that reason, it is best that Command not create a restrictive Terms of Reference, but judge each case individually. Command could consider exploring the idea of guaranteeing loans, either in whole or in part, similar to the CDIC. This may alleviate some of the risk threshold concerns that are likely to be encountered. Of course, Command would in no way be obligated to guarantee all loans, and could use its discretion (i.e. only those branches with property or other assets). Command would take an administrative role in the process, collecting payments and disbursing them to lenders. To further alleviate risk, the idea of setting up a mutual fund-like pool could be explored, with multiple branches contributing, and multiple branches borrowing. This would result in dividend payments being paid out to the contributors on a monthly/quarterly/annual basis, with Command taking a small administrative fee as cost recovery. Advantages Increased revenue for lenders Decreased cost for borrowers Larger loan pool for Command to access New resource that can be applied to non-BRASS/SARBAF/CIPBAF-applicable requests Risks Branches may be reluctant to place longer term investments Branches may be reluctant to invest without lienable assets (property) Branches may find the loans too risky Branches may be delinquent or default on loan payments, leading to animosity between branches

39

Poppy Operations Report to PEC October 2015

This sent to all Branches, and PEC members

For those of you who were not in attendance at the Provincial Convention held in Abbotsford, there was a resolution that passed changing the way the Poppy Fund Assessment will be processed from now on.

Please note this does not change the reporting of the Annual Branch Poppy Fund Statement, this still needs to be submitted as usual by the 31 October each year. The previous year’s Assessment still has to be recorded on the form as it is still an expense. Remember - There will be no Poppy Assessment Collected on the Poppy Year starting 1st October 2014 through to 30th September 2015.

In the past, the assessment was based on a percentage of the balance as at 30 September of each Poppy Year. For the past few years that percentage had been set at 15% of that balance.

The new Poppy Fund Assessment system is quite different. It is a percentage of 4.5% based on the donated revenue within the Poppy Fund Year.

The Assessment of 4.5% will be remitted in two installments using the Annual Branch Poppy Fund Income Assessment Remittance Form.

1. First installment: due 31 January 2016 and is for 4.5% of the Poppy account deposits madeduring the months of October, November and December of 2015.

2. Second installment: due 31 October 2016 of 4.5% on the Poppy account deposits made for therest of the Poppy Year from January through September 2016.

If you have any further questions please contact the office and ask for Joanne Henderson, Poppy Fund Coordinator.

Jim Diack Command Treasurer

Appendix H

40

BRITISH COLUMBIA/YUKON COMMAND OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION5-year Forecast: Analysis of Revenue, Expenditures and Surplus

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

REVENUEInvestment revenue 106,210 93,725 69,345 80,119 83,324 118,659 123,405Membership - per capita tax 652,978 724,147 786,217 793,588 753,908 716,213 680,402Military Service Recognition Book (MSRB) 182,780 243,136 197,771 197,771 197,771 197,771 197,771Insurance program 26,887 20,447 20,856 21,273 21,699 22,132 22,575Net sales 2,353 756 1,361 1,361 1,361 1,361 1,361Rental revenue (Note 1) 44,548 46,116 46,116 48,304 48,906 0 0Veterans' licence plate fees 1,088 891 799 799 799 799 799Other 8,633 4,592 4,000 4,000 4,000 4,000 4,000Dominion profit sharing 3,607 0 0 0 0 0 0Foundation administration fee 6,994 15,943 11,469 11,469 11,469 11,469 11,469

TOTAL REVENUE 1,036,078 1,149,753 1,137,933 1,158,683 1,123,236 1,072,404 1,041,782EXPENDITURES

Amortization (Note 1) 42,513 33,034 35,511 30,692 27,199 24,668 22,833Command committees and expenses 261,611 166,782 218,480 222,850 227,307 231,853 236,490Office and building expenses 135,321 136,177 138,901 141,679 144,512 147,402 150,350Payroll and employee benefits 460,326 429,363 444,845 455,966 467,365 479,049 491,025Property expenses (Note 1) 21,598 12,164 13,242 13,446 13,655 0 0

TOTAL EXPENDITURES 921,369 777,520 850,978 864,633 880,039 882,972 900,699

EXCESS (DEFICIENCY) OF REV. OVER EXP. 114,709 372,233 286,956 294,050 243,197 189,431 141,083

Add: Amortization of capital assets 42,513 33,034 35,511 30,692 27,199 24,668 22,833 Proceeds from sale of capital assets -1,237 0 0 0 0 0 0Less: Purchase of capital assets -20,391 -7,880 -18,000 -18,000 -18,000 -18,000 -18,000 Transfer to replacement reserve/other rest. Funds 9,826 -675 -20,000 -20,000 -20,000 -20,000 -20,000

OPENING UNRESTRICTED NET ASSETS 1,782,123 1,927,543 2,324,255 2,608,722 2,895,464 3,127,860 3,303,960CLOSING UNRESTRICTED NET ASSETS 1,927,543 2,324,255 2,608,722 2,895,464 3,127,860 3,303,960 3,429,876

OPENING NET ASSETS INVESTED IN CAPITAL ASSETS 967,379 945,257 920,103 902,092 888,900 879,201 72,476Add: Purchase of capital assets 20,391 7,880 18,000 18,000 18,000 18,000 18,000Less: Amortization of capital assets -42,513 -33,034 -35,511 -30,692 -27,199 -24,668 -22,833Net book value of capital assets disposed (Note 1) 0 0 -500 -500 -500 -800,057 -500

CLOSING NET ASSETS INVESTED IN CAPITAL ASSETS 945,257 920,103 902,092 888,900 879,201 72,476 67,143

Note 1: The property at Byrne Road is actively listed for sale and is leased until Dec 31, 2018. Projecting Jan. 1, 2018 sale.

5-Year ForecastActual Results

Page 1 of 1

Appendix I

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STAFF BRIEFING TO ADMIN/FINANCE

September 29, 2015

Topic: LCLB Club License Survey

To: Admin/Finance Committee & Inga Kruse

From: Victoria Holden & Jamie Morrison, Branch Advisory

The Liquor Control and Licensing Board Survey conducted in late August 2015 demonstrates the opinions of respondents regarding the maintenance or amendment of club liquor licenses. When asked whether the club license helps or hinders their respective Branch’s revenues, a decisive majority of 60.3% responded that the club license hinders their Branch’s revenues. This opinion is dominant throughout the results of the survey and is supplemented with written explanations either for or against maintaining a club license.

The major concern shared by respondents is that the current club license is too restrictive. In one question, 39.7% of respondents said the club license is helpful for revenues, while 60.3% feel the club classification is detrimental. Roughly 75% of respondents believe that if the club license was done away with completely, their branch’s revenues would either increase or stay the same. Only 26.5% believe that it would hurt revenues. One respondent explains that “the club license is very restrictive to the small branches in small communities.”

With regards to membership, 56.7% believe the club license helps maintain membership. In contrast, 43.3% believe that it hinders membership numbers, in accordance with the respondent who argues “having the branch open to the general public would increase our membership in the long run.” In a subsequent question, a total of 61.8% of respondents felt that abolishing the club license would cause membership numbers to either increase or remain the same. When explaining changes they would like to see, a recurring topic mentioned is increased flexibility and lowered restrictions pertaining to the guestbook and visitors. There is also the suggestion to increase the number of guests allowed to be signed in, in order to accommodate larger groups of visitors.

When respondents were offered a choice for the club license to remain the same, be abolished, or be modified, only 26.9% would like to keep the current arrangement as it stands.

In addition, advertising to the general public is a concern for several respondents with regards to both membership and revenues. One respondent discusses these issues in the context of smaller communities – a common challenge across the province – suggesting that “advertising to the general public…would increase membership in a small Island community, where knowledge of events is a way to increase membership.” Relaxed catering restrictions and loosening the special event licenses are major concerns for most respondents. As one representative comment explains, “when our premises are rented for non-member licensed events (such as weddings, banquets, or memorial services), we would like to be able to use our Legion staff, liquor license and bar stock to provide the bar service for the

Appendix J

42

renter.” This is an important point; the ability to cater events in branches with halls could more than make up for any revenue derived from membership dues. This idea is demonstrated in the examples given by a respondent who points out two missed opportunities: “A group wanted to have a burger and a beer night to fund raise money for a young man with cancer [and] we had to turn them away… A political party wanted to also have a burger and a beer night to raise funds again we have to turn them away. So in two nights we have most likely lost a $1000.00 in liquor sales.” Others agree that opening up to the public would help the bottom line without hindering current membership or sales. As one respondent suggests, “As a small club we struggle to make any money… Opening up to anyone who wishes to come in will increase our bottom line without worrying that we could be closed down for letting non-members come in.” The members-only atmosphere being prohibitive is a concern “because we are restricted by who can come into our premises… and [because] they must be a bona fide guest, people feel they are not welcome and move on to other premises that do not require it.” This is a sentiment shared among respondents who are concerned about drawing in a new demographic for membership. One points out that “our membership is aging and we need to draw the younger public to our bars and events, this is how you build members.” Alternately, the concern that abolishing the club membership requirements would weaken the Legion’s core values is also noted. One respondent argues in favor of “keeping the membership requirements… otherwise we will just become another bar and that the reason for the Legion may be diminished.” In accordance with this view, some feel that abolishing the club license would lead to concerns about who visits their Branch. However, others take the opposing view with one arguing “the club license… maintains the public perception of the Legion as a veteran's club, where they may be not welcome or looked on as being somewhat less important than others.” As one respondent points out, “times are changing.” An overarching theme is that most respondents understand the need to adapt, and are open to changes. A number of comments express opinions in favor of more flexibility in allowing the public to see what the Legion has to offer and learn that it is a welcoming place even if you are not military. As stated above, the concerns about revenue loss from a decrease in membership would likely be offset by liquor sales from just one or two special event rentals, which are currently not permitted. Furthermore, inviting the public into branches, either for special events or just a drink, would encourage membership, volunteerism, and leadership succession.

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October 5, 2015

Melanie Golder [email protected]

Ms. Golder,

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the Liquor Primary Club Consultation.

As you know, the Club license infrastructure is heavily intertwined with Legion culture. We have given your proposal a lot of thought and there has been much debate Command wide. Additionally, we conducted a substantial survey of our membership and we have been able to pull some reasonable conclusions from their answers. The following is our position in response to your proposal to remove the Club category of Liquor license.

Context: We have very serious concerns about rumoured CRA legislation which could change the conditions on Not-for-Profit organizations and some worry that our status as a club without a special liquor license would impact the decision to view us as a for-profit competitor in the commercial market. We bring this concern to you with the request that you take the potential risk into consideration. BC/Yukon Legion Command has some reservations about moving our branches to Liquor or Food Primary licences. Although we absolutely understand and support the Government initiative to streamline administrative processes in liquor licensing, we would like to see the following allowances made to protect our branches and support them in their operations:

1. A notation or flag on Legion licenses which acknowledges them as a club (similar tothe system in Ontario)

2. We would like to maintain the current operating rule that the club must maintain itscharter as a Legion and be in good standing with the parent organization. IndividualLegion clubs are essentially franchises and we must maintain that level of oversite.

3. It would be preferable for the new license to allow for our branches to move or get anew license without the same stringent public consultation as commercial entitiesare subject to.

BC/Yukon Command

#101 – 17618 58 Avenue Surrey, BC V3S 1L3 Tel: (604) 575-8840 Fax: (604) 575-8820 [email protected]

legionbcyukon.ca

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mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

4. Our members have supported the idea of having “Member only” events in theirbranches and we would expect there would be no restriction on that in the newsystem.

5. We also feel strongly that our club has earned the trust of the Liquor enforcementofficers and hope that we would continue to be treated as a club rather than a bar interms of inspections.

6. We presume that there will be no fee for licence category changes if Governmentelects to eliminate the club license category.

7. We also presume that there would be no conditions in transferring a branch to aliquor primary where a commercial entity may not qualify for one due to its location(proximity to schools, for example).

Our organization will be impacted with this decision, and we are looking for ways to anticipate if those impacts will be positive or negative. What we can say is that the above list of items would be critically important to smooth this change if it becomes compulsory.

Thank you for considering our views.

Marc Tremblay President

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Strategic Vision Plan

Executive Summary

This 2015 Strategic and Operational document is intended to revise previously developed plans and lay out a

guideline for future of our organization.

A SWOT analysis attached in Appendix A shows a concrete set of threats and weaknesses faced by the Legion BC

Yukon Command.

Based on our current trajectory, and doing nothing differently, our potential crisis point is in 2022.

In order to address the continuing decline of Legion membership and branch profits, we will use our strengths

and opportunities to change the trajectory of the organization.

Heavy investments and hard decisions must be made to ensure branches remain sustainable. Furthermore, we

must develop alternate funding models for the Command structure, and recruit members and volunteers with

new and creative programs. We must use built up investments to fund measurable projects for branches.

Appendix K

46

2

Legion Mission Statement

It is important to begin this analysis of the state of the Legion in BC and the Yukon with our mission statement.

This statement is at the core of our existence and the mandate we have inherited from the founders of the

Legion. Therefore, every action we undertake must be executed with the mindset, “how does this help to

accomplish our mission?” The mission statement is as follows:

“The Royal Canadian Legion’s mission is to serve Veterans, which includes serving military and RCMP members

and their families, to promote Remembrance and to serve our communities and our country.”

Acknowledgement of the issues

As the old saying goes, “The first step is admitting that you have a problem.” We cannot afford to labour under

any delusions. BC/Yukon Command has many problems, and they threaten the viability of the organization in the

near-future. We are a membership driven organization, and our membership base is rapidly declining in number.

We currently have 48,000 members—this is down from 55,000 four years ago, and well down from our peak of

roughly 250,000 members in the mid-1990s. Furthermore, our membership base is rapidly aging. The median age

for Legionnaires is 68, and approximately 20.34% of our membership is over the age of 80. Therefore, our

organization is likely set to contract by at least one fifth of our total size in the next decade through death alone.

As membership declines, so too does the money available to fund Provincial Command, which will hamper the

Legion’s ability to administer itself effectively.

From a financial stand-point, the news is similarly dark at the branch level. The following is taken from the July

2015 finance report to Admin/Finance on the state of BC/Yukon’s branches (based on a sample):

Operational results for the Legion BC Yukon as an aggregate have been negative. We have shown a net loss of

$(2,154,970) for 2014. After we remove outliers our revised loss is $(132,126) for an average of $(1,258) per

branch. While canteen operations remain profitable on an aggregate basis an increasing amount of branches are

beginning to turn losses from canteen operations. Combined with decreasing canteen revenues new avenues must

be investigated to maintain operations.

Over the last three years we have seen a $700,000 drop per year in overall profitability. This is in combination

with decreasing revenues and canteen profitability. While we have experienced these increasing losses many

branches have improved their net profit margins on canteen and branch operations through successful cost cutting

and have limited the losses.

Rentals, Catering, and Kitchen have shown a stable source of income, with many branches pulling a strong profit

from this avenue. Unlike the canteen, this revenue source has remained stable and has increased over the past

five years. Gross Membership revenue and donations have increased over the last five years, but are not a

sustainable or reliable revenue source moving into the future.

In the next five years it’s likely that we will see the canteen as an aggregate lose its place as the number one

revenue stream. It will be overcome by “Other Income”, which is a lump account used for unique individual branch

operations. This account includes items such as Grants, Fundraising events, etc. This is followed shortly by Gross

Membership revenue and Donations.

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In 2019 it’s expected that we will continue to report a loss as a whole, but we will not be increasing our loss as the

last three years have shown. As new revenue sources continue to climb and canteen revenues continue to decline,

but at a lowered pace we should see a position where branches level off. While this is a better position than the

past five years, action must be taken to reverse these losses and move toward profitability.

– Staff author Rylan Kaliel – results based on 65 branches

Given the dire nature of these statistics, it is incumbent upon us as an organization to act boldly and to act now.

We simply cannot afford to go on as we have in the past. Admittedly, there is risk in making the kinds of deep-

seated changes that this paper proposes, but by far the greater risk lays in inaction. We no longer have the luxury

of kicking the can down the road.

Summary of Issues

There are two sets of issues which are contributing to the stagnation of the Legion, and thus to the degradation of

our ability to execute the Legion’s mission. They are 1) Foundational, and 2) Structural.

Foundational Issues

Foundational issues are broad in scope. As the name suggests, they lay at the heart of our organization’s

problems and MUST be addressed in order for the Legion to establish its long-term viability. These foundational

issues can be summed up in a phrase:

“Our current membership is aging out, and our product has proven unappealing to a new demographic.”

Our current downward trend in membership and profits clearly demonstrates that a declining number of people

want what we are offering as an organization. Unless this is addressed, no amount of structural reform will be

able to arrest this downward trajectory, as we will simply run out of members and customers. The undesirability

of our product has two main factors:

1. The lounge-model of the Legion does not appear to offer a new demographic something that they cannot

get a better version of elsewhere. Food, drink, and atmosphere are often not comparable to other private

businesses. Furthermore, as the Legion requires membership to attend, it is easier for young people to go

elsewhere (for the purposes of this paper, ‘young people’ will be defined as 39 and younger – currently

only 4% of our membership).1

2. The Legion is increasingly viewed with suspicion by younger Veterans, who no longer see our organization

as sharing their interests. This phenomenon is evident online, where a large number of web-based

Veterans organizations have sprung up. Often these forums sport derisive comments towards the Legion,

1 It should be noted that there is no ‘aging in’ period for the Legion. People do not reach a predetermined age and

decide that they will join the Legion. In fact, every single ten-year demographic – from 18-29 to 80+ – is declining

in terms of raw numbers. 80+, our largest age bracket as recently as 2011, has decreased by 35% in three years.

This rate will continue, and we must ‘re-stock’ younger age groups to compensate or, alternatively, stop using

membership numbers to define success.

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which is seen as caring only for WWII-era Vets and seniors. At best, we are often treated with a kind of

benign neglect—many young Vets may like the fact that there is a Legion out there, but they certainly do

not feel any driving impulse to get involved, because they simply do not see the Legion as having anything

to offer them.

Structural Issues

There are a myriad of structural issues at work in the Legion. An in-depth look at all of them is beyond the scope

of this paper (a full SWOT analysis is available in the Appendix), but what follows is a list of the most pressing:

1. Financial reporting is often given in a too little, too late fashion. Often, BC/Yukon Command does not

know that a branch is running into financial problems before those problems achieve a daunting

magnitude. Once this happens, there is little direct help that BC/Yukon Command can offer. Insufficient

funds currently exist for BC/Yukon Command staff to assist branches who are in financial difficulty.

2. Branches rely on a volunteer base. While there are many great volunteers and branch executives who are

genuinely up to the task of running the branch, there is no guarantee that this will be the case. Some

branches have found themselves in the grip of self-interested or inept executives that refuse to or are

unable to address the issues of the branch.

3. If a branch is experiencing trouble, it is up to the branch executive to decide on a business plan. See point

2.

4. A lack of new members means a lack of new talents that could be utilized at the branch and Command

level.

5. The funding model for the Command structure is based almost exclusively on membership numbers, which throws up barriers to any policy that would cause a marked decline in membership.

6. Many branch buildings are old, physically unappealing, and in poor locations for maximizing exposure and

“walk-ins”. These days, people have a wide variety of pubs, bars, and restaurants to choose from, and

they will not choose to spend their time in a dated building.

7. Club-licensing impedes the branches’ ability to compete with other liquor and food primary

establishments. “Walk-ins” are not allowed, and some branches adopt an unwelcoming attitude towards

people who come in but are not members. These “grumps”, as they have been called, can hide behind the

rules, and claim that they are only adhering to their club-license. This, of course, is self-defeating, as new

membership can flow from new patronage.

8. Volunteerism is often not incentivized in a timely, consistent fashion.

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What is the Purpose of a Branch?

Before we continue, some attention should be paid to the idea of the branch itself. How do we define a branch?

What is the purpose or the vital parts of the branch? Many will say that the lounge is the only or the best

expression of the branch. When we remember our organizational mission statement, we realize that this is not so.

A lounge is no more central to the mission of the Legion than Keno, or meat-draws. The branch is a place for

Veterans to gather, certainly, but its main function is to raise money for Veterans and community programs. A

profitable lounge can complement this activity, but once a lounge becomes unprofitable, it becomes an

impediment to the mission of the Legion rather than an asset. As evidence of this fact, we have only to point to

several branches, which have no lounge, serve no alcohol, but are still able to effectively raise money and

accomplish the mission of the Legion. These examples clearly demonstrate that a “branch” is not necessary

synonymous with a “lounge.” A Legion branch can exist without a lounge, but a Legion lounge cannot exist

without a branch.

This is not to suggest that the Legion do away with all of its lounges, but rather to argue that each branch must be

assessed in the light of the mission. If a branch’s lounge is continually losing money, thought must be given to why

this is the case. It could be that the lounge is simply not serving the needs of the community, and it might be

necessary to change the lounge into something that does. This will require a highly nuanced and individual

assessment by Command staff, by the BOAs, and by the local Zone-Commander; each branch will be in a different

community with different needs. Each branch must ask itself (or be induced to ask itself) “what does this

community need? Can we fill that need in a way that generates the profits necessary to sustain branch

operations, and encourages membership?” In some cases, the answer may be that the lounge does not meet the

needs of the community, and another structure is necessary (such as a coffee-shop, a gym, a liquor-store, a

laundromat, etc.). A Legion may even be able to turn itself into a profitable business by offering a greater variety

of events to the community (concerts, sock-hops, comedians, etc.). These events should cater to the needs and

likes of the community rather than just those of the members, as it is through contact with the community that

we will attract patronage and drive new membership. Whatever the structure of the branch, it must be, above all,

a sustainable base from which the mission of the Legion may be accomplished.

What is our Target Market?

When the Legion was founded, it was founded by young men. These young men were freshly returned from the

Great War, and most were under the age of 50. As our members have aged, so too has our organization. As stated

above, our median age is 68. We are currently a de facto senior’s organization. This can be seen in some of the

initiatives that our organization chooses to fund (seniors/assisted living and long term care housing), as well in

some of the incentivizations which can be seen at branch level—many have a senior’s discount for membership,

rather than a Veteran’s discount. Incentivizing something means you want more of it. Why do we incentivize

senior’s membership through a discount and not Veteran Membership? Again, a look at our mission statement

shows that this is out of sync with the purpose of the Legion. We serve Veterans, not seniors.

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Goals

Setting goals (both near-term and long-term) is an important way to mark the pathway to success. Goals are the

metric by which we can measure our progress, and therefore we should be careful that we set ambitious, but

realistic goals, which we can achieve through a combination of innovative business ideas and new revenue stream

opportunities.

The top three meaningful and attainable objectives in the next 2 years are:

1. Branch Sustainability: In order to maintain a Legion presence in existing locations, develop and implement

programs which will directly assist branches in their modernization and business strategy.

2. Command Sustainability: In order to sustain services and programs from Command to support branches,

develop and implement alternate funding models for Command which include per capita, and other

revenue sources

3. Succession and Volunteerism: In order to align the organization to meet future succession needs, develop

and implement outreach and training programs and renovate volunteerism culture internally.

Operational items to meet goals:

1. Branch Sustainability

a. Establish funding pool for branch sustainability loans, grants and advisory support.

b. Implement book keeping software which allows roll up reporting to Command.

c. Training and workshops targeted to developing future leaders and excellence in business

practices.

d. Provide assistance with branch grant application process.

e. Establish online membership system with automatic membership renewal system.2

f. Establish Inter-branch lending pool.

g. Proceed with transition from Club liquor license to food or liquor primary.

2. Command Sustainability

a. Review and improve Administration processes and tracking (filing, bylaws, procedures and policy).

b. Develop realistic alternate funding models and revenue streams for Command (revenue

assessment model).

c. Explore strategic partnerships with other organizations (multi-branded clubhouses:

ANAVETS/Legion, Lions/Legion, Eagles/Legion, etc.; Boys and Girls Club partnership; Big Brother /

Big Sister partnership).

3. Succession and Volunteerism

a. Incentivize membership and volunteerism with tangible benefits.

b. Reduce barriers of entry to new members through branch culture change.

c. Seek out strategic partnerships and cooperative relationships with other external organizations

(see above).

d. Develop command wide mentorship program.

2 Dominion Command is currently working to develop an online membership system. This proposal may mean that our Command lobbies

for and implements this system. Careful attention will be paid to selecting the best course of action in developing this capability

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The Way Forward

The above are structural in nature. If we were to successfully implement each measure, it may only slow our

organization’s demise. Therefore, an entire cultural reboot is necessary to revitalize the organization as a whole.

As part of this cultural reboot, we must discard our preconceptions of the Legion as the pre-eminent place for

Veterans. We must honestly ask ourselves “Why should new Veterans join the Legion? What is in it for them?

What are we really offering them?” Asking these questions will allow us to shed the delusion that Veterans should

join the Legion, and that it is somehow their fault when they don’t. It is important to remember that Veterans

owe the Legion nothing; the Legion exists for Vets, Vets don’t exist for the Legion. Put simply: the Legion is not

entitled to Veteran membership, we must earn it.

Below is a list of other measures which will help to usher in an organizational reboot:

1. Overhaul the Branches: As stated above, many branches are old and unappealing, and offer an equally old

and unappealing product. We can no longer simply blame young people for not wanting to join the

Legion. We have to make the Legion an organization that they want to join. Part of this will be done

through a marketing campaign that highlights the good we do for Veterans and the community. However,

another part must be remaking the local branch into a place where people actually want to spend time.

Dingy, windowless buildings will drive away potential members who have lots of other options. The

branch must decide what niche in the community that they can fill, and then make the upgrades

necessary to become the best and most attractive incarnation of that thing. By making the Branch a more

attractive place to be, we improve its chance of being able to sustain itself through its profits.

2. Marketing: We must abandon the notion that the Legion does not need to advertise. Our declining

membership numbers clearly demonstrates that this is not the case. We must think of ourselves as a

business, which means deciding what we offer the community – or what the community needs – and then

making a concerted, multi-media effort to inform the public. This must be done year-round, but special

attention must be paid to Veterans Week as it is the most natural time of year to get our message out. It

is vital that we maximize this advantage. Furthermore, we must make use of a professional advertising

firm in order to do this. As it stands, we simply do not have the expertise or resources to execute a

marketing plan effectively.

3. Incentivize Volunteerism: The MSM, Palm Leaf, and Life Membership are and will remain important ways

though which we can recognize long service. However, if we want to revitalize the volunteer spirit within

our organization, we must develop a means of recognizing volunteerism on a much shorter time-line with

more of a project-based focus. Instituting an internal news-letter with a volunteer recognition program,

throwing a year-end party with discounted or free food/drinks/cover-charge for volunteers, or

discounting next-year’s membership are all ways that a volunteer can see a return on their service in the

near-term. This quid pro quo attitude will provide incentive for those with a busy schedule to make the

time necessary to volunteer. Blaming generational differences in attitude is flawed, as Volunteer Canada

notes:

“Youth (15 to 19 years) are more engaged with 66% volunteering an average of 110 hours per

year. While some youth engagement (20%) is due to mandatory community service, Volunteer

Canada believes that youth want to make a difference – which is great for the future of

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volunteering. They are highly motivated to be active global citizens and often volunteer to gain

experience and build skills. While the volunteer rate decreases with age, older adults (55 and

over) continue to contribute the most (39%) of all hours. Volunteer Canada recognizes that these

numbers are extremely positive, yet they also raise the question, namely, will subsequent

generations be volunteering in the same way given the multiple demands on their time? An

opportunity exists to expose people throughout their lifecycle to volunteering in order to ensure

healthy and resilient communities into the future.”

- See more at: http://volunteer.ca/content/future-volunteering-risk#sthash.7s32g1zS.dpuf

4. Incentivize the Kinds of Members We Want: As stated above, we are a Veteran’s organization.

Unfortunately, we have a decreasing number of Veterans in our ranks. There are roughly 700,000

Canadian Veterans in Canada and only around 300,000 Legionnaires of all categories nationwide. This

means that a large number of Veterans are not joining the Legion. There are other factors at work, but

clearly we are not doing a good job of penetrating our natural market. This comes with consequences.

With fewer Veterans among our ranks, the Legion loses legitimacy as the national voice of Veterans.

Increasingly it is seen as a largely civilian organization. In order to combat this decline in our Veteran

Membership and the ensuing decline in our legitimacy, we MUST incentivize Veteran Membership. This

should at least be in the form of a discounted Membership rate, but we may even go so far as to offer

free membership to Veterans. Again, we must operate on the adage, “you incentivize what you want.” If

we want more Veterans, we have to make every effort to make them members.

5. Create position of Veteran’s Liaison at the Branch Level: This position would require that a Veteran fill it,

and would have all the rights of voting as any other executive position. The main function of this position

would be to represent the ordinary members’ interests. It would also ensure that a Veteran will always be

on the executive, even in a branch with a highly civilian membership.

6. Change Membership Designations: In 1926 a Veteran was an ordinary (in the true sense of the word)

member of the Legion. Increasingly this is no longer the case. We should push for Dominion Command to

allow a change to the membership designations that would more adequately recognize a Veteran’s

service. For instance: a Veteran Member, rather than an Ordinary Member. New designations would help

the Legion revitalize its image as a Veterans-first organization. Further, Veteran Members, as stated

above, would have free or discounted memberships, and could receive discounts on beer, coffee, food, or

whatever product a particular branch offered.

7. Discard the Club License: Make no mistake, the club license is a limitation. It excludes potential business,

and drives away people who are curious about the branch. It gives “grumps” the pretenses they need to

get rid of new people, and stifles a branch’s connection to the community. Rather than exclusion, the

branch must strive towards inclusion. A big part of being profitable will come from the branch being able

to provide a service to the widest possible customer base. Some say that the club license provides the

impetus towards membership. If that is so, why are so many lounges failing? It is possible to open the

branch up and still drive membership through service. This may come in the form of a membership

discount on event tickets, food/beverage prices, apparel, etc. But we can no longer close our doors to the

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casual passer-by who may just want to look inside the Legion and have a drink. Again, new patronage will

likely translate to new members.

Note: Canada Revenue Agency’s regulations for not-for-profits are shifting. As too are BC’s

Provincial liquor regulations. The Provincial government is re-examining the desirability of

maintaining club-licensing within BC. Therefore, BC/Yukon Command will be carefully responsive

to this changing reality and will ensure that the best course of action is taken with regard to

organizational profitability.

8. Establish a board called “Special Advisory Committee to BC Yukon Command.” As the name suggests,

these individuals would act in an advisory role to the Admin/Finance Committee and PEC. These would

not be voting positions, but they would be expected to be present and contribute to discussion. These

board members should be volunteers and be appointed from outside the Legion based upon what kind of

insight, expertise, or service they can offer. For instance, we could appoint the Brigade Commander of 39

Brigade (BC), a lawyer, the head of an advertising firm, and a young (20-something) Veteran to this body.

This could be accomplished by including designated seats (Young Vet Rep, RCMP Rep, Serving Member

Rep., Aboriginal representation) and could have other “at large” positions, etc. Each would bring an

independent, outsider’s point-of-view to advise admin/finance and PEC, which would improve the quality

of thought and discussion at meetings. Furthermore, each member of this body would also bring us new

stakeholder connections. Finally, their expertise and outsider’s view of Legion politics would have a

correspondingly positive effect on over-sight and governance.

9. Move towards a New Funding Model for Provincial Command: With membership numbers declining we

are gradually defunding Provincial Command. This will inevitably degrade Command’s ability to provide

high-quality administration to the branches at a time when branches need more support than ever.

Furthermore, with our current funding model, Provincial Command has little real stake in the financial

health and viability of the branches, focusing instead on membership. The branch sees little benefit from

its efforts to promote membership. The greater portion of membership proceeds go to Provincial and

Dominion Command. This means that the branch and Command can find themselves at an impasse due to

differing priorities—the branch wants to be profitable, and Command needs the largest possible

membership base. Therefore, a move towards funding Command through an assessment on a branch’s

profits would make sense, as it would harmonize priorities.3 A different funding model may also have the

run-off effect of improving the culture of criticism around command staff salaries/expenditures.

3 This would necessarily be a gradual, piecemeal move as it would be vital not to inadvertently defund Command while

making this transition.

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Implications

In the implementation of the initiatives detailed in this document, there are implications for change in the wider

context. They may include revision of:

Command Policies and By-laws

Staffing levels and role assignments

Command programs

Costs in certain budget lines

Administrative procedures within Command and PEC

This document is intended to be a fluid and living plan which may require review and monitoring to meet

organization needs as the Legion progresses toward its goals.

Targets and Measures

Reduction in Command wide financial losses at the branch level – reduced aggregate losses and/or fewer

branches losing money.

No lost branch charters

o Lounge operations may be lost – charters and branches must not be and service work must

continue

Expansion of community presence – i.e. new or re-established charters in one or more new or former

markets by end of 2017

Development and implementation of one or more new business concepts (i.e. Cowichan 53) by end of

2016

Increase in Command funding to match or exceed inflation/CPI each year

Increased Ordinary/Veteran membership by 5% each year, beginning in 2016

Increase membership by 10% of current base by 2018

Conclusion

The way forward is far from certain. Many of the above proposals may seem radical, and will find themselves set

against wide-spread resistance—the Legion is a conservative organization by nature. However, bold moves are

required at this juncture if the Legion is to survive past this current generation. Ultimately, the Legion is valuable

to Veterans and the community, and preserving it is worth overcoming the resistance that we will face, and

climbing the mountains that lie before us.

________________________________________

Ratified at Provincial Council meeting – October 2015

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Appendix A:

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis

Strengths:

• Legion Brand is powerful and singular in the public mind • Strong presence in communities • Committed volunteer base • Open for public and Veteran membership • Strong and committed office staff complement • Legion is alone in our category of social entity • Legion’s ability to focus and push through adversity – getting the job done • Real estate holdings and housing infrastructure are extensive and well entrenched

Weaknesses:

• Aging demographic in existing membership impacting succession in branches • Volunteer burn out across all operations • Lack of coordinated reporting of financial trends in branches – too little too late • History of chronic underfunding of all operations and command office • Too many branches with aging buildings and failing lounge operations • Liquor Licensing club status limits market for traditional product sales. • Lack of external promotion for new members - consistent long term marketing plan • Sporadic and uneven government support (tax relief and grants are not consistently available) • Administrative burden is still partially manual with no CRM system for branch and membership

management • Diluted messages around giving. Poppy fund annual gifting and Foundation giving are in disconnect • No central way of communicating to all members directly and efficiently. • Bylaws and policy have not kept pace with operations within command administration • Brain trust at command (Officers and Staff) is reliant on too few who do too much • Branch level membership is often resistant to change in business models and cling to lounge culture • The funding model for the Command structure is based almost exclusively on Membership numbers,

which throws up blockages for anything that would cause a marked decline in membership.

Opportunities

Canadian citizens have increasing awareness of the role of Veterans and remembrance in the culture of the nation

Shifting needs in communities served by the Legion can be met by much of our existing infrastructure

Our Command is evolving to self-identify as modern and progressive therefore we can pilot new ways of doing business and initiatives with a culture of support from the membership

New model of branch support with pilot Branch Operations Advisors can be expanded

Volunteerism is on the rise in many age groups – The Legion can transform into an organization of choice for younger volunteers

Branches can move toward being more web connected and interconnected in their operational areas, specifically in book keeping and reporting.

In the area of Government advocacy, having a centralized system with reliable data would allow for a stronger voice with Governments at all levels.

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Create new revenue model for Command structure which is based on branch financial stability and not per capita

Outreach to other service organizations to create strategic partnerships

Pilot on line membership system as part of national strategy

Leverage real estate to maximize sustainable and stable redevelopment projects

Threats

• Perceived lack of relevance with new veterans and community • Small staff in Command office – any illness or departure can lead to major loss of capacity • Branches collapsing and closing due lack of volunteers and revenue • Decline of canteen sales due to cultural and legislative changes = more branches failing • Weakened succession planning with reduced council size – the pool is not full enough • If our measurement of the value of our volunteers remains in the currency of time rather than project

based, we will not attract younger generations of volunteers • Branch autonomy for its own sake would hamper the Legion’s ability to organize and survive as a

collective. • Small branches and those in remote areas are vulnerable in the extreme. What a larger branch could

weather in terms of downturns and building repairs could end a more vulnerable one • Minimal supervision and assistance for struggling branches (Until Command is alerted of issue)

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PEC Meeting - Legion BC/Yukon · 2016. 11. 4. · PEC Meeting Held at Vedder/Golden Branch #280, Chilliwack BC October 3, 2015 Roll Call In attendance: Marc Tremblay, Command President;

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