Hello to all of the membership. Please visit our website for information www.hepworthshallowlakelegion.ca

Past President Joe Ferris and his wife, who were visiting this area, paid our Branch a visit on September 17th.

It has been quite a ride for the Branch since we have opened. The Bar hours have been changed to reflect patrons usage of the Bar and will probably be looked at again in the future.

COVID-19: Every person must show proof of TWO vaccination shots and ONE piece of photo identification to check your birthdate and your name to those two documentations. This applies to any band member, patron, and member of the Branch. This applies to the Branch Licensed areas only. Social distancing of 6 feet remains in effect. The administration office area of the Branch and the entrance to the big hall are not subject to this mandate. There will be signage set up with a reminder for patrons to read and adhere to the requirements needed to enter the building.

This was a very hard decision for the Executive Committee to make. It is either check at the door or close the Branch down. We want to stay open. We hope that you understand the situation and comply. Please remember that if you go outside for a cigarette or to go to your car to get something, or go to the patio area, you will have to show proof to re-enter the lounge again. All employees are exempt from the Provincial mandate. Remember to wear a mask to and from your table to wherever you go in the lounge.

VOLUNTEERS: We need people to help at functions. That’s all there is to it. We need people to help at the Branch for functions. We need help with the hall clean up after functions. We need help with security at functions at the main door. If you can spare a few hours then please call Sandy at the office on Monday Mornings from 9:00 a.m. to Noon hour or send an email indicating your willingness to help. Thank you. It was discussed at the last executive meeting about the lack of volunteers needed to monitor events in the main hall. If no volunteers, then we would have to consider hiring security to monitor the event. Hiring of security could possibly raise our hall rentals.

MEMBERSHIP: Once again Comrade Dora Abbott will be at the Branch on Monday mornings to accept dues for the year of 2022. If you lapse in your dues, then you are in arrears, which mean no membership privileges. Example– if you have not paid for 2020 and your last year paid is 2019, and then if you wish to keep your consecutive years up to date then you have to pay for 2020, 2021, and 2022. If you miss a year then you will lose consecutive years. Early Birds are $55.00 and after that it is $60.00. Early bird campaign started on September 1st and ends on November 30th at midnight.

POPPY CAMPAIGN: This year’s Cenotaph services at Shallow Lake (9:30 a.m.) and Hepworth (11:00 a.m.) will be much the same as last year. Brief and to the point. Poppy boxes will be set out in Sauble Beach, Hepworth and Shallow Lake. We are allowed this year to place boxes in the Beer Store and Home Hardware on the Sunset Strip. We did not canvas outside at the sunset strip last year due to COVID-19 distancing measures, so there will be no outside canvassing again this year. If there are no volunteers to help with the placing of the crosses and placing of wreaths at the cenotaph, then they will not be on display. There will no members of the public laying wreaths again this year. Only Canada, Ontario, Branch and Ladies Auxiliary wreaths will be placed. There will be no parade from the school to the park. United Church Remembrance Service will be held on November 7th at 11:15 a.m., where masks must be worn at all times. No singing allowed. Pre-registration is required to attend the church service. Please call Sandy at the office if you plan to attend or send an email. Thank you.

Members will be welcome back at the hall for fellowship after the Cenotaph service.

All of these plans can change at the last minute due to severe weather where ceremonies will be moved to the main hall. An announcement will be made on CFOS radio.

Volunteers will be needed to place the crosses row on row at the Cenotaph. Please call me at 519-935-3317 or email at alj2@bell.net Thank You.

BUILDING: The building over the last few years has fallen into a little disrepair due to neglect. Such as the outside cooler roof. Members know about it, some try to fix it but to no avail it still leaks, so it is slated to be repaired in October. The whole bill to repair the cooler roof has been paid for by Jack Grewar. He came into the Legion 3 weeks ago and wrote a cheque for the whole amount. THANK YOU JACK. The furnace has been fixed and so has an air conditioning unit. A condensate pump for a furnace quit working and flooded the furnace room, so that had to be replaced. The Ladies sewage pump piping broke and has been repaired. The ICE machine has been repaired. The stage fan dimmer has been replaced. Our water softener and iron filter are done and are being replaced. They were never the correct size and were undersized in order to fit under the stage. So they are moving to a new location in order to get correct sized units to control the flow of water through the building.

GENERAL MEETINGS: Are still not allowed as per Provincial Command bylaw.

ENTERTAINMENT: All we have going on is the Thursday Jams from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. On October 16th Behind Bars will be playing in the Big Hall from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. to accommodate the crowd.

THE BRANCH: Since 1925 it has been VOLUNTEERS that have brought the Royal Canadian Legion forward to present day. Yes, some Branch’s have fallen by the wayside through the years. But the mandate of any Branch is to SURVIVE. Each and every day, week, month and year, every Branch has to find ways to stay afloat. It is not easy, nor has it ever been easy. TIME is the most crucial aspect of any Branch when it comes to an aging membership. Our Membership has been in decline for the last few years. When Shallow Lake Branch 282 amalgamated with Hepworth Branch 586 in 2008 the total membership was around 238. We are now at 71 members. I am hoping that everyone renews again this year.

SPORTS: Darts are starting in the big hall on October 7th. Darts is open to anybody and all are welcome. Bar will be open. There is a dart flyer attached to this newsletter in electronic form. Don’t miss reading it. It contains all of the information that you need to know.

Table shuffleboard in the lounge is starting on Tuesdays at 1:00 p.m.

Yours In Comradeship:
Allyn Johnston