Author Archives: Michael K. Barbour

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About Michael K. Barbour

Michael K. Barbour is the Director of Faculty Development and a Professor of Instructional Design for the College of Education and Health Sciences at Touro University California. He has been involved with K-12 online learning in a variety of countries for well over a decade as a researcher, teacher, course designer and administrator. Michael's research focuses on the effective design, delivery and support of K-12 online learning, particularly for students located in rural jurisdictions.

The Legion Dispatch – February 2021

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This is a monthly newsletter from Dominion Command that is designed for branch leadership – but most of the items are still of interest to regular members too.

Legion Dispatch. Visit branch services.
February 2021
Twitter. Facebook. Youtube. Instagram. Linkedin.
Poppy Store.
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Keep your Branch informed
Forward this email to your Branch Executives, Committee Members and other members to keep them up-to-date on important updates and information.
In this edition – February 2021
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Pre-paying pays off
Between February 22 to May 30, 2021, members who prepay for five years will receive a FREE Limited Edition Poppy Watch, designed to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Remembrance Poppy. See terms and conditions for more details.
A limited number of these watches will be available for purchase on The Poppy Store starting in late May. Keep an eye out – they’re expected to go fast!
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Encourage your members to recruit
Don’t forget to invite your members to recruit their family and friends to the Legion.
When members* refer an eligible friend or family member to join the Legion, they could EACH be entered to win a $500 Canada Post Visa gift card. Tell your members to send their new recruits here to sign up using promo code REFER before April 30, 2021.
The bigger our membership, the bigger the impact the Legion can make in the lives of Canada’s Veterans.
* Referring member must be in good standing as of January 31, 2021. See full Terms and Conditions.
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A Dominion Convention update from the National Executive Director
Comrades:
As you are well aware by now, the 2020 Dominion Convention set for Saskatoon, SK was postponed by the Dominion Executive Council on 16 April 2020.
Currently and based on the information provided in a rapidly changing environment the intent is to stage the 48th Dominion Convention August 12–19, 2021 in Saskatoon. As there are many factors involved, including the vaccination rollout and provincial restrictions, there will be a delay in sending out the Convention Call until a clearer picture develops. In the meantime, all other timings are still in effect, including the submission of resolutions to Dominion Command by 24 April 2021.
Regardless of what confronts us in regard to staging the Dominion Convention, it will happen in 2021 in one form or another. An update will be provided in March 2021 or earlier if the situation becomes clearer.
In Comradeship,
Steven Clark
National Executive Director
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Members of the Shediac Legion build a Veteran apartment complex
When you dream big, great things can happen. Canadian Veteran and Legion member Leo Doiron and members of the Shediac Legion in New Brunswick came together to fundraise and build an eight-unit apartment building in their town to home Veterans and their families.
Read the inspiring story  ‣
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The Legion Scholarship has been awarded
On January 27, Dominion President Thomas D. Irvine announced this year’s Veteran Health Research scholarship recipient. Dr. Abdelhakim Khellaf of the University of Toronto has received $30,000 to continue his work studying traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Veterans.
Through the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research, the Legion rewards this scholarship each year to a student specializing in the critical care and support of Canada’s Veterans.
Congratulations, Dr. Khellaf!
Read more  ‣
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Legion responds to Office of the Veterans Ombudsman report
On January 19, the Legion Dominion President released the following statement in support of the Veterans Ombudsman’s report:
“The Royal Canadian Legion supports all recommendations released in the Office of the Veterans Ombudsman’s report. Of particular note, we ask Veterans Affairs Canada to push for legislative and financial changes to ensure that family members including former spouses, survivors and dependent children, can access federally funded mental health care when their illness is related to the conditions of a Veteran’s service. This should happen whether or not the Veteran is in treatment. We believe mental health care must extend to family members in their own right who provide a crucial support system for our Veterans.”
–Thomas D. Irvine, CD, Dominion President, The Royal Canadian Legion
Read the full report  ‣
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+ Renewal reminders are being mailed
Legion Headquarters will be sending a direct mailing to all non-renewed members later this month. Please encourage your members to renew their Legion membership for 2021.
You can also use this opportunity to encourage members to prepay for the next five years with the Legion’s Poppy Anniversary watch promotion.
We are here to help!
As per Ontario Health recommendations, most Legion House staff members are working remotely. Member Services is business as usual with some delays in card distribution and mail-in member processing.
Our team is here to help, Monday through Friday, 8:30–4:30 pm EST by email and by phone.
Get access to Marketing and PR resources
Marketing Resources
It’s time for members to renew
Find a wide variety of recruitment and renewal resources on the Member Services Website, as well as free materials through the Legion Supply Department.
View resources  ‣
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PR Tip of the Month
Reach out to correct
When you see a media article that contains errors or omissions related to your Branch, remember to take action – approach the reporter in a friendly way. Explain what you’d like to see fixed and why it matters. In many instances, changes will be made in the interest of accuracy.
Have questions or need advice? Contact your Command Public Relations Officer or Nujma Bond, Dominion Command Communications at nbond@legion.ca
Share the benefits of MemberPerks®
MemberPerks® is more than a member benefit package. It’s also a tool Branches can use to promote membership. Plus, you can partner with local businesses in your community to offer exclusive discounts for your members.
In 2020, Legion members saved almost $150,000 using MemberPerks®. Promote MemberPerks® at your Branch using the MemberPerks® poster.
Order online through Legion Supply at supply@legion.ca or by calling 1‑888‑301‑2257.
Learn more  ‣
Your Legion calendar: 2021
Promote important dates and organize activities at your Branch with this list of upcoming days that raise awareness of an issue, commemorate a group or event, or celebrate an important topic.
DOWNLOAD THE CALENDAR  ‣
Partner promotions
The following is brought to you by our partners, highlighting special offers and other information.
Special offer from Legion Magazine
Legion Wall Calendar.
If you have any questions, please contact Member Services and we will be pleased to assist. 1-855-330-3344 or membership@legion.ca

Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. EST
Working together to serve Canada’s Veterans.
Copyright © 2021 The Royal Canadian Legion. All rights reserved.

Administrative emails from Legion National Headquarters are sent to the email address on file for your local Legion Branch. If this is no longer the correct email address for your Branch, please forward this email to the new contact and request the Branch update their contact information.

Our contact information is:
The Royal Canadian Legion National Headquarters
Member Services Department
86 Aird Place
Ottawa, ON K2L 0A1
Canada

Toll free: 855‑330‑3344
E-mail: membership@legion.ca

New details emerge in the case for the first Canadian Victoria Cross

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An item from the Legion Magazine.

Legion Magazine
Front Lines
New details emerge in the case for the first Canadian Victoria Cross

New details emerge in the case for the first Canadian Victoria Cross

Story by Stephen J. Thorne

Private Jess Randall Larochelle of the Royal Canadian Regiment was in an observation post when it was destroyed by a rocket propelled grenade during an enemy attack on the position in Pashmul, Afghanistan. It was Oct. 14, 2006.

Manning a C6 machine gun—known as “the bullet magnet” because the enemy always looks to disable it first—Larochelle was knocked unconscious by the blast. Two members of his section were killed and three others wounded.

READ MORE
Canada and the liberation of the Netherlands

“Canada and the liberation of the Netherlands” wins Gold for the Best Interactive Story 2020

Legion Magazine’s interactive website Canada and the liberation of Netherlands wins Gold from the Canadian Online Publishing Awards. The site explores how in the final months of the Second World War, Canadian forces were assigned to liberate the Netherlands from Nazi occupation.
View rare photographs, videos and
interactive battle maps by visiting legionmagazine.com/Liberation-of-Netherlands

 

READ MORE
The October Crisis

“The October Crisis” wins Silver for the Best Interactive Story 2020

Legion Magazine’s interactive website The October Crisis wins Silver
from the Canadian Online Publishing Awards. The site revisits the crisis of October 1970, when the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) kidnapped British Trade Commissioner James Cross and Quebec Labour Minister Pierre Laporte. In response, Canada’s armed forces were deployed in Quebec and Ontario.
You can explore rare photographs, timelines, memoirs and
opinions by visiting legionmagazine.com/theoctobercrisis

 

READ MORE
The Great Canadiana 4-Pack
Military Milestones
homesick, seasick and lovesick

Homesick, seasick and lovesick

Story by Sharon Adams

The ocean liner SS Mauritania docked at Pier 21 in Halifax on Feb. 10, 1946, filled with women described in the media as homesick, seasick and lovesick.

War brides.

The vessel was the first of the bride ships, which by 1947 had carried more than 44,000 women and about 21,000 children to new lives in Canada.

READ MORE
Arbor Alliance
Canvet Publication Ltd.
Email sent to: mkbarbour@gmail.com

Canvet Publications Ltd.
86 Aird Place |
Kanata, Ontario | K2L 0A1 | Canada |
1-844-602-5737 | 613-591-0116 | magazine@legion.ca

Now accepting funding applications from grad & undergrad students!

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An update from one of our fellow Canadian organizations in the Bay Area.
Canadian Studies Announcements
In this issue:
  • Canadian Studies now accepting applications for grad & undergrad funding
  • Mark your calendars – Big Give is March 11!
  • The hidden legacy of Alberta’s Black settlers
  • Upcoming event: Free documentary & film talk on The Blinding Sea
  • Affiliate event: “The Black Experience in Canada & the US”
Applications Open for Graduate and Undergraduate Funding
The Canadian Studies Program is pleased to announce that we are currently accepting applications for the following funding opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students. Please help share this information with your friends, students, and colleagues!
The Edward M. Hildebrand Research Fellowship in Canadian Studies
Summer fellowship deadline: March 15, 2021
Academic year fellowship deadline: May 7, 2021
Amount: $5k-10k
This fellowship competition is open to graduate students of any citizenship enrolled at Berkeley whose research focuses primarily or comparatively on Canada. Both summer and academic year applications are accepted. The applicant should demonstrate the potential for excellent scholarship and describe a project which will contribute to knowledge about Canada and/or the Canadian-U.S. relationship. Funds are intended for direct travel and research costs. Maintenance and/or tuition costs may be considered under rare circumstances, and only in the final stage of the student’s dissertation writing.
The Rita Ross Undergraduate Prize in Canadian Studies
2021 deadline: May 7, 2021
Amount: $250
This prize is awarded annually to the student who has written the best undergraduate research paper or produced the best original project that engages with topics, people or events related to Canada. The prize competition is open to any UC Berkeley undergraduate student in good academic standing, in any college or discipline. The paper submitted must be an original paper or project produced in a UC Berkeley class or independent study during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Mark your calendars – Big Give is next month!
Help support quality research and programming on Canada by donating to Canadian Studies on March 11 during Big Give, Berkeley ‘s annual day of giving. Your gift can have a big impact!
Your gift could help us win one of several contests with cash prizes at no extra cost. Check out the Big Give leaderboards to plan your giving strategy, and don’t forget to give big March 11!
The Hidden Legacy of Canada’s Black Prairie Settlers
In the early 20th century, rural Alberta experienced a surge of African-American settlers fleeing violence and discrimination in the southern United States. Lured by the province’s plentiful land and the hope of less discrimination, these settlers founded a score of majority-Black prairie communities that flourished for decades. Learn about the history and legacy of Amber Valley, an almost-vanished hamlet once among largest of these settlements, via the CBC.
Upcoming Event
Free Documentary and Talk: The BIinding Sea
March 9 | 12:30 p.m. | RSVP here
Join filmmaker George Tombs for a discussion of his 2020 documentary The Blinding Sea. The film chronicles the life of Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen (1872-1928), the first person to lead a successful expedition through the Northwest Passage. It evokes the joys, sorrows, relationships, and missed opportunities in the life of Amundsen, who disappeared mysteriously during a polar flight in 1928. The film places a special focus on Amundsen’s relations with the Indigenous people he encountered on his voyages, particularly the Inuit.
A free link to the documentary will be sent in advance of the event. We request all participants watch the documentary before joining the discussion.
George Tombs is an award-winning author and filmmaker based in Montreal, who works in both English and French. He is currently writing a biography of Roald Amundsen. His past works include Robber Baron, a biography of controversial media tycoon Conrad Black, and his recent humorous novel Mind the Gap.
Affiliate/External Events
The Black Experience in Canada & the U.S.: A Discussion with Debra Thompson
February 24 | 12:00 p.m. | RSVP here
The Black Lives Matter movement has given rise to global conversations on how systems with built in racial inequality continue to affect the lives of people of African descent worldwide. While there is growing awareness of the ongoing legacy of racial inequality in the U.S., the Canadian experience is less well known.
Rana Sarkar, Canadian Consul General in San Francisco/Silicon Valley, will lead a discussion on the Black experience in Canada and the U.S. with Dr. Debra Thompson, associate professor and Canada Research Chair in Racial Inequality in Democratic Societies at McGill University and a leading scholar of the comparative politics of race. Dr. Thompson previously spoke at a Canadian Studies colloquium in September 2020.
Canadian Studies Program
213 Moses Hall #2308
Canadian Studies Program | Univ. of California, Berkeley, 213 Moses Hall #2308, Berkeley, CA 94720

Update on Cpl. Uber, MIA in France

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An up-coming event from the folks behind the World War One Centennial Commission.

Dear Friend,

In December, I shared the story of Corporal James L. Uber: a 29-year-old Pennsylvania boy killed in action on October 8, 1918 while serving in France as part of Company B, 112th Infantry Regiment, 28th Division National Army. His body, interned in a shallow grave near where he fell, was never recovered; his family was never given a last resting place to remember him and ease their grief.

James Uber

I firmly believe that a man is only missing if he is forgotten. That’s why I founded Doughboy MIA, the only nonprofit in the world working to find our missing American boys from World War I and bringing them home. And you can help.

On Thursday, February 25th from 7:00 to 8:00 PM EST I’ll be presenting the latest findings in the Cpl. Uber case, introducing the Doughboy MIA search team, and briefing you on our progress so far. This is your chance to learn what we are doing to bring missing American WWI soldiers, Marines, and airmen a final resting place – and how you might be able to help.

You can access this Zoom briefing by signing up here.

Even if you can’t make it, but are interested in learning more, please sign up. We’ll be sending a full recording of the briefing to those who do, along with updates as we head to France later in the year.

Help remember James and the sacrifice he made for this country.

Sign up and get involved.

Warmly,

Robert

Robert J. Laplander

Directing Manager – Doughboy M.I.A.

www.ww1cc.org/mia

(414) 333-9402

A Man Is Only Missing If He Is Forgotten

 Doughboy MIA helmet image

In Memory of Captain Sir Thomas Moore

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An item from the organization formerly known as There But Not There.

In Memory of Captain Sir Thomas Moore
This week, the nation has celebrated the life of Captain Sir Tom Moore, who has passed away aged 100 having rallied the British public in support of the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic.

Captain Sir Tom: The Veteran
Captain Sir Tom’s story of support for the country began many decades before the current crisis. A veteran of the Eastern campaign during the Second World War, Sir Tom served in incredibly challenging conditions in both India and Burma as part of the allied efforts combatting the Imperial Japanese Army.

Stationed primarily in India, he provided vital support running a training programme for Army motorcyclists before joining the Fourteenth Army also known as the Forgotten Army – named so due to the thousands of miles of distance between them and their UK homeland.

The Eastern theatre of war brought with it conditions not seen in Europe: heat, humidity and tropical disease. Like many of his comrades, Sir Tom was struck down with dengue fever but fortunately recovered before returning to the UK in the final year of the war to become an instructor on the inner workings of Churchill tanks.

It was 75 years later that Sir Tom would once again come to the fore in the nation’s time of need.

Serving his Country once again
Beginning in April 2020, the then 99-year-old Sir Tom decided he would walk, walking frame in-hand, 100 laps of his garden with a modest target of raising £1,000 for the NHS.

Within a few weeks, after receiving global acclaim with celebrities, members of the cabinet and even the Prime Minister recognising his efforts, Tom completed his 100th lap – ahead of his 100th birthday, as planned.

Upon completion, his fundraising total amounted to an astonishing £32million and for his efforts he was was knighted by the Queen at a July special ceremony in what was Her Majesty’s first official engagement since the lockdown.

Captain Sir Tom was able to do something truly remarkable: he brought together the nation at a time when people were unable to meet, he rallied the troops in support of those in need – just as he had almost 80 years earlier, he personified the sense of duty found so often in the ex-servicemen and women of our Armed Forces.

Tommy Trotter Update:
Thank you SO much to everyone who has sent Tommy Trotter a birthday card. To date, he has received over 2,500 cards. Can you see yours in the image below?

How amazing! His birthday is on Feb 10th, and there’s a few more special surprises in store for him, so watch this space!
Wishing you a lovely weekend!
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