Founded in 1926, the Grand Forks Royal Canadian Legion has continued to hold a strong community presence within the city.
Kay McCaffrey originally moved to Grand Forks in 1972 then returned in 1984. She joined the Grand Forks Royal Canadian Legion Branch #59 in 1985, though her husband William McCaffrey, a veteran of the Second World War, was previously a member.
Though she and her husband met years after the war ended, McCaffrey noted that when he joined, it was instinctual she join as well.
“I grew up in war time but not with a military family but there were a lot of restrictions,” explained McCaffrey of where she grew up. “I can remember them training in Winnipeg and the sky would be full of Lancaster Bombers because there was a training centre near there. But you grew up and you volunteered to help.”
As a part of the legion, McCaffrey is an associate member, because her husband was a veteran.
Within the legion there are various forms of membership, from an ordinary member to associate to affiliate. There is also the Ladies Auxiliary (LA) group within the legion.
The LA originally comprised of mothers, wives and daughters of legion members but is now open to women in the community. The auxiliary supports the legion through financial and volunteer support to the branch and its various programs.
She pointed out that the ladies at the legion do a lot of work in the background.
“The women are there to help serve the sandwiches and with the catering for the funerals,” she said. “Often when the hall is rented, the LA will do the catering, and during Nov. 11, the women are there to help organize and get everything set up.”
The legion itself is a fraternity and fellowship, where there is common bond like many other organizations, McCaffrey added. Catering done by the LA is also focused on family-style dinners where people help themselves, from banquets for funerals and memorials, to the Boy Scout and Girl Guide dinners.
“If the LA had a bake sale, I would bring in some baking because you support each other,” she said. “I go into the legion often and I have coffee but there’s always somebody to chat with. You know most of the people and it’s a fraternity, it’s a fellowship and it’s friends.”
Marjorie Bannert, another member of LA who also met her husband Wilbur after the war, agreed.
“We never refuse a banquet of a veteran – never,” Bannert stated. “I’ve been quite active until I fell and broke my hip and then I was out for four or five months, but I’m right back in it again. We’ve done just about everything at the legion.”
Born in 1927, Bannert moved to Grand Forks in 1946 shortly after marrying her husband. She recalls busy days handing out poppies and long hours preparing in the legion’s kitchen.
“I made the tea, the coffee, and the hot chocolate for the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides,” she said. “We would refill the baskets with poppies for them to take back out, and then you’d have to keep time of whoever was out with the poppies.”
At that time, Bannert recalled coming home late from the legion smelling of smoke and having to air out her jacket outside.
Every spring the Ladies Auxiliary from various legion branches will meet up for a fun day.
“The bowlers would bowl, the card players would play cards and we’d fill up a bus, and spend a day with all the other LA’s,” Bannert said. “It’s a good chance to meet other ladies from surrounding communities.”
She recalled that long before the Grand Forks legion took over the legion hall, it used to be a church.
“Once the second floor was put in, nights were spent dancing on the second floor and the building would bounce. The downstairs was used as the banquet area, but the upstairs was for dancing,” she noted. “The building would bounce up and down. It was so full that you could hardly dance because of the people. Everybody figured we would go through the floor; luckily that didn’t happen.”
Through recent Sunday night dinners and dances, the legion is able to support its own expenses. McCaffrey pointed out that lottery funds, raised through meat draws and bingo nights, goes into supporting many youth groups in the community, from hockey teams to swim clubs.
“The funds from Bingo and our meat draws go back to the community, which is where we get the money to give donations to community youth groups and organizations,” she said. “Not only do we serve the veterans, the legion also gives back to the local community. It’s an important asset to everybody.”
Remembrance Day is a vital part of history and something that shouldn’t be forgotten because of how horrible war is, McCaffrey added.
“There’s really no winner, and people should learn to get along, not fight. There are no winners in war, ever,” she said. “I don’t know what it proves, but there have been wars since day one.”
Bannert added the day is to thank the men and women who went, and continue to go, overseas serving for Canada.
“It’s important to remember because those previous wars were the ones our husbands, uncles, brothers and family were in it,” Bannert said.
Bannert noted her attendance at Strathcona School in Vancouver growing up where two thirds of the school were Asian, a mix of Japanese and Chinese students.
“The other third were Italians, Jewish, Russian, Swedes,” she said. “When we went to school in Grade 1, most of the Orientals couldn’t speak english, but we all got along so great.”
When the war started, Bannert explained that everything changed.
“The Japanese people that were our friends and neighbours – one Japanese lady taught me how to knit, and another Chinese family taught me how to cook traditional Chinese meals – some were taken away and I’ve never heard from them since,” she pointed out. “It was a lost friendship.”
Though she was not involved directly in the war, McCaffrey pointed out that war affects everybody.
“We experienced it through people we knew, and the people who didn’t come back.,” McCaffrey said. “You go through so much. There were a pair of twin boys who went to high school before me and they didn’t come back.”
Where the Royal Canadian Legion was once focused on those who provided military service to the country, membership is now open to any interested persons.
“We do want young people to become active in the club, not just seniors,” concluded Bannert.