President’s Message:
Joe Gowing – President@PrestonLegion.ca
Hello Comrades. Welcome to Poppy Season as well as we move into our winter months. Please take note of our winter hours for the branch.
As most of you know that Nov 11 Remembrance Banquet, we will have Lt Gov of Ontario, Edith Dumont join us. Tickets are limited and selling fast. I want to share the schedule with you.
5pm doors open
5:15 – Lt Gov arrives and will have a tour with President
5:30 – Ceremony will start; head table will enter from the front door and start the Remembrance portion.
6pm – Dinner is served
6:45 – Speeches start.
NOTE: Dress will be Business Casual/ Legion Uniform
Building committee is moving along and has a Notice of Motion to be voted on in November General Meeting. Please come out and hear about what’s going on and vote on the motion and ask questions that you may have.
Thank you all and I look forward to seeing you at the branch.
2nd Vice President/ Ways and Means
Gary Staveley – 2VP@PRESTONLEGION.CA
Hello,
It has been a privilege as well as fun with attending and representing Preston Br.126 at Zone C2 in St. Mary’s and District in Goderich conventions. Information about how other legions in our Zone operate, can be discussed as we can learn from what we find to be good and bad practices.
I am looking forward to learning more about the operations of our Legion and contributing more as I do. I plan on getting more involved as I learn and look forward to helping Br.126 in years to come.
We will all need to work together as Preston members as we move forward with the new building, from my perspective we need trust in the building committee as they have all performed a fantastic task thus far with planning everything exactly as required to the point that every aspect was accepted in the property sale process. We will have issues to overcome but I am sure we will conquer all as a team.
I will repeat this bottle drive info, as I am having members asking me about getting rid of their saved up items. This will continue and be twice a year in Spring and Fall but should anyone have beer/liquor bottles, cans or plastic, including bladders from wine boxes, do not hesitate to contact me anytime of year should you need to get rid of them. I will store them till there is a quantity worth returning.
Once again, I look forward to bringing new ideas to help our Legion in the future with fundraising as well as representing all of you.
Veteran Service Officer
Terry Smith – VSO@PrestonLegion.ca
Hello comrades
Not too much to report. I’m still working closely with regional agencies as part of the Ending Veterans homelessness initiative.
Through poppy funds we have provided groceries and toiletries to one housed Veteran in the last two weeks. Your poppy donations are do important for the work legion service officers do.
Thank you .
If you have any questions, donations or concerns regarding veterans’ issues please contact me at Vso@prestonlegion.ca
Entertainment
Terry Smith – VSO@PrestonLegion.ca
Lots of things planned for rest of 2025. Second Saturday karaoke with John in the lounge after meat draw. 15th November in lounge Acoustic Cannon. 29th November Mike Woods returns in lounge.
28th November main hall the Robert Maxwell Hypnotist comedy show tickets available at lounge bar $15.
Come enjoy and laugh at an enjoyable evening.
New Year Eve party main hall with Evolution a multi genre band country, pop, rock and tunes you'll all remember. More info on this in coming weeks.
Sergeant At Arms
Terry Smith – VSO@PrestonLegion.ca
We are into the annual poppy campaign. 11th November the parade from branch to the cenotaph forms up at 10am and we march off at 10.30am sharp.
Thank you, comrades, and keep well and safe all.
House and Ground/ Building Committee:
Dan Welsh - danwelsh@hotmail.ca
Things are moving along, and preparation is being done for Remembrance Day. As we prepare for the days ceremony and Dinner it is at this time that we look at those that wish to volunteer for our winter season. Please provide your name if you wish to volunteer. You can email me directly at danwelsh@hotmail.ca .
Some of the jobs we are looking for will be snow shovelling sidewalks and walkways and arranging tables and chairs between events.
There are a lot of events happening over the next couple of months and the legion will be very busy. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Seniors:
Myra Plantz
It was a great turnout for the Halloween seniors dance, I want to thank all the volunteers.
Next Dance: Nov 16 & Dec 14
Thursdays Euchre 12:30pm start $5.00 to play. We have grown from 4 people to now over 40!
Membership
Debbie Page-Bruce, membership@PrestonLegion.ca
HELLO COMRADES! Our EARLY BIRD MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL CAMPAIGN will continue until the end of November 2025. Therefore, if you haven’t renewed yet, please do so as it entitles you to win 1 of 2 free memberships (you will be reimbursed for the cost of your membership already purchased = $55.00). You can come into the Legion and renew your membership at the bar or renew online at legion.ca/member. The winners will be announced at our December 06th, 2025 meat draw.
We are pleased to announce that there will be a major membership initiative to help celebrate our organization’s 100th Anniversary next year. This new initiative will not be announced until January 2026 Therefore, any new applications will be accepted but not, processed until the new initiative is announced.
I would like to remind all veterans plus family members who received a FREE one- or two-year membership and the life-time members who receive free membership, to please drop into the Legion to pick up your 2025-26 stickers for your membership cards.
Youth Ed/ Bursary
Brian Arn
Youth pieces are out waiting responses bursaries are also but anyone with grade nine students and you are a member of the legion get ahold of me at the legion. I would like to thank in advance the Preston Public School for the place mats for the Nov 11th dinner
Poppy Chair:
Sherrill Hyde – poppy@prestonlegion.ca
This year's campaign is starting off nicely. We've already made 2 bank deposits totalling over $8,400 plus numerous e transfer funds for wreaths. Joe asked me to post the sign-up sheets out early and this has really paid off with increased canvasser participation. Thank you to all my canvassers that have helped over last weekend and over next weekend. Thank you to the Scouts Canada, 822 Air Cadets, Navy Cadets for volunteer canvassing at several different locations. Their presences make a huge difference.
Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph Nov. 11th at 10:45. Lunch at the Legion afterwards.
Remembrance Day dinner Nov. 11th at 5:00. Lieutenant Governor of Ontario is our guest speaker this year. Tickets on sale at the bar. Veterans’ dinners free as they are covered by Poppy Fund.
Church parade is Nov. 9th at 10 am St. John's Church.
Remember Run at Riverside Park Nov. 8th. All proceeds are donated to the Poppy Fund.
Sports:
Jeff Whittaker – sports@prestonlegion.ca
Welcome to fall / winter season. Cornhole has started! Thursdays 6:45–9:15pm then downstairs for socializing and laughs afterwards. Friday Fun darts starts up Friday November 7th. 6:45-9:15pm. Progressive euchre also starts November 7th. 715-930pm. We have two cribbage teams moving on to District competition in January. Also Branch 126 was represented at Zone darts in Hespeler on Sunday; with one team of four moving onto District competition. Congratulations to all involved and thank you.
Zone sheets are up for the next set of competitions; mixed darts and senior darts (55+). Watch the deadlines. Sports board is on the right when you enter the lounge.
Come on in and check us out!!
Cadet Liaison
Nathan McDaniel - nthn_mcdaniel@hotmail.com
Hello Comrades,
As the 2025 Poppy campaign is officially underway, our local Cadets have been busy in the local community canvassing. I would like to thank all those involved for their contribution so far this year. If you see our Cadets, please say hello and thank them for the great support.
Treasurer
Steve Howlett
Happy November, Comrades,
The old bones of Branch 126 have been holding strong, with no surgeries on the horizon for the foreseeable future!
We continue to invest and spend wisely to stay on the positive side of the Profit & Loss column. Over the past few months, we’ve seen encouraging growth in sales, donations, and other sources of income. The entire staff has been very mindful of costs and spending appropriately—thank you all for your continued diligence and commitment.
As we approach November 11, I wish everyone a meaningful and memorable Remembrance Day. I look forward to seeing many of you at our Remembrance Day Banquet, where we’ll be honoured to welcome our Guest of Honour, Lieutenant Governor Edith Dumont.
With respect and gratitude,
