As a way of commemorating Royal Canadian Legion branches and their importance all over the country, a new national week has been declared. 

The Dominion Executive Committee, the executive branch of the federal level of the Royal Canadian Legion, approved the establishment of National Legion Week. 

This is the first coast-to-coast observance of Legion Week, but prior to this, some individual branches and provincial commands have been observing the week since the 80s.  

According to John Griffin, public relations officer for the Legion Branch 56, this will be Swift Current’s inaugural event.

“The main objective of Legion Week is to educate visitors on the good work their local Legion branch does within the community,” he said. “It reinforces the importance of the role that they play in our shared mission to serve and support Canada's veterans.” 

Griffin added that the coast-to-coast recognition also serves to increase visitors and patrons, member recruitment and volunteers to the Royal Canadian Legion, locally, provincially and nationally.  

Legion Week will continue to be held in September every year going forward, beginning on the 3rd Sunday of the month in honour and remembrance of the Battle of Britain Day, and concluding the following Saturday. For its first go, that positions it to run today through the 23rd.  

To conclude Legion Week in Swift Current, Branch 56 is welcoming the community to its newly established museum for tours.  

In conjunction there will be an open house event where interested individuals can learn more about the many things the organization does and ways they can get involved. 

The events are set for 12 p.m. through 5 p.m. when the regularly scheduled meat draws begin, which attendees are invited to stay for to learn about the social aspect of the RCL. 

“I think one thing, maybe people don't really realize is that we're not just the guys that run poppy trays every October, November,” Griffin added. “We are a social club as well, where like-minded individuals can converse; we have plenty of extracurricular activities like birds and billiards, and all sorts of different sports teams, what have you.” 

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