Membership Eligibility

Legion membership is open to any Canadian citizen or citizen of an Allied nation who is 18 years of age or older.

MISSION STATEMENT

OUR MISSION IS TO SERVE VETERANS, WHICH INCLUDES SERVING MILITARY AND RCMP MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES, TO PROMOTE REMEMBRANCE AND TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITIES AND OUR COUNTRY.

Categories of membership

There are four main categories of membership:

Ordinary membership

Includes still serving and retired military, reservists, RCMP, police officers, Canadian Coast Guard, and others listed in the General By-Laws.

Associate membership

Includes parents, spouses, widows, widowers, children, grandchildren, siblings, nieces as well as nephews of a person who is or was eligible for Ordinary membership.

Affiliate voting membership

Includes Canadian citizens or Commonwealth subjects from an Allied nation who support The Royal Canadian Legion’s aims and objectives and are not eligible for ordinary or associate membership.

Affiliate non-voting membership

Includes non-Canadian citizens or non-Commonwealth subjects from an Allied nation who support The Royal Canadian Legion’s aims and objectives.

Membership Declaration and Initiation

As part of the registration and initiation process, applicants must agree to the Legion Membership Declaration.

The Royal Canadian Legion’s mission is to serve Veterans, which includes serving military and RCMP members and their families, to promote Remembrance and to serve our communities and our Country.

I support the mission statement of the Royal Canadian Legion

I have read and agree to support the purposes and objectives of The Royal Canadian Legion

I hereby solemnly declare that I am not a member, nor affiliated with, any group, party or sect whose interests conflict with the avowed purposes of the Legion, and I do not, and will not, support any organization advocating the overthrow of our government by force or which advocates, encourages or participates in subversive action or propaganda

I hereby certify that I have never been expelled from any Legion Branch or any other Veterans organization

I hereby certify that I have never been convicted of any serious criminal offence involving either violence or sexual misconduct of any type

I hereby certify that I have never been dishonourably discharged from, deserted from nor evaded service in the Forces of any country

I agree to participate in the annual Poppy Campaign

I agree to abide by the constitution, rules and by-laws of the Royal Canadian Legion.

Purposes and Objects

All Legion Members swear to support the Purposes and Objectives of The Royal Canadian Legion.

The purposes and objects of the Legion shall be:

a) to constitute an association of those who have served or are serving in His Majesty’s armed forces or any auxiliary force and of others who support the purposes and objects of the Legion, which association shall be democratic and non-sectarian, and shall not be affiliated to or connected directly or indirectly with any political party or organization;

b) to bring about the unity of all who have so served;

c) to further among them the spirit of comradeship and mutual help and the close and kindly ties of active service;

d) to pass on to their families and descendants the traditions for which they stand;

e) to perpetuate the memory and deeds of the fallen and of those who die in the future;

f) to promote and care for memorials to their valour and sacrifice, to provide suitable burial if required, to keep an annual memorial day, to preserve the records and memories of their service and to see that such services shall not be forgotten by the nation;

g) to ensure that proper attention shall be paid to the welfare of all who have served and the welfare of their dependants and to see to the maintenance and comfort of those who require special treatment, particularly the disabled, sick, aged and needy, and to promote the welfare of their dependants;

h) to educate public opinion regarding national duties to the dead, the disabled and others who have served, and their dependants;

i) to foster loyalty among the public and education in the principles of patriotism, duty and unstinted public service;

j) to strive for peace, goodwill and friendship among all nations, at the same time advocating the maintenance by Canada of adequate and sufficient forces on land, sea and in the air for the defence of our country and for the discharge of those obligations which rest upon us by virtue of our partnership in the Commonwealth;

k) to support suitable undertakings for the training, employment and settlement of ex-service personnel, and the education of their children;

l) to preserve their statutory, acquired and legitimate rights, and those of their dependants and, in so doing, to offer the Legion’s co-operation to those officially charged with the responsibility of administering such rights by federal or other governments;

m) to assist comrades now serving, especially in connection with their return to civil life, and to safeguard the interests of their dependants whilst they are in service;

n) to assist ex-service personnel to secure not less than the recognized standard rates of wages;

o) to secure adequate pensions, allowances, grants and war gratuities for ex-service personnel, their dependants, and the widows, children and dependants of those who are dead, and to labour for honourable provision being made for those who, in declining years, are unable to support themselves;

p) to cooperate with the Commonwealth and allied associations of similar aims and objects;

q) to establish, organize and regulate provincial, district and local bodies, or commands and branches in convenient centers throughout Canada and elsewhere;

r) to establish, organize and regulate provincial, district and local bodies of women for the purpose of assisting the Legion in seeing to the maintenance and comfort of disabled, sick, aged and needy ex-service personnel and their dependants, and to cooperate with the Legion in the promotion and carrying out of all aims and objects of the Legion, such a group to be known as a Ladies’ Auxiliary of The Royal Canadian Legion;

s) to acquire, hold, sell or lease real and immovable, personal and movable property;

t) to raise and coordinate funds for assisting those mentioned in the preceding paragraphs, to provide for the administration of the Legion and its authorized Provincial and District Commands, branches and ladies’ auxiliaries, and to see that these and other funds raised for such purposes are applied to those purposes and none other;

u) to act generally on behalf of all those who have served in His Majesty’s forces;

v) to encourage, promote, engage in or support all forms of national, provincial, municipal or community service, or any charitable or philanthropic purpose; and

w) to engage only in activities which will be to the credit and benefit of the Canadian community and which will encourage and promote the positive reputation of the Legion.