Regimental Family: Officers’ Association

THE ROYAL REGIMENT OF CANADA OFFICERS’ ASSOCIATION

All Serving Officers and Retired Officers of The Royal Regiment of Canada are automatically members of the Officers’ Association. There are approximately 200 members on the mailing list for the Officers’ Association. There is a $25 membership fee requested from members on the mailing list. The number of members who pay annual dues is very low.

A membership fee is not critical due to the Regimental Association allowing the Officers’ Association to "Piggy-back" on their mailing. An insert is placed from the Officers’ Association into any Regimental Newsletter that is mailed to an Officer. Diane Bennett from the Association volunteered to do this labour-intensive task for the Officers’ Association. Since the cost of mailing was the major expense to the Officers’ Association it was hoped that voluntary donations will be sufficient to cover the cost of stationary.

The executive did not change in 2006 and 2007. Major Nigel Fontaine remained as President and Capt Barbeau remained as Vice-President and Treasurer. Major Fontaine produced the Officers’ Association Newsletter sent out to the members. The Treasurer Capt Barbeau prepared the yearly financial statement.

The yearly activity of the Officers’ Association consists of two social functions - a Black Tie Dinner, and an Annual Meeting.

The Annual Meeting happened in February 2006 in the Royals’ Officers’ Mess. Fourteen members attended. The yearly expenditures were presented for approval by the members in attendance. Old business was discussed and then the floor was thrown open to new business. Since most of the executive for the Regimental Association were present at this meeting the close tie with the Officers’ Association was accentuated. This Annual Meeting will be in the fall for the year 2007.

The Officers’ Association’s Black Tie Dinner was "Piggy Backed" onto the Officers’ Regimental Birthday Dinner in March 2006. The attendance of Officers’ Association Members was about the same as the Annual Meeting. This resulted in a large gathering since there were over twenty Serving Officers’ at the dinner held in the Royals’ Officers’ Mess. It was an excellent opportunity for Retired Officers to pass on knowledge to the new Serving Officers. This combined dinner will be on 30 March in the Officers’ Mess for the year 2007.

The other activity supported by the Officers’ Association was the Batoche Dinner in May 2006. This dinner was held at the Toronto Club in downtown Toronto. Over forty members of the Officers’ Association attended. The Officer’s Mess organized the invitations to this function. The Officers’ Association had no hand in organizing this affair so strictly speaking should not claim any credit for its success other than strongly attending it.