By Joel van der Veen
DAVIDSON — The rich history of the Royal Canadian Legion, both locally and across the country, will be part of the focus of this year’s Remembrance Day service.
The annual service will be held on Wednesday at 10:45 a.m. in the auditorium at Davidson Town Hall, with Mary Jane Morrison serving as the emcee.
While the program usually features an address by a guest speaker, Legion branch president Gord McRae said this year, “We’re going to do it ourselves.”
Four speakers will address the audience, highlighting the history of the Royal Canadian Legion branch in Davidson, as well as the contributions of the Ladies Auxiliary.
The Legion celebrates its 90th anniversary this month. The Davidson branch predates the national organization, having been originally formed as a local branch of the Great War Veterans Association in April 1919.
The Nov. 11 service is organized annually as a combined effort of the local Legion branch and the Davidson Inter-Church Association.
Gladys Junop, Ila May Northrop, Mary Lynne Golphy and Bonnie Jean Low will be featured as speakers during Wednesday’s program.
The program will also honour veteran Alf Stulberg, who was recognized in May with a medal presented by the government of France in recognition of his role in that country’s liberation by Allied forces in the summer of 1944.
With the passing of fellow veteran Meryl Warren in September, Stulberg, 94, is the last surviving member of the Davidson branch to have served in the Armed Forces during the Second World War.
A community choir is being formed to lead the singing of the anthems and several hymns, to be accompanied on piano by Nancy Wilkins.
The service will also include a Scripture reading and a PowerPoint slide show put together by students from Davidson School. Refreshments, including a 90th anniversary cake, will be served following the program.
The school will host its own ceremony on Tuesday in the high school gym, with members of the Royal Canadian Legion and the Canadian Forces attending as special guests. Staff and students are being encouraged to attend both ceremonies.