PRESIDENT of the Guyana Legion, retired Warrant Officer II Duncan Stuart has firmly declared that the organisation is here to stay, despite dwindling economic resources and challenging times.

Stuart made this statement as he addressed the Remembrance Day Reception at Coghlan House, Carifesta Avenue, on Sunday. He was at the time speaking to a packed gathering that included Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Heads of the Disciplined Services, ex-servicemen and other well wishers. However, there were no members of the Diplomatic Corps in attendance.
On this occasion, the Guyana Legion received the sum of $2,029,240 in cash and pledges, for which the acting President of the Legion expressed appreciation. Of this amount $1M came from the Office of the President; $100,000 from the Office of the Prime Minister; $250,000 from the Disciplined Services; $400,000 from the Police Department; $200,000 from the Guyana Defence Force; $50,000 from the Fire Service and $29,240 in cash through collections from the attendees at the reception.
Stuart noted that the Guyana Legion is there to show solidarity with the fallen men and women who have given their lives in World War I and World War II so that “we may all live in peace”, and he expressed appreciation for the generous monetary initiative.
And commending those who have lived through the wars, he highlighted the current scenario of ex-servicemen and women who have given their time and substance and are now retired but some of them are disabled or otherwise sick and unable to work in order to eke out a living for themselves and spouses.

WELFARE ASSISTANCE
Towards this end, the Guyana Legion, has as its major function, providing welfare assistance for the men and women who have given of their time, energy and substance.
But despite economic constraints, he said, the Legion honours without fail its commitment to provide assistance to these men and women.
In order to be able to respond to these obligations, Stuart said that the Legion would welcome any assistance that anyone has to offer.
Noting that the Legion will continue to work towards this end, Stuart stated categorically that: “The Guyana Legion will continue to strive to achieve or realize its objectives. The Guyana Legion is here to stay, lest we forget.”

The motto of the Guyana Legion is ‘Lest We Forget’.
Over the years, the Guyana Legion has used the Remembrance Day Reception as a forum for realizing funds to offset its expenses. But caught in the throes of a global economic crisis and rising prices the Legion is hard put to maintain an even keel.
Meanwhile, General Secretary Kingsley Nelson has said that even though the Legion is appreciative of donations received from various sources, the organisation currently has 32 members from World War II onboard as well as ex-soldiers, ex-policemen and ex-firemen from the Disciplined Services, among whom resources must be divided.
Moreover, it is mandatory that assistance be given to the families of those members as well. “We accept and undertake to assist their families as well,” Nelson said.
Other means of income generation for the Legion include fund-raising efforts, a subvention from government through the Ministry of Home Affairs, assistance from the Royal Canadian Legion as well as the Royal Commonwealth Ex-servicemen’s League, and charities as they come.
“But we still have day-to-day expenses such as maintenance of our building (Coghlan House), utility bills and staff to pay, he concluded.
On behalf of the Guyana Legion Nelson joined the organisation’s acting president in expressing profound gratitude to all their donors at the Armistice Day Reception and on other occasions.

(By Shirley Thomas)