{"id":556907,"date":"2026-07-19T03:29:27","date_gmt":"2026-07-19T03:29:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/556907\/"},"modified":"2026-07-19T03:29:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-19T03:29:27","slug":"carman-legion-welcoming-elvis-for-100th-pembinavalleyonline-com","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/556907\/","title":{"rendered":"Carman Legion welcoming Elvis for 100th – PembinaValleyOnline.com"},"content":{"rendered":"

Among other notable events going on at\u00a0Carman Legion Branch #18<\/a>, having Elvis stop by for a BBQ\u00a0has to\u00a0rank right up there.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Well, a\u00a0tribute\u00a0Elvis, but certainly Elvis in spirit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That event set for July 18 is just part of the legion\u2019s milestone century mark celebrations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Celebrating a century<\/p>\n

The event I had reached out about was for\u00a0the new Veterans Walk signage addition, but a\u00a0recent\u00a0conversation with Legion President\u00a0Karen Maxwell covered far more territory.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Maxwell has a long history with the legion.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I started working there in 1986 for five years, and then I went on the executive in \u201893.\u201d Maxwell\u00a0shared. \u201cSo,\u00a0I’ve\u00a0been on the executive\u00a0since\u00a0\u201893, minus one year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMy grandpa was in World War I, and I had three uncles in World War II.\u00a0One of my uncles was 19 when he was killed overseas,\u00a0and\u00a0he’s\u00a0still buried in Holland. We have no children, so I’ve\u00a0kind of dedicated\u00a0my life to the Legion,\u00a0so that my family and I\u00a0don’t\u00a0forget\u00a0the other people that fought for our freedom.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"CarmanCarman Legion 100 – photo Bev McLean, provided
\nChange is inevitable<\/p>\n

In our ever-evolving world, that tenure has overlapped many changes, including for the legion.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Like many longstanding service organizations, younger people are unfortunately often notably\u00a0absent.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re just not getting the younger people\u00a0signing up.\u201d Maxwell noted. \u201cThey’re not really involved in it, to keep it going.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Volunteers can also be difficult to\u00a0engage.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cEven on the executive, we know some people have to take a couple of positions,\u00a0because people just don’t want to volunteer for executive positions either.\u201d\u00a0Maxwell\u00a0shared. \u201cWe\u00a0don’t\u00a0know what to do to get people involved.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSome people think that\u00a0we’re\u00a0just a drinking club, and\u00a0that’s\u00a0all we do.\u00a0But our main goal is\u00a0not forgetting\u00a0our\u00a0veterans\u00a0and their families.\u00a0Then\u00a0we’re\u00a0very involved\u00a0with the Poppy Campaign too.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fundraising needed to support veterans<\/p>\n

The Poppy Campaign is critical\u00a0in ongoing service\u00a0provision for veterans, alongside other fundraising efforts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the Poppy Campaign,\u00a0we have the money for bursaries\u00a0for children, grandchildren of veterans.\u201d\u00a0Maxwell\u00a0explained.\u00a0\u201cThen we have\u00a0scholarship\u00a0now to the Carman Legion.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou also\u00a0have to\u00a0be\u00a0involved,\u00a0or\u00a0have a family member involved with the Legion,\u00a0or a service person.\u00a0We\u00a0also\u00a0have the post-literary contest as well\u00a0that\u00a0the poppy money goes towards.\u00a0There’s\u00a0a lot of artistic children out there.\u00a0You\u00a0don’t\u00a0need to be a member of the branch for these children to enter.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"CarmanCarman Legion 100 – photo Bev McLean, provided
\nService still vital for vets<\/p>\n

With her personal connections to the legion, Maxwell is affected by the membership\u00a0struggles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m getting emotional when I talk about people and our veterans.\u201d Maxwell confessed. \u201cWe\u00a0don’t\u00a0have any World War II veterans left, with Carm Colivin, who was 105 when he passed away a couple of years ago.\u00a0He was our last World War II veteran.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u00a0have peacekeepers\u00a0and people that served in, I guess it would be peacetime, really.\u00a0I think some people\u00a0think now that because we\u00a0don’t\u00a0have these World War II veterans, that the\u00a0Legion\u00a0may not be needed as much.\u00a0But\u00a0their families are still\u00a0here\u00a0and\u00a0they\u00a0still need help with some things.\u00a0There\u00a0are\u00a0homeless veterans\u00a0in\u00a0Winnipeg,\u00a0and we\u00a0try to\u00a0assist\u00a0them as much as\u00a0we\u00a0can too.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Related stories:<\/p>\n

Despite the challenges, the legion is set to celebrate\u00a0a century of service for veterans.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn’t seem like it’s real.\u201d Maxwell admitted. \u201cI was never in the old Legion, so\u00a0I never really saw the old Legion. I just remember\u00a0Howard Bennett had the Dufferin Leader office there at one time, the\u00a0printing and stuff.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBut\u00a0there’s\u00a0been a few changes in those years. At one time, to become a member, you had to have a family member who had served, but now, that is not the case. If you do not have a family member who served, you can still join as an Affiliate member.\u00a0\u00a0Then in 1980, they opened it up to\u00a0grandchildren of veterans, or spouses of associate members. So\u00a0that’s\u00a0a huge thing that they had done.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Many changes on the horizon<\/p>\n

More membership changes are planned.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think they’re allowing firefighters now\u00a0to become ordinary members as well, and RCMP officers, of course.\u201d Maxwell\u00a0shared. \u201cThat’s one of the main things,\u00a0just trying to make it so that more people\u00a0are able to\u00a0join.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have affiliate voting now, so anybody that doesn’t have anybody involved would have a chance to join the Legion too.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The century mark has brought thoughtful shifts for the legion.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’ve opened it up this year because it’s our 100th.\u201d Maxwell explained. \u201cDominion Command has opened it to have free\u00a0memberships\u00a0for new members.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there’s thousands of people across Canada that have\u00a0actually joined, and I think Carman has had like about 30 to 40 people join as new members.\u00a0We’re\u00a0just hoping that next year they will\u00a0actually renew\u00a0their memberships.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

One of the two notable events tied to the 100-year anniversary\u00a0is coming up soon.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Elvis,Elvis, The Memories poster<\/p>\n

\u201cThis Saturday\u00a0we’re\u00a0having our Kickoff for\u00a0100th\u00a0celebration.\u00a0We\u2019re\u00a0having a rib supper and Elvis is coming.\u201d Maxwell\u00a0shared. \u201cJuly 17th is\u00a0actually the\u00a0100th anniversary of the Legion, I\u00a0think itself.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSo different branches,\u00a0they’re\u00a0hosting different things on the 17th or 18th of July. We’re hosting a big celebration in the Carman Community Hall in December\u00a0the 5th. We got our charter December the 6th, 1926 but it’s a Sunday, so we thought we’d do it on a Saturday night in the community\u00a0hall,\u00a0have\u00a0entertainment, a skit and a\u00a0supper, so\u00a0hopefully we’ll get lots of people out to that and help celebrate with the members.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Get involved for veterans<\/p>\n

The celebration includes\u00a0community\u00a0participation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s\u00a0called Don’t Forget\u00a0To\u00a0Remember, and\u00a0it’s\u00a0going to be like a poster board with little Post-Its.” Maxwell outlined. \u201cPeople are encouraged to write a little message, whether just to\u00a0thank\u00a0a veteran or to post about somebody that\u00a0you’ve\u00a0had in the service.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThen\u00a0we’re\u00a0going to post it on this\u00a0board\u00a0and\u00a0we’re\u00a0going to send it back to Ottawa.\u00a0They’re\u00a0going to somehow have it so everybody from across Canada is on one big wall or something after. We’re\u00a0encouraging people\u00a0when they come on the 18th\u00a0to\u00a0leave a little message\u00a0for our veterans and their families.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The signage is another nod to the\u00a0century\u00a0milestone.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to do something to\u00a0memorialize\u00a0Veterans Walk as well, so that it’s 100 years old, like this building as well will be 100 years old, probably, or close to it anyways, that\u00a0Memorial\u00a0Hall building.\u201d\u00a0Maxwell\u00a0explained.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe it’s\u00a0older than that.\u00a0I have to doublecheck, but I think it was built\u00a0in1916, I think.\u00a0I think it\u00a0was after World War One, so\u00a0I’m\u00a0not 100% sure on the date of that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mark your calendar<\/p>\n

Make sure to mark your calendar for the upcoming show and BBQ.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere’s still some tickets available for the Elvis show that can just buy the tickets\u00a0alone,\u00a0they’re\u00a0$20.\u201d Maxwell advised.\u00a0\u201cContact the Legion,\u00a0and hopefully\u00a0we’ll\u00a0see people at the big celebration in December.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on\u00a0down to support the local branch, that\u00a0would be great.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Visit the Legion\u2019s website<\/a> for more information.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Among other notable events going on at\u00a0Carman Legion Branch #18, having Elvis stop by for a BBQ\u00a0has to\u00a0rank…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":556908,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[93,61,60,278],"class_list":["post-556907","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-music"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/556907","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=556907"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/556907\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/556908"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=556907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=556907"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=556907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}