NATO Veterans Organization of Canada
Organisation canadienne des vétérans de l’OTAN
A Voice for today’s Veterans ~ Une voix pour les vétérans d’aujourd’hui
President's News
Updated - September 15 2012
Presidents Status Report - August 2012
Posted August 20, 2012
15 Aug 2012
We said we would be on “stand down” until 1 September 2012 to catch up –enjoy summer – and plan for the Fall and Winter campaign for NATO Vets. Well the idea was good in principle and yes we did have “off time” for the rather hot dry summer. Problem was events /VAC/Minister /other vet issues -did not “stand down” as well!!
- To bring you up to date what happened during the summer I will do in bullet points-
- Ministers Office - a very short clear ,to the point letter was written to the Minister last week stating in clear terms NATO Veterans and all modern day veterans deserved to be( you all have seen?). As our Patron General Manson said “How can the Minister (and his staff) continue to deny the legitimacy of our appeal?” The Letter to Minister in summary said “Mr. Minister, we are asking you to take the leadership on this issue and to speak for us within Cabinet and Government to bring about the required changes necessary to enable equal and full treatment for all veterans. We appreciate that change can only be won if the political will is there to support us.” I had a meeting with the Ministers EA last week – a friendly one- there are two ways to get message to Minister. There is a third approach – a dramatic demonstration or headline article or boycott of VAC – this approach we have avoided up to now.
- Unity meeting - The veterans associations in Canada are a “mixed bag” with different constituencies . Alas this has meant that the veterans associations have not been speaking with a united or single voice to present positions – such as one mentioned above. NATO Vets along with several other like minded associations are trying to hold an “association of veterans associations” or “unity meeting” – otherwise the – to be blunt “divide and conquer” stops. This meeting is very difficult to organize – but we – NATO Vets ”are the catalyst – wish us luck.
- Advocacy Paper - There is a new NATO Veterans Advocacy Paper in final Draft completed . You will see before it is presented to NATO Exec in September.
- Recruiting - One thing that became clear is if the Minister is to recommend change – such as we are proposing above- then we not only have to have a single voice or united front of all –or most all- veterans organizations BUT NATO Veterans has to be a viable organization for numbers -of active members. This Working Group is coming up with a dynamic Recruiting Campaign which will kick off mid September.Stay tuned!
- In summary , NATO Vets has come a long way in four years. We have done this by
- An organization of veterans
- A step at a time approach
- Working within “the system”
- Non confrontational
- Keeping our “powder dry”
- and gaining slowly respect and credibility as a middle voice of veterans of moderation.
I thank you for all your support in the past. I will need it for the final furlong -as this old horse is in his final stretch as President.
Gord Jenkins- PresidentNATO Veterans Organization of Canada
Last modified
September 15 2012