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
NATO Monthly Status Newsletter
March 2012
Veterans
There is as usual a lot going on in the Canadian veteran's area - some areas will affect us in the coming month - most notably the upcoming Federal budget and how the budget will affect Veteran Affairs Canada. For NATO Veterans to have any impact at all we need to have credibility as a voice for Post War to Afghanistan. Notice the use of "a voice" and not "the voice". With the large number of veterans organizations in Canada - with us being the newest - we are only now in a position to "make ourselves heard". In the last month I have been trying to establish a relationship with most if not all of them - as allies or peers in the common battle to have veterans -particularly wounded veterans recognized - not hived off to provinces. Not to have Post Korean to current day veterans with reduced or no benefits at all.
We have certainly been busy on the Advocacy front to put our position on Long Term Advocacy "loud and clear" to the people who should be aware and who can change - the legislators. As of last week each and every MP and Senator received a letter from NATO Veterans of Canada in their internal Parliamentary mail from a mentor Senator - Senator Joseph Day (from NB) and MP Robert Sopuck (from Manitoba). That the Senators and MPS received our letter internally from another Senator or MP -rather than "outside mail" seems to be making a difference in the response we are receiving. We also wrote the same letter asking for support to the Minister of National Defence /Minister of Finance and numerous other senior Ottawa legislative decision makers.
This is but a start in our advocacy program for NATO Vets. The Exec will be holding our March 2012 meeting to strictly address where we go from here
- Advocacy - keep to Long Term Care in view of budget restraints /VAC cutbacks?
- Membership - a second "go" at membership? - a recruiting campaign?
- Regional Representation - now that regions will be the main driving force in the above - how to organize? A regional Exec Committee? How?
- Succession Planning- for HQ and for Regions. Does each of us have a "stand in" ?- demographics is the fancy word- "age" is the real one. As for myself, I will have had 3 years - first year was survival- second tear was organizing- third year is to make our presence felt. At the next AGM (Oct 2012) we can and will pick up reins and take NATO Vets even further!
That is it for now-
Regards
Gordon Jenkins President Email: gordjenkins@sympatico.ca
Twitter: @gordjenkins
Last modified
September 15 2012