There has been a change of the guard at the Stettler legion after this year’s leadership vote, with Susan Mitchell voted in as the new president.
Past president Ton Vanderburg chose to not run for election this round, stepping down to fill the role of past president. Steven Lockhart is now first vice president, with George Guy stepping into the role of second vice president. Lorna Sinclair is secretary and Lee Holman is now treasurer. Harry Magee, Stephen LaRose and Karen Collins are on the executive. For Collins, LaRose and Sinclair, these positions mark the first time on the executive board of the Legion.
Mitchell said that the main goal for her time in the role of president will be to recruit new membership.
“It’s my goal to get younger people, more members, so we can pass the torch,” she said. “Anyone can be a member – you don’t have to be a veteran, or the child or grandchild of a veteran to join.”
The Legion supports the community’s veterans and dependents, but also finds itself supporting the community’s youth through bursaries and scholarships and Remembrance Day poetry, speaking and poster contests.
It also supports the community itself through the availability of a sizeable hall and two smaller rooms, which are available for rent.
“On Friday’s we have fish and chips night, and we’ve seen more people come in because of that,” Mitchell said. Starting at about 5:30 p.m. every Friday, fish and fries are available for a reasonable price.
The Legion also has meat draws on Friday and Saturday, shuffleboard on Mondays, crib on Tuesdays, and pool and darts on Wednesdays.
During the week, the canteen is open for coffee between 8:30 and 11 a.m.
A special Valentine’s Day dinner is planned for Saturday, Feb. 14 starting at about 5:30 p.m. A dinner of chicken and rice pilaf, followed by dessert.