RCL revokes membership of individuals for Stolen Valour

Submitted by Administrator on Sat, 01/25/2020 - 15:59

Royal Canadian Legion revokes membership of individuals for Stolen Valour

Legion issues lifetime membership ban due to Stolen Valour for the first time.

OTTAWA, ON, 20 JANUARY, 2020 – The Royal Canadian Legion, in an unprecedented move

has revoked the membership of two members found to have engaged in “Stolen Valour.”

“The Legion takes the issue of Stolen Valour very seriously,” says Dominion President
Thomas D. Irvine, CD. “Anyone who makes illegitimate claims of service or sacrifice
degrades the honour of those who haveserved and brings tremendous discredit upon
this organization. I cannot stand by to see the good name

and deeds of the Legion tarnished by such discreditable conduct.”
The lifetime membership ban of one member in Ontario and another in British Columbia
came over the weekend after inquiries into each case ended. The Legion investigated
allegations regarding the members’ military service and the wearing of medals they had
allegedly not earned. Mr. Irvine shared his decisionwith the Legion’s Dominion Executive
Council after outlining the steps he had taken before reaching
his landmark decision, in accordance with the Legion’s General By-Laws.
“I provided each individual with an opportunity to rebut the alleged evidence of their
unfounded service claims and the wearing of unearned medals; their submissions were
without merit,” he explains.

Expulsion from the Legion can come after the Legion’s own complaint process, or its
Dominion President can revoke membership after inquiry and for cause.

In addition, The Royal Canadian Legion has just passed a new by-law amendment
stating that anyone convicted under section 419 of the Criminal Code of Canada
will be automatically expelled from the Legion. Upon being elected to the role of
Dominion President in 2018, Irvine had expressed his plans to take a strong
stance against Stolen Valour as part of his mandate.

The Legion believes Stolen Valour is stolen service.
Read more here from Legion.ca: Stolen Valour background
Refer to the RCL Dominion Command By-law amendment found on

this website under 'Manuals'