It's been a little more than six weeks since two representatives of the Royal Canadian Legion's Estevan branch appeared before city council to explain the organization’s financial woes, and to seek support from council.
While council ultimately decided not make a financial contribution, the appearance stirred support from the community, with individuals, businesses and organizations stepping forward.
Danielle Evenson, who is the legion's ways and means committee chair, and treasurer Leonard Grube were the ones who spoke to council, while president Lyle Dukart wrote the letter. All three are amazed with the support shown by the community in recent weeks.
“People are walking in the door and giving us $50 or $100, it doesn't matter,” said Grube. “It's just the thought behind it.”
Evenson said the legion never imagined they would receive this kind of support.
“We're really humbled, because we knew that going public was going to be something difficult to do anyhow,” she said.
In July, the organization received $622.50 in donations. August brought in $11,350 in support, and September generated $9,597.15. The most recent contribution came from Clifton's No Frills, which raised $5,197.15 through the sale of paper icons to customers.
The legion has been able to pay off $16,000 in long-term debt. The legion has also been able to start paying down $24,000 in accounts payable, although Evenson and Grube say a lot of work still remains.
A truck raffle through a partnership with Murray GM is ongoing. Evenson estimates more than half of the tickets have been sold. The draw date is Dec. 1.
The legion also has a Chase the Ace promotion on Friday nights, and other fundraisers are happening as well.
“We can't really stop,” said Evenson. “We're not asking the community, necessarily, to write a cheque, but we would be grateful if people continued to support us.”
“We still, definitely, need to continue with the fundraising,” added Grube.
The money that has been raised represents a little more than half of the debts the legion had in mid-August, but other bills are coming in.
“The backlog that we got ourselves into was incurred over several years,” said Evenson. “So it's going to take us a little bit more time.”
Dukart said he is proud of the ways and means committee for the work that has been done since February, when the scope of the financial difficulties came to light. The legion has been working with Saskatchewan Command since then.
“The volunteers who have stepped forward have helped us get where we are at the present day,” said Dukart. "We still have a long ways to go."
It wasn't easy going to the public and admitting their failings, Evenson said. There were those who criticized their decision to turn to the community for help.
“It feels like we're having to admit where we went wrong, and be truly honest,” said Evenson. “This executive under Mr. Dukart's leadership has been really strong about how it's not a pretty situation that we have, but we deserve to tell our members and we deserve to tell our community what's happened, and we deserve to tell them we have a plan for the short-term.”
Grube hopes that the recent exposure for the organization will lead to an influx of new members, who will attend meetings and help out when needed.
People have been asking the legion about its plans for sustainability, so that it doesn’t find itself in this situation again.
“We may be getting out of the hole, but we have a lot of work ahead in order to continue operating in the black,” said Grube. “It's not going to be an easy situation.”
The same day the Clifton’s No Frills came in, the Estevan area received an inch of rain, and some water penetrated the roof of the club room, which means repairs will be needed.
“It will be nice if we can pay old bills, but we know there is going to be some costs going forward,” said Evenson.
Since the spring, the legion has been doing a lot of work with volunteers that had been done with paid staff. The executive has been very involved in learning about the business.
“There is quite a few people, I would say 15 or 20 people, who have buckled down and given of their time pretty freely, but have been stretched to the limit. It's not something that they can continue to do at that same rate going forward,” said Evenson.
The record-keeping is much better than it was, Grube said, and it will continue to be better. Now the legion has to figure out a way to increase its income to sustain the organization.
Evenson suggested the bookkeeping services could be contracted out, rather than done in-house, so that it frees up the people who are doing the office work and the volunteer work. It should also allow the legion to have responsible financial statements at meeting.
The last few months have also forced the legion to ask some tough questions about such issues as hall rentals, banquets and its club room. Those activities need to pay for themselves.
The legion also has to ask itself if it continue to serve the community through the buildings it owns, or if it is better off leasing a building.
“The legion will persist, but how the legion looks in the next three to five years is going to depend on what kind of work we get from our volunteers, and what kind of support we have for our functions and activities,” said Evenson.
If the legion means as much as what they have seen recently, and if people believe the legion has an important role to play in the community, then Evenson hopes there will be physical support as well, because there is still work to be done.
