South Bar, Nova Scotia
Stephen MacLennan, CD1, has been a member of The Royal Canadian Legion for over 10 years and has carried out many tasks to support Veterans and their families.
Over the last decade, Stephen MacLennan has acted as Service Officer and President for Branch 128 of The Royal Canadian Legion. In 2016, while acting as Branch President and discovering the annual Remembrance Day ceremony would be moved to a smaller venue, he and a few others highlighted the importance of the ceremony and worked to ensure it would be held in a larger venue from then on. He carried out the solemn duty of Legion Funeral Services for fallen comrades, ensuring all rights and rituals were carried out, bringing comfort to families. As a Service Officer, he has helped countless Veterans with VAC claims, VIP and other departmental paperwork and ensured everything was completed correctly. He bought mobility aids like walkers, canes, grab handles and tub chairs and provided them to Veterans free of charge. He has chaired Poppy Campaigns and succeeded in raising some of the highest totals in recent years for the Poppy Fund. He takes part in selling poppies as well, sitting at tables in local businesses. Stephen has also organized a helicopter ride raffle, raising $3,500. He has visited local schools in Legion dress with a full display of Legion Medals and his military medals, and participated in the Honour Guard for Remembrance Day services.
He continues to foster good relations with three businesses, bestowing on them commemorative plaques for their continued support to the Legion’s Poppy Campaign. He has organized three annual Candlelight Services where he promotes the remembrance of the fallen who are buried in the many Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries, highlighting the work of the Dutch schoolchildren who mark the Canadian graves with candles. He has spoken at the event as a guest speaker and has arranged the speakers as well. He has organized entertainment and lunches for Veterans in the Veteran’s hospital and encouraged Legion members to go with him on visits. He also keeps in contact with the local Naval Veterans associations and Army, Navy and Airforce Veterans in Canada organization to make sure no Veteran goes without help when needed. He is known to be humble, dependable and trustworthy. He never claims gas mileage, meals or recovers payments made out of pocket.