Mr. Ted Hawthorn is a Veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces. He served in the British Columbia Regiment—first in the cadet corps of the Unit and then joining the Regiment in 1961. Mr. Hawthorne remains a very active member of the Regiment and a committed volunteer, dedicating considerable time and expertise.
Mr. Hawthorne joined the British Columbia Regiment Association in 1995. Since then, he has served as Secretary for nine years, Vice President/President for four years, and Publisher of the Association’s newsletter, The Duke, for over 10 years. He set up the charitable trust for the Association to raise funds to support initiatives such as education bursaries for serving members and commemorative activities that educate the public about the contributions of Veterans.
Mr. Hawthorne also led and participated in a number of battlefield tours to Europe for members of the Regiment. He generously offers pro bono service to the Association, such as annual filings, minute books and bylaw amendments. Mr. Hawthorne kindly provides this service to other Veterans organizations in the Vancouver area and has done so for the past 20 years, with eight organizations receiving at least 100 free hours of legal work and advice each year.
Mr. Hawthorne’s dedication and commitment to Veterans extends beyond his work with the Regiment Association. He was also a founding member of the British Columbia Veterans Commemorative Association, and he spent countless hours on the organizational and legal aspects of the British Columbia Veterans’ license plate program, ensuring that the initiative was approved and then promoted within the Veteran community. He is a member of the Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society; the secretary of the Honorary Officers Association of British Columbia; a life member of The Royal Canadian Armoured Corps Association; British Columbia Director of the Canadian Forces Liaison Council; Counsel Emeritus of Honour House Society; and special counsel to numerous military organizations.