As the Director of Membership for the NS Division of the RCMP Veterans’ Association, I would like to invite you to join our NS Division Veterans family and to rekindle that family feeling that most had during their service to our country and in the various communities that you were an essential part of over the years.
What’s in it for you? Our Division is growing at a very fast pace. We are the largest Veterans’ Division in Canada and there must be a reason for that. One is that many of our RCMP brothers and sisters return to Nova Scotia to retire or stay here at the end of their service. The other is this Division’s Association does much more than just meet for coffee. We take pride in helping each other with so many different issues that affect us all later in our retired life.
We have a dedicated Support and Advocacy Committee that works tirelessly to get Veterans Affairs pensions for qualified members. When we left the Force, little information was provided to enable retiring members to pursue a quality of life for ourselves and our families that included treatment and compensation for some of the things that we experienced during our service. This could be a duty related injury that was poorly reported or one that was on the files, but you were unaware of the steps to take to receive compensation or treatment before you left the Force.
It is time to become a part of our history that always looked after fellow Mounted Police members, no matter what. It is time to realize, that by going after the things you and your families are entitled to, it strengthens your future, and may indeed help sustain a quality of life that is better for your family, even if you are no longer there. It may be as simple as helping you get your medical and service files from Ottawa. You would be surprised to see what is in them after all these years. We can help!
You may have a skill set that you might want to share with the Veterans’ Association and enjoy giving back to those who need a hand from time to time. We never hesitated when we wore the Red Serge. Why would we not continue to serve and Maintain the Right for each other? The social interaction of our Association is second to none. We have a Social Committee set up that coordinates many functions that may interest you and your spouse/partner.
The Nova Scotia Division has seven regions throughout the province, and each is engaged in making a difference for the members no matter where they live. Your executive, working out of Halifax, carries our messages of success throughout the entire country at the National AGM held at various cities in Canada each year. We, in the Nova Scotia Division, are a force to be reckoned with and a lot of what we put in place is shared with other Divisions across Canada.
We encourage spouses/partners to join as Associate members. We also encourage our widows/widowers to join, as we do not want to lose touch with them, as they are such an integral part of our working history.
Our invitation is also extended to Public Servants who have served the Force for a dedicated number of years. Auxiliary members who served with us, drove in the police cars, and had our backs on many occasions are also invited to join.
We encourage Serving Members to consider joining after they have reached 20 years of service. If you were in the Force and wore the red serge for 40 years or just for a short time, you qualify to join.
Please join today. Membership applications are available on this website, and we are waiting to hear from you.
Thank you.
Julie Matthews
Director of Membership, Nova Scotia Division
RCMP Veterans’ Association
RCMP Widows and Widowers/ Surviving Partners
This letter is intended to reach out to you with the deepest of respect and sympathy for your loss, either recent or in the past. You are important to the RCMP Veterans’ Association. For that reason, I want to take a moment and let you know that we want to stay in touch with you and provide you with all the information that you should have, as it relates to being part of the RCMP Veterans’ Association family.
Most of us have never really left the Mounted Police behind. Retiring, and/or losing our partner or spouse, and moving on with the next phase of our life never breaks that strong tie that we all have. We have been through a lot together during our partner/spouse’s life and we will always be wrapped in that red serge in one way or another for the rest of our lives.
Some partners/spouses have already joined the NS RCMP Veterans’ Association and are receiving the flow of information on all the issues that affect their lives, whether it be changes in Disability Benefits, social gatherings that bind us all together or staying connected with that part of our lives that formed the foundation to make us all stronger together.
When you lose a partner or spouse, life changes at a fast pace for the first while. Then the need to be part of our history and good memories we shared with acquaintances and friends kicks in. You are not alone, and more and more spouses or partners of deceased Mounted Police members are turning to the Veterans’ Association for help with issues, ranging from funeral assistance, grave markings, benefits that you may not even know you are entitled to, and the list goes on. You may not want to attend the regular monthly meetings, or even become involved to an extent beyond getting the valuable information that is generated by the Association on a continual basis, and that is okay.
The only way we, in the Association, can serve your needs is to have the contact with you that membership in the Association provides. I would encourage those who have already joined to reach out to those who have not taken that step and let them know that we can help in so many ways with their day-to-day lives. Having a place to turn where the people know what you are going through can be a great help and comfort. Confidentiality is important to us if the issues are private. We have committees set up in a wide range of areas and can offer you help or referrals to cover the things that matter to you.
I would respectfully ask that you take a few moments and reflect on your past and consider the opportunities that becoming a member in the Nova Scotia RCMP Veterans’ Association will provide to you. Please fill out the application form found on this website and send it to the address found on the form; as a widow or widower, you qualify for complimentary membership. This will allow us to welcome you as an Associate member and provide the connection and information you need to make your life a little bit better. Remember, knowledge is power, and we can help provide that power, for you and your family.
Julie Matthews
Director of Membership
NS RCMP Veterans’ Association
E-mail contact – [email protected]