Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The Ladies Auxiliary to the Prince Edward Island Provincial Command of the Royal Canadian Legion was established at a meeting held at Charlottetown Branch No.1 on 13 October 1954. The following members were elected as officers: Mrs. Marjorie Harkness (President); Mrs. Elizabeth McGowan (First Vice President); Mrs. Lily Corrigan (Secretary); Mrs. Augusta Bryant (Treasurer); and Mrs. Mary Cosh (Honorary President).
The Prince Edward Island Provincial Command of the Ladies Auxiliary was created to support the activities and objectives of the Royal Canadian Legion. These objectives include assisting Canadian servicemen and their dependents and ensuring the ongoing commemoration and remembrance of the actions and sacrifices of the Canadian Armed Forces.
It is the role of the Provincial Auxiliary to help coordinate and oversee the activities of Ladies Auxiliary branches across the Island. At one time, the Prince Edward Island Provincial Command supervised as many as 21 branches, including one Auxiliary on the Magdalen Islands. In recent years, this number has fallen to a total of 16 Auxiliaries.
The branches of the Auxiliary operate within designated provincial zones, each led by a zone commander. By the late 1960s, there were four zones of operation existing on the Island: Queens County; Kings County; Prince County East; and Prince County West. Ladies Auxiliaries, both at branch and zone levels, report to the Provincial Command.
The Ladies Auxiliary is extensively involved in organizing fundraising activities and events in order to support the needs of veterans and to provide financial assistance to a number of social and charitable causes. Funds are raised by catering for special occasions, selling lunches, organizing raffles and lotteries, and arranging dances, bake sales and card parties. The efforts of Auxiliary members have also been aimed towards supporting social projects within the local community. Past projects have included funding scholarship prizes and swimming classes, and serving "Meals on Wheels" to senior citizens.