MESSAGE FROM President of the Guards Club

The Canadian Grenadier Guards Club has had a consistent mission since its establishment in 1923 – to support the Regiment and the Officers Mess. This support, aside from sponsored events held in the mess also included fund raising from forms serving members and other persons from the community having an interest in the Guards. Originally the membership consisted of serving officers and former serving offices of the Canadian Grenadier Guards but eventually all interested military officers including those from other countries were added along with civilians who wished to support the mission of the Club.

War veterans formed a large component of the membership and as time took its toll these numbers withered a way. Serving officers who departed the unit in good order originally were encouraged by the Lieutenant-Colonel to join and support the Club. Over a long period, other priorities intervened and recruiting of new members was not actively pursued resulting in a steady decline in numbers and few events sponsored by the Club. The Guards Club remains a component of the Regimental family as noted in Regimental Standing Orders that are updated and promulgated from time to time.

In 2018 the Regimental Council undertook to investigate the revitalisation of the Guards Club. The list of former members was verified by contacting all of them where possible. Former serving officers of which and there were a few hundred that had never joined the Club were also contacted. To give a strong reason for the contact and to develop interest, a Mess Dinner was held in the Officers Mess in May 2019 as a reunion. This dinner was successful and another was planned for the following year but it was 2022 before the pandemic situation allowed the next dinner, now identified with our patron Saint George, to be held.

The Club had a successful wine and cheese reception in the Officers’ Mess in the fall of 2019 but the next event had to wait until the fall of 2022. A guest speaker series was instituted in the spring of 2020 on a Tuesday evening. A second speaker had been retained for later that spring but the series had to be postponed. This and other ideas are being pursued to encourage our members to use the mess and derive a benefit from membership.

On the fund-raising front the Club sponsored a programme under the Canadian Grenadier Guards Foundation to refurbish the thirty-four 100-year-old dinner chairs by having individual members sponsor a chair. The donor is recognized with a brass plate on the rear of the chair. This project was a success with the newly repaired chairs much appreciated. They should last another 100 years. There are several opportunities to refurbish and improve mess furnishings. not owned by the Crown. The Guards Club will play a significant role in this activity.

Persons who qualify for membership in the Guards Club are encouraged to contact the Secretary at cggofficers@gmail.com for more information.