Kindersley Legion welcomes new president
By Joan Janzen
The Kindersley Legion Branch No. 57 officially has a new president. Jeannie Bylo was initiated in an official ceremony, making her the first female president of the Kindersley Branch. She conducted her first meeting as president on Wednesday, January 19th.
Jeannie has lived on a farm near the Lemsford ferry since 2017 and works for the R.M. of Clinworth. She has been a member of the Kindersley Legion for the past three years, and when asked if she was interested in being president, she replied, “Absolutely!”
“I joined to get involved, not to sit back and watch,” Jeannie said. Having a father who was a veteran and being a veteran herself, she said helping veterans is something she always wanted to do.
She acknowledged that being president entails much responsibility, organizing fundraisers and events, looking after veterans and making sure they’re comfortable. “It’s all about the people, and that’s what I want,” Jeannie said. “There’s a lot to it; it’s not a job you can pile into, but having a military background is a bonus for me. I am now learning what my obligations are.”
Jeannie grew up on a base and served as a finance clerk for eight years on the west coast. “My life was always around military living, whether on bases in Canada or Germany,” she explained. “I lived on one side of Canada all the way to the other and lived in Germany for four years. It’s not the life for everybody, but I enjoyed it.” She left the army base in 2009.
Two of Jeannie’s six children followed in her military footsteps. Her oldest son is serving in the Navy in Victoria, BC. “He looks after the boilers,” she said. “My youngest son is driving tanks around and lives in Edmonton. I’m kind of proud of my sons.”
As the new Legion president, Jeannie said, “The biggest thing is getting us noticed. I want to do more Internet stuff. We have to start expanding to get more people involved. We’re all sitting at home right now, and everybody wants something to do. The more people we get, the more ideas we’ll have.”
The second and third vice president positions need to be filled on the executive. Those filling executive positions help with finances for veterans, acknowledging their birthdays and giving donations when needed. “We need donations coming in so we can support our community,” Jeannie noted. “I want to start to get some things going.”
Jeannie is open to hearing suggestions and answering any questions. “You don’t need to be a veteran or be family of a vet to join. You just need to come out and support our vets.”
Jeannie Bylo is the first female president of the Kindersley Legion Branch #57.
