Poppy Campaign 2015

The Guardians of Remembrance

We, as members of The Royal Canadian Legion, strive to keep the memory alive of the 117,000 men and women who paid the supreme sacrifice in the service of Canada during war and on subsequent operations since Korea. This goal is achieved through our annual Poppy Campaign and the Remembrance Day services organized by this great organization throughout the country and by our fellow citizens who are working far from our shores.

The Registered Poppy Trademark

In June of 1948 The Royal Canadian Legion was given the responsibility of safeguarding the Poppy as a sacred symbol of Remembrance. Through an act of Parliament the Legion was granted a trademark copyright of the Poppy symbol. The Legion has the obligation to ensure that the symbol will never be used inappropriately or desecrated in any way. Any and all requests to use the Poppy image must be approved by Dominion Command. Please refer to chapter 7 of your Poppy manual for the proper procedure.

NB Command will send your poppy kits in June. The introductory letter describes the contents of the kit. Make sure you have and understand all forms. NB Command is happy to answer any questions you may have. You may call Kathy toll free at 1-866-320-8387, option 3. “Please note” Poppy manuals are only sent in the kit when there are changes to the manual. They are available for purchase from NB Command on your promotional material order form.

TO: BRANCH POPPY CHAIRPERSONS FROM: CINDY SAUNDERS SUBJECT: 2015 POPPY KIT Please find enclosed your Poppy Kit for the 2015 Poppy Campaign. The Poppy material will be available shortly and your cooperation in getting the orders in as quickly as possible will be of great assistance to us. The deadline for all Poppy & Wreath orders including Poppy Material is Friday, August 14, 2015. We ask that you give us an Actual Physical Address where the orders may be delivered, as well as your Mailing Address. The contents of your Branch Poppy Kit are as follows:

- Poppy Promotional Material Order Form - Poppy and Wreath Order Form - Promotional Material Catalogue - Wreath Catalogue - Poppy Trust Fund Statement & Instructions - Guidelines for Judging The National Poster and Literary Contests

Poster Contests Pamphlet - Literary Contests Pamphlet - Youth Education Booklet - Poppy Material Price List 2015 - 10% Poppy Fund Assessment Form & Instructions - Calendar of deadlines - Poppy Fund Special Use Expenditures Form - Government requirements for issuing a receipt for tax purposes.

Dominion Command will be charging shipping on late Poppy & Wreath orders if ordered after September 12, 2015. In years past they have not charged this.

DEADLINES

Please adhere to the deadlines as shown on your Campaign deadlines sheet . These deadlines are set to allow NB Command to place orders, arrange committees, meet their deadlines to Dominion Command etc. If you are late or remiss in completing and sending in the required forms to NB Command it causes everything to be backlogged. Please refer to your Poppy Manual, chapter 6, 610.

NEW BRUNSWICK COMMAND 2015 POPPY CAMPAIGN

CALENDAR OF DEADLINES Completed Friday, August 14 Final deadline for ordering Poppies, wreaths and promotional material from New Brunswick Command __________ Friday, September 4 Deliver Poster and Literary To Friday, September 11 materials to schools __________ Friday, October 30 Start of 2015 Poppy Campaign __________ Wednesday, November 11 Closing of 2015 Poppy Campaign __________

HAVE YOU PICKED UP COLLECTION BOXES OR TINS FROM BANKS, GOVERNMENT OFFICES, ETC.?

Thursday, November 12 Pick up Poster and Literary

Contest entries from schools __________ Friday, October 30 The 2014 - 2015 Poppy Trust Fund Report

is due to N.B. Command __________ Friday, November 20 Branch adjudication should be completed for winners at Branch level in Poems, Poster and Essay contests __________ Monday, December 28 Deadline for mailing in Poster and Literary 1st place entries for the Provincial contest. REGISTRATION FORM must be signed

and included with each entry. If this form is not fully completed or submitted, they cannot be entered into the contest for Provincial or

National. __________ Thursday, December 31 Deadline for the 2015 Poppy Assessment is due to New Brunswick Command __________

2015 Poppy Campaign

Calendar of Deadlines

Friday, August 14 Final deadline for ordering poppies, wreaths and promotional material

from NB Command.

Friday, September 4 Deliver Poem, Essay and Posterto Friday, September 11 material to schools.

Friday, October 30 Start of the 2015 campaign

Wednesday, November 11 Closing of 2015 campaign

Have you picked up collection boxes or tins from banks, government offices, stores, etc.

Friday, August 14, 2015

Please fill in all required information. Be careful with the quantities of your order. Lapel poppies are sold in boxes of 1000. If you need 5000 lapel poppies then order 5 boxes, not 5000. You may end up with 5000 boxes of poppies at your door which would be 500,000 poppies. All other supplies on this form are 1 each. Orders can be faxed to 506-633-4836 or emailed to accounting@bellaliant.com. All phone orders must have a paper backup before the order will be filled.

• Order form for promotional material from NB Command. These products are the only products approved as an expense through the Poppy Trust Funds. Should you decide to order directly from the Dominion catalogue the items will have to be paid through your General fund. Valid receipt books are available again but only to the branches that are registered with the government and have charitable status.

What information must appear on an official donation receipt? All official donation receipts for income tax purposes must contain the following:

•a statement that it is an official receipt for income tax purposes;•name and address of the charity as on file with the Canada Revenue Agency;•charity's registration number;•serial number of the receipt;•place or locality where the receipt was issued;•day or year donation was received;•day on which the receipt was issued if it differs from the day of donation;•full name, including middle initial, and address of the donor;•amount of the gift;•(under proposed legislation) value and description of any advantage received by the donor;•(under proposed legislation) eligible amount of the gift;•signature of an individual authorized by the charity to acknowledge donations; and•name and Web site address of the Canada Revenue Agency - www.cra.gc.ca/charitiesandgiving.For non-cash gifts (gifts in kind), these additional elements:•day on which the donation was received (if not already indicated);•brief description of the property transferred to the charity;•name and address of the appraiser (if property was appraised); and•(under proposed legislation) deemed fair market value of the property in place of amount of gift above.

Friday, September 4 –Friday September 11

The youths that participate in the contest assist the Legion in one of our primary goals – fostering the tradition of Remembrance amongst Canadians. Please make sure the branch delivers the appropriate material to the schools.This contest is a great opportunity for all students to learn how important it is to recognize and remember all the men and women who have and continue to insure our freedom.

Kits going to the schools should include:

• Youth Education Programs Booklet• 200816• Entry Forms 200832• 2014 Winners Booklet 200809

The campaign will begin on October 30, 2015.

Wreaths and crosses can be delivered and displayed prior to the start of the campaign.

Under no circumstances are lapel poppies and trays to be on display before October 31, 2014. Please ensure that your vendors are aware of this.

The campaign will close on November 11, 2015

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDINGBETWEEN

THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION NEW BRUNSWICK COMMANDAND

THE NEW BRUNSWICK LIQUOR COPORATION

Commencing in 2013, the Royal Canadian Legion New Brunswick Command (and it’s approved designates) shall have exclusive rights for passive solicitation during the scope of the Legion Poppy Trust Fund, in support of the Poppy Trust Fund campaign, at all approved New Brunswick Liquor Corporation retail stores in the Province of New Brunswick.

2015 Poppy Campaign

Calendar of Deadlines

Friday, October 30 The 2014-2015 Poppy Trust fund Report is due to NB Command

Thursday, November 12 Pick up Poem, Essay and Poster contest entries from schools.

Friday, November 20 Branch adjudication should be completed for winners at branch level in Poems, Essay and Poster

contest.

Monday, December 28 Deadline for mailing Poems, Essays, and Posters for the Provincial contest. The Registration Form must

be signed by the child’s parent and included with each entry. If this form is not fully completed or submitted, the entry will not be considered for the Provincial contest.

Thursday, December 31 Deadline for the 2015 10% Poppy Assessment to NB Command

Thursday, November 12 Entries for the Poster and Literary Contest should be picked up from the schools. Make sure that all entry forms are completed. Judging at branch level should be done before December 27th and 1st place winners sent to NB Command. Provincial judging will be done in January. Should you give monetary prizes to your branch winners you are able to claim this as an expense on your Poppy Trust Fund Report under E---5, Youth Education Programs.

New Brunswick winners at National level.

The Poppy Manual

The Poppy Manual is your guide to a successful campaign and the management of the funds donated by the general public for the betterment of Veterans and their dependents well being. It is imperative that the Branch Service Officer be included in your Poppy Trust Fund Committee. He/she can provide guidance to the manner in which funds can be used and ensure that regulations are being followed. All levels of our organization have criteria to follow. These are explained in the manual and must be followed. The do’s and don’ts on pages 22- 30 should answer any of your questions. If not, all it takes is a call to NB Command. It is better to check to see if an expense is allowable before using the funds than to find out after the money has been spent that it is not allowable and will have to be paid back from your general fund.The Poppy Manual can be found at www.legion.ca, under Committee Resources, All Publications.

The DON’TS

Please pay special attention to the DON’TS. They are very specific as to what the Poppy funds CANNOT be used for. We have found that many branches are not referring to the manual prior to giving donations. The results are that the branch must pay back the Poppy fund. It cannot be over-stressed that the money in the Trust Fund is for “Veterans and their dependents”.

CHAPTER 5

501. The following expenditures are not authorized:a. assistance to associate members unless these persons are residing with their parents, they are wholly dependent upon them for support and they are not receiving welfare assistance, a pension from any government source, or funds from employment insurance, or similar government program (there are few, if any, associate members who meet this criteria);b. assistance to affiliate members;. Also refer toSub-subsection 401.a.iv. of this manual;c. expenses incurred for Remembrance Day ceremonies and Decoration Day ceremonies;d. the purchase of floral tributes or wreaths for deceased Veterans or their families;e. payment for funerals or miscellaneous funeralhome expenses;f. the payment for the service of a bugler/piper at the funeral of Veterans;g. lunches or refreshments related to the funeral of Veterans;h. hot meals and alcohol-based beverages for PoppyCampaign organizers, workers and volunteers;i. the purchase of cemetery plots, flag-poles and accessories;j. the purchase of headstones, grave markers, memorialplaques for cenotaphs and honour roll plaques for schools;k. the payment of property taxes for Veterans;l. the money for death benefit funds at branches;m. home care, housekeeping services or grounds keeping,such as grass cutting, leaf raking, snow removal, etc.;n. donations to community events, schools, youth groups,public speaking events or Legion oriented programs;o. the purchase of equipment for showing Remembrance films;p. the provision of loans;q. the funding of scholarships;r. any expenses incurred at conventions;s. renovations of any sort to branch premises exceptas outlined in Subsection 402.m.;t. general or non-specific donations to charities, registeredor non-registered, that do not meet the criteria listedin Sections 401 or 402 of this manual

Special Use Expenditures

This is another area where the criteria is not being followed. Again, all it takes is to read the manual. You may also refer to the General By-Laws, Article XI. If you are still unsure, call Command. We are here to help. All special requests must have prior approval from NB Command. Please keep in mind that the requested amounts are based on your Poppy Fund balance as of September 30 of the previous year. For example, if you have $2000.00 in the account as of September 30 you can use 20%, which is $400.00, as a donation for Cadets after October 1st. You may decide to wait to pay NB Command for your supplies until after October 1st which will make your account balance healthier for your “Special Expenditures”. Enclosed in your package are scenarios of requests that will be of help to you in determining if a request is valid.

The Form

It is extremely important for the “Special Expenditure Form” be filled out completely and all requirements met before submitting to NB Command. The committee cannot make a decision without the proper information. Any requests not complete will not be considered until all the information is made available, which will hold up your donation. All requests require a copy of the minutes from the general meeting where a motion was made and carried to use the funds. No request will be approved without the minutes. Do not combine requests. Each request requires a separate application.

Poppy Trust Fund Report

This report is due to NB Command by October 31. It is a financial picture of everything that happened during the year. Starting date for this report is October 1st through September 30th. It is a report used nationally for the purpose of monitoring the Poppy Trust Fund account. It is important that the Poppy Chairman, Treasurer and Poppy committee understand how this form is to be completed and where the various “allowable” expenses fit in.

Instructions for Completion of Poppy Trust Fund Report

There is a copy of this in every poppy kit sent out. It shows the basics of completing the form. We will be discussing each section of the form, line by line.

The Royal Canadian Legion Poppy Trust Fund Report detailed instruction

These instructions are based on the fiscal year of 1st October, 20-- -30th September, 20--. This form is the financial picture for the entire fiscal year, all the income and expenses. The dates at the top of the page are the fiscal year 1st of October, 20-- – 30th September, 20--; this is what you will be using for your next report. Your Branch Number:________ Commands Number: 007____ Date Complete:____________ Section (A): Balance of Poppy Trust Fund Account as of October 1st, 20--. This figure is the same amount as the Closing Balance from the year previous which would be Section (G). NOTE: This should be the same as your cheque book balance. Section (B): This is ALL income received during the same period as indicated at the top of the page 1st October 20-- – 30th September 20--. Section (C): This Total amount is your opening balance and the income from the year. Section (D): This is the expenses from your Campaign. (20-- campaign) Note: # 3: you can NOT use Poppy Funds for the Youth Leadership Camp. # 6: Other Expenses: Attach breakdown of the local expenses. # 7: Is the Total all expenses in this section (D) Section (E): Disbursements; All other expenses allowed from the Poppy Trust Fund Account.

Note: # 3: Donations (Attach list of donations) ***AUTHORIZED EXPENSES (this includes the cost of operating a service bureau or its equivalent; and ….) Please refer to Article XI, 1104, b, (iii) of the General By-Laws for more authorized expenses

# 4: Provincial Assessment is the amount you paid to New Brunswick Command for last year’s campaign. # 5: Total of all disbursements in this section (E) Section (F): This is a grand total of expenses from Section (D and E). Section (G): The Balance in the Branch Poppy Fund as of the 30th of September, 20--. This section (G) is the difference from your income and expenses. The Balance in the (G) section should be the same as your Bank balance, and is also your opening balance for your 1st October 20-- – 30th September, 20-- fiscal year. This form is due to New Brunswick Command by October 31 each year. These figures are all compiled for the province and then sent to Dominion Command as required by the General By-Laws. * White NB Command copy * Green District Commander copy * Yellow Zone Commander copy * Pink Branch Copy

A—Starting balance as of October 1st. This amount is supplied to you from NB Command from the prior years report. It must also be the same as your bank account balance at the same date.

B—Includes any and all monies for the year from October 1 through September 30.

C– The total of your starting figure and income.

D-1-- Poppies and wreaths from Dominion only.D-2-- Promotional material from NB Command only. D-3– Postage specific to Poppy Campaign, not for the entire branch.D-4– Advertising for Poppy Campaign only.D-5– Stationary, light lunches for campaign volunteers, accounting fees, storage fees, bank fees, Service Officer expenses (rent for office space is not allowable) etc. specific to the Poppy Campaign, again not the entire branch expenses. A detailed list of expenses MUST be provided with the report. Refer to Chapter 4 of your Poppy Manual.D-6– Total of D-1 through D-5

If you are not sure of an expense call NB Command.

E-1– Grants to Veterans—IE: Emergency heating oil, a dental bill, emergency home repairs, groceries, none of which can be on an on-going basis. Names of recipients should not be disclosed to anyone.E-2– Bursaries for the children, grand-children and great-grandchildren of Veterans and Canadian Forces personnel based on financial need.E-3– Donations/Expenses—This is an area where funds are being abused and miss-used. All special expenditures are subject to prior approval by NB Command. The Poppy Manual is specific about this. A detailed list of all donations MUST be provided with the report. Any and all donations that are not allowed or do not have prior approval will have to be paid back to the Poppy Fund. Expenses--- Poster & Essay prizes, comforts for Veterans, etc. Again a detailed list must be providedE-4– This is the 10% assessment paid to NB Command for the prior years campaign. E-5– Please use this line for Poster & Essay winners should your branch give monetary prizesE-6– Total of E-1 through E-5.F---Total expenses (D-7) plus total disbursements (E-6).

G– This is your total of C minus F and should be the same as you bank account balance as of September 30. If they do not balance then there is something missing or recorded incorrectly.For the branches that do not have a computerized accounting system please make use of the spreadsheet provided in your poppy kit. If used on a regular basis, when it comes time to send in your report all that is needed is to transfer the totals to the report form.

Make sure the report is signed by the Poppy Chairman and Branch President.

Copies should be distributed as follows, NB CommandBranch copy

The Royal Canadian Legion 20__ 10% Poppy Fund Assessment

Please note: The 20__ 10% Poppy Fund Assessment Form is for your 20__ Poppy Campaign only. The purpose of the 20__ 10% Poppy Fund Assessment Form is to record money received from the distribution of your poppies and wreaths. (See line (a) on the 10% assessment form) and any reasonable allowable expenses associated with the cost of distributing poppies and wreaths. (Cost of poppies, wreaths, coin boxes, along with other related local expenses etc. See line (b) of the 10% assessment form.) The Poppy Assessment is 10% of the Net Campaign Revenue figure. See the reverse side of the 10% Poppy Assessment Form which indicates what are not allowed to be claimed as legitimate Campaign Expenses.

5% to Service Bureau5% to the “Leave the Streets Behind” (Homeless Veterans) program.

I

Royal Canadian Legion New Brunswick Command

10% POPPY FUND ASSESSMENT – 2015

2015 Campaign Revenue (include any outstanding receivables) (a) $

2015 Campaign Expenses:

Cost of Poppies & Wreaths

Promotional Material (Posters, Coins Boxes, etc.)

Other Local Expenses:

Postage

Stationary

Telephone Charges

Advertising

Coin Wrapping Materials

Refreshments & Light Lunches

Bank Charges

Other (Please Specify) (Provide Receipts)

Total Campaign Expenses (b)

Net Campaign Revenue – Amount (a) minus Amount (b)

Poppy Assessment (10% of Net Campaign Revenue, remit to NB Command) 10% 5% to run Service Bureau, 5% to Homeless Veteran’s Program

NOTE: Completed form and payment due at N.B. Command office prior to December 31, 2015. Branch #: ___________ Branch Name: ______________________________________________ Signature: Title

Please see reverse of Form for “other” Campaign Expenses “not allowed”

“Other” Poppy Campaign Expenses******** “Not Allowed” ********

Meals for Veterans at Remembrance Day dinners

Expenses for Church Services

Expenses for Remembrance Day Dances (including bands and lunch)

Expenses for Remembrance Day Dances (including bands and lunch)

Entertainment

Refreshments following Remembrance Day Service (alcoholic or otherwise)

Audit Expenses

Administration expenses

School Bursaries

Poster & Essay expenses and/or prizes

Veteran’s aid (medical, food or other financial needs)

Donations to local charities

Salaries

Cadets

Christmas Baskets for Veterans

NOTE: The 10% assessment is to be based on “all revenues” (make sure to include any outstanding receivables) received from your 20__ Poppy campaign “less” the “allowable” expenses shown on the reverse side of this form.

LEST WE FORGET