Thread: too slow to march

Ok, i'm not a born and bred Australian, have not ever taken fire or shot at anybody, and have no medals. I have served in the SA Navy for a couple years and I have a very soft spot for the military. It is insane what these guys did for our safety and current way of life (talking older diggers here). I salute and take my hat off to serving or past vets that have seen live action, been shot at, lost mates or family, and had the misfortune to take another's life (even if you are a soldier, taking a life surely is not cool). Those are very brave and committed men and women!
And now we have this politically correct reasoning????? Liability?? For heaven's sake, these two men fought in the second world war????? And you say liability, duty of care, etc etc - my mind boggles. Surely it would be an insult not to let them march if they desire to do so. Oh man, these guys are the heros, there must be a way to get it sorted so everybody is happy.
As for the treatment you copped Weeds, that is very disappointing indeed - has the world gone mad or what???????
The way everything has to do with liability etc etc is killing individuals and freedom, everything is taxed, regulated, controlled. I agree we need law and order, but surely it is getting out of control?

Go the digger vets = have your march!

There was absolutely no problem asking them to sacrifice their lives and watch their mates die for our benefit, but god forbid they are "allowed" to put themselves at risk of tripping on home turf. Arrghhhh, such a heap of crap!
If a digger who wanted to walk fell and sustained an injury, we as a nation must pick up the bill regardless of cost. This would not be a favour but the most insignificant expression of our thanks and respect.
I don't understand this nonsense at all.

Sounds a lot like the hospital that would run a whole better if there were no patients.

When I was a kid in the 60s I was in the cubs and the scouts and we attended the local dawn service and afterwards were taken back to the RSL for an egg and bacon sanga and a glass of milk.

Later in the morning, after the march, we also went back to the RSL for a pie and soft drink.

But the RSLs seem to have changed - in the 70s my dad was expelled from his local RSL as he stood up for the right of Viet vets to be welcomed into the RSL. The prevailing view in many RSLs was that if you had not fought in WW1 or WW2 you were not a real serviceman and of course Vietnam did not count. I felt a bit of that myself - where serving personal were barely tolerated in RSLs.

These days, but mainly through necessity to keep membership up things have changed but there are exceptions.

I served for just under 30 years and put my life on the line a couple of times (thankfully not in a war zone) but I really have no interest in the RSL scene.

Garry

OK, I understand public liability, duty of care, etc, etc,. I know the organising committees have to toe the politicly correct line, like it or not. Why not make the old veterans [remember, Army, Navy Air Force, all served]the centre of attention at the saluting point,on seating of some kind, and have the younger ones include them in the mark of respect the salute is? Depending on where it is, they could then be bused to the ceremony. No need for vehicles to be supplied, no worries about old veterans falling over. Bob.

What a sad state of affairs.

BTW, and FWIW, I'm a very recently ex-serving member, and I too have never felt any warmth from the RSL. It seems to me that they're all about pokies and feathering each other's nests. I'm sorry that this inevitably tars many good people with the same brush, but it's all I've ever seen.

And the past treatment of Vietnam vets and "chicken stranglers" is unforgivable.

I'll pass until something very drastic happens in that organisation.

Originally Posted by Ausfree

So, what happened??? tell us the story.........they wouldn't just say you can't come in, particularly as you say, you are a serving member and you had your medals pinned to your jacket!!!

Clubs are for the use and benefit of members. Check the legislation under which most licenced clubs in Oz operate. They operate under State laws so some differences across borders. I knew of several inner Sydney RSL clubs that operated on Anzac Day under a policy of members only because of overcrowding. Every member wanted to be in there on Anzac Day even if it was the only day of the year they went there.

Don't forget that the RSSAILA is an old serviceman's lobbying organisation, not some mystical, magical, organisation, not a political entity. Next, realise that the licenced social club is not the sub-branch of the central organisation but an independent business.

Certainly up until the numbers started to thin, many restricted membership to "returned" men only. Many are now open to membership of all and sundry to keep the doors open and the club trading. WW2 veterans are all over 85 and Vietnam veterans 60+. Not the membership roll you need to run a financially viable club.

G'day Folks

For those that are not aware of the initials that Brian posted up they stand for: Returned Soldiers.Sailors.Airmen.Imperial.League of Australia.

I was able to repeat those letters parrot fashon when I was young,as my grandfather was Secretary of RSL SEQHQ for many years and Marshall of the Square in Brisbane from 1947 until 1967 and many long hours I spent standing on the steps of the Cenitaph in a Cub's uniform and later a Scout's uniform started being taken to Dawn service at a very young age, and I haven't missed many.


cheers

Well gentlemen, bag them and bag them hard. Soft slug politicians who are interested in no more than their superannuation packages and vote winning politically correct ridiculous crap. Informed and advised by greedy hungry lawyers who think our best interest lay in US style litigation, perhaps kept busy by insurance companies.

Honestly lawyers and politicians are no better than a car sales man at a cheap povo car yard.