Last year it was voted in that all serving members be offered a one-year free membership to the Signallers Club of Canada (This includes C&E Members who have retired after 01 Jan 2009). Please take advantage of this wonderful opportunity!
THE GENESIS OF THE CLUB
A small group of ex-members of The Royal Canadian Corps of Signals got together in Kingston on the 24th of October 1979 to commemorate the Corps Birthday. “Why don’t we do this more often?” was the consensus. Some aims were formulated on the spot – to renew old acquaintances, maintain esprit de corps, get to meet every now and then on a social basis, maintain liaison with the modern-day version of the Corps and perhaps in some way assist ex-Sigs types who may not have been as lucky as the rest of us. The first meeting of the new Club was held in March 1980 – with 18 persons present. The name selected for the Club was “The Signallers Club (Kingston)”. A viable Constitution was developed and subsequently approved.
INCORPORATION
In the late summer of 1984 the Club applied to the Federal Government to become an incorporated entity. After the usual submissions, filing of documents, answering questions etc., on 11 October 1984 we were granted our “Letters Patent” and incorporated under the name The Signallers Club of Canada. On 17 October 2011 the Federal Government enacted the new Canada Not-for-profit (NFP) Corporations Act that required us to update and file new Articles of Corporation and By-laws for the Sigs Club. This was done and the Club received its Certificate of Continuance (as a Corporation) on 1 October 2014. These documents comprise our new Constitution and they can be found on our website www.the-sigs-club.ca
REGALIA
In 1989, by way of an internal contest, we designed a Club Logo and also formulated a Club Motto. The results of this can be seen on our letterhead stationery and envelopes. The Logo/Motto on a cloth crest suitable to sew on blazers and jackets along with a vehicle decal is provided to new members.
CURRENT EXECUTIVE MEMBERS OF THE CLUB
President Mike DeNoble
Immediate Past President Clyde Negus
Vice President Tony Fequet
Secretary Liisa DeNoble
Treasurer Pete Scott
PR Coordinator Ted Luhtala
Membership Officer Liisa DeNoble
Entertainment Chair Mel Douglas
Sgt-at-Arms Jan Hansen
CLUB MEETINGS & COMMUNICATIONS
We hold an Annual Meeting in late April and normally a General Meeting in October. Members at any great distance from Kingston are certainly not expected to attend these meetings but be assured that you will be made welcome if you happen to be in the area and can make it in. Information exchange is the glue that keeps us together. Members are kept informed of Club activities and items of mutual interest through our website, the minutes of meetings, our blog, emails and The Signaller. We also have a Sigs Dispatch tab on our website that allows anyone to post information and news.
ENTERTAINMENT
Entertainment functions are normally held in the spring and just before Christmas. Additionally, on the last Thursday of each month, many Kingston and area members get together at a local venue for lunch. In 2009 we began the tradition of holding a function every October to celebrate the founding of The Royal Canadian Corps of Signals (RCCS) and its successor The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Communications and Electronics Branch (C&E Branch).
CLUB PROJECTS
The Sigs Club supports projects and activities of interest and importance to the entire family of CAF communicators in accordance with our Constitution. For example the Club sponsored very successful national Reunions in 1980, 1983, 1987, 1993 & 1998. The reunions in 2003 and 2008 commemorating the unification of The Royal Canadian Corps of Signals, the Telecommunications Branch of the RCAF and the Supplementary Radio System of the RCN were organized by the C&E Branch but still strongly supported by our Club. The 110th Celebration in 2013 was held from 24 -27 October 2013 with HRH The Princess Anne in attendance. Two other major projects that came to fruition in 2013 were the publication of our new history “Semaphore to Satellite” and the expansion of the C&E Museum along with its associated fundraising events. On 26 June 2014 a commemorative
ceremony was held at the Vimy Gate War Memorial to recognize those military communicators who died serving Canada during peacetime operations and training. Check out the Club’s website for more information and links.
MILITARY LIAISON
It would have been impossible for our Club to accomplish the things it has during the past years if we had not had military support. A constant liaison is maintained with CFB Kingston and its lodger units, the Canadian Armed Forces School of Communications and Electronics (formerly the Royal Canadian School of Signals), the Canadian Armed Forces Joint Signal Regiment (Kingston) and the C&E Museum Director and Staff. We also maintain close contact with the leadership of the C&E Branch. Our Club has experienced superb support and cooperation from all!
ASSOCIATE ORGANIZATIONS
We also keep in contact with other Communications Clubs/Associations whose objectives parallel our own thereby extending our network considerably. Currently we are in touch with:
2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade Signals (RCCS) Association
5th Canadian (Armoured) Division Signals (RCCS) Association
38 Signal Regiment Association (Winnipeg)
Canadian Association of Forces Linemen (Ottawa)
Hamilton Signals Association
Jimmy and Associates (Toronto)
Manitoba/Northwestern Ontario Royal Canadian Signals Association (Winnipeg)
Northern Alberta Signals & Communications Association (Edmonton)
Ottawa Signals Social Club
Royal Canadian Signals Association (Atlantic Division) (Halifax)
The Air Force Telecommunicators Association (AFTA) Kingston
The Canadian Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (Ottawa)
The Forces Communicators Club of Calgary
The Royal Canadian Signals Signalman Apprentice Association
Western Ontario Area Signals Association (London)
WHAT YOU GET FOR YOUR MEMBERSHIP FEE
Firstly, your Membership Card, Name Tag, a Sigs Club Window Decal, a cloth Club crest for your blazer and initial Login ID and Password to the members’ section of our website. Our Constitution and Nominal Roll can be accessed on the Club’s website.
Secondly, the Club does the following for its members:
- Provides occasions to socialize;
- Provides and exchanges information via our newsletter, our blog, emails, minutes of meetings and website;
- Provides personnel, financial and moral support to institutions and projects important to our CAF communications family;
- Keeps abreast of and passes on information on happenings within our CAF communications family;
- Administers itself in accordance with the Canada NFP Corporations Act;
- Maintains a Club Membership database;
- Maintains a Book of Remembrance at the C&E Museum and
- Donates a maximum of $30.00 to the C&E Museum on behalf of a deceased Life Member.
Please make your cheque, money order or bank draft payable to The Signallers Club of Canada and mail it with this form to the above address. You may also email the application to: [email protected]. To pay by credit card contact the Club Treasurer at: [email protected] Do not send cash.
Our motto is Per Semaphorum ad Satellites (From Semaphore to Satellites)
Please see the below application links: