THE ARMY, NAVY AND AIR FORCE VETERANS, IN CANADA, UNIT #298 (TAURUS CLUB).  KNOWN AS THE "COP CLUB"

History

The start of Taurus Club, Unit #298, began with Ray Slattery, when he was a member of the Royal Canadain Air Force in the early part of 1946.  At the time he had obtained leave from the R.C.A.F., prior to his discharge from the same and beginning the process of returning to Vancouver City Police Force.  During this time and on his way home he stopped at A.N. & A.F. Vet. Unit #68 at 3rd. & Main Street, in Vancouver for a beer.

While there he became interested in starting a club for Vancouver Police members that had been discharged from the military or were in the progress of being discharged.  He made several enquiries pertaining to starting a club, however he received little information.  While on the Vancouver Police Force he became a member of A.N. & A.F. Vets. Unit #68.  While being a member of Unit #68 he met another policeman and veteran, George Stiles.  At this time both became interested in starting a club for policemen.

In 1947 while Ray Slattery was a member of Unit #68, he was invited to attend a A.N. & A.F. Vets. Convention.  While at the convention he arose to the floor and questioned the process involved in starting a club.  He was advised by the Chair, he would require 25 members, it would $25.00 and he would have to provide a name for the new club.  On returning to Vancouver from the convention, with the help of George Stiles, they set up a table in the morgue building and commenced seeking applications for membership in the new club.

With the first twenty-five members signed up they also had to raise the $25.00.  Ray Slattery then thought about a name.  His Zodiac sign was Taurus (The Bull), and policemen were known as Bulls at that time.  So they decided the name for the new club would be TAURUS.  When they submitted their application for the charter to Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans Dominion Command they also submitted their proposed Constitution and By Laws for the club.  They stated "A member at the time of submitting his application and being accepted thereof as a member must be an employee of the City of Vancouver under thejurisdiction of the Board of Police Commissioners or a former member of the City of Vancouver Police and had to be an Ex Service person"

Taurus Unit #298 was granted their Charter on May 5, 1948 and the Constitution and By Laws were accepted by the Dominion Command at that time.  The Charter was signed by Dominion Command Secretary J.C. Neving.

The first building for Unit #298 was an old store on Main Street, approximately where the games room is situated in the present facilities.  The members gutted the inside of the store for use as a club facility.  Prior to renovating same, a pile of debris at the rear was set on fire by someone, which destroyed the entire building.  After the fire the members commenced building the club at its present location.  Mr. Jack Diamond and Mr. Jack Cornet loaned the club $7,000 to commence construction of the facility.

The first associate member was George Enefer.

Ray Slattery, founding member, born 1908, passed away Dec. 25, 2001 at the age of 93.

Management

The affairs of the Association are managed by the Executive Officers of the Association. They are the Provincial Command Presidents form the Board of Directors, which directs policy and administration of the Association. This policy and administration must be ratified biennially by the Association in Convention.

_____________________________

United In Prayer

Hands interlocked nationwide

united in prayer side by side

We bow our heads to God above

cause Canadains count on his undying love

God keep our soldiers as they fight this war

And in the end let the eagle soar.

HONOR THE FALLEN

Not forgotten
 “It’s the character of the brave not to be ruffled by adversity and not to desert his post.”

We are Canada's oldest veterans' ex-service persons' and community service organization with more than 18,000 members and 70 units throughout Canada.  We have one unit in the USA referred to as ANAVICUS.