After 41 years of continuous service with the Royal Canadian Legion, Glenn Hodge was awarded the highest honour at Trail Branch 11 on Sunday - a Palm Leaf Meritorious Service Medal (MSM). The Palm Leaf to the MSM recognizes outstanding service to the Legion and community.
Hodge says Legion and community service has been his lifelong way of giving back after his family’s Salmo home burned down back in 1974 - Hodge has never forgotten all the help his family received during that difficult time.
It was that year, at the age of 16, that Hodge joined the Canadian Forces Reserves with The Royal Canadian Artillery, in Portage la Prairie, Man. After a tour in Germany he returned to Trail where he transferred to the 44 Field Engineer Squadron with the British Columbia Dragoons. He went on to become the Squadron Sergeant Major in 1986, and served with the reserves for over 26 years, retiring in 2001.
Hodge joined the Salmo branch in 1976, and was first elected as a branch executive four years later. He has since held most executive positions at the Salmo and Trail branches. He served at the zone level from 1999 and went on to serve as Zone Commander from 2005 until 2009. He was elected as Command Treasurer in 2009, chaired the Branch Advisory Committee and has been instrumental in realigning the financial management of Command and Foundation.
At the 2015 Convention he was elected as the first Vice President of the BC/Yukon Command.
In addition to the Palm Leaf, Hodge was awarded Life Membership in 2005 and received a Meritorious Service Medal in 2011. He is also a 2012 Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal Recipient.
For decades Hodge has been active and continues to support other organization and groups in his community, such as: Oasis Waterworks (25 years), as a director and chairman; Cominco Joint Social Club executive member (14 years), chairman for the last seven years; Corinthian Lodge of the Masons, serving as treasurer, and executive member since 2001; Scottish Rite Lodges as secretary (nine years); Shrine Club (seven years); Trail Elderly Citizen Housing Society as treasurer (three years); and was on his church board for three years.
With files BC/Yukon Legion