It’s impossible to cover everything that happened in 2022, but we have picked six key moments from the year that represent just some of the work that has gone on in the last 12 months.

 

The death of Her Majesty The Queen 

The Royal British Legion Scotland was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our Sovereign and Patron, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, on 8 September. 

Queen Elizabeth served as our Patron from her accession in 1952, taking over this role from her father, King George VI, and earlier her grandfather, King George V, who had both been Patrons of Legion Scotland before her. 

You can read our full tribute to Her Majesty The Queen here.

 

Forty years since the Falklands

 

This summer marked the 40^th anniversary of the Falklands War. The conflict began on 2 April 1982 when Argentina invaded and occupied the Falkland Islands, and it ended 74 days later with the total surrender of Argentine forces on 14 June. Events were held across the UK, the Falkland Islands and Argentina to mark the occasion. 

Keith Brown MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans, saw action in the war and told Legion Scotland about his memories of the conflict.

 

Annual Conference

 

This year’s conference – our first since 2019 – was important for several reasons beyond it being a great opportunity to see so many people in-person. Two important changes were agreed, which will affect next year’s conference and the future of Legion Scotland membership. 

Read about those changes here, and get ready for the next conference in 2023. More details will be announced soon.

Remembrance 

As ever, communities across Scotland marked Remembrance with their own ceremonies and occasions. You can read about some of those events in our December bulletin. In addition to many local services, there was also the usual national event in Edinburgh, which you can read about here.

We’d like to thank all our branches for their work in organising these Remembrance events, and also for all the outreach work that goes on with local schools and communities on the theme of Remembrance.

 

Armed Forces Day 

We really enjoy working with our stakeholders in the Armed Forces and veterans’ community on the annual Armed Forces Day events. In addition to other days of Remembrance, such as Founder’s Day and Scottish American Memorial Day, it gives us a chance to come together in solidarity with one another. 

Our full list of events for next year will be announced soon, both online and in the Spring edition of Legion Scotland Today magazine.

 

Best Kept War Memorial 

One of our favourite moments each year comes with the Best Kept War Memorial competition. This year’s Champion of Champions was Nairn and District War Memorial, with other award-winners including Monifieth, Ballater, Dingwall, Rogart and Montrose. 

You can find the full list of winners here, and keep an eye out in the new year for details of the 2023 contest.