POLISH COMBATANTS'
(VETERANS)
ASSOCIATION IN CANADA
BRANCH NO. 8 IN OTTAWA

Ladies Auxiliary of the Polish Combatants' (Veterans) Association Branch No. 8 in Ottawa

The Ladies Auxiliary of the Ottawa Branch of the Polish Combatants' Association in Canada, was formed in 1952. Membership in the organization is open to wives and daughters of veterans of the Polish Armed Forces. The aim of the organization was to assist the Branch No. 8 of the Polish Combatants' Association by helping it to arrange various social and cultural activities. This is still its function to day, but the assistance was especially important during the early days of the organization. At that time various fund-raising activities had to be organized to gather sufficient funds to acquire the real estate necessary to serve as a community centre for the Association and for the Polish-Canadian community in Ottawa. The Ladies Auxiliary also organized on its own various activities to raise money to equip the kitchen of the new community centre, and also to be able to donate considerable sums of money to the Association for its needs.

Two items are worthy of a special mention. On two separate occasions the Ladies Auxiliary hosted delegations from all parts of Canada to the National Convention of the Polish Combatants' Association in Canada. Because of the number of people involved and of the three-day durations of the events, this required considerable logistics and effort to satisfy our guests.

In 1976 the Ladies Auxiliary donated Ceremonial Colours to the Association. These are now used on all important occasions of the Association and of the Polish Canadian community at large, during funerals of members of the Association and its Ladies Auxiliary, as well as during Remembrance Day and other Veterans' events.