Royal Commonwealth Society Mainland of B.C. Branch Educational Fund

The royal commonwealth society mainland of bc branch based in vancouver fosters an understanding of the commonwealth of nations and canada's role within it. We offer programs directly and in cooperation with other community partner organizations and a series of branch meetings on a regular basis along with seminars featuring prominent speakers. We celebrate commonwealth day and commemorate anzac day each year. For over 40 years we sponsored an annual youth essay contest for bc schools (k-12) which awarded scholarship prizes. Lately a series of english- and french-language public speaking and essay competitions have been offered. Since 1982 we have offered a youth leadership conference based upon the commonwealth heads of government conference on our own and in partnership with other organizations. In 2012 the diamond jubilee year we hosted a presentation by the bc lt. Gov. Of a number of diamond jubilee medals unveiled a plaque to complement one dedicated in 2002 (golden) and rededicated a tree in vancouver's queen elizabeth park's 'jubilee square'. A vigil and funeral reception was held to commemorate the death of her majesty queen elizabeth ii on september 8 2022. A community platinum jubilee ceremony was held in october 2022. Since then a commemorative ceremony has been held on or about april 21st each year to honour her life. The society struck and issued platinum jubilee medals in 2023/24 to commemorate this occasion. Efforts are being made to propose landscape and way-finding improvements to 'jubilee square' in vancouver's queen elizabeth park and to the area surrounding the princess elizabeth oak tree which was planted elsewhere in the park during a royal visit in 1951.