IN MEMORY OF
JOSEPH
“
AL
”
CONYERS
BY CHUCK MCCABE, TREASURER
AFP/AAC Member Survey
yields plethora of information
5
ARMED FORCES PENSIONERS’/ANNUITANTS’ ASSOCIATION OF CANADA
AFP/AAC would like to extend our
gratitude to all of you who participated in
the recent Survey of Members. In Novem-
ber we distributed 1,370 two-page ques-
tionnaires by mail and email and received
an astounding 40 per cent of responses by
the December 14 deadline.
The feedback we received is invalu-
able and demonstrates the strong need for
AFP/AAC to continue working on behalf
of CF retirees and their spouses. Now that
the results have been compiled, we can
look at options to better engage current
members and to attract new ones.
The top new issues that you reported
you would like AFP/AAC to address
were: an increase in the Supplementary
Death Benefits; more advocacy for veter-
ans from Afghanistan; and work to im-
prove the disability process with the
Veteran Affairs.
Many members thought that a goal
should be to attract recent retirees from the
CF to join. The top three suggestions given
forAFP/AAC to attract newmembers were:
advertise on Canadian Bases, in media, and
at healthcare facilities; talk to families, those
still serving and veterans, and those close to
retirement; and have Canadian Forces
and/or the Department of National Defer-
ence circulate information in mailings.
Other suggestions to raise awareness
of the AFP/AAC included: word of
mouth, social media (such as Facebook
and Twitter), and sending recent retirees
a package with information pertaining to
AFP/AAC. We are happy to report that 98
per cent of respondents would recom-
mend others join AFP/AAC.
Approximately 65 per cent of you felt
that AFP/AAC should not have a lifetime
membership fee. One member told us:
“Having a lifetime membership fee will
stifle your income for the future.”
It is worth noting that 31 per cent of sur-
veys were sent and returned by email, and
about the same proportion of members use
the Internet to express their thoughts and
opinions. There was support from a third of
you for the creation of a discussion board on
the website for members to share resources
and experiences with fellowmembers and/or
non-members. Several of you said the web-
site should have a comments section and you
would like to be able to renew your mem-
bership online. There was also support for an
online listing of resource centres and current
contacts for veterans and their spouses.
In terms of the newsletter, 72 per cent
of you who replied stated preference to re-
ceive a printed copy in the mail rather
than reading it on the website. We are
pleased that 99 per cent of respondents
deemed the information in the newsletter
as appropriate. We are glad you appreciate
the coverage of current affairs!
Again, we thank you for participating
in the membership survey. Your input will
be invaluable as we develop a strategy to
guide AFP/AAC in future. (This article
was written before the Board of Directors
had had an opportunity to analyse and
discuss the recommentadtions which is
currently underway.)
I have counted Al Conyers as a
friend for more than half a century,
having first met him at the wedding of
a mutual friend in Wolseley Barracks
(London, Ontario) in the autumn of
1957. We were then subalterns in
different Infantry regiments. Although
we never served together in the same
unit, over the years we met at many
times and places
‒
as most of us do in
our relatively small Canadian Army.
W h e n
I
joined
AFP/AAC
in the mid-
1990s, it did
not surprise
me to learn
that Al had
been its cor-
p o r a t e
treasurer for
some years
then. He was cheerfully carrying out his
volunteer duties with gusto and good
humour. Several years later, just before
Christmas in 2006, Al phoned me to say
that his cancer had worsened and that
he didn’t believe that he could continue
to adequately carry on his AFP/AAC
treasurer duties. He asked me if I would
take over, to which I reluctantly agreed.
In the years that followed, we remained
in regular contact (usually because I
needed his advice!).
He continued to contribute to the
meetings, and truly cared about the as-
sociation and protecting veteran’s rights
when it came to their treatment and
pensions.
Last year when your executive
committee considered candidates for
the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal,
Al’s name was at the top of the list in
recognition for his many years of
voluntary service with AFP/AAC.
The Governor-General authorized the
medal for Al, however, he never received
the award.
Al passed away on 18 December
2012 at Victoria Hospital in London, On-
tario. His well deserved Jubilee Medal
was presented to his widow, Noreen, at a
Memorial Service for Al in London on 11
January 2013. Al was the loving father of
Jaime Conyers (Joan) of London and
Janet Thomson (Jeff) of Kitchener and
was the loved grandpa to Christopher
and Cynthia Thomson of Kitchener.
Farewell old friend. Rest in Peace.
