REGIMENTAL ASSOCIATION
THE ROYAL CANADIAN DRAGOONS ASSOCIATION
The Royal Canadian Dragoons Association is dedicated to fostering, maintaining and promoting the traditions, well being and esprit de corps of The Regiment.
We are composed of retired and serving members of the Regiment and those who have served with and supported The Royal Canadian Dragoons both at home and abroad.
The aim of the Association is two-fold: firstly, a portal where past and present Dragoons and their families can reach out to each other to re-establish old friendships; and secondly, to keep current on regimental activities.
Once a Dragoon, always a Dragoon!
Audax et Celer.
MESSAGE FROM THE ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT
It’s with great pride that I assumed the duties and responsibilities of the President of The Royal Canadian Dragoons (RCD) Association. I have lived many joyful memories of this fine Regiment during my service and look forward to continuing to serve the Regimental Family.
DRAGOONS, LADIES AND GENTS,
We continue to enjoy the spirit of fun, laughter and cohesion, felt by many generations since 1883. We encourage you to enjoy the full spectrum of our combined website and social media. As an association, we hope you will join us at some point, regardless of rank, amount of service served, or even trade. We have served together in various capacities from courses and training, serving in Germany and/or Petawawa, or deployed to Combat roles. We remain committed to bringing together members of our Regimental Family, rekindling old relationships or find new ones. We still have a ton of memories to share across generations, regardless of time, positions you or anyone else held.
WHO ARE WE ANYWAY?
We are an Association of retired and serving members of Canada’s Senior Armoured Regiment and we can be found in regional Chapters all across the country. We are a friendly bunch, always willing to welcome new faces to our humble group, always willing to lend a hand, and always willing to talk about the Regiment and it’s service to our country.The Association exists to foster, maintain and promote the traditions, the well-being and the esprit de corps of the Regiment; we provide advice, assistance and guidance to the Colonel of the Regiment and the Guild of the Royal Canadian Dragoons. We help to ensure the essential purposes of the Regiment are maintained and that the Regimental Family speaks with a common voice on matters of Regimental concern.Equally important, however, is the fact that we look after each other. Because of our regional organization, retired, former or still serving members of the Regiment can always get together with old friends without traveling long distances and help is usually just a phone call away. Every two years, the Association holds a national Reunion, usually at a different place each time during the month of June.Individual Chapters also hold many welcoming events throughout the year. Summer BBQs, lunches and dinners corresponding with major Regimental celebrations or whatever reason comes to mind at the time. They’re the real reasons the Association exists – keeping the Regimental Family in touch.
OUR HISTORY
The Association was formed in 1974 with Brigadier EAC (Ned) Amy, acting in his capacity as Colonel of the Regiment, serving as the first President and convening the first meeting of the Association in the Armouries of the Royal Canadian Hussars in Montreal on the 26th of October of that year. The Royal Canadian Dragoons Association was granted Letters Patent effective 15 June, 1976, and the Chapters began forming in their regions shortly afterwards. Membership in the Association is through the individual Chapters and for a minimal price, brings with it subscriptions to the Association’s annual newsletter “The Dragoon”, and as an added bonus we have now combined with the “Springbok” the serving member’s annual newsletter.Individual Chapters also produce opportunities to keep in touch. As a result, the Association is doing well but it is always ready to welcome new members and I urge you to contact the Chapter representative found below in a link and talk to them about becoming a member.