Thirteenth (XIII) Regiment Foundation
of The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment)
Our Mission
- To preserve, protect and maintain the non-governmental property, assets, artifacts, and memorabilia of The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment);
- To oversee the operation of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry Heritage Museum;
- To assist the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry with financial matters outside of the resources provided by the Department of National Defence;
- To provide advice and assistance to the Commanding Officer; and
- To receive and maintain funds to assist the Regiment.
Activities
The Thirteenth (XIII) Regiment Foundation engages in the following activities:
- supporting RHLI soldiers in need;
- building partnerships with the community to provide scholarships for serving soldiers;
- providing incentives to soldiers going on deployment or courses;
- providing oversight and insurance for the Regimental Museum and Archives;
- supporting the RHLI Band;
- supporting the RHLI 13th Battalion Ceremonial Guard;
- supporting both RHLI Cadet Corps through the RHLI Regimental Committee;
- providing leadership and oversight of the Regimental Uniform Committee and coordinating the purchase of dress uniforms;
- facilitating communication within the Regimental family;
- supporting the RHLI Veteran’s Association;
- supporting activities to commemorate the Regiment’s past wartime service;
- sponsoring Regimental awards; and
- sponsoring and maintaining the Regimental website.
Support the Foundation
Support for the Thirteenth (XIII) Regiment Foundation can take many forms. Contributions to the foundation are employed to perform any and all of the valuable activities listed above.
You can help us in any of the following ways:
- a one-time donation
- a monthly or yearly pledge
- a memorial donation
- “planned giving” (naming the Foundation in your will)
Donate through CanadaHelps
We have joined forces with CanadaHelps.org in order to accept on-line credit card donations. You can access our account to make a donation by clicking the button below.
Our Leadership
The Foundation is overseen by a board of six directors elected by the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry Regimental Senate:
- Chair: Honorary Colonel;
- Vice-Chair: Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel;
- Regimental Secretary;
- Two members at large; and
- The Immediate past Honorary Colonel.
Foundation History
The Canadian tradition of appointing “Honoraries” to units originated with the British military but has only been in practice in Canada for a little over a century. The first Honorary-Colonel appointment in Canada was that of Lieutenant-Colonel the Honourable J.M. Gibson, a Provincial Secretary in the Government of Ontario. Gibson was appointed as the Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel to the 13th Battalion of Infantry in 1895. Honoraries in Canada began the tradition of forming a Senate of former Commanding Officers and Senior Officers of the Regiment. In Hamilton, this practice was largely aimed at administering monies that had been raised for or donated to the XIIIth Regiment.
On 18 July 1913, the 13th Royal Regiment Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel FB Ross acknowledged receipt from Lieutenant-Colonel SC Mewburn, the preceding Commanding Officer, of monies in the form of Insurance Debentures to be held in Trust by the Officers of the 13th Royal Regiment for the betterment of the Regiment. On 23 December 1991, a legal declaration was registered which confirmed that the 13th Regiment Trust was renamed the 13th Regiment Foundation. On 04 July 2003, the Trust received Letters Patent and is incorporated in the Province of Ontario as 1551597 the “Thirteenth (XIII) Regiment Trust”. On 01 Jan 2004, the Trust received Registered Charity Status as Business Number – 874599400RR0001.