Standing Orders - Chapter 3
Regimental Finances and Property

301. The RCA Regimental Fund - General

1. The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery has, throughout its history, established funds to undertake various activities that cannot be publicly funded yet benefit The Royal Regiment and all its members. Membership is voluntary and open to all past and present members of The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery.

2. Initially, a Corps Fund was established by the Director of Artillery under authority of Directorate of Administration Bulletin 53/1, 3 February 1953. The Fund was re-established under authority of Chapter 6 Section 2 of Institute Rules, 1 March 1964. Under the authority of CFAO 27-8, the Regimental Fund established several individual funds to include the RCA Non-Public Property Fund, RCA Sergeants’ Regimental Fund and the RCA Officers’ Regimental Fund. As of 18 November 1984, all previous funds were amalgamated as the Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA) Regimental Fund, and on 16 August 1988 Revenue Canada approved a change of name to “The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery Regimental Fund”.

3. The RCA Executive Board has been established to conduct the non-public affairs of the Royal Regiment, for the benefit of all serving and former serving members. Membership of the Executive Board is defined within the constitution of the RCA Regimental Fund. The constitution is embodied in the RCA Administrative Manual.

302. Fund Operations

1. The RCA Regimental Fund is a non-profit organization of the Regular Force component of The Royal Regiment. Revenue Canada recognizes this fund as a charitable organization for income tax purposes, with a registered Charity number - 11925 2997 RR 0001. Its purpose is to provide financial support for the non-public affairs (NPA) of The Royal Regiment.

2. Non-Public Affairs (NPA). The aim of NPA is to preserve artillery historical traditions and values and to help define, promote and support the distinctiveness, character and well being of The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery. The Fund does this through a number of programs as outlined below:

a. Regimental Identity Program. Provision of Regimental Standing Orders to all units, an initial issue of regimental dress accoutrements and an initial issue of the regimental tracksuit to Regular Force QL3 and Phase IV graduates;

b. Member Recognition Program. Provision of top student awards on various courses, Colonel Commandant’s Commendations, expressions of sympathy and retirement gifts;

c. Member Assistance Program. The award of bursaries to encourage members and eligible dependants to further their education, and the provision of emergency assistance funding to gunners and gunner families in need;

d. Regimental Heritage Program. The provision of funding for acquisition and maintenance of Regimental Non-Public Property(NPP), and the purchase and upkeep of period uniforms;

e. Regimental Professional Development Program. Conduct of the Junior Officers’ Course, and funding to assist Master Gunner Conferences. Provision of prizes for the Brooks Memorial Essay Competition;

f. Regimental Communication Program. Maintenance of the RCA Web Site, publication of The Canadian Gunner and Quadrant, and prizes for the RCA Photo Competition;

g. support of the operation of the RCA Museum, and the maintenance of gunner monuments and memorials; and

h. the support of miscellaneous and special projects such as unit messes, stand easy areas, freedom of city celebrations and the RCA Band.

3. Contributions. Voluntary contributions by Regular Force members of The Royal Regiment form the major source of revenue for the RCA Regimental Fund. Contributions to the Fund are classed as a tax deductable charitable donation. The suggested monthly contribution scale is held at all units and at RHQ RCA in Shilo. The simplest and preferred way to contribute is to make a pay assignment to code P028. This option is currently only open to gunners on Regular or class C terms of service. Retired or former members of the Regular component and members of the Reserve component of the RCA may belong to the Fund through an annual contribution. Details on annual contributions are available from RHQ RCA. Members providing an annual contribution to the RCA Regimental Fund, at the recommended scale, receive complimentary gifts of the periodicals The Canadian Gunner and Quadrant, and the tax advantage offered by the charitable contribution.

4. Access to Fund Programs. A number of the Fund’s programs are intended to provide benefit to The Royal Regiment as a whole (i.e. Regular and Reserve components). These include heritage upkeep and promotion, communications programs, professional development, monument and memorial upkeep, and member recognition. Certain components of other programs, due to their administrative and financial nature, have limited access criteria as follows:

a. Uniform Accoutrements. All Regular Force RCA QL3 graduates;

b. Regimental Track Suits. All Regular Force RCA QL3 and Phase IV graduates;

c. Emergency Assistance and Expressions of Sympathy. All Serving Regular Force members of the RCA and their immediate family;

d. Educational Bursaries. Serving and former serving Regular Force members of the RCA and their qualified dependants;

e. Reserve Force members of the RCA and former Regular Force members of the RCA who actively contribute to the RCA Regimental Fund on an annual basis also have access to the restricted programs in paras 4.c. and 4.d. above; and

f. Retirement Gifts. Regular Force Members of the RCA are eligible to receive retirement gifts as follows: with six or more years of continuous service, a retirement scroll; and with 20 or more years of continuous service, their choice of a Field or Air Defence Artillery statuette.

5. Information. Financial statements, budgets and major decisions regarding the Fund will be published annually in The Canadian Gunner and minutes of Board meetings available on request. The RCA Regimental Fund Administrative Manual is held by all members of the Executive Board and all units. It explains in greater detail the operations of the fund. More direct information may be obtained through unit commanding officers, the national ERE representative, the local ERE representative or directing enquiries to:

a. Regimental Major, RCA - telephone (204) 765-3000 ext 3536;

b. Regimental Adjutant, RCA - telephone (204) 765-3000 ext 3535;

c. E-mail through the AWAN;

d. E-mail through the Internet at regtmaj@artillery.net; or

e. Mailing Address:

Regimental Headquarters RCA
P.O. Box 5000 Stn Main
Canadian Forces Base Shilo, MB R0K 2A0

303. Non-Public Property

1. The RCA Regimental Fund owns all non-public property of the Regular Force component of The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, wherever held. This includes all articles of real, historic or sentimental value which are held by units, headquarters or institutes of the RCA. Property returns in the format specified by the RCA NPP Committee are required from each organization holding RCA NPP by 1 June annually. These records are held and maintained at RHQ RCA. RCA NPP includes all classes of NPP which are artefacts and memorabilia, such as silver, plaques, trophies, works of art and other items entrusted to the Regiment or acquired by the Regiment to ensure safekeeping and remembrance.

2. Property belonging to Reserve Force units of the RCA is governed by the regulations in CFAO 27-7 and CFAO 27-10. Reserve Force units wishing to avail themselves of the record keeping services of RHQ RCA may do so by applying to the RCA NPP Committee for the allotment of an identifying block of property numbers. However, ownership and responsibility for insurance coverage remain with the Reserve Force unit as required by CFAO 27-10.

304. The RCA Museum

1. The RCA Museum is located at the Home Station and was officially opened by the Colonel Commandant in January 1962. It is established by and operates under the provisions of CFAO 27-5 and is an authorized Canadian Forces Museum. Since the museum is an instrument of the Crown in right of Canada, it is allowed under Section 118.1 of the Income Tax Act to issue income tax receipts for any donations it receives. These donations are classified as donations to the Crown. As a result, the museum is not required to maintain charitable status, unlike the RCA Regimental Fund, which is considered a private corporation. The museum maintains memberships in numerous professional museum associations.

2. The museum’s mandate is the collection, preservation, restoration and interpretation of artefacts directly or indirectly associated with military service with emphasis on artillery particularly Canadian artillery. All gunner disciplines are encompassed.

3. Museum property is acquired by many means. It may be surplus to military requirements and held by the museum on behalf of DND, by donation or by outright purchase. All artifacts donated to or acquired by the RCA Museum become the property of DND, and are held in trust by the RCA Museum on DND’s behalf. Acquisition, preservation and ultimate disposal of these artifacts is controlled through the Directorate of History and Heritage at NDHQ.

4. The museum is governed locally by a Museum Board responsible to the Base Commander CFB Shilo.

305. The RCA Kit Shop

1. The RCA Kit Shop is operated by the RCA Regimental Fund as an NPF activity in accordance with CFAO 27-8. It is located in the RCA Museum at the Home Station.

2. Kit Shop operations are intended to provide a service to members of The Royal Regiment, with all profits going to the RCA Regimental Fund.

3. The Kit Shop stocks approved regimental accoutrements, unique regimental memorabilia and provides engraving, custom framing and printing services. Items of approved regimental pattern, not available through the normal supply system, are stocked. The Kit Shop provides the services of a central warehouse to regular and Reserve Force unit kit shops, and to cadet corps for certain unique gunner items.

4. The Kit Shop is governed by a Kit Shop Committee responsible to the RCA Executive Board.

(306 to 399 inclusive - not allocated)

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