Alfresco fun for our RSL veterans

The event highlights a broader, cross-border push to modernise.

RSL Albury-based community relations partner Keaton Johnson, who supports 20 sub-branches along the Murray River for both RSL Victoria and RSL NSW, said organisations must adapt as their long-standing membership aged.

“There’s often a stereotype RSL sub-branches are just a bunch of older war veterans having a beer,” Mr Johnson said.

“But days like these create a less intimidating environment for people who want to reconnect with the community.”

A major pillar of this new strategy is family inclusion, giving younger veterans a casual space to bring along partners and children without the rigidity of a standard monthly meeting.

Funded by the RSL NSW Sport and Recreation Program, the golf day didn’t even require RSL membership to attend.

Many sub-branches also recognise the need to bring younger veterans into their organisations, as well as affiliate members.

“That’s probably the experience of a lot of RSL sub-branches, they do have an older membership cohort,” Mr Johnson said.

“They’re pretty much all recognising the fact they need to be doing more to bring younger veterans into the space.”

Mr Johnson said the broader aim was for sub-branches to offer more than their regular monthly meetings, giving people different ways to become involved.

“Everyone’s trying to do the same thing, which is to support veterans and their families,” he said.