Strength to strength for Freo group RSL
There is a quiet revival under way in Fremantle.
The Fremantle City Returned & Services League sub branch, which recently had an uncertain future amid a serious decline in membership, is bouncing back.
Les Butt, who recently became branch president, said a meeting last month helped inject much- needed life to reverse the trend.
In the immediate years after World War II and into the 1950s the sub branch had about 600 members. But the number drifted down over years to fewer than 20.
Mr Butt served in the army for 14 years, including in Borneo in 1966 and Vietnam in 1968 and 1969, and was also a member of the Army Reserve for nine years.
He said it was important to revive the RSL to provide an environment where the new ranks of returned servicemen and women could feel comfortable and seek advice if they needed help.
Mr Butt said the RSL treated everybody equally.
"It doesn't matter who they are or what their service is - they are welcome," he said.
One of the branch's new committee members, Rob Fittock, said he had marched on Anzac Day for some years to honour his father George and had now decided it was "time I put my hand up" to help the RSL.
"We would like to get the message out," he said.
"It's about camaraderie and it is also about offering help."
