The events that preceded last week's Remembrance Day ceremony could only throw a pall over a day that is supposed to be for the honouring of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in a time of war.

The squabbling over who has the right to sell poppies and how the money should be divided up makes a mockery of that sacrifice and emphasises the need for compromise.

That's not to say that the entire ceremony was not worthwhile, and it was good to see representatives of the so-called Home Guard and the Caribbean Regiment lay wreaths in addition to the representatives of the Bermuda War Veterans Association.

Two points are worth making with regard to the current controversy.

One is that the Bermuda War Veterans Association has never given "pensions" to war vets. It has given financial assistance to those who needed it, whether for living expenses, health care or, ultimately, support for funerals.

It can be argued, and has been effectively by Carol Everson, now the Royal British Legion representative, that the BWVA has not been generous in its support and some of its decisions have been arbitrary, and this editorial will touch on that later.

But the fact remains that it has never been a pension-granting body. That is a duty for Government, which finally took up its full responsibility earlier this year. For the record in these heated political times, both political parties showed neglect on that point until now when the number of eligible veterans is shrinking fast.

The second point is that the BWVA was set up to provide assistance to those who went overseas to serve, originally in the First World War and in other wars subsequently.

Rightly or wrongly, that is their mandate, and while it can be argued that there were Bermudians who volunteered to serve overseas but were prevented from doing so, without a change in mandate, it cannot support those who served on the home front.

It may be that the Government should consider a change to its terms.

In the event that the BWVA has treated needy individuals unfairly, there should be a board of appeal established to consider the decision of the trustees and to ensure that they were reached fairly.

This could either be a Government-appointed board, or perhaps one that falls within the remit of the Governor in consultation with the Government and the Opposition.

The rationale is that a very large proportion of the Association's funds come from public donations and there is an obligation to ensure that they are distributed fairly.

Finally, as the Royal British Legion has now taken control of its poppy sales, it is important that some form of compromise is reached to avoid the ludicrous scenes last week of rival groups of tag sellers competing for donations.

In addition, the RBL should consider seriously just who it makes eligible for support. Apparently, the RBL will provide financial support to anyone who has served a certain amount of time in the Bermuda Regiment.

This newspaper must agree with former Bermuda Regiment Captain and former Defence Board administrator Larry Burchall that this is ludicrous.

Mr. Burchall raised the example of a soldier who served the minimum number of days, then skipped parades and ended up before a Magistrate being eligible for support.

This newspaper takes the view that those part-time soldiers who served their three years have no right to benefits either.

The time served, though significant and sometimes inconvenient, is not onerous and does not require an enormous sacrifice.

The RBL should conserve its funds for those, Bermudian or otherwise, who have been on active service and have taken risks.

This could include soldiers injured in civil disturbances or disaster relief. And a case can be made for members of the Regiment's permanent staff being eligible, although they should be in line for Government pensions.

But in all, this is a plea to all those concerned to come together to reach a compromise so that all Bermudians who defended this Island at home and abroad can live their lives out in peace and dignity.