Russell also occupied himself with veterans' affairs; he was unanimously elected president of the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association (RSA) in 1921. His involvement in the RSA helped establish it in New Zealand society during the immediate postwar period. Always interested in the welfare of the soldiers he had formerly commanded during the First World War, he sought to assist their integration back into society. He agitated for improvements in pensions for war widows and disabled soldiers. Thanks in part to his efforts, the introduction of the War Pensions Act was introduced the following year, improving the financial position of many returned soldiers. He stood down as president in 1924 for a two-year period so he could travel abroad, resuming his leadership role in 1926. He remained in this capacity until 1935, when, increasingly tired of the impositions on his time, he resigned. In honour of his presidency, a portrait of Russell by the war artist Archibald Baxter was donated to the nation. Despite stepping down as the organisation's leader, he led a 1500-strong contingent of the NZRSA to Sydney in 1938, commemorating 150 years of European settlement in Australia.