George Wallace said:
Some very good points, especially the last one and one that the STAFF should investigate further/
Please do.
March 10, 2009
CADETS SPEND SPRING BREAK AT SEA, MAKING MUSIC, LEARNING LEADERSHIP
ESQUIMALT, B.C.- Hundreds of teenage members of the Royal Canadian Sea, Army, and Air Cadets in British Columbia will be excitedly busy prior to and during the March spring school break. Cadets throughout the province will be traveling, sailing, flying, performing or studying music, and learning more about Canada as well as having fun.
Beginning on March 13, Sea Cadets from across Canada are on the West Coast until March 28 for the Annual Seamanship Concentration training exercise. Eighty cadets sail the Southern Gulf Islands aboard two Canadian Navy Training Tenders and the tall ship STV MAPLE LEAF. The cadets learn seamanship, conduct safety drills, and do navigation training. March 14-19 the Northern Zone sail-training week and Provincial Qualifying Regatta is held in Esquimalt Harbour - a prerequisite to the Regional Regatta in May. One hundred cadets from as far north as Prince Rupert and Kitimat undertake mandatory Canadian Yachting Association training. Senior cadets are engaged in Sail Instructor Training.
Over 125 Army Cadets from across British Columbia are at the Cadet Training Centre in Vernon. Seventeen are training to be among six to be accepted to the coveted Parachute Qualification Course held in Trenton, Ont. in the summer. Thirty-six are participating in the Spring Marksmanship Development Camp - the first step to international marksmanship competition in Bisley, England. Thirty other cadets are spending the week in an intensive music clinic aimed at improving their brass and reed instrument, bagpipe and drum performance. Forty senior cadets will undergo a weeklong leadership program designed as a pre-requisite to taking senior leadership responsibilities in their cadet corps. Twenty Army Cadets from Victoria and Vancouver are traveling to Fort Lewis in Washington State on March 19 and 20 to witness Exercise Rolling Thunder with the two B.C. based Reserve Artillery Regiments.
Air Cadet Squadrons use the spring break for "Citizenship Tours" and familiarization flying. Squadrons visit Canadian Air Forces Base Comox, B.C. as well as the Navy base at Esquimalt. . In addition to touring military installations, cadets see points of interest including museums and the B.C. Parliament Buildings to learn more about Canada. Funding for citizenship tours comes from local sponsor committees, parents, and fund raising activities by the cadets themselves. Many of the 55 squadrons in the province will be engaged in familiarization flying during the period and other air cadets are taking part in bush survival exercises.
Following three days of intense rehearsal at CFB Esquimalt, the 50-member tri-service Pacific Region Cadet Honour Band under the direction of navy Lt. Camil Bouchard will perform four concerts March 17 to 20 at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at in the Port Theatre, Nanaimo, Wednesday at Clarke Theatre, Mission, Thursday at 1:30 p.m. at the Chilliwack First Avenue Assembly Hall and 7:30 p.m. Friday at MacPherson Playhouse, Victoria,. There is no admission charge.
About 40 Sea, Army, and Air Cadets will spend the week visiting Canadian Forces Bases Esquimalt and Comox in a program called Cadet Familiarization whereby cadets are introduced to sea, land and air activities of the Canadian Forces.
During March cadets from four B.C. cadet corps are traveling to visit cadet corps in Moncton, N.B, Vermilion Bay, Ont., Winnipeg, Man. and Yellowknife NWT while two corps are hosting cadets from Ontario and PEI in the cadet inter-provincial exchange program.
There are nearly 7,500 cadets in 134 corps and squadrons located in 70 communities throughout British Columbia. Some cadet activities are recognized to earn high school graduation credit. The aim of the cadet program is to instil in youth the attributes of citizenship, leadership, physical fitness and an interest in the activities of the Canadian Forces. There are no enrolment fees and uniforms are loaned at no charge. Information about the Cadet Organizations can be found at www.cadets.ca (my original typo corrected -darn)
