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(Click HERE for 386 Sqn. Band Performance)
Our Air Cadet
Squadron is holding on to its status as a well-orchestrated unit retaining its quality of performance and training. This reflects the quality of high performance standards with the excellent guidance being provided by Chairman
of the Sponsoring Committee Mini McDonald & flowing down though her sponsoring committee.
The Commanding Officer Maj. Jack Shapka and his dedicated staff continue to provide excellent guidance & great
leadership to our fine young future leaders.
The most important
event, which involved many of the Squadron Cadets, was the participation in a semi-annual Citizenship ceremony in Courtenay
when 50 plus new citizens were granted their Canadian Citizenship. As well, 15 members of 386 Sqn Cadets renewed their citizenship
oaths and were granted Canadian Citizenship scrolls. The Squadron band provided superb “listening” music prior
to the ceremony and played the RCAF March for the “March on” of the
officiating party as well as the anthems. Sgt Andrew Gray had the honour of singing our National anthem, in both official
languages, which completed the swearing-in ceremony. This was an activity which did our cadets proud. It was a very poignant
moment for all present.
The 386 Band
participated in the annual Band Display competition in Victoria on May 03. They were granted the honour of being the BEST
Cadet Band on Vancouver Island. They Won the GOLD. They were in fact outstanding.
Our Effective
Speaking program directed by Mr. Colin Day was again very successful with F/Cpl Josh Prior placing second in the VI contest.
Forty Five
Cadets and staff participated in a very successful citizenship tour to Vancouver area during March break. This event was very
successful & is a very important part of our Sqdn’s annual training program.
Our drill
team participated in the VI Drill competition placing third. Our Drill Commander was selected as the Best Drill Commander.
Two 386 Sqdn
Cadets have been selected to participate in the provincial marksmanship competition.
There will
be a couple of fund raising events which will be conducted primarily by the Cadets. A bottle drive later in May and a Tag
Day on June 07. We ask that you be generous and please, when you meet one of
our future leaders, please compliment them on their outstanding performances. These young folks work very hard throughout
the year and I think it shows in every aspect of their lives.
The culmination
of the years training always ends with the Annual Review when we are able to actively see our young leaders in action. The
2008 Annual Review is will be held at the Glacier Gardens Arena at 1030 hrs May 24, 2008.
The reviewing persons for 2008 will beCol. Veenhof for DND, and Mr. Frank Morrow, Staff Officer Air with Pacific Maritime
Fleet for Air Cadet League Pacific Provincial Committee. Both these gentlemen will review the cadets on parade and give a
brief address from their respective areas of expertise.
Up-date on Effective Speaking Competition:
Flt. Cpl. J. Prior came in second!!! Congratulations!!!
L to R: Colin Day, Course Instructor; F/Cpl. Josh Prior; Terri Slater, Effective Speaking
Co-Ordinator for B.C.; LAC Wyckhause and Cpl Robinson
Effective Speaking Competition
On 25th February, course instructor Colin Day put these cadets through their paces at the annual competition. They were
judged by Randy Komar, Maggie Komar, and Gerry Chwelos...Courtenay Toastmasters who kindly gave of their time.
FCpl Josh Prior won the competition, but all three will be going to the competition in Nanaimo with our Ist and 2nd competing
and the 3rd as a backup. Congratulations to all participants!!!
(Photos courtesy K.D. Macdonald)
Front row L-R Colin Day - Course instructor, LAC Wyckhause,Cpl Robinson, FCpl Prior, Course
Director 2Lt Heidi Gilmore. Back row L-R Randy Komar, Maggie Komar, and Gerry Chwelos.....
Colin Day - Course instructor, LAC Wyckhause,Cpl Robinson, FCpl Prior, Course Director 2Lt Heidi Gilmore.
386 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Cadets
By Bud Wilds
It is difficult
to believe that the new year of 386 Sqn’s activities is already more than fifty percent completed. The new additions
who joined last September are now old members & already they are planning their futures within the cadet movement. This
month of February is a very important & active month in the cadet year. Summer camp decisions will be made, mock review
boards held for scholarships, training teams organized, even the occasional promotion announced. & plans made for the
annual review which will occur on 10 May.
Our Cadets
participated in several events during the past month or so, the band as usual did yeoman service with several outstanding
performances at St Joseph’s Hospital ECU, Berwick Place
during the Christmas season and in January in support of the Joyce Brown Memorial “Alzheimer’s Walk”.
888 Wing memberships
were very well represented in the latter event which helped to raise several hundreds of dollars for Alzheimer’s research.
The band’s participation was very inspirational instilling a very upbeat motivation for a fundraising event whose funding
has seen very little joy.
836 Cadets
were also present & performed in an outstanding way during the presentation to the Air Force museum, via 888 Wing, of
a George Medal for heroism which had been presented to a local 14 year old youth. This young man who, during his heroics,
saved the life of the Air Force pilot of a Lancaster rescue
aircraft which had crashed on his father’s farm in the 1950’s. The hero of that day was the same age as our 386
Sqdn cadets who provided the “Honour Guard”, for his medal, during the presentation ceremony to 19 Wing Air Force
museum.
386 Cadets
are continually honing their parade skills in preparation for their “annual Review”. However, while they do this
very important task, they are also working very hard at becoming better citizens, and learning to be public speakers. They
are also learning first aid, air rifle marksmanship, band practice, drill team competition, aviation studies & above all
getting good grades at school.
The Squadron
is planning a Citizenship trip to Vancouver area during the
March school break. This trip is deemed to be very important. It is normally provided as a reward for the top 30-40 cadets
who have shown the most success during their cadet career.
However the
Citizenship trip is a costly endeavor in this day’s world. These trips are always subject to DND funding assistance
which is not always availably in today’s Cadet training world. Therefore unless local sponsoring fundraising events
can be more generous such rewards may not be possible.
Since 888
Wing is the avowed sponsor for 386 squadron perhaps an annual “Air Cadet Citizenship Trip” funding event could
be orchestrated for this purpose. The funding needed would probably amount to about 5$ per member. This would give all members
the opportunity of participating in the Air Cadet program. (It is just a thought
folks so please do not draw your pistols.) Since we all swear
to support Air Cadets this may be a way for us all to do so.
I am always
filled with pride when I am given the opportunity to assist our youth to accomplish their life’s goals via our Air Cadet
movement.
Per Ardua
Bud Wilds.
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