2000
Lt.-Col.
Lyle Johnson, back right, is pictured receiving the Rocky Mountain Banner
from Lt.-Col J.R.M. Lefebvre, Director of Cadets, as retiring Lt.-Col C.E.
Hansen looks on. The transfer of
the banner is a symbolic act to signify the change of command.
The map on the wall shows a portion of the training area used by the
Royal Canadian Army Cadets who attend Rocky Mountain National Army Cadet
Summer Training Centre.
LYLE JOHNSON NOW
OFFICIALLY IN COMMAND OF TRAINING CENTRE
From cadet to lieutenant
colonel,
Moose Jaw
’s Lyle Johnson is now
officially in command of the Rocky National Army Cadet Summer Training
Centre. In early July, Johnson
signed the change of command documents and received the Rocky Mountain
Banner – a symbolic act to signify the change of command.
Johnson
will be replacing Lt.-Col. C.E. Hansen who is retiring.
Johnson said his three-year appointment at the centre near
Banff
will serve to ease him out of the teaching profession.
The Peacock collegiate drama instructor has been involved with the
cadet program since 1963 and has spent 22 of the last 28 summers attending
army cadet camp.
Johnson
was an English major in university and decided to become a teacher because
of his teaching experience in cadets. The
summer cadet camps also helped finance his way through university.
He
started teaching at the base school of
Bushell
Park
, and after two years
there he became a substitute teacher for a year, before landing a position
at Peacock.
He
is the first camp graduate to become its commanding officer.
The
leadership skills camp, run by civilians and supported by the military, has
changed since its establishment in 1948 from a reward for top cadets to a
skills instruction camp.
Lyle
Johnson of
Moose
Jaw
recently received command of the Rocky Mountain National Army Cadet Summer
Training Centre,
Canada
’s
newest cadet training facility. Lt.-Col.
Johnson joined the cadet program in 1963 as a young cadet.
He is pictured, standing, with Col. J.R.M. Lefebvre, who witnessed
the change of command documents.
Printed
in the
Moose Jaw
Times Herald on
July 26, 2000
FAMILY,
FRIENDS BASK IN UNCONDITIONAL INCLUSION
The
people in Judith and Travis Harden’s house have mind-meld conversations.
Travis clenches his jaw around the word “Mom” and adds some
sounds while she is the kitchen preparing supper.
“What, Travis? Oh,
well, I guess they’re going soon, did you want to go along?”
More sounds. “Okay,
then you better tell Robert when he comes down.”
The Robert in question suddenly appears and Travis, breaking into a
wild grin, says, “
Ob
, ob” with more sounds.
“What’s
up, dude,” Robert responds. More
sounds. “Yeah, you can come.
Oh yeah, dude, I owe you 30 bucks from delivering papers.”
Travis, who has cerebral palsy, grins and swings his arms at the
prospect of a fatter wallet. It’s
evident that these people know each other so well that Travis’ speech is
no barrier to family interaction. “Anyone
who knows Travis and cares about him knows what he’s trying to say, “
says Judith. The list of people
who care about her son not only Darcy McCurdy and his four sons, but the
1856 Moose Jaw Schools Cadet Corps. Now
in his third year with Cadets, Travis has moved up to the rank of Corporal.
His inclusion is largely due to the example set by
Captain
Linda
Valley
who, like Judith, Darcy
and their families, sees Travis’ disability as no stumbling block.
Darcy
and his sons Robert and Chris have been involved in Cadets.
Son Justin turned 12 and began this fall (son Chaun no longer lives
at home). Two years ago, when
Chris was attending, Travis would constantly ask if he could go, too.
Darcy posed the question and ultimately the Captain’s response was
“of course.”
Travis
face breaks into that huge toothy smile when the conversation turns to
Cadets. When asked what being a
corporal means, he swings towards his mother and with a “Mom” directs
her to explain. “In order to
get promoted…pardon? Yes,
Travis, you have to pay attention to the commanding officers and they take
classes. They start out in Green
Star, and then Red Star and they have class every Thursday.
They have to work through each manual.”
Is
it difficult? That grin again.
”Noooo!” he says. Testing
his knowledge has been tricky, says Judith.
While Travis can respond to yes and no questions and multiple choice,
most of the questions are open ended. There
has been discussion about ways to test Travis and
Captain
Valley
is open to adapting the
mateials.”She has promoted him through the different levels because she
knows he knows and learns and isn’t just sitting there doing nothing,”
Judith explains. “She knows he
listens really well and understands. She
knows him.”
Knowing
Travis and genuinely caring about him is what makes the difference to his
success in Cadets. People
haven’t always been so welcoming or have had such expectations of her son,
Judith says. Having him in her life has made her reject attitudes and
stereotypes she had in her own childhood.
“Before
I had Travis, I had never, never been involved with anyone who had a
disability. I remember when I
was 13; a student with Down syndrome came into our class at school.
I really didn’t like him because every time I walked past, he
patted me on the bum. I was 13 and that was just not a good thing!”
She recalls. “The only
other experience I had when I was young, and I never figured out why they
did this, was when the school took us on a field trip to Valley View.
I thought it was awful they would do that.
And to top it all off, the way they set it up was that we went to the
animal park in
Moose
Jaw
and the Valley View, which was right, next-door.
It just seemed to us kids that the whole thing was a trip to the zoo.
You know, here are the bears and lions and over here are the kids
with hydrocephalus.
It
was awful.”
Travis’
early school years were discouraging for Judith.
Low expectations had her son attending school in body, but not in
mind. She spent years trying to
convince people her son could learn.
“The
woman at the developmental centre now says that old idea of him just being
happy and healthy isn’t nearly good enough.” She says.” She knows
Travis understands so she has gotten a lot of programs set up for him.
They found a special mouse for him so he can use the computer.
I beat my head against a wall until he was 14 years old, trying to
tell them that he could learn and should be taught.
When he was five, they said when he learned to talk better, they
would teach him. I remember
asking,’ How long are you going to wait, and how well does he have to talk
before he earns the right to learn because he’s not going to talk much
differently than he does right now.’ I
finally had an advocate from SACL come down from
Saskatoon
and go to a meeting with
mew. But even after all that,
I’m not a pessimist. Then (new
Teacher) Gloria came to the developmental centre at the same time as
Captain
Valley
arrived.
The timing that year turned everything around. Travis got into Cadets
and there was someone new at the school who expected him to do some school
work and not just be there biding his time.”
During Travis’
life, problems with merely physically involving him have often kept his
activities limited. But
Captain
Valley
wasn’t looking at any
of the difficulties, says Judith.
Her
immediate response was yes. It
wasn’t yes, if we can work it out or yes, if there aren’t any problems.
It was just yes. Period. Everyone
has followed
Captain
Valley
’s lead.
Even the kids are using some of Travis’ vocabulary now.
Everyone says ‘Aye” now for yes and if someone expels gas,
they’re immediately ‘ig’. Right
Travis? He squeals and Judith
laughs. “
Captain
Valley
’s response really
illustrates her attitude about everything and has set the example for
everyone there. She
includes Travis in everything. There
are some things he doesn’t attend, like when they go out into the bush,
but everything else, Travis is there and participating.”
Rather
than his disability and need for his wheelchair being seen as a problem,
Captain
Valley
turns it into an
opportunity. Travis served as
the ”victim” when the cadets were conducting first aid and rescue
training with the stretchers. An
officer watched Travis speed around in his electric wheel chair and got an
idea. Travis was soon on
discipline detail. Whenever a
Cadet does something they aren’t supposed to, they’re given a distance
to march. Travis became the one
to set the pace. “He could
speed and the kids would have to march to keep up to him,” Darcy
explains,” or he’d turn it way down and they’d have to march to that.
That became his job.”
Each
long weekend in May, there’s a camp-out/exercise at Besant to reward all
the cadets for their work during the year and to help the ones who needs
extra training to pass their star level, say Judith.
There’s never been any question whether Travis would go.
“I went last year to help out with some of the organizing and
cooking, although the cadets do a lot of their own cooking, but the first
year I didn’t and that was because Travis said,” No, Mom I go.”
Travis’
communication was hard for me at first” says Valley” But we managed with
Darcy’s help to learn. I
figured the cadets could learn from Travis and he could learn from them,”
she says. “He has taught
himself to salute and to do the right dress, which is when they are lined up
and have to put their right arms out to make sure they are lined up and have
to put their right arms out to make sure they are in line.
His speech and communication have greatly improved,” say Valley.
“He knows he is accepted for who he is and the cadets figure out
how to include him in whatever they’re doing.”
Valley’s involvement with Travis and his family have moved beyond
Cadets. Travis visits at the
Valley farm and Valley says she “could go one and on about this sweet,
gentle man.
Printed in the Dialect
Newsmagazine of the
Saskatchewan
Association fro Community Living in the Winter 2000-2001.
2001
INSPECTION
LETS CADETS ‘STRUT THEIR STUFF’
An
important annual rite for a group of local cadets is set for tonight.
That’s when the 1856
Moose Jaw
School
’s Cadet Corps will
hold its annual ceremonial review at the Lt. Col. D.V. Currie VC Armoury.
It’s
a culmination of a year’s worth of training,” said Lyle Johnson,
1856’s administrative officer. “It’s
a chance to strut their stuff in front of their parents.”
During this year’s parade, the cadets will also be strutting their
stuff for Lt.Col Neil Douglas, commanding officer of the South Alberta Light
Horse regiment based in
Medicine Hat
.
Douglas
will serve as the
group’s reviewing officer. “The reason he’s coming is that he’s an
ex-cadet from Maple Creek and he’s now with the reserves, and his mom is
on our staff,” explained Johnson, who said
Douglas
will perform what is
largely a ceremonial duty.
After
Douglas
inspects their ranks, training demonstrations will be held featuring both
the group’s drill team and improv team.
The drill team showcases cadets’ ability to work as a team,” said
Johnson, who added that the group will perform drills on the march as well
as precision drill, where cadets are given an order and then perform a
memorized sequence of manoeuvres.
The
improv component is new this year. Johnson
was asked to organize an activity not normally part of the cadets program
and chose improvisational theatre. “It’s
a youth organization and they can do that sort of thing,” said Johnson, by
way explaining his choice. Individual
awards for the year will also be handed out.
Either
or both of two major awards, the Lord Strathcona Trust Medal – the highest
civilian award that can be granted to a cadet – and the Legion Medal of
Excellence could be handed out.
The
public is welcome to attend the review, which begins at
7 p.m.
A reception will follow afterwards in the senior ranks mess.
The
1856 corps has been operating under the sponsorship of the
Moose Jaw
public school board
since 1942. It is one of few in
the country still sponsored by a school board.
Printed
in The
Moose Jaw
Times Herald May 2001
CADET
BOUND FOR SCOTLAND ON EXCHANGE
Three
chin-ups, 20 pushup and 30 sit-ups later, Chris Lien is on his way to
Scotland
as part of a cadet exchange program. Lien,
a grade 11 student at Peacock Collegiate, met these physical requirements
and passed extensive written exams to
earn the six-week exchange.
He tied for sixth place on
the National Star Certification Exams, which covers a range of material
about Canadian History. There
were 36 cadets from
Saskatchewan
who wrote the exams and generally the top ten students get exchanges.
While Lien isn’t sure of the agenda yet – he leaving sometime in
July- he’s sure he’ll have time to tour and see the sights in addition
to the training he’ll be doing. “I’m
hoping a lot just to enjoy myself,” said Lien.
“I’ll learn stuff and I’ll see the sites.
And we’ll still be doing a lot of normal army cadet training, such
as firing weapons and patrolling.
The exchange is all
expenses paid – travel, housing and food – something lien is excited
about. “They even pay me to go
– not a lot, but some pocket change,” said Lien.
Lien, who has been in army cadets for three years, said his ultimate
goal was to take a parachuting, course.
Unfortunately he wasn’t in the type of physical condition required
for the parachuting course. He
would have had to do 10 chin-ups, and run four miles in 32 minutes, among
other things.
He actually only had to do
one chin up to go to
Scotland
, but he did as many as he could so that he’d be eligible for more
exchanges. “If I couldn’t
get
Scotland
I wanted
Germany
,” he said, adding that
Germany
had higher chin-up standards. But
the 17-year-old is happy with
Scotland
and said he is excited about his upcoming exchange.
“It’s going to be
great.”
Printed
Moose Jaw
Times Herald
May 19, 2001
LOCAL
CADETS CELEBRATE 60 YEARS
The 1856 Moose Jaw Schools
Cadet Corps hosted several special visitors Saturday afternoon at its Annual
Ceremonial Review and 60th anniversary celebration at the Currie
Armoury.
Former commanding officers,
dating back to the 1940s were present for the ceremony.
In addition, Major General John Sharpe acted as the reviewing officer
for the ceremony. Sharpe, now
retired from the armed forces, started as a cadet in Weyburn and is now the
Colonel Commandant of the Royal Canadian Army Cadets.
“He’s
actually stopping each kid and talking to them,” explained Lyle Johnson,
master of ceremonies for the event. “It’s
good for them to see a general up close.”
The cadets underwent inspection by the major general, which was
followed by a demonstration of their drills.
When the ceremony was complete, Sharpe took a few minutes to address
the corps.
“Congratulations on being a cadet – it’s not everybody’s thing.
Congratulations on staying in cadets.
A lot of people come for one or two parades and move on to something
else,” he said. “Clearly,
today the Moose Jaw Cadet Corps is in great shape, and it’s a pleasure to
be here.”
Master
Warrant Officer Chris Lien led the drill team through some of the drills.
“It was fun. It’s
hard. It takes a lot of
practice,” he said. Lien said
having an authority figure like Sharpe around adds a little pressure.
“The Colonel Commandant of Cadets – that’s kind of tough.
But I guess you’ve got to treat him like another high-ranking
officer and give him all the respect that he deserves with his position.”
Since
the corps was started in 1942, several people have held the post of
commanding officer. Al Davies
was one of the first leading the corps during the 1940’s.
Now in his 90’s, Davies flew in from
Toronto
for the ceremony.
“We
used to go to camp,” he recalled. “Those
were interesting camps. We had a
good bunch of young fellas there. They
would be six weeks long, in summer holidays, and I would be one of the
instructors in radio. I was a
ham operator. I’m still a ham
operator.”
Dennis
Smale was a cadet under Davies’ direction and rose to the rank of
commanding officer himself in 1960. He
led the corps until 1969. “It
was never dull,” he said. “Nothing
was ever dull. I enjoyed it very
much. There was a good group of
young men in here.”
Smale
said things have improved in the cadets’ organization since he left.
“One of the changes that’s been made is now young women can get
in, and I think that’s terrific.” The
two former
COs
said there are
tremendous benefits for young people who join the cadets.
“As
a cadet you’re doing something in the community, for the community, a
little more than an ordinary student,” said Smale.
“The young people who are in this are doing a little more for
themselves towards good citizenship and leadership.
Those are two particular things that are stressed.”
“They
learn co-operation, at any rate, because they have to work together to move
the equipment around,” added Davies. “And
they get a lot of good physical training- and that’s good for some of
these city boys because they’re pretty soft,” he joked.
A
banquet and awards presentation followed the drill demonstrations.
Printed in the
Moose Jaw
Times Herald on
May 13,2002
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