Local
teens learn leadership, gain self-esteem while having fun
For over 60 years, the 2097th Army Cadet Corps, serving
Lambton County, has been
offering teens a chance to travel, learn leadership and teamwork,
all while having fun with their peers.
Christiane
Bradbury, formerly of Alvinston, has been with the Corps for five
years. She has reached the rank of Master Warrant Officer.
“Lots
of kids join cadets because they have personal issues they need to
work through,” Christiane explains. “Cadets lets them know they
belong. I think the three keys things are teamwork, leadership and
respect.”
Christiane’s
mother, Susan Lachance, says there is a big difference in Christiane
that comes from her involvement with the army cadets.
“She
used to be very to herself,” Susan added. “Now she’s very
outspoken, has a good outlook on life and lots of get-up-and-go.”
Shelby
Labelle is a fourth year cadet. From Grand Bend, she and her mother,
Jeanie, travel together to cadets every week. “I actually joined
because I was too old for Girl Guides,”
Shelby
says. “I like the structure. I like knowing what to do and when to
do it.”
Jeanie
agrees that the structure is good for
Shelby
. “She really likes structure. She can put her need for structure
to good use here,” Jeanie explains. “My involvement is in the
background. I don’t get involved in the training; that’s for the
kids to do with each other.”
Parents
aren’t required on-site because there is a professional adult
leadership team that mentors and trains the cadets.
Commanding
Officer, Captain Richard Cunningham, was with the Canadian Armed
Forces Combat Arms for 40 years. He has been commanding officer of
2097th Army Cadet Corps for one year.
“This
is all voluntary for the teens,” he says. “They don’t have to
sign anything and they aren’t committed. Everything is free for
them – uniforms, etc.
“There
are a lot of people who think they need to join the regular force if
they join cadets,” he added. “But that’s not true. They get a
rudimentary understanding of the ‘reg force’ through cadets, but
they also learn teamwork, self discipline and good citizenship.”
Recruiting not easy
Recruiting
over the last year hasn’t been easy for the 2097th Army
Cadet Corps. “I’ve been doing the recruiting over the past
year,” says Captain Cunningham. “Not very effective – Grandpa
going out and doing the recruiting. This year, the kids themselves
are getting out and doing it.”
Part
of the difficulty for recruiting is the wide geographic area that
the Corps represents. The Corps tries to recruit from Grand Bend,
Arkona,
Forest
, Thedford,
Watford
and Alvinston.
Getting
to
Forest
can be a problem for some families. “This is one of very few
volunteer or learning movements for teens that doesn’t require
active parent participation,” Jeanie explains. “Parents aren’t
required to be on-site, but they do have to look after getting the
kids here from home and back again.”
“I’ve
been with the cadet corps for nearly a year,” says 12-year-old
Cadet Brent Cookson from Thedford. “They always make it so
everyone can do it, the physical stuff and the drill. But it’s a
lot better when you have more people.”
Summer Camp, Music and
Exchange Program
All
the cadets look forward to the summer camp opportunities, and not
just because they are paid at summer camp.
“At
summer camp, you get to do everything,” states Cadet Joe Larmond,
a 13-year-old from
Forest
. “You meet new friends, go out in the bush and camp. You get to
canoe. Some people think it’s all drill and people yelling at you,
but it’s not that. It’s a lot of fun.”
There
is also an exchange program that, for many of the cadets, is a
highlight. “I hope to go to
Scotland
,” explains Christiane. “I hope to go for two months. I’d get
to train there with the Scottish cadets.”
There
is no cost to the parents, except spending money, if a cadet is
chosen for the exchange program. The exchange program includes many
European countries and the
United States
.
“Cadets
who demonstrate proficiency in the training program at 16 years of
age will be considered for the exchange program,” says Captain
Cunningham. “And we also have a music program at summer camp. They
learn brass and reed, pipe and drum.”
Shelby
looks forward to the music program. “I’ve been for the three
week basic program and the six week Cadet Leaders course,” she
says. “I’m a drummer, snare drum, level two qualified. Now I’m
joining the legion band.”
(Lt
Robbin MacQueen Admin O)
Christmas and fun go hand in hand.
This
was evident as 2097 Army Cadets’
gathered at Kimball Hall in Forest on Saturday to enjoy the season.
Combining learning and fun is what the Cadet program is all about
and
this day was no exception.
Starting the day with Daisy air rifle, a favourite activity of the
cadets, they were trying to qualify for a shooting badge. Learning
about
safety, proper handling, and the responsible use of the rifle, the
cadets got down to the business of shooting.
Hitting a loonie-sized target from 20 metres is not easy but the
cadets
soon had the hang of it.
“It was fun”, stated Private Megan Foster, 14, of Forest, who
joined the
cadets in October. “Although I pinched my finger in pump,” she
added,
smiling.
The afternoon ended with one of the instructors bringing in three
empty
cans and setting them up on a box.
“Shooting at the cans was the most fun I have ever had,” said
Sgt.
George Larmond, 16, of Forest. A senior member of the Corps, Sgt
Larmond
joined in 2004 and is currently learning how to instruct other
cadets.
“They learned quickly and did well,” said 2Lt Erica Wiggins.
“We were
concentrating mostly on technique and most of the cadets still have
to
get the feel of it. They are at the beginning and improved every
time,
and that is the main thing.”
Soon it was time to move on to the formal part of the day, the
dinner.
With Sgt Larmond overseeing the younger cadets, the hall went from
firing range to formal dining hall. The cadets, now in uniform,
checked
each other to ensure they were properly dressed, and waited for the
formalities to begin.
The Canadian Armed Forces is steeped in tradition with Christmas
dinner
being no exception. Standing at their assigned places, the cadets
and
staff, waited as the head table arrived and sat down. Keeping with
the
theme of fun, the guests for the evening were people who had been
instrumental in helping to provide an enjoyable experience for the
cadets.
The traditional Christmas dinner in the Canadian Armed Forces is a
time
when senior people show their appreciation of the importance of the
lower ranks under their command. The senior officers put aside the
normal structure and look after feeding the troops to symbolize this
relationship. 2097 tried to emulate it and the cadets seem to get no
end
of pleasure seeing the Commanding Officer wielding a ladle or spoon
as
he dished out turkey and potatoes.
“This is nothing like we do in Strathroy,” said Warrant Officer
Katie
Bast, senior ranking cadet with 2097 and a member of 11Corps in
Strathroy. “In Strathroy, we do pot-luck and you never know what
you’ll
get.”
Ending the evening with the traditional toasts to the guests, the
staff,
and especially the cadets, Commanding Officer Captain Rick
Cunningham
looked at the cadets and thanked them all for their enthusiasm,
commitment and dedication to the corps.
“The cadets are what make this a great corps,” he stated raising
his cup
of punch to the seated cadets, “You (the cadets) are the ones who
help
to make this corps strong and vibrant. As we go into the New Year,
we
will be embarking on a new recruiting drive to get more people into
the
corps. You will be the leaders of the new recruits, the ones they
look
up to and I know they are in good hands.”
(Lt
Robbin MacQueen Admin O)
Lt Tom Ward
and 2Lt Richie Shand serve the cadets of 2097
Army Cadet Corps at their annual Christmas Dinner on Saturday (Lt
Robbin MacQueen Admin O)
Trooper Brent
Cookson takes aim with a Daisy air rifle
as part of 2097 Army Cadets annual Christmas Dinner. The rank of
trooper
goes back to the days when cavalry rode horses and signifies the
association 2097 has with the 1st Hussars of Sarnia. (Lt
Robbin MacQueen Admin O)
2007
