This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
Cadets offering youth an opportunity to excel


K 5 CHARLES LEFEBVRE


aylin Bradley says his experiences with the 2313 South Alberta Light Horse (Kiwanis) Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps made him


want to continue being involved with the program after he aged out.


“When I was a cadet, I spent three summers out in B.C. and I spent another three summers out in Whitehorse, and it was just such an amazing experience doing things most kids don’t normally do,” said Bradley, a member of the program from 2000 to 2006. “I had the opportunity to go to these places most wouldn’t go to, and spend time in the mountains going


Windmill


Garden Centre & Butterfl y House


“For Enjoyment for the Young & the Young at Heart.”


• Garden Supplies • Perennials • Bedding Plants • Trees & Shrubs


50


• Petting Zoo • Ice Cream Stand • Garden Giftware • Pottery


920 1st Street SW • 403.526.3447 www.windmillgardencentre.com


920 1st Street SW • 403.526.3447 2015 REPORT ON SOUTHEAST ALBERTA


Flight Sargeant Rhyley Parish leads a parade of the No. 15 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps.


Clinton Lawrence (left), gives a rope throwing demonstration for Sea Cadets Rebecca Crooks, Caleb Faladreau, Kylie Virostek and Hanna Davies during a recent meeting of the organization.


rock climbing and canoeing or biking or doing all of these awesome things and meeting wonderful people. I wanted to be able to help share that experience with other young people.”


Bradley rejoined in 2009 and currently serves as the deputy commanding officer of the program, one of three currently operating in the city out of the Patterson Armory on Cuyler Road.


In addition to the Army cadets, who’ve been around in their current incarnation for 67 years, the city has two other cadet corps for youth aged 12-18 currently operating: The No. 15 Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron, which has been around for 74 years and the 145 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps, which has been running for 51 years.


Each cadet group has a number of activities available for members, including marksmanship, sailing, flying and drill team, but the Cadets program also has specific and stated goals nationally related to leadership and citizenship, as well as an appreciation of the Canadian Armed Forces.


“I summarize it by saying that we try and make better Canadians,” said Kelly Rasmussen, commanding officer for the Sea Cadets. “We do citizenship and leadership, we volunteer in the community. We’re not out to make little sailors and soldiers out of any of them, it’s a kids program ... it’s supposed to be fun.”


Rasmussen has been involved with cadets for 26 years, and said he joined at first because it was something unique and cool that not everybody else was doing.


“There were summer camp opportunities


Capt. Kaylin Bradley, the deputy commanding offi cer for the 2313 South Alberta Light Horse (Kiwanis) Royal Canadian Army Corps


and it was a different set of friends, because you had your friends from school,” he said.


Rosanne Binnie, commanding officer for the air cadets, has been involved for 16 years, getting involved after her daughter joined the program, and saw the need for the program to have uniformed officers to help run it.


“I liked what the program was offering to my daughter, and I really believed in the program for teenagers,” she said


In the 2014-15 training session, the air cadets have 32 members. The army cadets have 47 members, while the sea cadets have 20. Both Rasmussen and Bradley say membership tends to go in cycles.


“For a couple of years, you have 30 kids, which is a great number, and then things slow down a bit and it swings back and forth,” said Rasmussen.


“We like to sit around 50 members; 50 is a good number, it’s more manageable” said Bradley, who notes the largest number he has seen was roughly 150 members in 2000.


Binnie says the cadets are continually trying to build their numbers and get more youth interested in the program.


“We’ve been expanding what we offer at the squadron level, to offer more varied activities, so we can get more youth interested in the program,” she said.


While the air and army cadets have been running strong in the community, the Sea Cadets were in danger of going under two years ago. The organization had found itself with a lack of volunteers, leaving the officer cadre unable to provide effective continued on page 52


41189934•03/31/15


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116