I held a Stage 1 Marksmanship competition for the army cadets of 3045 Corps on November 29. Stage 1 is a formal way of saying team tryouts. Marksmanship is one of many activities offered by the Canadian Cadet program. The corps’ total enrollment dictates how many teams it can put forward. For 3045, it’s one team of five cadets. Participation in Stage 1 is voluntary.
We used the school’s gym for the competition. We arrived early Saturday morning to set up. Turning the gym into an air rifle range requires backboards, tables, chairs, spotting scopes, shooting mats, air rifles, competition targets, and lead pellets.
I held a briefing with the participating cadets. They would be given a few practice relays to “zero-in” their rifles and then shoot the competition targets I set aside “for real”. They need to shoot three targets; two prone & one standing. They were allowed to shoot them in any order. The cadets with the highest scores would make the team.
The practice relays lasted the entire morning. I thought a few cadets would do their real shoots before noon. The cadets went home for lunch and came back after an hour. The real competition began in the afternoon.
The
cadets were really focused, taking their time hitting their targets. It’s all about accuracy, not speed. Shooting while standing is more challenging
because you can’t rest your arms & elbows on a table or stand. You must rely on your posture & muscles. Cadets were instructed at the end of each
relay to carefully collect their competition targets and hand them to me. They were allowed to look first. I placed the targets in a large envelope and
would score them later.
We spent 20 minutes putting everything away and cleaning the gym. I debriefed the participating cadets, thanking them for their time & effort, and said they would find out the results at the next training night. The cadets were dismissed for the remainder of the day.
The staff of Inuujaq School & District Education Authority members enjoyed an evening Christmas dinner on December 5. The event was planned by the school’s Events Committee and catered by the local hotel. The event was a fun way to forget about dark season, enjoy good food, take a break from teaching, and celebrate the upcoming end of 2025.
Staff set up the gym with tables, chairs, white tablecloths, flower centre pieces, Christmas tree, and speaker system after school. We returned later that evening in casual attire. People were allowed to bring a guest. The hotel caterers set out the trays of food they prepared on a line of tables against a wall. The drinks and desserts were placed on a separate table.
The dinner began with a welcome address by the principal. A high school teacher assisted with Inuktitut translation. Her granddaughter then said a prayer to bless the food. People stood up and lined up to be served food by the caterers. The menu consisted of turkey, roast, macaroni, vegetables, stuffing, gravy, salad with a variety of toppings, cookies, and desserts. Beverages consisted of tea, coffee, water, juice, and soft drinks. There were plenty of choices. The food was delicious. I enjoyed two plates. I was glad I only had a snack for lunch.
The event transitioned to exchange of gifts and games. Staff members who signed up for Secret Santa exchanged their final gifts with the people they selected. They had been exchanging small gifts in secret a week before the Christmas dinner. Staff members & invited guests played a few Inuit games for prizes.
Leftovers
were offered to everyone. Takeout
containers & disposable utensils were provided.
Several
staff members assisted with cleaning the gym and putting away the tables, chairs,
cloths, and decorations.
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