A Parade & A Competition

3045 Army Cadet Corps of Arctic Bay held its first Parents Night Parade of the 2022-2023 Training Year on October 26.  The original date was October 19, but I had to postpone it due to bad weather.  The delay gave the cadets an extra week to work on their drill and for me to review the Awards List again to make sure it was accurate.  A Parents Night Parade gives cadets the opportunity to demonstrate what they’ve learned and for administration (me) to publicly hand out badges, awards, promotions, and make announcements.  We hold four of these parades every training year.

The cadets & I arrived at the school gym an hour early to get everything ready.  Tables, chairs, flags, awards, and refreshments were brought out and placed in strategic locations.  We still used the official portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II because the official portrait of King Charles III hasn’t been released.  Come to think of it, I think it still needs to be done.  Even though Charles immediately became king after the queen’s passing in September, the coronation ceremony is still being planned.  Once that’s done, then an official portrait will be made and released.  I’m guessing at least a year will pass before 3045 receives a portrait of the king.

The cadets changed into their uniforms after the gym was turned into a parade square.  Uniforms are still on the way for the cadets who recently joined.  Everything was ready to go and the parade began at 6:30pm.

I didn’t have time to recruit a Guest Reviewing Officer (GRO) so it had to be me.  I inspected the cadets on parade and observed them doing a March Past.  The audience did the same.  I did a short welcome speech for the audience and commended the cadets for their dress, drill, and deportment.  I then moved on to the awards.

Level 1 Marksmen.

I started with the marksmanship badges.  Cadets shoot the Daisy .177 calibre air pellet rifle at paper targets.  There are four numbered levels; Level 1 is the lowest and Level 4 is the highest.  Successful earning of a badge depends on the result(s) of shooting a grouping target.  A grouping target consists of two large black circles and you’re supposed to hit the centres using 10 pellets (5 for each circle).  Cadets are aiming for accuracy and precision.  The best outcome is to hit the same spots five times.  (It’s possible).  I awarded two Level 1s, two Level 2s, one Level 3, and three Level 4s to eight happy cadets.  Cadets who reach Level 4 early in the year now have to maintain that level and are encouraged to advise/assist struggling cadets, if capable.  (They don’t lose the badge if their skill level drops).

Cadet receiving Silver PT Badge.

Newly joined cadets.

Next were the physical training (PT) badges.  One of the key pillars of the Canadian cadet program is physical fitness.  The corps holds a PT test at the beginning of every month, giving cadets the opportunity to improve the fitness, health, and earn badges.  There are 4 levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Excellence.  Achieving these levels requires meeting certain conditions, too long to list in this post. (Sorry).  I too participate in these tests even though I won’t earn a badge.  A commanding officer must lead by example.  I awarded two bronze, two silvers, and two gold badges to six happy cadets. 

I called three cadets to the front to publicly acknowledge them for attending summer camps this past summer.  The cadets completed courses in marksmanship, expedition, and drill.

The last group of cadets I called were the newly recruited cadets.  I wanted to formally & publicly welcome them to Canada’s most northern cadet corps.

I once again thanked parents, guardians, and community members for attending the parade.  The cadets & I posed for a group photo after the parade had finished.  Reception lasted for 15 minutes.  It took the cadets & I another 15 minutes to put everything away. 

The annual Fall Biathlon competition was held on Saturday, October 29.  The competition combines marksmanship & physical training, and gives cadets the opportunity to put their skills to the test for prizes & bragging rights.  The objective is to complete the shooting & running relays in the shortest amount of time.  I’m aware biathlon means skiing, but since there isn’t enough snow on the ground and the ice in the bay isn’t fully formed, running is the only alternative.  The cadets run a one-kilometre lap around the school in between shooting relays.  Cadet participation is voluntary, but encouraged.

The day began in the early morning at the school gym.  We turned the large open room into a three-lane air rifle shooting range.  This involved using tables, chairs, sandbags, flags, bowls, clipboards, stop watches, pylons, scorecards, and lots of lead pellets.  The cadets would be shooting metal plinker targets instead of paper targets.  To make things easier, each cadet would be assigned a dedicated lane and stop watch during their relay.  That way, all recorded times would begin at 00:00 and the clocks wouldn’t have to be paused if all the shooting lanes were occupied.  This also meant that more time would be needed to get all participating cadets through.  Past experience taught me the competition would last well into the afternoon.

Start Line.

To ensure fairness, I split the cadets into three groups: first years, second years, and senior cadets.  Cadets were given time to choose an air rifle, practice shooting, and stretch their legs.  Once everyone felt ready, I asked for volunteers to begin the competition.

Cadets who were waiting helped me keep score, time, and refill the bowls with lead pellets.  Everyone was instructed to stay clear of the gym doors because cadets would be coming and going at breakneck speed.

We took a break in the middle of the day for lunch.  Senior cadets boiled a large pot of water on a Coleman stove and used it to cook Canadian-made Individual Meal Packages (IMPs).  An hour was set aside for lunch.

The competition continued in the afternoon.  The remaining cadets completed their relays.  They were tired but relieved to be finished.  We spent the next 20 minutes putting everything away and cleaning the gym.  The cadets were formed up for a debriefing.  I congratulated them for participating in the competition.  The results & winners would be posted on Wednesday.  I gave the cadets 30 minutes to play sports in the gym.

A surprise greeted me a few minutes before I formed up the cadets for final dismissal.  A parent came into the office with a box containing a decorated birthday cake she made.  She said my mother ordered it for me.  The cake had a picture of a parachuting skydiver on it, referencing my recent accomplishment at Skydive Toronto in July.  My mother contacted Frank and he contacted the parent who runs a birthday cake business.  Thanks Mom!  I thanked the parent for making the cake.  I shared a part of it with the cadets and then took the rest home.