Parents Night Parade – December 2025

3045 Army Cadet Corps held its second Parents Night Parade of the 2025-2026 training year on December 10.  I began preparations the week before, purchasing snacks for reception, assembling badges & awards, and printing programs.

The cadets & I arrived an hour early to set up the school gym.  We brought out tables, chairs, flags, snacks, beverages, and awards.  Community members began arriving about 15 minutes before the start of the parade and found seats.  The cadet platoon commander formed up the cadets, took roll call, and sized them.  The cadets remembered their places and were dismissed for a few minutes.  When the audience was seated, I gave the signal for the parade to begin.

The parade began with the cadet flag party marching out with the Canadian & cadet flags and placing them in front of the awards table.  They marched out of the gym and joined the cadet platoon.  The cadet parade commander marched the platoon to the centre of the gym.  I escorted the reviewing officer (RO) into the gym.  The parade commander did the General Salute, followed by the playing of O Canada.  The RO was escorted through the ranks to inspect the cadets on parade.  The cadets then did a march past for the reviewing officer & audience, showcasing their ability to march in unison. 

The RO addressed the cadets, thanking them for putting on a good show, and encouraged them to stay in the program until the very end.  He addressed audience, thanking them for supporting the local cadet corps and encouraging the cadets to become leaders.

The RO assisted me in handing out awards & badges.  I started with the physical training (PT) badges, awarding bronze level to one cadet and gold level to two cadets.  Next came marksmanship, with one cadet earning Level 1, one cadet achieving Level 2, and one cadet being awarded Level 4, the highest level.  The cadet marksmanship program focuses on accuracy, focus, and self-discipline.  Staying on the topic of marksmanship, I called out the cadets who got the highest scores at the Stage 1 Marksmanship competition and announced they would form the corps marksmanship team.

I then announced the winners of the Fall Biathlon competition in October.  The three winners received t-shirts.  The last award given was a promotion to the rank of Sergeant.  The cadet additionally received a red sash to wear with their dress uniform. 

The parade concluded with an Advance in Review Order and a General Salute.  I escorted the RO out of the gym and the cadets were dismissed.  The cadets & I posed for group photos before heading to the reception table.  The audience & cadets enjoyed snacks for a while.  I thanked the RO for volunteering their time & they thanked me for the opportunity.  Cadets began cleaning the gym and putting everything away after parents, guardians, and community members left.  This lasted around 20 minutes.

I formed up the cadets for a quick debriefing.  I congratulated them for a successful parade and informed them what would be happening on the weekend.  The cadets were then dismissed for the remainder of the evening.