Rockwood – Cadets from the 1882 Wellington Rifles stood guard, top, and cadets from the RCAC 197 Typhooon Squadron from Acton lowered and raised the flags, above, at the cenotaph for the Remembrance Day ceremony in Rockwood last Saturday.
Photos by Chris Daponte – The Wellington Advertiser
Acton Air Cadets Matthew Davey, left, and James Cargill helped lower the flags at the cenotaph during the Nov. 11 ceremony in Rockwood.
Photo by Chris Daponte – The Wellington Advertiser Vol 49 Issue 47
Top cadet – Sgt. Harley Christie, left, was awarded the Air Cadet of the Year award from Captain Scott Legge at the June 12 Annual Cadet Review of 197 Typhoon Squadron.
ACTON – June 12 was an exciting day for the cadets and staff at 197 Typhoon Squadron.
All 40 cadets were on parade demonstrating spectacular drill, impeccable dress, and outstanding deportment, as part of their Annual Cadet Review at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 197.
This event signifies the end of another successful training year, and what a better way to celebrate that than to pass out individual awards, team awards, and unit recognition to those cadets who demonstrated the highest calibre skills, dedication, leadership, commitment and citizenship.
Lieutenant Commander Derek McNally was the reviewing officer for this year’s parade, a very important role in the overall ceremony.
The reviewing officer is the guest of honour, who inspects the cadets’ standard of uniformed-dress, drill demonstration and overall deportment.
After completing a challenging year of cadet training, it is a privilege to have someone with 20 years of experience in the cadet program as a guest, officials state.
“Both the drill team and drum line demonstrations were cadet driven, with the drill team being the first year in current memory that we have seen drill with arms,” said Captain Scott Legge, commanding officer.
“This is completely due to the initiative of two cadets who attended drill and ceremonial instructor courses last summer and brought what they had learned back to the squadron.”
Sgt. Harley Christie was presented with Air Cadet of the Year, for her outstanding contributions to almost all squadron activities throughout the year.
Retiring squadron chief, Warrant Officer 2nd Class Kate Nason was presented with the Legion Medal of Excellence for outstanding citizenship and contribution to the community.
The cadet program offers a variety of dynamic training and experiential opportunities to local youth between the ages of 12 and 18.
Both during the school season and throughout the summer, air, army and sea cadets participate in numerous activities ranging from gliding, sailing, and camping to training and cultural exchanges all across the globe. In doing so, cadets develop transferable, career-enhancing skills that will last them a lifetime.
Winners at the review include:
– Best 1st Year Cadet Award: sponsored by Acton Home Hardware awarded to Cpl. Nicole Schenk;
– Best dressed Cadet: sponsored by Legion branch 197 ladies auxiliary awarded to Sgt. Alessio Luna;
– Top Lottery Ticket Sales: sponsored by the Squadron Sponsoring Committee awarded to F/Sgt. James Cargill;
– Initiative: sponsored by the Township of Guelph-Eramosa awarded to Sgt. Alessio Luna;
– Enthusiasm: sponsored by the Town of Halton Hills awarded to WO2 Kirstan Foley;
– Top Instructor: sponsored by the Optimist Club of Halton Hills awarded to WO2 Kate Nason;
– Best Junior NCO: sponsored by the Rotary Club of Acton/Rockwood awarded to F/Sgt Madison Blackwood and F/Sgt James Cargill;
– Leadership: sponsored by Royal Canadian Legion Branch 197 awarded to WO2 Sheldon Hannaford; and
– Air Cadet of the Year awarded to Sgt. Harley Christie.
Submitted Photo – The Wellington Advertiser Vol 49 Issue 30
ACTON – 197 Air Cadets Typhoon Squadron puts on a show for their Annual Ceremonial Review.
The 197 Typhoon Squadron showcased their talents again this year.
It is a distinct honour as a Commanding Officer to be able to promote a fellow officer. It was an especially great honour for Capt. Scott Legge to be able to promote his son, Chris Legge to the rank of Captain. Capt. Chris Legge started with 197 Squadron at age 12 and spent 7 years with the squadron, completing his final two years as WO1, the highest ranked cadet in the squadron. He joined the CIC while attending university and by the time of this promotion had risen to the same rank as his father.
WO2 Ellen Dobbs of the Acton Air Cadets receives her First Solo Certificate from her Instructor.
For the past seven weeks, 14 cadets from 197 Typhoon squadron in Acton have been away at three different Cadet Summer Training Centers (CSTC). There they joined cadets from all over Ontario on various courses designed to complement and enhance their local headquarters training, as well as providing the opportunity to meet new friends and of course have fun!
197 Squadron Commanding Officer, Captain Scott Legge said, “Summer courses are a great opportunity for cadets to grow personally, learn new skills, expand their knowledge base and gain confidence and independence. Air cadet summer courses really give teens the opportunity to spread their wings and push the limits of their comfort zone in a positive, supportive and enabling environment that will benefit each of them in their future cadet, academic, social and employment endeavors.”
The eight youngest cadets attended Trenton CSTC for General Training, a two-week course designed to give them an introduction to the summer training center and the various specialized courses they can apply for in the future. Three older cadets attended three-week courses at Blackdown CSTC in Borden focusing on Sports and Fitness and Drill and Ceremonial.
Three of the Senior cadets were selected for advanced courses: Flight Corporal Sheldon Hannaford attended the six-week Drill and Ceremonial Instructor course at Trenton and Sergeant Bart Amroz, the six-week Survival Instructor course at Blackdown. The new squadron chief, Warrant Officer Second Class Ellen Dobbs won a Power Pilot scholarship and is now competing her seven-week course at Durham Flight Center in Oshawa where she is earning her private pilot’s licence. Being selected for Power Pilot is the pinnacle of Air Cadet summer training, earned through a highly competitive process of examinations and interviews.
197 squadron is looking forward on welcoming back all these cadets and looking forward to them teaching their newly learned skills to the rest of the squadron.
Participation in the summer training program is not limited to the cadets, as two of the squadron’s officers, Captain Kati Nuttall and Second Lieutenant Alex Gawlina, served at the Canadore CSTC in North Bay for the past seven weeks, leading and supervising cadets from across Canada who were selected to attend the national Advanced Aviation Technology courses.
197 squadron’s 2014/5 Local training season will be commencing soon, offering a dynamic and exciting program to all interested youth between the ages of 12 and 18. As well as a comprehensive local training program, 197 squadron offers a Drill Team, Marksmanship Team, Military Band and a Flight Scholarship program. We also plan an annual trip at March break and weekend activities including sports days, orienteering, survival field exercises, glider and power flying. 197 squadron cadets can regularly be seen at local community events, assisting Royal Canadian Legion Branch 197 and Acton BIA with their events.
197 squadron will be holding a recruiting night on Monday, August 25 at the Acton Legion, 7-9 p.m. All interested local youth and their parents are encouraged to attend to find out more about this free program. 197 squadron parades at the Acton Legion on Tuesday evenings from 6:30-9:15 p.m. throughout the school year. For more information please contact Captain Scott Legge, 519-831-9925.
The aim of the Canadian Cadet Program is to develop in youth the attributes of good citizenship and leadership; promote physical fitness; and stimulate an interest in the activities of the Canadian Armed Forces. The local unit is sponsored by the Air Cadet League of Canada in partnership with the Canadian Armed Forces and our Squadron Sponsoring Committee as well as its primary sponsor – Royal Canadian Legion Branch 197.
Soaring success – Mark Crha of Rockwood, second from left, is the 2013 recipient of the Virginia Mitchell $1,000 award as top male Cadet power pilot in Canada. Crha, a second class Warrant Officer who previously received a familiarization pilot upgrade scholarship last summer, was presented with a watch donated by the Hamilton Watch Company as part of the honour.
On hand for the presentation, from left, were Captain Scott Legge, commanding officer of the Acton 197 Typhoon Air Cadet squadron, Wellington-Halton Hills MP Michael Chong and Major John Scott, national governor of the Air Cadet League of Canada.
Submitted Photo – The Wellington Advertiser Vol 47 Issue 04
