21st Annual Ceremonial Review - 858skookumchuk.ca - 858 SKOOKUMCHUK SQUADRON ROYAL CANADIAN AIR CADETS
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
858 SKOOKUMCHUK SQUADRON ROYAL CANADIAN AIR CADETS Welcomes you! 21st Annual Ceremonial Review June 7, 2020 Virtual ACR 858skookumchuk.ca
Special Thanks to our Generous Community Supporters 858 Skookumchuk Squadron would like to recognize the following groups and individuals for their generous and unfailing support to youth on the Sunshine Coast: Airspan Helicopters - Sechelt British Columbia Gaming Commission BCIT YVR Campus - Richmond Blackcomb Helicopters - Sechelt Dale Brackett - Gibsons Canadian Museum of Flight - Langley Canadian Tire ‘Jump Start’ Program Cascade Aerospace - Abbotsford Claytons - Sechelt Conair Group Inc. - Abbotsford Custom Flooring Centres - Sechelt Dr. Stacey Rosenberg - Gibsons Elphinstone Aero Club - Sechelt Eye Deal Optical - Gibsons Fly! Air Taxi- Sechelt Georgian Trading Co. - Sechelt Nicole LaChance - Davis Bay Gibsons Lions Club - Gibsons Harbour Air - Sechelt Noah’s Water - Sechelt Ken Shearsmith – Royal LePage Recreational Aircraft Association Chapter 580 - Sechelt Royal Canadian Legion Branch 109 - Gibsons Russell Crum – Russell F Crum Law Corporation - Gibsons Sam Jay and Beverly Hudson School District #46 SC Naval Association SCRD - BC Ferry Junior Team Travel Voucher Program Darnelda Siegers - Sechelt SPANI Developments - Sechelt Sunshine Coast Air - Sechelt Diana Starbuck - RE/MAX Oceanview Realty Starbucks - Gibsons & Sechelt Sunshine Coast Lions Club - Sechelt Tim Horton’s - Gibsons Joan Thibault - Gibsons Trailbay Source for Sports - Sechelt Vital Signs & Graphics - Sechelt Wilson Creek U-Brew - Gibsons All who made donations during our Coast-wide tagging days. 1
Message from the Commanding Officer Congratulations to all of the 858 Skookumchuk cadets for a strange and wonderful year. This COVID 19 situation sure changed things up, but let’s not forget what happened before that. We have done so much this year... • Monday nights were Ground School run by VI Mark Evans and OCdt Trish Scott with the help of WO2 Regan Scott teaching. • Thursday nights were Range night at Gibsons Legion with VI Jordana Bystedt as coach and myself as Range Safety Officer/Frosty buyer. • September 14-15 we held our first Senior Leadership Workshop. OCdt Scott ran the weekend and Pamela Kaatz taught a lesson on lesson planing. It was a good time for the senior cadets to polish their planning skills and begin taking on leadership roles. • September 21st was All About Flight at the Sechelt Airport, where we had great airplane static displays, the cadets showed the public what our program has to offer and raffle ticket sales raised funds for 858 Skookumchuk activities. • On October 5-6, three reps attended the Air Cadet League of Canada - BC Provincial Committee‘s AGM and training conference. • October 19-20 was our New Cadet Weekend the Sechelt airport. 858’s newest cadets left with new friends, new skills and an understanding about the cadet program. • October 27 was our Air Training Day, including familiarization flying, range orientation with Lt(N) Jeff Baxter and air skills taught by senior cadets. VI Eric Scott and VI Steve Drinkwater were our pilots. We are very grateful to them for donating the use of their planes and their time to the Squadron. • November 16-17 was our fall field training exercise (FTX) at Camp Burley. Our water catching training was a huge success (it rained ‘a bit’ during the second night - we got to see how many cadets would fit under one tarp!). Senior cadets climbed a mountain while practicing map and compass. Skits and songs around the fire were enlightening - and entertaining. Wildlife awareness was taught in the open field by OCdt Scott (I think we saw a bear?), and the canoe adventure and skill training was very successful. • On November 25, OCdt Scott, Victoria Gazeley and Carrie Evenson chaperoned our Squadron on a field trip to Cascade Aerospace and Conair Aerial Firefighting in Abbotsford, then to the Spaghetti 2
Factory for lunch, followed by an adventure at Castle Fun Park. • In November, we were able to support 109 Gibsons Legion with their Poppy Tagging and joined them in their Remembrance Day parade. We also were able to have cadets stand at the Robert’s Creek Legion, as well as at the ANAVET parade on Gambier Island. • December 6-7, our Marksmanship team competed in Sydney on Vancouver Island at the Al Banky Memorial Air Rifle Competition. Our team represented our Squadron well and had a great time. • Mid-December brought a carolling night outside the Independent store in Sechelt to contribute to the Salvation Army Kettle Drive. • January 1, a small group of cadets came out to assist with the Lions Club’s Polar Bear Swim. The water was kinda warm!?! • January 7 myself, Lt (N) Jeff Baxter, SSC Chair Victoria Gazeley, Const. Kevin Shepherd (RCMP) and FSgt Jonah Byron met at the Sechelt Airport to conduct a mock review board for two cadets who were applying for Cadet scholarships: WO2 Regan Scott and FSgt Keaton McIlwraith. We also offered another session in December for senior cadets interested in working on their interview skills. Many thanks to OCdt Scott for organizing. • February 20 was our annual Effective Speaking Competition at St. Hilda’s Church in Sechelt. Six cadets participated, with others coming out to support their fellow cadets. FltCpl Sam Rooney was determined to be the winner by our panel of three judges from the community. He then went off the following week to represent 858 Skookumchuk Squadron at the regional competition in Delta. • February 13-15, the Squadron ventured to Victoria, BC for a weekend of exploration. Nicolas Simons, MLA hosted a fabulous tour of the Legislative Buildings; we also toured the Royal BC Museum and the BC Aviation Museum, had a swim at the wave pool, walked around Victoria, had lunch at the food trucks, dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory, went for a hike, slept in an Armoury, and went on four ferry rides! The whole weekend was a huge success. • February 18 I presented our first workshop on the topic of working with youth to a group of parent volunteers. I would like to do this again. Keep an eye open - we’d love to see more parents come out to learn new skills and share experiences. • March 4 brought a trip to the Sechelt Fire Department training centre. The evening was a lot of fun and very educational. Thank you to the firefighters who volunteered their time, shared with us some of what they do, and passed on some of their knowledge. Once the Pandemic hit in mid-March, our training year ground to a halt as we worked on moving everything to ‘virtual’, including a Boot Polish Challenge and a Mess Dinner Challenge. FltSgt Andrew Parsley sent us a photo of him eating at his dinner table in a bow tie on the night we were supposed to be having our mess dinner. Kudos, FltSgt Parsley! 3
In May, we asked the cadets to get dressed up in their uniforms and salute for a photo, which we then designed into a collage poster to distribute within our community and beyond that thanks essential workers throughout Canada. Sgt Aiden Cleland-Hura is organizing the distribution. We have also had two virtual parade nights and now our ACR is virtual as well. Just a few thank you’s for the support that we received last year. Without this support this program would not be able to run. Thank you’s goes out to: • all of our screened parents for helping out with Tagging weekend; • Robert Kaatz for Screening our parent volunteers; • Brent Sanford for taking on the role of facilitating the Duke of Edinburgh Program for our Squadron; • VI Evans and OCdt Scott for volunteering their Monday evenings to offer our cadets a top notch ground school training program; • Scott and Carrie Evenson for managing uniforms, arranging tagging weekends and countless hours supporting our Squadron; • VI Jordana Bystedt for volunteering her time as our Squadron’s Range Coach, including accompanying the team to Sydney; • Pamela Kaatz for presenting lessons for our senior cadets; • VI Dale Leekie for teaching lessons on parade nights. Good luck to you and your wife on your new adventure! We will miss you; • Victoria Gazeley and the Squadron Sponsoring Committee volunteers/directors: Sara Parsley, Carrie Evenson, Scott Evenson, Debbie Weeks, Sheri Hildebrandt and Jillian Dueck for working hard to put our cadets first by helping to offer a wonderful program; • Christine Fearn for preparing canteen on parade nights; • Our Regional Cadet Support Unit and Maj Derrick Gee for the ongoing support you provide to our cadets; • Capt Fitzgerald for stepping in at helping out at “All About Flight”; • Lt (N) Baxter for his role as Administration Officer and so much more; • OCdt Scott for stepping up to become a commissioned Officer in the Canadian Military and embarking on the Training Officer role, as well as assisting the sponsoring committee with all your wisdom. • VI Eric Scott and VI Steve Drinkwater for flying our cadets; • The Sechelt Regional Airport (Greg and Dana Caple) for your ongoing support and the use of your facilities; • School District 46 for the use of Davis Bay Elementary School; • Gibsons Legion Branch 109 for providing the use of their facility for various events and the support that you offer our cadets; • Our wonderful Sunshine Coast community who put money in our tagging cans, which provide the opportunity to offer this program to a growing number of youth on the Coast; and • Our senior cadets who built lesson plans and summoned the courage to stand in front of your peers and teach our program. For the person reading this who helped out the Squadron and who is saying, ‘What about me??’ I am sorry, please forgive me but it doesn’t mean that you are not important!!! 4
A special note of congratulations to WO1 Regan Scott for the distinct honour of being selected to attend the National Summer Camp to obtain his power pilot’s licence. Being selected for this training is no small feat. Well done, WO1 Scott! Unfortunately, due to the current situation, all summer camps and programs have been cancelled until September. We want to congratulate all of the cadets who have been promoted, and/or won awards and medals. You have all passed your levels and will be moving to the next in the new training year in September! I am so happy to spend time with you all this past year and am looking forward to seeing you in September. I have no doubt you all will take on the challenge of coming out of this better and stronger. Have an awesome summer! Capt Douglas, CD Commanding Officer 858 Skookumchuk Squadron ___________ Capt David Douglas joined Skookumchuk 858 Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron shortly after his oldest son joined in 2013. Capt Douglas’ first foray into the cadet world was joining the Navy League Cadets at HMCS Discovery in Vancouver when he was 9, where he was active in the marching band and learned to sail in Coal Harbour. At 18, he enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air Force, serving from 1985-1993. He was an MSE-OP, specializing in operating heavy equipment at CFB Edmonton. He remustered to become a PE Recreation Instructor, posted at CFB Cornwallis as a Recruit Instructor. During this time, he was very involved in with Special Olympics, on the Board as the Volunteer Convenor, as well as provincial level floor hockey referee. He also coached swimming, soccer, track & field, and floor hockey. In addition, he spent time teaching First Aid for St. John’s Ambulance and was a Registered Fitness Instructor in Alberta, Nova Scotia and British Columbia. Upon returning to BC, Capt Douglas began work as a longshoreman on Vancouver’s waterfront, which he continues to this day. He also worked as a Wilderness Instructor for Young Offenders at the Porteau Cove location of the Maple Ridge Wilderness Program. Capt Douglas lives in Tuwanek with his wife, Sara and their two sons, Jamie and Matthew. The family are very active, hiking and canoeing regularly, as well as playing in the Suncoast Community Band. 5
Message from the Training Officer OCDT PATRICIA SCOTT I was a very late joiner to the RCAC. I started off as a parent volunteer with my husband in Abbotsford around 2010 and when our family moved to the Sunshine Coast I eventually jumped in whole hearted in the 858 Skookumchuk SSC in 2015. In 2019 I began the journey to become an officer in aims to work more directly with the cadets delivering training and development opportunities and supervision. On October 16, 2019 I was sworn in in front of our Squadron, I am thankful I got to share that moment with the 858 cadets who inspire me day in and day out. The cadet movement in Canada is an exceptional opportunity for young persons age 12-18 to learn and develop leadership, responsibility and skills. Year after year I am so amazed to see the accomplishments of our senior cadets as they age out and enter adulthood on solid ground with confidence. Being able to be a part of the weekly routine of such a varied group of youth and watch each cadet thrive and grow in a safe and organized program over a few years is quite rewarding. I sure hope each cadet and their family reflects on our Squadron and all our members for years to come with fond memories, I know I certainly will. The friends I have made through the SSC and DND and experiences I have had working with the cadets are hard to express in a short paragraph, I welcome you to ask me why I am proud to be a part of the 858 Skookumchuk RCAC anytime and share a bit about our Squadron and our cadet program. Sincerely, OC Scott 6
Message from the SSC Chair My interest in planes started early - as a child attending the Abbotsford Airshow every single summer... awed by the wingwalking, aerobatics, ‘celebrity’ aircraft and military fighters pushing the edge of sonic booms. My first flight was at age 9 or 10, and since then I’ve traveled in float planes, umpteen different types of commercial aircraft, and helicopters with film crews shooting adventure races over ocean, river and forest. It never fails to seem a bit miraculous. As for my son, his first flight came early on, on a float plane to Vancouver Island - he was hooked, too. In spring 2018, we visited Davis Bay Elementary on a Wednesday evening to observe our first 858 Skookumchuk Squadron Parade and signed up pretty much right there. Since that day, it’s been a powerful time of stretching comfort zones, learning valuable and unique new skills, and working with some really wonderful people... for my son AND myself. In my second year with the Squadron Sponsoring Committee, I’ve been beyond fortunate to work with an experienced and talented team of staff, parents and supporters, all committed to bringing the best of themselves to the program for the sake of the cadets. I thank them for making our second year with 858 Skookumchuk Squadron so welcoming and rewarding. It was unfortunate that our training year was cut short due to the pandemic shutdown, and that the cadets missed out on a number of activities we know they (and we) were looking forward to. With luck, we’ll be all clear in the fall to begin a brand new and exciting training season. We’re very much looking forward to expanded growth and opportunities for youth on the Sunshine Coast in 2020/2021. Victoria Gazeley Squadron Sponsoring Committee Chair ___________ Victoria grew up on the Sunshine Coast. After two decades in the city, she and her son returned to the Coast in 2008. In 2011, tired of commuting to an office, she packaged her skills to launch a web/graphic design studio from the loft of her vintage, hand-hewn log cabin in the woods, and has since served entrepreneur and small business clients from around the world. She has been involved with 858 Skookumchuk Squadron since September 2018. 7
Representing the BC Committee of the Air Cadet League of Canada BRYAN LEPKE Bryan has lived in the tri-cities area of the Lower Mainland most of his life. In 1986, at age 18 he joined the family commercial millwork company where he still works today. In December of 1996 his son Ryder was born. In 2010 friends of Ryder’s joined Air Cadets and started his interest in the program, and in 2011 he joined 754 Phoenix Air Cadets in Port Moody. Bryan found the program so interesting and positive that he really wanted to help out and at one of the parent meetings approached one of the SSC members to ask if there was any way he could help. It didn’t take long for the SSC (Squadron Sponsoring Committee) to figure out they had an eager beaver in their midst and early in 2012 Bryan was approached by the SSC chair and asked if he would be willing to take over that position to which he readily agreed… after all it’s only 2 hours a week… and at the next 754 AGM Bryan was elected chair. He was lucky to have an excellent committee in place that already knew how things ran and so the transition went relatively smoothly. The time that Bryan spent as SSC chair, although sometimes challenging, was extremely rewarding and so in 2014 when his time as chair was up he knew he didn’t want to leave the program and eagerly accepted the opportunity to join the BCPC as League Representative. In his own words, “The amazing work that so many people do, as volunteers, to provide necessary tools and unequalled opportunities for our youth to succeed in their future compels me to do the best that I can to help.” 8
858 Skookumchuk Squadron Cadets 2019/2020 FSgt Callum Baxter FCpl Kylar Marola-Hugh FCpl Liam Bedlington Cpl Shenay McIlwraith FSgt Jonah Byron FSgt Keaton McIlwraith FSgt Aiden Douglas Cleland-Hura Sgt Amelia Mellis FCpl Brayden Davison Fsgt Andre Montes WO2 Matthew Douglas FCpl Dominik Nikodem Sgt Kayla Evenson FSgt Andrew Parsley FSgt Tyler Evenson Cpl Jaden Reinson FCpl Christopher Fawcus FCpl Caleb Robinson FSgt Simon Fearn FCpl Sam Rooney FCpl Matthew Germain FCpl Jäger Rosenberg FCpl Quinland Grant-Byrnes FCpl Alexandria Sanford FCpl Landon Gravelle WO1 Regan Scott Cpl Shane Gudbranson Cpl Bryan Shen FCpl Kai Edward Hildebrant Cpl Kaiden Shepherd Cpl Kendra Hood FSgt Luke Shimizu Sgt Erin Isabella Kaatz FCpl Brandon Trewin Cpl Griffin Kendel FCpl Talon White FCpl Sean Landry Cpl Rowan Zack FCpl John Mailey FCpl Shahvir Zack Cpl Henry Zhang 9
858 Skookumchuk Squadron Officers, Staff & Volunteer Instructors Commanding Officer - Capt David Douglas Administration Officer - Lt (N) Jeff Baxter Training Officer - OCdt Patricia Scott Instructor - VI Jordana Bystedt (Range/Drill) Instructor - VI Mark Evans (Ground School) Instructor - VI Dale Leekie Instructor - VI Eric Scott (Fam Flying) Instructor - VI Steve Drinkwater (Fam Flying) Sponsoring Committee Chair - Victoria Gazeley Secretary - Carrie Evenson Treasurer - Sara Parsley Screening Officer - Robert Kaatz Director - Scott Evenson Director - Debbie Weeks Director - Sheri Hildebrant Director - Jillian Dueck 10
Inspection Program OFFICIAL PARTY Air Cadet League of Canada Representative - Mr. Bryan Lepke Regional Cadet Support Unit (Pacific), Canadian Armed Forces Representative Maj Derrick Gee, CD 858 Skookumchuk Commanding Officer - Capt David Douglas, CD 858 Skookumchuk Sponsoring Committee Chair - Victoria Gazeley MASTER OF CEREMONIES WO1 Regan Scott SINGING OF O’CANADA WO2 Matthew Douglas RECITATION OF POEM FCpl Sam Rooney STATIC DISPLAY SLIDESHOW FSgt Jonah Byron 11
Inspection Program SCHEDULE OF EVENTS 1:45 Virtual ‘Arrival’ of Guests Photo Slideshow of Cadet Activities 14:00 Introduction by the Master of Ceremonies (WO1 Regan Scott) O Canada (WO2 Matthew Douglas) (PLEASE STAND) Recitation of ‘High Flight’ (FCpl Sam Rooney) Commanding Officer’s Address (Capt David Douglas) Presentation of Awards (Capt David Douglas & Lt [N] Jeff Baxter) Air Cadet League Representative’s Address (Mr. Bryan Lepke) Regional Cadet Support Unit Representative’s Address (Maj Gee) Senior Cadet Address (FSgt Simon Fearn) Closing Address (Victoria Gazeley, Sponsoring Committee Chair) 15:00 Virtual Static Displays - will be displayed via screenshare after dismissal. 12
Awards & Presentations Level Achievement Awards Level One Level Two Level Three Level Four Level Five Range Awards Effective Speaking Awards Long Service Award Russell F. Crum Parade Commander Award Lord Strathcona Medal Legion Medal of Excellence Presentations 13
Partnership Role Between the DND, CIC, ACL and SSC The Air Cadet League of Canada (ACL) and the Department of National Defense (DND) both support the Royal Canadian Air Cadets, a premier and beneficial youth organization. The Air Cadet Program is a comprehensive program, which is run in a very organized, disciplined, and safe manner. Saying that, it is important to ensure that all volunteers are appropriately selected, well – intended, initially supervised, offer skills that add value and complement the program, and are good role models for Air Cadets. Knowing the skills and talents of each and every volunteer and their intention towards the program is fairly important to the Squadron Officers, staff and Sponsoring Committee, as a good team effort produces the best results for the greater benefit of the Air Cadet Movements, or more generally, the cadet movement as a whole. The Air Cadet League’s responsibilities for Civilian Instructors (CI) and Volunteers complement those of the DND and are more of a supporting nature. The Commanding Officer of the squadron and his supporting staff have command and control of the Cadets and are responsible for overall supervision of the training program that is conducted. To fulfill its responsibilities to the Cadets, DND is required to conform to rulings by the Supreme Court of Canada that defined the level of care required by an organization in protecting youth under its direction. In fact, the level of care has been defined in a way that would be similar to a parent protecting their child. Saying that, it is also reasonable that our registration and screening protocols for Civilian Instructors and Volunteers meet the same standard of that of the Canadian Forces, both Regular and Reserve, as well as contracted Civilian Instructors. The Air Cadet program operates within a partnership agreement between the Department of National Defense (DND) and The Air Cadet League of Canada (ACL), a civilian volunteer organization. The British Columbia Provincial Committee (BCPC) of the ACL is administered by a five person Executive committee under the direction of a ten member Board of Directors. The Directors are elected by the members of BCPC at the Annual 14
General Meeting. BCPC’s office is located at Boundary Bay Airport, Delta, BC, and its day-to-day operations are administered by a part time Chief Administrative Officer and a full time Financial Office Assistant. There are currently 58 Squadrons in BC, geographically grouped into three zones supported by Group Chairs. Each zone is then subdivided into Wings which are also supported by Wing Chairs. The main areas of responsibility for the British Columbia Provincial Committee include: • The formation of new squadrons • Providing training and support for Squadron Sponsoring Committees • Assisting with the recruitment of officers and cadets into the program • Publicising and promoting cadet activities and programs. • Maintaining our fleet of 6 tow planes and twelve gliders. • For the past several years, our glider flying program has received generous financial assistance from the British • Columbia Gaming Commission by way of its “Direct Access Grant Program”. • Administering the Effective Speaking Program in BC, (also funded through the Direct Access Grant program). • Processing applications for National Scholarship Courses • Sponsoring Work Experience programs with industry partners to provide opportunities for Cadets to earn • Graduation Transition Credits • Administering the Air Cadet Foundation of British Columbia, a charitable society established to maintain and grow • the Air Cadet Program in British Columbia. 15
A Short History of 858 Skookumchuk The 858 Skookumchuk Squadron began as a vision of our first Chair of the Squadron Sponsoring Committee, Ms. Joan Thibault. Joan’s accomplishment was best described by our first Commanding Officer Russell Crum: “Joan is one of those rare individuals who not only sees what she wants to achieve, where others do not, but has the energy, willpower, motivational skills and downright stubbornness necessary to see the vision created.” The 858 Skookumchuk Squadron was formed as a “satellite squadron” known as the “Gibsons Flight” of 103 Thunderbird Squadron in North Vancouver in September of 1997. After functioning as a satellite for one year, and recruiting enough cadets, officers and civilian instructors to form a functioning Air Cadet Squadron, the Department of National Defence and the Air Cadet League of Canada granted a Charter to the unit in October of 1998, with the name of Skookumchuk, and the number 858. The Skookumchuk name comes from an area on the Sunshine Coast called Skookumchuck Rapids. Skookumchuck means “Mighty Waters” in the dialect of the Sechelt Nation – the local indigenous people of the Sunshine Coast. The squadron crest was designed from an anonymous submission from one of our cadets titled “Raven over Skookumchuck at Dawn” and depicts a stylized west coast native representation of a raven over frothing water with the sun rising behind. “As Founder and first chairperson of the Parent Sponsoring Committee of the 858 Skookumchuk Squadron, RCAC it is hard to believe we are celebrating our 21st Anniversary. I have seen many changes through the years. From inception, youth eager to learn about anything “Air” was fascinating. We were a strong Squadron 21 years ago. We are a strong Squadron today. This has been accomplished by a dedicated Sponsoring Committee, parents and volunteers including the Gibsons Legion, and our flying community. All have given unselfishly of their time and talents for those youth who recognized opportunity and seized it! May the next years be as successful! Congratulations 858.” - Joan Thibault, First Chairperson, 858 Skookumchuk Squadron 16
You can also read