Cadets meeting friends, travelling
Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services
Inuvik (Apr 20/01) - The cadet program in Inuvik has been offering kids a chance to learn new skills, travel, and make new friends for almost 40 years.
Private Derrick Seabrook, 13, and Private Jack Tachynski, 13 are two members of the 2749 (Signals) Inuvik Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps.
Seabrook is now studying how to use maps and compasses, and is looking forward to an upcoming exercise related to their unit on maps and compass.
"We're just going to be getting told, like, where your enemies are in this spot, and then you have to learn it on the map," Seabrook said. "It's going to be fun. We're going to be using paintball guns and that."
The map and compass exercise will be one of many taking place this weekend at the cadets' cabin at Airport Lake.
Tachynski enjoyed earning his communication badge.
"It's primarily learning about the phonetic alphabet and everything, learning how to use the radio types that the military use," Tachynski said.
Both privates attended a cadet camp last summer in Whitehorse, and they said they enjoy travelling and making new friends. They also attended a drilling competition in Yellowknife last year.
Tachynski said he likes the pride he feels when he puts on a cadet uniform.
Formed in 1963
The Inuvik cadets have about 30 members and meet Wednesdays and Sundays during the school year. People can take part from the time they're 12 years old up until their 19th birthday.
The cadets began in Inuvik in 1963. Chris Garven has been commanding officer for six years and said overall he's pleased with how this year has gone.
"We've participated in a lot of activities. We haven't necessarily won a whole lot or done as well as we might have," Garven said, "but they have done very well. They've certainly put the effort into it."
Garven said the number of kids taking part varies from week to week. He pointed out there's no costs with the program, except for maintaining uniforms.
Garven said that, contrary to what some might think, only a small part of the program is geared towards recruiting people for the Armed Forces.
"It's very much a youth program, and we do the things they like," Garven said.
"The leadership and citizenship are the really big pushes that we have."
This summer six cadets from Inuvik will take part in a training camp in Whitehorse, while another cadet has applied for a marksmanship course at Connaught Ranges (just outside Ottawa).
The annual inspection for the Inuvik cadets takes place April 29.
