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Marching off to summer Rankin cadets end successful year with ceremonial review
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, June 19, 2013
RANKIN INLET
Awards were given, drills performed, and good feelings abounded as the Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps 3019 Rankin Inlet ended its 2012-2013 season with its 26th annual ceremonial review earlier this month.
Elder Tutalik Tudlik lights the qulliq to begin the RCACC 3019 Rankin Inlet's 26th annual ceremonial review in Rankin in June 2013. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo |
Commanding officer 2nd Lt. Dorothy Tootoo said the program went very well this year.
She said all the cadets' hard work and training really paid off.
"I couldn't be any prouder than what I was of their accomplishments this year," said Tootoo.
"We sent seven for professional-development training, and they were all cadets with more than five years in the program.
"They're staying longer and reaching the point of adult-level training.
"We also sent two for a third-year silver star expedition-training exercise and, in October, we're going to send our fourth-year cadets to Winnipeg for gold-and-silver-star training."
Tootoo said during advanced training, cadets have to show they can lead a group in everything from lessons and commands to setting up tents and leading drills.
She said the cadets pass or fail depending on the skill level they exhibit.
"We had 28 cadets on our final parade, with two excused, and we averaged about 32 to 36 per meeting throughout the year.
"We seem to always be around 35 to 40 kids towards the end of every year."
The Rankin corps struggled to find civilian instructors (CI) this past year, and Tootoo said it was much the same this year.
She said the group did well with its CIs until around Christmas, when a number of them said they were too busy to attend regularly.
"We were really left with Deborah Larlee, myself, Alex Siksik and Ryan Ryan trying to run the program.
"The senior cadets really stepped up, with those at the master-cadet level taking on the responsibility of teaching their peers.
"Our senior cadet (George Dunkerly III) aged-out this past April, and we were excited about his paperwork going in for him to be a CI.
"However, he told us earlier this month he plans to go to Nova Scotia for the rest of his schooling, so we're very disappointed to be losing him."
Tootoo said she's still looking for people able to organize their own star level, and be willing to accept the responsibility of organizing the training for their group.
She said she hopes to find someone to take over the program during the next year.
"I'll be there full-force again this coming year, but, the following year, I'd like to take a back seat.
"If there's no one with military training available, I'd stay in an administrative type of capacity.
"I haven't lost my enthusiasm for the program, and I still take tremendous pride in the accomplishments of all our cadets.
"Every time they succeed or get passed on whatever course or competition they happen to be attending - or any kid turns around and gives a high five after nailing something - that's my high point of the year because their success is our success."
Dunkerley, 19, joined cadets at the age of 12, spending seven years in the program and advancing to the rank of master warrant officer before aging-out.
He said cadets is all about leadership, challenges and learning what you're capable of.
"Setting challenges and all the great friends you make are two of the things that kept me coming back for seven years," said Dunkerley.
"You don't think about it at the time, but when you go to a regular cadet night there's usually anywhere from 20 to 40 different kids there.
"If you go to summer camp, even the smallest holds around 350 kids and some of the national camps hold up to 1,000."
Dunkerley said cadets played a positive role in helping to shape the young adult he is today.
He said you have to be positive in the cadet program in order to function well, and he adopted that outlook into his everyday life.
"I still plan on moving away for school, but there will be a time when I'll become a CI and get involved with cadets again.
"Looking back, there are two events I'll never forget about my time in cadets.
"One is when I was selected for the cadet exchange to travel to Australia, while the other is when Lewis Sammurtok and I challenged each other for the Leadership Award one year.
"Lewis and I are best friends, but we're also rivals in cadets trying to outdo each other, and that bet really made for an interesting year."
Dunkerley said he highly recommends the cadet program to kids everywhere.
He said when he's around children who may not have much to do on Monday evenings, he constantly talks about cadets and the benefits of the program.
"Cadets isn't for everyone, but you'll never know if it's right for you unless you try.
"You have nothing to lose and so much to gain just by checking it out."
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