Changing of the guard
Leadership change a highlight of annual cadet mess dinner
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
NAUJAAT
Cadets of the 3055 RCACC held their annual mess dinner before breaking for the holiday season in Naujaat earlier this month.
Lorena Siusangnark is promoted to sergeant by Mayor Solomon Malliki during the annual 3055 RCACC mess dinner in Naujaat earlier this month. - photo courtesy of Lloyd Francis |
The event featured a Christmas dinner, as well as recognitions and promotions of the cadets and those who volunteered their time to help the corps.
Capt. Lloyd Francis said the event went very well.
He said he had a lot of help with this year's event, and he greatly appreciates everyone's effort.
"A few parents stepped up to help, and my staff was excellent in helping with the preparations," said Francis.
"We cooked turkeys the evening before the event from 6 p.m. until 1 a.m., and then we were back the next afternoon at 1 p.m. to get it all done before the dinner began at 5 p.m.
"We served 80 meals, so it was a lot of work for a 90-minute event, but the cadets really enjoyed it."
A big deal is always made of the cadet promotions at the event, with the three corps elders and special guests often making the presentations.
The top highlight of the night was the passing of the regimental sergeant major's (RSM) drill cane from Chief Warrant Officer Jonathan Ijjangiaq to Chief Warrant Officer Terence Mapsalak.
Francis said the mess dinner was Ijjangiaq's last official cadet event as RSM, as he has now aged out of the cadet program.
He said the passing of the drill cane is quite significant, as it symbolizes the changing of command within the cadet corps with cadet leadership.
"People knew Terence (Mapsalak) was going to assume this role, so that's why Jonathan (Ijjangiaq) took a step back during the past few months to let Terence take the lead, and that included our biggest event of the year, the Remembrance Day service.
"Jonathan has been acting as more of a mentor to Terence during the past year, since he graduated from high school, and always helped out where he could.
"That made the transition a lot smoother and, overall, everybody's happy.
"The corps is now shutdown until after the Christmas holidays, and we'll start training again on Jan. 11."
