Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Why we do what we do.

On occasion we are sometimes asked how we do it.  How, or why, do we put up with constant travel for cadets?  Our regular parade night is Wednesday.  We are fortunate that in Swift Current sea, air, and Navy League cadets all parade together on the same night, a situation unique in Canada.   Sometimes that will be the only trip we make to Swift Current that week.  Often, though, the cadets will have extra activities.  Sometimes it will be training and sometimes it will be a more formal occasion, such as Remembrance Day parade.  Those extra activities cost us extra trips.

A good example could be a couple of weeks ago.  Wednesday was our usual parade night.  All the boys and myself had our typical duties with our respective units.  Friday was the Sea Cadet/Navy League Christmas mess dinner.  Myself and Michael attended, and Carla stayed in the city after work to help serve the meal.   The next day Sea Cadets had a range night, learning and practising air rifle marksmanship, an activity Michael attended.  Finally Saturday air cadets had ground school, which Mitchell is attending as he hopes to receive the Glider Pilot Scholarship this year.

Four trips were made to Swift Current that week just for cadet activities.  And it's far from unusual.  Sometimes we're lucky and there will be only one extra trip, but it will happen on consecutive weekends.  Ground school this week, drill practice the next, and then a fundraising activity.  Rinse and repeat.

Why do we keep doing it?  I guess the biggest reason is that we recognise the opportunities for our children (and all the children in the cadet program) that the cadet program offers.  And the more activities that they participate in, the greater the rewards.  It's a reality that those who show the most dedication get chosen for summer training spots before others.  They are also more likely to advance into leadership positions and receive awards.  The cadet experience will serve our children well into adulthood with the leadership experience and hands-on skills they learn now.  They learn specific trade skills, but they also learn to be teachers, mentors and role models.  But even more basically, the friendships our kids have developed are lasting ones as their best friends are those who share the same experiences and values.

Sometimes it's frustrating, and sometimes it's exhausting, but in the end, this makes it all worthwhile!  We are so proud of our cadets!




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