Captain Mary Ward, Commanding Officer of the 2277 Seaforth Highlanders, Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps (RCACC) of Langley announced that three cadets were presented with top awards at the annual ceremonial review held on June 8 at Langley Secondary School: The Lord Strathcona Award, the Legion Medal of Excellence and the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award.
Shirley Blair from the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 21 of Langley presented the Legion Medal of Excellence to Master Warrant Officer A Fernandes, of Abbotsford. The main objective in awarding the RCL Cadet Medal of Excellence is to emphasize the citizenship aspect of the cadet program. To be eligible for consideration, a cadet must meet a number of conditions including all mandatory training at the cadet corps, participation in community service events over and above those of the cadet Corps, promote goodwill and moral within the cadet corps and other criteria as set forth by the Legion Command.
There were over 50 cadets on parade and the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada Regimental Pipes and Drums performed.
The corps is standing down for summer and training will resume next September. Several cadets from the corps have been accepted into summer training camps ranging in length from one to six weeks and located in Vernon, BC or Whitehorse, Yukon.
The 2277 Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps (Langley) was launched in September 2010. In two years it has grown to over 50 cadets in the program, including a number from Abbotsford, and continues to grow this training year.
In 2012 the Corps won two national awards for growth and recruitment excellence for all cadet programs in Canada:
• 2012 National Cadet Population Growth Gold Award, to the 2277 Corps for cadet corps/squadrons that demonstrate success in growing their cadet populations over a year
• 2012 National Director’s Seal of Excellence, to the 2277 Corps for demonstrating successful initiatives related to growth and/or retention of the cadet population
In April 2012, it also won the top recruitment excellence award for all Army Cadet Corps in British Columbia:
• 2012 Pillars Recognition Award for Excellence in Recruiting, to the 2277 Corps for demonstrating the largest Army Cadet Corps growth in British Columbia.
Youth between the ages of 12 - 18 interested in joining the 2277 RCACC, and their parents, are welcome to attend any Tuesday night at 6:30pm at Langley Secondary School starting in September. The program is offered free of charge to cadets. Anyone interested in joining should contact Captain Mary Ward at 778-867-2225.
The Royal Canadian Army Cadets is a federally-sponsored program for young Canadians ages 12 to 18 that develops in youth attributes of leadership, good citizenship, and physical fitness, while stimulating interest in the history and activities of the Canadian Army. There are currently over 18,000 Army cadets in more than 400 Cadet Corps across Canada.
As a civilian not-for-profit corporation, The Army Cadet League of Canada is committed to supporting The Royal Canadian Army Cadets in a strong partnership with the Department of National Defence and local communities across Canada by developing policies and procedures to achieve the aims and objectives of the Army Cadet movement in particular. You may find further information about The Army Cadet League of Canada by visiting www.armycadetleague.ca .
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