LITTLE CURRENT— With their boots shined up and their buttons polished, the Manitoulin Sea Cadet Corps 348 will be showing their skills to the public this Sunday, June 14 at 2 pm at the Northeast Town recreation centre, while being acknowledged for a year of good work, too.
Members of the public are encouraged to come see the annual Sea Cadet review—a chance for the cadets to showcase their drills, earn awards and new and much anticipated this year, demonstrate the new band with its first ever public performance.
Training Officer Lieutenant (N) Denis Blake explained that thanks to generous funding from the Little Current Lions Club as well as to two civilian instructors coming forward, the band is up and running and a success. As a show of gratitude, Little Current Lions Club President Bruce Burnett has been asked to present some new awards to deserving cadets this year who have shown promise in the area of music.
One of the most prestigious of the awards, the Esprit de Corps Award, which is awarded to the cadet who demonstrates the best qualities of participation, leadership and spirit valued by the corps and voted on by his or her peers through secret ballot, has been renamed the Ed Kift Memorial Esprit de Corps Award. Mr. Kift passed away in late April and, along with fellow Manitoulin Navy League charter member Jeff Marshall, was a driving force behind the formation of Sea Cadets Corps 348.
“We’re hoping to get as many members of the public to attend as possible,” Mr. Blake said, noting that adults with an interest in volunteering either as an officer or a civilian instructor are also encouraged to attend to get a sense of the corps. “It’s also a way for the community to show support for the cadets.”
The review will include the presentation of awards, a performance by the newly-formed band as well as a drill without arms led by Chief Petty Officer Brad Sayyae. This drill consists of his conducting a team of about 12 cadets through 70 different commands. The highly successful and award winning range team will also be giving a demonstration. (The team has won the Sudbury range competition for seven years in a row.)
A light lunch and refreshments will be served in the rec centre lobby following the review.
