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Sponsored for over 70 years by:
The Rotary Club of Oshawa
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Issue # 4
Week of Sept. 30, 2012
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Attention Parents and Guardians
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Please to come into the school after dropping off cadets or before picking cadets up at the end of the night
to update the Cadets Personal Information form.
These forms have to be signed by every parent/guardian and include details such as home address, phone number, health card number
and in some cases medical information.
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Royal Order of the Glassy Boot
Honourable Members
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F/Cpl Barton, Sgt. Hembruff, Cpl Milne, F/S Bauer, Sgt. Boyden, Sgt. Katzer, Cpl. Hancock, Sgt. Chandler
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You will notice we already have 8 cadets who qualify for admission to this exclusive society. Cadets should remember although they may have been granted membership last year they must now in accordance good Air Force tradition re qualify, if they wish to have their names published in our newsletter.
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We are looking for hard working, sharp cadets who indeed meet the standards of the Royal Order of the Glassy Boot. So there be no doubt the standard for acceptance has not been revised, simply stated, if it’s not glass all around you need not apply for only the best are allowed membership in this Society.
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The challenge is there, if you wish to see your name here start working on your boots today.
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LOTTERY TICKETS
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Once again it is Lottery Ticket time, which those of you who have been with the Squadron for a while know as the mandatory ticket sales we participate in every year. As in past years, we are asking that every cadet and staff member sell two books of lottery tickets. Unlike previous years, we will not be selling “over-quota” tickets, but just the minimum amount which is dictated by the Ontario Provincial Committee of the Air Cadet League of Canada. The senior NCOs who returned in September have already received their tickets and we are now ready to hand out the remainder to the junior members of the Squadron. Mr. Lloyd will be at the attendance desk before opening parade on Monday Night October 1st from 1830 and then again after dismissal.
This year we are adding some incentive prizes for cadets who hand in complete sold books of tickets. Starting on October 15, there will be a weekly draw for a prize. Every sold book of tickets will get you one entry for the draw. After all books are sold, we will have a prize for the cadet that sells the most, as well as something special for the top flight in sales. It is our hope that all tickets will be sold before the Christmas break and then we won’t have to worry about them until next year. There are some great prizes available in this year’s draw, make sure you look at the tickets to see what prizes are up for grabs.
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Some more Highlights from Our Trip to England
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The Fleet Air Arm Museum, Somerset
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The Queen dropped by which was rather nice
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Portsmouth and HMS Bristol our Squadron’s home while in Portsmouth
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On board a British Submarine
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The recently unveiled Bomber Command Memorial and Tower Bridge at night
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At the Para Olympics in London
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Promotions and Medals
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This past week there were two more promotions, a Corporal and a Flight Corporal. In addition there was a special presentation of a cadet service medal to one of the Squadron’s senior cadets. Unfortunately this also marks the end of a cadet career of a very enthusiastic and dedicated individual who is going to be missed.
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Some More News from the Summer Months
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This was a rather special summer for two of our alumni. In the left photo you can see 2LT. Michael Bowman a former cadet Warrant Officer in the Squadron who this past summer was honoured by the Canadian Forces with a special presentation. Michael who graduated from McMaster University in Engineering was selected as the top student on demanding field engineering course held at CFB Gagetown.
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In the second photo LCol Ted Gilbank, a current staff member, can be seen with friends, members of the Squadron Staff and family following a presentation ceremony where he was one of 14 local recipients of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. The medal was presented by the Provincial government at a special ceremony held at Camp Samac.
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Just recently we introduced our readers to three of our Squadron’s newest power and glider pilots. This week we would like you to meet the cadets in this year’s flying scholarship program. This program is an intensive course that is held Tuesday evenings in the Justice Wing at Durham College. The course helps prepare the cadets for the qualifying exam which all candidates must pass before they can be nominated for either a glider or power scholarship.
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The Instructor at the rear of the class is Todd Petzold who has for many years been conducting this special class for our cadets. Without Todd’s contribution to this activity we would not have been able to successfully graduate so many outstanding cadet pilots. Todd your dedication to this program is greatly appreciated.
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THOUGHTS FROM THE TREADMILL
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Last week I shared my thoughts regarding the Duke of Edinburgh program. We had an information session on Wednesday night given by the Executive Director of the program in Ontario. I was rather disappointed with the low number of cadets who turned out for this great program. You still have an opportunity to sign up for the D of E this year. I announced to those in attendance that the Squadron would pay half of the registration fee for each cadet. The program fee is $30.00 per person. If you want to register, please bring $15.00 cash and make sure to see Mrs. Di Loreto at closing parade. If you are still not sure, please read up on the program on their web site. http://www.dukeofed.org/
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Thought a lot about what a great Squadron staff we have in Oshawa. I was able to witness so many different staff members in action this last week and although the tagging that we just finished obviously added a ton of hours to our total for this week, I started trying to count just how many person hours it takes to do what we do. By my rough figuring, it is about 120 person hours a week (actual people at actual cadet activities, not the work at home that has to go with everything we do). Add in tag days this weekend, and you are looking at over 500 hours that squadron staff and volunteers spent at cadet activities from Monday until tonight when I turned the lights out at the hall. Somehow Thank You does not seem to say enough.
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Tag days is not always just about fund-raising for our Squadron. It is the opportunity for friends to get together and socialize while we are working on many different things. This weekend was no different. Between the driving of cadets and rolling money, the staff was able to get the administration office painted (thank you Mrs. Flanagan and Captain Weigel), finish putting together a Shed, and managed to get a bunch of meetings out of the way that put us on a good course to have another successful Tri-Service Dance in December, interview a new officer coming into the Squadron and plan some weekend activities. I had staff in supply most of the weekend getting ready for all of the new recruits we have. This will probably be some form of record for having the recruit course outfitted so quickly. We were also able to have a couple of staff member avoid going crazy purging some very old paperwork from our filing system. Our Squadron HQ is much cleaner and better organized due to all the hard work. Our newest recruits are for the most part entered in the computer system and therefor legal to participate in regular Squadron activities and we have some great looking photo boards set up with lots of pics from the England trip.
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Last thought for the week is about dedication. I was able to pin a Cadet Long Service Medal on a soon to be 19 year old last week. Instead of riding off into the sunset quietly, he came out to every activity this week as well as tagged every shift this weekend. So many people in his shoes would not bother showing up for the less exciting activities, but Sgt Schuldis has shown his true character by giving 100% right up until the end. This is the kind of spirit that makes my job as CO so rewarding.
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Aviation Photo of the Week
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The Canberra bomber of 2 Squadron “flying” through the hanger at Amberley RAAF base Queensland, Australia
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151 Chadburn Squadron
Royal Canadian Air Cadets
*** Excelsior per Debere ***Excellence through Endeavour
Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Oshawa