Good afternoon.
As I’m sure most of you are already aware, the announcement came out yesterday that the Cadets and Junior Canadian Rangers program has been suspended until 31 August 2020. This wasn’t the news that any of us were hoping for, though it makes complete sense when we consider the circumstances we find ourselves in as a society.
For those of you who haven’t already heard the announcement from BGen Cochrane, the Commander of the National Cadet and Junior Canadian Rangers Support Group can be seen here:
The full general order can be found here:
The loss of the remainder of the 2019/2020 training year is hard to take, and the loss of our summer training program even more so. That said, this does not mean that we’re just going to sit and wait to see what happens next. This has never been our approach and we’re not going to start down that road now. A number of things need to be addressed immediately, like:
- What happens with Merit Review Boards (MRBs) for Warrant Officer Promotions?
These are still on the table, though they will be conducted virtually. - What happens to our Squadron Awards Banquet and the Annual Ceremonial Review (ACR) now?
The actual ceremonies are off of the table, but the awards are still being calculated and tallied. When they’ll be announced/presented is up for some discussion amongst the staff and SSC. - What happens to our training year?
All cadets will be marked as having completed their training year. We’re still going to run through a few exercises like the Combined Aviation Subjects review and exam as an optional activity, just because this knowledge is highly recommended for all L3/L4 cadets, especially those who are interested in pilot training next summer. - What activities can we participate in while we’re isolating?
That’s still under some discussion, but we’re going to have some answers on this soon. We’ve got our current Anniversary Pin competition underway already and have some more in mind. We may also be able to adapt some activities such as the Aerospace Club to an on-line format. Movie watch parties and gaming guilds are possibilities too. If you have any suggestions or want to run something yourselves, we’re open to input from the cadets and parents as always.
This is our opportunity to come together (virtually) and show leadership by presenting a positive attitude through all of this. This too shall pass. When it does, we all need to be able to look back on this and know that we did something to make it bearable to ourselves and our peers.
We won’t let this situation break us. Like the phoenix in our squadron crest, we will rise from this… immortal.
J. Lemoine
Captain
Commanding Officer
809 Newark RCACS
Immortal!