proud to be - cadets canada - way ahead process - volume 11 - winter 2000

The official publication of the Way-Ahead Process

Volume 11, Winter 2000

Budman talks to cadetsDepartment of National Defence/Canadian Forces ombudsman says, Call us!

Hit listAdministration tiger teams first hit list means less work for local units

Kissing snakes and climbing mountains

Army cadets in Morocco

Hit listAdministration tiger teams first hit list means less work for local units

Kissing snakes and climbing mountains


2 Proud To Be Volume 11 Winter 2000

Backpacking through Iceland by MWO Allison Blundon was the cadet overallwinner in this years national photo contest. Thirty-six cadets submitted pho-tographs in this years national photo contest. MWO Blundon took the photo-graph with a disposable camera. The cadet with 2584 Royal Canadian ArmyCadet Corps in Whitbourne, NF, was among 10 cadets to go on Atlantic Regionsadventure expedition for a week in September. The cadets backpacked throughsouthern Iceland for five days and did a cultural tour of Reykjavik.

Proud To BeThe official publication

of the Way-Ahead Process

Volume 11 Winter 2000

This publication is produced on behalf

of the Canadian Cadet Movement

including Cadets, Cadet Instructor

Cadre, League members, civilian

instructors, parents, sponsors, Regular

Force and Reservists, and other inter-

ested parties. It is published by the

Way-Ahead co-ordination cell under

the authority of the strategic team.

Proud To Be serves all individuals

interested in change and renewal

in relation to the Canadian Cadet

Movement and the Canadian Forces.

Views expressed herein do not neces-

sarily reflect official opinion or policy.

Proud To Be is published four times

a year. We welcome submissions of

no more than 750 words, as well as

photos. We reserve the right to edit

all submissions for length and style.

For further information, please

contact the Editor Marsha Scott.

Internet E-mail: [email protected]

Editor, Proud To Be Way-Ahead ProcessDirectorate of CadetsMGen Pearkes Bldg, NDHQ101 Colonel By Dr.Ottawa, ON K1A 0K2

Toll-free: 1-800-627-0828Fax: (613) 992-8956E-Mail:[email protected]

Visit our Web site atwww.vcds.dnd.ca/visioncadets

Art Direction: DGPA Creative Services 2000CS-0572

Spring issue February 8, 2001

CopyDeadl ine

ON THE COVER: Cadets from the army cadet summer training centre in Cap Chat, QC, pose for a summitphoto after reaching the top of Mount Albert in the Gasp region of Quebec in July. From left,are Cadet Myriam Janelle Rath, Cadet Tanya Lvesque, Sgt Billy Boulet-Gagnon, Cadet MichelFaubert and Cadet Guillaume Pouliot. The photograph is one of several submitted by civilianinstructor Francis Bourque in this years national photo contest. Fifty-two people submitted126 photos for the contest. Mr. Bourque won the adult overall category of the photo contestwith another photo, but its horizontal format made it impossible to reproduce effectively onthe cover. The winning photo and the photos of all of the contest winners can be viewed on the national cadet web site at www.cadets.ca.

If you intend to submit articles or photographs, please advise the editor well in advance of the deadline.

A Future Founded in Renewal

3The Official Publication of the Way-Ahead Process

Before I joinedarmy cadets, I had been in Cubsfor three years and in Scouts for oneyear. I didnt likeScouts very muchand had decided

not to return the next year. My parentsencouraged me to see what armycadets were all about.

One of the reasons I like army cadets so much is because at school my grades

This is our last issue of Proud To Be. As Maj Kevin Cowieson and Stphane Ippersiel are both writing about this fact on thenext page, Im devoting this space to something more important than any words I could say. Its an article by Pte John Morrell,2928 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps in Truro, NS. It arrived shortly after this issues copy deadline. As the issue was already full except for my own words I decided to print what I could here. What follow are excerpts from his article.

Best practiceTracking cadet alumni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Cadet stuffDeaf but determined

A Calgary cadet encourages cadets to join a section for deaf and hard of hearing cadets in her unit . . . . . . . . 5

A word to webmastersTips for cadet unit webmasters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Power packPower flying training in Cadets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

All in the familyThe granddaughter of a renowned pilot pins on her gliding wings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Cadets across Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Regular featuresCadet Corner: A Yellowknife cadet faces a tough decision to get her jump wings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Speakers corner: a concerned cadet speaks out about under-age drinking in Cadets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Letters to the editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Whats your beef? A cadet wants the army put back into army cadets . . . 38

League newsMaritime interests and cadet programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Kissing snakes and climbing mountains: Cadets in Morocco . . 20

Following her dream: former air cadet becomes Air Canada pilot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

FeaturesCanadas only corps of deaf cadets

2965 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps at the Newfoundland School for the Deaf in St. Johns, NF, turned 21 in September . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Budman talks to cadets The Department of National Defence/Canadian Forces ombudsman represents cadets, officers and civilian instructors too . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Change and renewal newsEvolution not revolution and The end or the beginning?

Proud to Be closes its pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Hit listReducing the administrative load for local units . . . . . . . 10

Structure under scrutinyOfficer feedback on the structure supporting local units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Another one bites the dustCIC/CI policy change action team finishes its work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Occupational structure update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Democracy at workThe new CIC branch advisory council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

New faces at the topA new chief and a new director general for Reserves and Cadets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Winning through partnership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Officer training 2000 and beyond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

From the Editor

are getting much better. I am able toconcentrate more and pay attention to my teachers, and now I dont get into trouble so much at school.

I have changed how I act at home too.Im not as hyper as I used to be and I get my homework done right away, without my parents making me do it. I usually remember to do my choreswithout being told and I dont get intotrouble as much as I used to at home. I try to be a better person and I think my parents trust me more.

So here I am today, doing even better at home and in school and my attitudehas changed a lot for the better, allthanks to army cadets. I really enjoybeing a cadet and doing all the cadetactivities. All I can do is thank Cadetsfor helping me out so much and hope it continues to help others like it hashelped me. E

Thank you Pte Morrell!

In th i s i s sue


Evolution not revo lut ion By Maj Kevin Cowieson

The end or the beginning?By Stphane Ippersiel

When Im askedto write astory, I inevitably callmy wife who, as ajournalist, providessome much neededadvice on the con-tent and structure

of the piece. Needless to say, I am not a professional writer or internal com-munications expert.

To better serve our readers, the cadetmovements premier communication tool Proud To Be is being put into thehands of communicators. The magazinehas evolved from the official change andrenewal publication to the official flag-ship publication of the cadet movement.It makes sense then that the new mag-azine will fall under the guidance of

Stphane Ippersiel, the directorate ofcadets communications manager, ratherthan the strategic change manager.

Just as change and renewal have beenintegrated into the directorate of cadetsorganization, change and renewal newsmust be integrated into a magazine thatgives a fuller picture of the cadet move-ment. The fact is cadets across Canadahave stories to tell, as was so evident inthe fall issue of Proud To Be. Our cadetinstructors cadre officers have stories totell. And our leagues have stories to tell.Some of these stories may be related tochange and renewal. Some may not, but they are still important.

As change and continuous learningbecome integrated into an organization,there is no longer a line between change

and renewal and the everyday businessof the organization. Change and renewalare integral to the healthy growth anddevelopment of the cadet movement. It becomes impossible to draw a linebetween a change and renewal story on best practices, for example, and aprofessional development story for a CIC officer. They are one and the same essential to ensuring that the organi-zation can change and renew itself tomeet the futures needs.

Far from being a revolutionary move,Proud To Be is simply evolving to providethe best service possible to the cadetmovement.

In the meantime, the strategic changecell will continue to focus on its bestpossible service to the movement continuous strategic change. E

The end of the millennium (and manypeople see 2000 as the end of the1900s) is a fitting time for closure, andProud To Be closes its doors here, alongwith the CIC Newsletter. It is not withouta bit of irony that the Way-Ahead magazine is itself a victim of change!

Why close these publications?As with any change, the answeris efficiency and effectiveness. Instead of having two nationalcadet publications intended for the adults in the movement, we are joining the two into a single entity. In the process, weare streamlining our communications to give you all of the

information contained in Proud To Be and the CIC Newsletterin one tight and focussed package. This new magazine willspeak to the leadership of the cadet movement, includingleague members, cadet instructors and senior cadets.

I hope that you will continue to support us with story ideas and your endless supply of suggestions to help make this new magazine the ideal publication to meet your needs. E

Mr. Ippersiel is the communications manager in directorate of cadets.



Deaf but determinedJenny Leung was born with hearingloss. An ear infection in her first cou-ple of years of life resulted in deafness.Today, the 16-year-old wears hearing aids in both ears. She also wears an army cadet uniform.

Pte Leung is no different from otheryouth in the cadet movement. She joinedCadets because she was looking for newexperiences and challenges. She lovesoutdoor activities. Thats why in January2000, she became the first deaf cadet to join 2137 Calgary Highlanders RoyalCanadian Army Cadet Corps in Calgary,AB. Using her skills in sign language and lip reading, she parades weekly with other cadets.

It was Cadet Leungs idea to start a deafand hard-of-hearing section in the corps.Today, the section includes five cadets,most of them Jennys school friends, whoattend a public school offering an inte-grated program for the deaf. Im tryingto encourage young deaf and hard-of-hearing people to get motivated and join the corps, she says.

Corps commanding officer Lt GordCousins is negotiating to acquire the services of a professional interpreter toassist the cadets with star-level trainingon Monday parade nights and duringfield training exercises. According to

Lt Cousins, the services are subsidizedthrough the translation bureau of PublicWorks and Government Services Canadabecause of the units affiliation with theDepartment of National Defence. He hoped to have the services byNovember for a mandatory exercise.

Jenny is attempting to draw everythingshe can from the cadet program, saysLt Cousins. Shes gone abseilling; shestaken part in Cadets Caring for Canada;shes done marksmanship training; andshe gave a three-minute speech inSeptember on changes to the army cadet training program.

Until the unit gets a professional inter-preter, fellow cadet Pte Danielle Tibbett,who learned sign language because shehas a deaf sibling, is helping to interpret.She helped out with the deaf cadetsCadet Harassment and Abuse Prevention(CHAP) training in October.

The cadets help me a lot and Ive made a lot of friends, says Jenny.

Because she reads lips, she is able tounderstand other cadets if they speakslowly. Sometimes she signs with herfriends who understand sign language.Also, she says she speaks clearly. If shehas trouble understanding something,she asks the cadets to write a note.They bring a lot of papers and pens to write to me, she says.

What does she feel the young peopleshes encouraging to join will get out ofCadets?They will learn a lot, take partin fun activities and learn very quickly tobecome good citizens, she responds.

As for herself, shes determined to getthe most out of Cadets. Im workinghard for the cadet movement. I can doanything if Im trying my best.

For more information on the deaf sectionat 2137 RCACC, visit the corps web site atwww.calgaryhighlanderscadets.com. E

Pte Jenny Leung takes part in her corps Cadets Caring for Canada outing. The cadetshelped clear debris from the bottom of Elford Lake for the Alberta Hunter TrainingEducation Society so wheelchair-bound patients could fish there without snaggingtheir lines.


Canada s on ly corps of deaf cadets

In 1978, Charles Harkins, principal ofthe Newfoundland School for the Deaf(NSD) in St. Johns, NF, felt his studentsneeded some new extra-curricular activi-ties. He knew school guidance counsellorJack Jardine had a background in cadets.He approached Mr. Jardine to start acadet corps, and the rest as they say is history.

Today, 2965 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps at NSD is the only corps in Canada consisting entirely of deafcadets. The corps was formed in 1979with 27 cadets and with Stokers Groupof Rotary as its sponsor. As the corpsbegan its 21st year in September with 16 cadets, it had the same sponsor andthe same incredible support from NSD,

which is operated by the provincialDepartment of Education, special services, for the Government ofNewfoundland and Labrador.

In the early days, Rotarians would visitthe corps and watch as corps leadersstruggled through learning not only thedrill of the day, but also, developing signlanguage to transmit the drill movementsto the cadets. Back then, it was believedthat summer camp would never be anoption for deaf cadets.

Three years after the corps began, however, five deaf cadets attendedCamp Argonaut in New Brunswick.Accompanying officers were Lt Jardineand Lt Desmond McCarthy, who wenton to become corps commanding officer a position he has held since 1987.The deaf cadets proved themselves andbased on their performance, three ofthem received shadow ranks and leader-ship roles for the final inspection. Deafcadets from the corps have attendedsummer camp many times since.

Says the long-time commanding officer,now a captain, The first time we wentto camp, everyone, including officers,had the feeling of What do we donow? and How are we going to communicate with these cadets?

And we were the same, he admits.We didnt know how it was going towork out. We just knew we were goingto give it a try.

The cadets had no problems. Othercadets mixed with them, they made a lotof good friends and everything workedwell. They did the same program firstaid, physical education, and marksman-

ship on the range. Of course the cadetsalways had an interpreter with them dur-ing training interpreting words intothe sign language they understood.People looked at us in awe, says Capt McCarthy.

This year, the corps cadets are workingon red, green and silver star-level programs, as well as the bronze and silver levels of the Duke of Edinburghprogram. They are taking first aid,marksmanship and things like cross-country and downhill skiing. They go on weekend outings and exchanges,although Capt McCarthy would like to see more exchanges in future.

Each year, the corps attempts somethingnew something that will create achange for the better. Last year was the first time the corps had its colours on review. During the corps annualreview, there was a colour party, accom-panied by an honour guard with rifles.The rifles were purchased thanks to agenerous donation last year and a rifledrill team was created. All drill is taughtthrough sign language.

Its just amazing, says Capt McCarthy.Its hard to believe unless you see it.

A former cadet instructors cadre officerwith the corps, Capt Wanda Maynard,described drill at the corps in a formerissue of the CIC Newsletter. According toCapt Maynard, a persons initial reactionto seeing the deaf cadets doing drill is tojudge them as being awfully crooked.But she explains, If all the cadets wereto line up exactly where they are sup-posed to be, none would be able to seethe commands being given.As a result,the cadets are in two ranks with the per-

Deaf Cadet MCpl Stephen Kirby signs to JimShields, a war veteran reviewing officerfor the past few years at the RemembranceDay commemoration at the NewfoundlandSchool for the Deaf. The cadets have invitedwar veterans to the school for the past sev-eral years for the event. They share lunch,conversation and a school production. A warveteran serves as the reviewing officer for amini-inspection of the corps, and promotionsare awarded.



son giving the drill commands standingfront and centre. Unlike other cadetchief warrant officers, the cadet CWO is never static on the parade square.

Capt McCarthy has seen more accep-tance of the deaf corps over the years.Were the same as any corps; we justhave a different means of communicat-ing, he says. We have 100 per centsupport from our area cadet office, and army cadet league members are big supporters.

Its easy to see why, when youhear stories like the one CaptMcCarthy tells about a physi-cally challenged former corpsmember. When she started,the cadet now attendinguniversity in the United States had a balance problem. Ittook everything she had just tokeep up, but she did the best shecould and we accepted that, says Capt McCarthy. But by the end of hersix years, her drill was as good as anyoneelse around. When she marched, shewas balanced. Only when she stopped

marching, did she go back to her unbal-anced gait. It didnt stop her frombecoming the corps cadet commandingofficer though, with first-rate marchingcompetence.

Over the years, approximately 300 deafor hard-of-hearing cadets have belongedto the NSD cadet corps. They graduateand 95 per cent of our corps leaders goon to university and end up with degrees,says Capt McCarthy. Sometimes theycome back and work with the corps ascivilian instructors and role models.

Currently, one of the corps formercadets who is hard of hearing, SteshaHodder, is a civilian instructor who hasapplied to become an officer.

Three volunteers who are completingtheir final year of an interpreters programat a local college attend training nightsand are becoming greater assets as the weeks pass.

Interpreters are key to the corps.Without them, the deaf cadets cantattend summer camp or go to higherlevels in some activities. When hes able,Capt McCarthy, who has a mastersdegree in deaf education, interprets for them during summer training.Sometimes, other teachers from theschool have gone to camp as well. But the trick is finding interpreters whodo sign language and enjoy military-styleactivities. Former cadets who know howto communicate with the deaf make ourbest interpreters, says Capt McCarthy.

No cadets were sent to summer camp thissummer. But Capt McCarthy hopes someof his cadets will be ready for the juniorleader and cadet leader program nextsummer. Already, two interpreters haveexpressed interest in summer positions. E

Capt McCarthy interprets a question fromveteran Jim Shields for Cadet Cpl JasonBrace. With them is area cadet officer Lt Selby Luffman.

Cadet CWO Patricia Anderson and Cadet WO Stephen Rimmer sign the cadence of the drill for a march past. The signing for left is done high over the cadets heads so its visible tothe deaf cadets. The photo was taken in 1999. The former cadet leaders have since become civilian instructors with the corps.


Budman ta lks to cadets If you feel that youre not getting a fair shake fromthe system, call us.Andr Marin, the Department of National Defence andCanadian Forces (DND/CF) Ombudsman sometimesknown as the budman wants to get this messageout to members of the Canadian Cadet Movement.

In July, Mr. Marin a civilian with lieutenant-generalstatus visited cadets and staff at five cadet summertraining centres in Canada to learn more about thecadet movement, as well as raise awareness of the role of the ombudsman office as it relates to Cadets.

It became clear to me as I spoke to cadets that 99.9per cent of them hadnt heard of the ombudsman, saidMr. Marin. The ombudsman visited the regional cadetschool of music (Eastern) in Mont St-Sacrement, QC;the army cadet summer training centre in Valcartier, QC;the Blackdown army cadet summer training centre andthe air cadet summer training centre in Borden, ON;and the regional gliding school and HMCS Quadra sea cadet summer training centre in Comox, BC.

So what is the DND/CF ombudsman? The ombudsmanacts on behalf of the Minister of National Defence independent of the chain of command as a neutraland objective sounding board, mediator and reporter

to ensure that complaints of the Canadian military andNational Defence community are dealt with promptlyand fairly. That community includes current and formercadets, cadet instructors cadre officers, civilian instruc-tors and all of their families. The idea of the ombuds-man is to be as inclusive as possible, says Mr. Marin.

So far, only .63 per cent of the complaints received bythe civilian oversight body are from cadets. Accordingto Mr. Marin, these cases are challenges to the releaseof a cadet, to allegations of abuse of authority, orclaims of arbitrary, discriminatory treatment.

Considering the number of people in the cadetmovement and the fact that there is no formal com-plaints process for cadets, thats a very small numberof complaints, says Mr. Marin. That means thateither there are no problems, or people are just notaware of us.

Mr. Marin believes it is more apt to be the latter, eventhough he was impressed by what he saw of the or-ganization during his summer visits. I think the cadetorganization is sound, but when you put 60,000 peopletogether most of them vulnerable young people I cant believe that their complaints would accountfor less than one per cent of all the cases I receive, he says.

The budman talking to cadets at the Blackdown army cadet summer training centre in Borden, ON.



According to LCol William Smith, commanding officerof the Borden air cadet summer training centre thissummer, the ombudsmans office promotes adherenceto such principles as integrity, honesty, fairness andopenness. At Borden, Mr. Marin spent a day talking to groups of officers, civilian instructors and cadetsand listened intently to what they had to say.

Although most of the cadets the ombudsman metwere open, they were puzzled about where he fits in to Cadets. I need to reach out and educate them,says Mr. Marin.

A lawyer who has made a name for himself in thelegal and investigative field, Mr. Marin was appointedas ombudsman in June of 1998. Since that time, hisoffice has received more than 2,000 complaints andhas had a high degree of success in resolving cases.The ombudsman employs a staff of close to 50 people 23 of them hired in the fall. The office has its own lawyers and provides confidential servicesfree of charge.

Although cadets have no existing formal complaintmechanism, cadet instructors cadre officers do and

are expected to use the Canadian Forces grievance system first for their complaints. The notion of theombudsman is built on respecting existing mechanismsto solve a problem, says Mr. Marin. Officers mustgive the internal system a chance to resolve the issuefirst. If they feel they are still not happy after the system has tried to fix the problem, or have com-pelling circumstances, then they should come to us.We will determine the compelling circumstances.

A case isnt compelling if its just that you dont trustin the system, or you think it will take too long if itgoes through the system, explains Mr. Marin.Compelling is hardship financial or otherwise.

He cites one of his success stories as a good exampleof compelling circumstances. Last August, Mr. Marinintervened to help reunite a Canadian Forces memberwith his family after a separation of more than twoyears. Following an injury, Pte Chris Bone was forcedinto the long-term separation from his wife and newdaughter by what Mr. Marin calls a bureaucraticweb. His commanding officers reaction was that he didnt want to set a precedent, so the private was left languishing for two years, says Mr. Marin. We went right to the general.Within 24 hours, the private was back with his family.

In its outreach efforts, the ombudsmans office is mak-ing a video to get its message out to the CanadianForces and National Defence community. The videowill be delivered to every cadet unit across Canada.

Mr. Marin has been called the budman since he visited troops in Bosnia. People had a hard time pronouncing ombudsman, so they just called me budman, says Mr. Marin.

To reach the budman call 1-888-8budman. Or, for more information, visit the ombudsman web site at www.ombudsman.dnd.ca. E

Written with the assistance of LCol William Smith.

Ombudsman Andr Marin wanted to learn as muchas he could about the cadet movement when he visited Cadets over the summer. Here, he looks comfortable in a glider at the regional gliding school (Pacific) in Comox, BC.


Beginning Jan. 1, local units are goingto see some lightening of the admin-istrative burden that has threatened tocripple them. The administration tigerteam has its first hit list.

After four months of wrestling with the enemy, the team has identified 12action items that will begin to reducethe administrative workload for localunits. The hit list implementation date of Jan. 1 allowed national and regionalheadquarters staffs to make the nec-essary changes within their areas ofresponsibility.

From day one, the teams target has beento get rid of any administration processthat either stops or seriously delays a unitfrom continuing its training. Accordingto CWO Chuck Hannem, Prairie Regionsadministration officer and tiger teammember, thats how his regions unitcommanding officers have definedadministrative burden.

Heres the first hit list:

The cadet annual efficiency report(CF 790) will be replaced by arevised cadet unit visit report (CF 582). Collating the informationwill become the responsibility of thearea cadet officer. The lions shareof the information can be capturedwhen area cadet officers (ACA/ACIofficers) visit local units, says CdrWylie. Some information currently in the CF790s will be input by cadetsummer training centres, regionalcadet instructor schools, regionalheadquarters and so on. Everythingin the current 790 will be retained.Well just have different sources forthe information, assures Cdr Wylie.Were just taking local headquar-ters out of the workload loop.

A mail log is no longer mandatory atthe unit level. It will be deleted fromthe area cadet officers checklist.

Cadet administrative and trainingorders (CATOs) will be posted onCadetNet the internal electronicnetwork. There will be a search toolunder resources and any changesto CATOs will be flagged electroni-cally to draw attention to them.CATOs define national policy.Regional orders are justified only to amplify national policy in CATOs,not replicate it.

Any policy change (and resultingCATO) that has an impact on localheadquarters will coincide with thestart of each new training year.

Regions must explain the new report on injuries or exposure totoxic material report (CF 98) to peo-ple at local headquarters. We haveto make sure folks are educated on the use of this form because ofinsurance and pension liabilityissues, explains Cdr Wylie.

The application for membership inthe cadet movement (CF 1158) andthe application and approval form cadet activities (CF 51) will becombined. Filling in the religionspace will be optional. The medicalpart of the questionnaire will beredefined and include all the medicalinformation needed to determinemedical restrictions on the cadet,

Hit l ist

Reducing the administrat iveworkload for loca l un i t s

This is only one

of many hit lists that

I would like to see as

our work progresses.

tiger team leader Cdr Murray Wylie, commanding officer ofregional cadet supportunit (Atlantic)



without getting into sensitive medicalinformation. This tombstone datawill be fed into the Cadets databasewhen it is established. We want aone-time call for information neededto manage the administration andtraining of a cadet, says Cdr Wylie.Once the database has the informa-tion, cadets will be provided withthe information for update andparental authorization as required.The Cadets database will be avail-able on an as required basis throughCadetNet.

Military writing will be eliminatedfrom the regional cadet instructorschool programmed instructionpackage and curriculum.

When the Cadets database is es-tablished, there will no longer be aneed for the cadet record of servicejackets. Though the jackets are useful now, they are expensive andeach element has a different jacket.Stocks of these elemental jacketswill not be replenished at supplydepots. By the time stocks aredepleted, the national database will be up and running. The associ-ated CATO will be updated.

Canadian Forces Supply System entitlements for local units will be validated and rationalized. This will ensure local units get what they need.

All regions will use the same guide-lines for unit quotas. The calculationof unit quotas from CF 790 data will be standardized nationally. The CATO will be revised accordingly.

Correspondence:local headquartersare only responsible for retaining the documents they originate.Guidelines will be distributed for the removal of other information, or retention by other authorities.Once this is completed, adequatestorage arrangements at the localheadquarters can be determined.The new approach will be moni-tored regularly during area cadetofficer visits.

Cadets instructors cadre/civilianinstructor database: The nationalinformation management/informa-tion technology committee will identify a single CIC/CI database tobe used nationally. Currently, thereare at least four different databasesin use across the country.

Many of the hits are follow-ups to themodern management comptrollershipreview and recommendations of theWay-Ahead administration action team.This team had identified issues like maillogs and policy change coinciding withthe start of the cadet training year asquick wins fairly easy issues to deal with and a good start for easing the local administrative burden. As acommanding officer of a local unit himself, the administration action team co-leader, LCdr Brent Newsome,

had bemoaned changes to things likequota policies, ranks and training plansin mid-year. This year in the middle ofthe year, the sea cadet program eliminateda rank, he said. I found out about itafter I finished promoting people to that rank.

But most of the administrative issues thetiger team is dealing with are not quickwins. They are extremely complicated.Tiger team representatives have had todo their homework on each hit listitem. And even though eliminating aform sounds simple, its not. Team mem-bers have to determine if the informationis needed at all, who needs it, who collects it and who stores it. Are theforms too lengthy? Are they too short?Are they too complex? Is there a securityproblem? What are the legal issues? Is the information collected elsewhere?Is it being asked for several times fromseveral sources?

One issue the team has yet to grapplewith is determining what forms andadministrative material the leaguesrequire. We need to start that dialoguebecause so far, we havent engaged theleagues in this whole evolution of wherewere going, says Cdr Wylie. That willbe on the agenda in the new year. E

Administrative burden:

any administration process that either stops or

seriously delays a unit from continuing its training.


Track ing cadet alumniEd Statham of Moncton is like a track-ing dog when hes on the scent ofcadet alumni in New Brunswick. Theregional chairman for the Air CadetLeague of Canada, New Brunswick divi-sion, is dogged in his pursuit of formercadets in the province whove achievedsuccess in their careers.

When someone told him that they thoughtBilly Riley, the first black hockey player inthe National Hockey League was also acadet with 334 Royal Canadian Air CadetSquadron in Oromocto, NB, he was hoton the trail to confirm it. Hes not inter-ested in just air cadet alumni either. Hestracked down army and sea cadet alumnias well, and his list is growing steadily.

The list is impressive. In one week alone,Mr. Statham collected the names of more

than 50 former army, sea or air cadets most of them in New Brunswick whohave gone on to lead successful careers.His list included a provincial court judge,a magistrate, several lawyers (one ofthem a former Liberal justice minister forthe provincial government), doctors, an architect, two former mayors ofMoncton, a university professor, provin-cial members of parliament (includingNew Brunswicks Speaker of the House);prominent business men (including thepresident of Honeywell Canada); pilots(among them test pilots for Canadairand Bombardier and a former pilot withthe Canadian Forces Snowbirds aerobaticteam); policemen; military members; andmany other professionals. The list evenincludes a deputy accident investigatorfor Transport Canada who was seniorinvestigator for the Swissair disaster.

So whats the list good for?And why do we consider making such a list a best practice?

I believe its important not to lose trackof our alumni because they can be help-ful to todays corps and squadrons in so many ways, explains Mr. Statham.Alumni can be asked to visit corps andsquadrons to talk about their careerchoices, their experiences and aboutwhat Cadets did for them; they can beasked to join sponsoring committees ortake staff positions; they can becomementors; they can make donations tounits; and they can volunteer for cadetactivities, such as coaching or acting as judges for public speaking.

Originally, Mr. Statham started the reg-istry of ex-cadets for recruiting purposes.He often mentions successful formercadets when talking to parents andpotential cadets.

But hes found its good for other things.He drops names when hes looking for publicity for cadet events. Theyregood for catching peoples attention,he says. When I give the list to localpoliticians, it tends to raise the profile of the movement.

This year, when he asked Monctons City Council to declare a Cadet Week inMoncton, he attached the list of formercadets to his letter. He pointed out thatCadets has been a way of life for thou-sands of New Brunswickers for genera-tions and that people from every walk of life have passed through the cadetprogram to become productive and

Larry Vance, now living in Hull, QC, is on Mr. Stathams alumni list. The deputy acci-dent investigator for Transport Canada was a senior investigator in the Swissairdisaster. In this photo, he receives his pilot wings as a cadet in Sackville, NB.

Best practice

a Snowbird on his sec-ond try. His message tothe cadets was, Youvegot to keep trying andwork hard to reach yourdream. Thats what its all about encouragingthe cadets to try hardand do their best.

One former mayor of Moncton, DennisCochrane, was an army cadet for only a short while, but it had

an impact on him. It helped him recog-nize his goals and gave him a sense ofdirection, says Mr. Statham. He becamethe youngest mayor of Moncton andwent on to become a federal member of parliament, leader of the opposition in New Brunswick and deputy minister of education in Nova Scotia.

Mr. Statham also supports the formationof alumni associations for cadet corpsand squadrons. When you graduate, youbecome a member. In addition to socialfunctions, any profit over cost is donatedback to the former corps/squadron. Itsa chance to talk about old times andgood times. People from the United



prominent citizens of every communityacross Canada. He said cadets deservecredit and praise for their hard work. His request was granted.

On top of that, Mr. Statham believescadet alumni can be a real inspiration tocadets especially professional people.When former air cadet Rod Ermen talkedto a cadet unit two years ago, he worehis Snowbirds uniform. He was a greatspeaker and spoke of his dream tobecome a Snowbird, says Mr. Statham.He got his pilots license in Cadets andwent on to get his commercial pilotslicence and join the military. He became

States, New Zealand and all over Canadaattended the 40th anniversary banquet ofa squadron I sponsor, he says. Cadetshad brought together 13 married couples there.

According to Mr. Statham, maintaining a cadet alumni list is a league responsibil-ity. I see this as one of our roles toencourage the cadets to give back totheir squadrons and corps, he says.

Why not compile your own alumni list?Or if youre interested in contributing to Mr. Stathams list, contact him at(506)384-1923 or by e-mail [email protected]. E

Mr. Statham was an air cadet in England. He joined the Royal Air Force and then came to Canada,married a Canadian and settled in Moncton, NB. When his daughterjoined air cadets, he became involvedas a parent on a sponsoring commit-tee. He later became involved in theAir Cadet League of Canada at localand regional levels. Involved withCadets for 16 years, he views Cadets as his hobby.

Youve got to keep trying and work hard to reach

your dream, Rod Ermen tells cadets. The former

member of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds aerobatic

team got his pilots license as a cadet.

Ed Statham chats with cadets


Territories for the past four years, shefound the parachute training tough.

The sprinter claims she never thoughtshe could hate running so much as shedid this summer. The running was alllong-distance. Rope climbing was also a challenge. And push-ups well, she did anywhere from 100 to 1,000push-ups a day.

Im not complaining, but were differ-ent from men our frames, our shapes were different physically, mentally,and emotionally, she says. Its truewhat they say about women its just harder for us.

The first time she climbed a rope, shemade it half way to the ceiling. Mysergeant gave me an ear-full about howmuch I had to try and then said some-thing else motivational, she says. I feltso dumb I had tears coming down myface. But the next time, I made it to thetop. Everyone was cheering and clap-ping. It felt really good to do it.

Although she felt picked on at times,she believes if staff hadnt trained cadetsthe way they did, more cadets wouldhave failed and not jumped out of the plane.

In her first few days of training, Proulxworried that she might never jump outof a plane. A doctor said she might needsurgery for an injured knee. Instead, she

My father died on Aug. 4 and I reallymiss him. I hope I will continue tomake him proud, says Cadet MWORuth Proulx of Yellowknife, NT.

How could she not?

MWO Proulx, the regimental sergeantmajor of Yellowknifes 2837 (PPCLI)Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps, was training at the Canadian ParachuteCentre in Trenton, ON, when her father,Michael Proulx, died in a motor vehicleaccident. His death forced her to makethe toughest decision of her life. Shedecided to complete the CanadianForces basic parachute course she wason for her dad. Shortly after, she becameone of only a handful of female cadetsever to earn their jump wings.

Mentally, that was really hard because I was so far away from my family, shesays. And she was already feeling isolatedas the only female among 51 cadets on course.

Adjusting had not been easy. Her peerstreated her as an equal, but there wasstill an element of shes a girl. She feltthey expected her to be GI Jane.

When my father died, they didnt knowwhat to do, she says. But they keptmy spirits up and helped me cope.People on the base helped me out tooand I have never appreciated anything somuch in my life. People were rooting for

me and I had no idea who some of them even were.

Although peer and leader supporthelped her cope, her success had itsroots in her endurance, perseveranceand willingness to work hard.

There was no way that I wasnt work-ing my butt off, says MWO Proulx. Evenas a new cadet six years ago, she wasinterested in the parachute course, butshe knew only the best were chosen. On the advice of a corps warrant officer,she started doing push-ups every nightbefore going to bed.

It worked. To qualify for the course, she completed a 7.5 kilometre run in less than 32 minutes, did 50 push-ups,60 sit-ups and 10 chin-ups.

And although she plays many sports (volleyball, soccer and basketball, toname a few), is a track and field star(holding numerous records and at least60 medals in track events), competes in biathlon and has been named the best female athlete in the Northwest

Cadet Corner

Jumping J i l l Cadet faces tough decision to get her jump wings

MWO Proulx in one of her last photos with her dad, Michael.



was placed on light duties for two daysand her corps captain gave her lots ofsupport. He told me he knew I couldfinish this course. He said I couldnt giveup and if I didnt want to pass it formyself, then to pass it for him becausehe had faith in me.

The highlight of her course was passingher night jump. And she loved doinglandings. During the six-week course,she jumped five times from a Herculesaircraft.

Proulx says the courses difficulty is whatmakes it so great. If it was easy, every-one would be doing it, she says. Still,she would like to see more femalecadets on the course.

About eight female cadets havepassed the course in the last 10years, according to Maj LloydSainsbury, commanding officerof the national army cadet summer training centre atConnaught Range, near Ottawa.Few females apply for thecourse, perhaps because jump-ing out of airplanes doesntappeal to them, he says. Or perhaps its because of thedifficulty of the course. It hasone of the highest drop-outrates. And its the only cadetcourse, in all three elements,done to Canadian Forces stan-dards. Exactly the same course istaken by Reservists and RegularForce candidates. Normally, onecadet instructor cadre officer is alsoscheduled for the training each year.

The course takes a lot of personal commitment, says Maj Sainsbury. Its an individual skill course. Cadetshave to be mentally and physically prepared to do it.

If we make more females aware thatthey are able to do this course and thatwe are looking for some gutsy women,more may start to do these things, saysMWO Proulx.They have nothing to lose.

If you dont pass, youre still the sameperson that you were before you tookthe course. It doesnt make you less of a person.But she has a few words of advice:Start training now.

According to MWO Proulx, Cadets hasprepared her for the real world. Cadetshelps you grow your mind and expandyour knowledge. Im so happy with whatCadets has done for me. My experiencesand memories are unbelievable marksmanship teams, the drill team,biathlon and many amazing exercises.Not a day goes by when I dont think of someone Ive met through Cadets.

She thanks her father for getting herinterested in Cadets. My father was

always talking about the military. He worked for air search and rescue and had dreams of becoming asearch and rescue technician, she says. He wanted me to be in air cadets, but I joined armycadets because I already knewsomeone there.

Michael Proulx would be proudthat his daughter is one of onlya few female cadets to earnthe coveted jump wings. Andhe would be proud that shewants to give back to the orga-nization that has given her somuch. She may join the military,

but she is especially interested insocial work or child psychology

things she believes would helpher be a good cadet instructors

cadre officer. E

Cadet MWO Ruth Proulx gives the thumbs up signal after completing a jump at the Canadian Parachute Centre in Trenton.(Department of National Defence photo by Capt E.B. Landale)

The directorate of cadets, regional headquarters and detachments exist to support local headquartersin their delivery of the cadet program to Canadas55,000 cadets.


The Concise Oxford Dictionary definesstructure as supporting framework.Applied to the cadet movement, theDepartment of National Defences sup-porting framework for Cadets is thedirectorate of cadets, regional headquar-ters and detachments. These structuresexist to support local headquarters intheir delivery of the cadet program toCanadas 55,000 cadets.

So how are those structures doing?Cadet instructors cadre (CIC) officers andcivilian instructors (CIs) filled in a kind ofreport card a year ago when they com-pleted questionnaires distributed by theWay-Ahead structure action team to corpsand squadron commanding officers acrossthe country. They were asked to reproducethe questionnaires locally for other inter-ested CICs and CIs. Of 1,200 question-naires distributed, 508 were returned.Ninety-four per cent of the respondentswere CIC officers, evenly distributedacross regions and elements.

Not surprisingly, an important issue thatemerged is the key requirement for all other levels of the organization tosupport local headquarters. If it isntbenefiting the local headquarters program,why are we doing it? sums up the general feeling.

National supportThe recent restructuring of the direc-torate of cadets in Ottawa aligningdepartments into training programs,strategic planning, common programs

and administration/finance activity areas was seen as a positive step towardsachieving a better overall cadet program.

But just over 55 per cent of the respon-dents did not believe that the nationaldefence headquarters policy makers recognize and are sensitive to the issueswhich corps/squadron staff and cadetssee as important. In fact, 43 per cent of the respondents made suggestions on how the directorate could improvethe program.

Detachment supportMost CIC were somewhat satisfied to very satisfied with detachments.

Just over 87 per cent believed cadetdetachments are necessary, althoughmost Pacific Region respondents had no knowledge of detachments. (Thereare no detachments in Pacific Region;instead there are elemental headquar-ters). Close to 44 per cent of respon-dents commented on how to improvedetachment effectiveness.

Regional supportMost CIC were somewhat satisfied to not at all satisfied with regionalheadquarters.

According to Maj Roman Ciecwierz, the action team co-leader who prepared the report, the attitudes towards detach-ments and regions are seen as a reflec-tion of the amount of contact andsupport received at local headquarters.

As many as 44.3 per cent of the respon-dents felt regional cadet officers andregional headquarters staff were out oftouch with local issues, yet 85 per centbelieved that regional headquarters asthey are now are necessary.

Structure under scrutiny

CIC and CI feedback on cadetmovement s t ructure



Just over 80 per cent thought thatregional headquarters staff should nothold their positions indefinitely. And awhopping 87 per cent of those whoresponded to the question of howregional headquarters can be improvedbelieve regional staff need to have regu-lar, more direct contact with local staffand cadets, need to solicit input fromCIC and should provide more support to the local level.

Many of the respondents seemedunclear on what the functions of the various headquarters are. But theywere clear that headquarters whetherdetachment, regional or national should be supporting the cadet program.Some form of more direct CIC involve-ment at other than local headquarters,and more regular contact from staff at all other levels, is very desirable,concludes the report.

Making the most of the cadet movementstructure so that the best cadet programcomes out of it, as well as eliminating an overly cumbersome administrationsystem, emerged as main themes in the questionnaire responses, says Maj Ciecwierz.

Other key issues were streamlining,empowerment, the shifting of responsi-bilities and authority for program imple-mentation to the lowest possible level.

The report concludes that although corps and squadrons are tasked with the responsibility of executing the pro-gram, they are seldom empowered orgiven the means to guide and direct continuous change to ensure the bestpossible program.

The report also emphasizes that moredirect contact with CIC officers and moresupport for their efforts are a top priority.

Many of the respondents saw havingnational standards for cadet and CICtraining, and common training for allcadets in such areas as leadership andcitizenship as an important improvementto the program.

Branch advisory councilThe Way-Ahead questionnaire also vali-dated the action teams recommenda-tions on the CIC branch advisory council.Although 37.6 per cent of respondentswere not aware that the council exists,they overwhelmingly supported the teamsconclusions regarding the need for andcomposition of the council, as well asthe need for direct CIC involvement atthe senior regional headquarters level.(For more on the council, see page 26)

The report recommends that regionalcadet advisors and area CIC officers rep-resent regional advisory groups on thecouncil because of their regular contactwith the field, their impartiality, and theirability to gather feedback directly fromlocal headquarters officers, their com-manding officers, or from detachmentpersonnel. This would allow a broaderbase of CIC involvement.

According to Director of Cadets Col RickHardy, the questionnaire results and datawill be useful in completing the occupa-tional analysis for CIC, as background forthe directorates CIC training and the CICrecruiting cells, as well as a resource tothe branch advisory council. They will

also be used as a baseline to set goalsand measure program results.

The survey data and associated com-ments have shown there is a definiteinterest from the CIC in participating,not only in the improvement of the pro-gram, but also in the ongoing process ofcontinuous change, says Maj Ciecwierz.The comments recorded on more than40 per cent of the surveys represent agood snapshot of the overall mindset of officers in the field.

He adds, however, that the surveypointed out a general lack of knowledgeabout what is actually going on outsidelocal headquarters. I dont think thatwe are accustomed to positive changeactually happening, or to the powersthat be actually listening to our cries. But change is happening, he says.

The action team leader encourageseveryone to view the teams full reportand recommendations on CadetNet. As well, change can be monitoredthrough the Way-Ahead web site or the CIC Web site. Both sites can bereached through the national Cadetsweb site at www.cadets.ca. E

The survey pointed out a

general lack of knowledge

(of CIC) about what is

actually going on outside

local headquarters.

Maj Roman Ciecwierz


Structure act ion team recommendations

those functions to area detach-ments. The value of the regionswould be in supporting detach-ments and monitoring complianceof national standards and policies,running cadet summer training cen-tres to complement local headquar-ters training, and providing supportfor optional environmental training.

Base CIC training on national stan-dards with regional cadet instructorschools having closer ties to theCanadian Forces Recruiting, Educationand Training System through thedirectorate of cadets. Provide moremodern training methods and stan-dard non-elemental training such as youth development.

Employ CIC officers in positions of authority at all levels, where

their expertise can be beneficial.Implement a method of moredirect input from the field.

Implement a formal procedure to allow/encourage themigration/interchange of stafffrom and amongst the regions and directorate of cadets.

Reduce the administrative burden.Structure the organization to support local headquarters staff,who should be focussed solely on training and supervising cadets.An improved structure will result in streamlining administration and communication, speeding up response times and in turn,improving the level of supportdelivered to local headquarters. E

Based on cadet instructor cadre andcivilian instructor feedback, the struc-ture action team has made the followingrecommendations:

Organize the CIC branch advisorycouncil in the same manner in eachregion. Members should consist of regional cadet advisors/area CICofficers, reporting to a regional advi-sor. The regional advisor would beappointed by the region cadet officerfrom the membership and wouldreport to a national advisor.

The region cadet officer shouldappoint a regional advisor who is a Class A, CIC officer (preferably at the rank of lieutenant-colonel)who is a former corps/squadron commanding officer, with cadetsummer training centre or regionalcadet advisor experience. Give theregional advisor direct access to theregion cadet officer so he or she can provide advice and expertise onCIC and cadet matters. Include theregional cadet advisor/area CIC officer position on regional head-quarters organization charts.

The directorate of cadets should es-tablish national standards and policieswith one set of rules and regulationsfor corps and squadrons to follow.

Look at regional headquarters func-tions to determine what functionsprovide direct value to the localheadquarters program. Download

Making the most of the cadet movement structure so that the best program comes out of it was a main theme of questionnaire responses.

Structure under scrutiny



Mari t ime interest s and cadet programs

By Jerrod Riley and Shailagh OShaughnessy

The Navy League of Canada was founded in 1895 with the sole purpose of promoting the need for a navalpresence in Canada. Having accomplished the goal of establishing of the Royal Canadian Navy by 1910, theleague remained focused on the importance of maintaining an effective naval force, and lobbying the federalgovernment to do so. As the league became incorporated in 1918, our mandate was clearly defined in ourLetters Patent as a maritime affairs organization. In fact, our two youth programs, The Royal Canadian SeaCadets and the Navy League Cadets, began as a way of fulfilling our maritime affairs mandate.

Although these programs have since broadened andbecome their own entities, we must not forget thatthey were born from a mandate to promote maritimeinterests. Together, they are the largest maritime edu-cation programs in the country, and in them, the nau-tical elements that make these programs so unique. To keep on developing the league and sea cadet pro-grams, and to continue benefiting young Canadians,we must build a solid foundation of a nation that isaware of its maritime interests.

Among the maritime affairs goals supported by the Navy League of Canada are:

To create an awareness of the importance of a modern and effective Navy League of Canada

To provide meaningful and powerful information on maritime issues to the Canadian public

To promote and share resources in maritimeaffairs, including our naval and sea-going heritage

To promote maritime career and educationalopportunities to Canadians

All of these goals are attainable, and will enhance the navy leagues position in the maritime community.This progress is necessary if the league is to grow anddevelop to its full potential. Delivering a strong andrelevant maritime affairs message to Canadian youth willincrease the effectiveness and strength of our cadet pro-grams. Ultimately, it will ensure our permanence as aneffective advocate of maritime issues in Canada. E

The Navy League of Canadais delivering a strong andrelevant maritime affairsmessage to Canadian youth.


different culture and their way of life,says Cadet MWO Suzie Shanahan ofPrince Edward Island.

Respecting the Arab/Muslim culture, the female cadets, as well as their femaleescort officer Capt Linda Cordell, 3059Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps inGagetown, NB, covered their legs andshoulders in spite of the sweltering heat.And even though they dressed conserva-tively, they attracted lots of attentionwhen they ventured into the souks (the marketplace) in Marrakech.

The cadets enjoyed their time in thesouks haggling over souvenir prices, but they also enjoyed their travelsthrough the small Berber villages thatfew outsiders see.

The trek through the Jebel Sahro region the last mountain range before thenearby Sahara Desert was no picnic.Most cadets had little hiking experienceand wore an assortment of hiking boots.

When we started our trek intothe mountains, the heat and

altitude made it hard toadjust at first, says Maj

Barrette. Over the firstcouple of hours we hadthree cadets with blis-ters. Blisters continuedto plague many of thecadets throughout the trek. But they stillmanaged to climb

one mountain 1,068 metres high.

Irode a mule, kissed a snake charmerssnake and climbed the lower AtlasMountains. I wouldnt change what I learned or experienced for anything. I cant thank the people who made it possible enough.

These words from Cadet WO NatashaSkidmore of New Brunswick, prove it takes more than blisters, bacterialinfections and mountain climbing intemperatures soaring above 30C to turn a Moroccan adventure into a negative experience for cadets.

And the other 11 cadets who returnedin October from the 16-day Army CadetLeague of Canada Expedition 2000 toMorocco shared her enthusiasm.

The Morocco expedition was amazing,says Cadet WO Laura Steeves ofSpringhill, NS. It was a once-in-a-life-time experience we will all treasure.

I would do this expedition again if I got the chance, says Cadet MWODavid Moriarity of Vancouver, BC.

I truly loved the experience. The trip was culturally and personally enriching, saysCadet WO Jean-SebastienThom from Buckingham, QC.

The expedition was thefirst adventure programthat the army cadet leaguehas actively sponsored. Theleague covered expeditioncosts, while directorate of

cadets covered the costs of transportingthe cadets and staff within Canada andto Morocco, as well as the escorts salaries.

The cadets bonded as a team right fromthe start, according to Cadet CWORandi Heywood of Windsor, ON.

Everyone experienced culture shock, saysescort officer Maj Robert Barrette, com-manding officer of 2784 Royal CanadianArmy Cadet Corps in Ottawa.

Most of the cadets had never witnessedsuch extreme poverty as they saw in theBerber villages in the mountains. Thecadets from small-town Canada werealso unaccustomed to the diversity ofskin colour.

I havent gotten many chances to travel beforeso when we arrived inMarrakech, I was overwhelmed by the

Kis s ing snakes and cl imbing mountains


The cadets trekked with daypacks (carrying the days essentials and water),while mules led by muleteers carried theirlarger kit bags. They drank two 1.5-litrebottles of water a day. Sometimes theyused water purification tablets to purifylocal water.

They washed their clothes in rivers andwater from village wells and ate simplefoods. They drank the traditional beverageof mint tea. In the evenings, the mule-teers allowed the cadets to ride theirmules. At times we sang and dancedwith the muleteers, says Cadet CWOChristine Butt from Grand Falls-Windsor,NF. This let both parties experiencesome new culture.

One memorable experience was a visit to a grade three/four classroom with norunning water or electricity in a small vil-lage school in the mountains. The cadetssang O Canada in French for the studentswho study in both Arabic and French.Back at his house, the teacher servedmint tea and enjoyed a lively discussionwith the cadets.



The expedition ended as it began in Marrakech. On a visit to a relativeof one of the muleteers, the femalecadets learned how to apply the primi-tive eye makeup made of kohl. It stungmy eyes when they put it on becausekohl is a mixture of crushed antimony,black and white pepper, plus ginger,mandrake and indigo root, says CadetMWO Victoria Mills from Alberta. It isused in makeup to darken, as well as todisinfect and purify the eyes. It stays onyour eyes for days. I still had it on my eyes after four days of scrubbing!

In spite of its ups and downs, the entiretrip was a very positive experience, saysMaj Barrette. Perhaps Cadet Sgt AmandaThomas of Prince Albert, SK, says it best.During the expedition, I learned the realvalue of happiness and hospitality, shesays. We met people who have almostnothing and were still more than happyto open their doors to us and offer uswhat little they had. This expeditionhelped me to become a better personand appreciate all that I have. E

The people we met showedus great hospitality, kindnessand understanding, saysCadet Sgt Kristin Hill from Flin Flon, MB.

On another afternoon Cadet MWO Ruth Proulxfrom Yellowknife, NT, (fea-tured in this issues CadetCorner) and some othercadets administered first aid to a man from a villagework crew who had smashedhis hand with a hammer. Itwas virtually impossible to see

a doctor in those parts, says Maj Barrette,so it was lucky that the cadets were there.

Five days into their mountain trek, blisters were the least of the groups wor-ries. Some of the cadets were sufferingfrom flu-like symptoms and blood intheir stools. The escort officers decidedto discontinue the trek portion of theirexpedition, fearing that if an emergencyarose, the cadets could not be evacuatedquickly enough from the mountain range.When a local doctor saw the sick cadets,he prescribed antibiotics for bacterialinfections caused by food or water.

Cadet MWO Ruth Proulx with some village children


Another one bites the dustPolicy change action teams work is done

The Way-Ahead policy change actionteam was dissolved in Ottawa inSeptember by team leaders LCol FrancoisBertrand, Maj John Torneby and CaptMichael Blackwell.

The action team has accomplished its goals and laid the groundwork forrevamping policies for cadet instructorscadre (CIC) officers and civilian instructors.

Its easy to criticize the Way-Ahead pro-cess, said LCol Bertrand, former deputyregion cadet officer for Eastern Region.But the Way-Ahead gave us so muchmomentum. It has created good things,including initiating the reorganization ofdirectorate of cadets.

The team leaders will now work as advi-sors or active members of projects thatare expected to have major impacts onCIC policy.

At a September meeting in Ottawa, theaction team leaders met with representa-tives of the Reserve Force employmentproject (RFEP), the CIC military occupa-tional structure change managementproject, the CIC branch advisory council,

the strategic change cell and others to discuss the work that still remains to be done with regard to CIC policy. Its a bowl of Jell-O right now, said LColBertrand. We called this meeting tostop the isolated activity and pull it into one big effort.

In fact, the meeting was a concertedeffort to ensure that the cadet instruc-tors cadre will never be forgotten again.According to Director of Cadets RickHardy, the cadre was somewhere betweenignored and forgotten in the past. Hereferred specifically to CIC officers beingleft out of the Reserve Force retirementgratuity and lacking representation on a pan-Reserve working group that satmonthly.

That wont happen again.

The creation of a full-time team to workon the CIC occupational structure projectand the commitment of resources to lookat the cadre in the context of the RFEPare positive signs of support for the CICas an important sub-component of theReserve Force. Resources for both projectscome from outside directorate of cadets.

If we do nothing, the CIC populationwill continue to decline. Attraction andretention of CIC officers is our first priority, said Greg Harper, the formerRegular Force officer who is the CICtheme leader within the Reserve Forceemployment project. The addition ofCIC to this project is extremely impor-tant. Were an official project and wemust report through our Senior ReviewBoard to Armed Forces Council. As ad-visors, you have the background andknowledge to help our project addressthe most important issues.

CIC occupational structure project teamleader Maj Claude Guenard agreed. Norock should go unturned. Our analysis willbe a tool to make things happen. Our de-liverable is a career path officers can follow.

At the same time, a full-time CIC officer responsible for all issues related to thesupport, care and feeding of cadre offi-cers- now works for director generalreserves and cadets. The new humanresources officer is the conduit for theongoing projects. He will also act asbranch secretary on the CIC branch advisory council.

Way-Ahead policy change action team leaders, from left, LCol (retd) Francois Bertrand, Maj John Torneby andCapt Michael Blackwell will work as advisors or active members on projects with major impacts on CIC policy.



The CIC military occupational structurechange management project is wellunder way.

In case you missed the article (CIC important to future of Canadian military)in the fall issue, LCol Bill Amirault, thedirector of military human resourcerequirements (DMHRR), explained whatthis means for our branch. If you havenot read the article, please do so as heexplained how the project will look atthe job requirements of tomorrows of-ficers. He described the project goal,which is to ensure that cadet instructorscadre officers are adequately recruited,trained, employed, and remunerated.

By late September, many late nights hadbeen spent packaging and mailing themeat of the project. I am talking abouta large questionnaire concerning many of the tasks, knowledge and skills thatwe use in the performance of our jobs.The questionnaire was sent to a sampleof the CIC branch population. The sam-ple was created in conjunction withDMHRR and the regions and includesmembers of local headquarters, summertraining centres, regional headquarters(including all detachments and schools),

and directorate of cadets in Ottawa. We hope that those of you who receivedthe questionnaire have completed it. The information in it will help map ourfuture and the future or our branch. Take this opportunity to contribute to the future of our branch.

Your data will be scanned into a com-puter and added to the data from theother returns. The computer will thenproduce a large diagram clustering simi-lar jobs. This will create a picture of whatofficers actually perform today.

One of our project tasks was to developa number of occupational structures a kind of career path for the branch.This was done by a selected workinggroup of CIC officers from each region,directorate of cadets and the leaguesearly in November. In the new year asenior advisory group will ratify one of the proposed structures.

The Canadian Forces (CF) are methodicalwhen analyzing their occupations. Manysteps take place before any policy is offi-cial. Typically an occupational analysis, or change management project as it isnow called, begins many months before

the field is even surveyed. First theinformation to be surveyed must becompiled by determining the tasks,knowledge and skills that sailors, soldiersor airmen need to perform their currentjob. The survey instrument is often verylengthy, as it must cover the many possi-ble options from specialists to more general service jobs in order to obtain a complete snapshot of the many jobscurrently performed. The answers formthe data necessary to show where jobsoverlap and where changes may beneeded. Currently the CF is attemptingto streamline many of their 109 occupa-tions. CIC occupations are among them.

This is your opportunity to provide inputto the future of the cadet instructorscadre. Your team is highly motivated and looking forward to the valuableinput that you provide. We will continueto provide an update in issues of thenew magazine. E

Capt Blackwell is a former memberof the Way-Ahead CIC/CI policychange action team and is currentlyworking on the CIC MOS changemanagement project.

The council, which has been around foryears but is not well known, has beenrevitalized. The council will have morerepresentatives from the field, working at the corps/squadron level. The directorgeneral reserves and cadets, rather than

the director of cadets, is the new branch co-advisor.

The addition of the CIC as a theme withinthe RFEP and the CIC occupational struc-ture project, especially, are a golden

opportunity to make an impact on CIC policy, says Maj Kevin Cowieson, the strategic change manager with directorate of cadets. Never has therebeen this amount of attention paid toCIC issues. E

Occupat iona l s t ructure updateBy Capt Michael Blackwell


In September, I started my seventh andfinal year as a cadet. This time aroundthough, privileges as well as responsibili-ties have grown, for one of my greatestdreams was fulfilled at annual inspectionin June. As a chief warrant officer, I finda renewed sense of loyalty to my squadronand the cadet movement in general. InJanuary, I will be faced with the decisionof whether I would like to refresh mycommitment, as well as my loyalty, byapplying for a position in the cadetinstructors cadre. Neither desire norcourage is lacking, but my mind isplagued with doubt.

I have gained so much as a cadet, be it leadership skills or friendships. Not for a second do I question the value or integrity of the cadet program thathas educated so many Canadian youthsthrough its proud history.

In the past two years, the Way-Aheadprocess has given cadets a whole newimage, one that is positive, innovative,and compatible with the new millen-nium. The acronym CHAP (for cadetharassment and abuse prevention) hasbecome universal in the cadet world.However, in the numerous issues of theWay-Ahead publication, I have yet to seewhat I consider the most serious issue ofconcern being addressed under-agedrinking.

Have you ever been to a non-commis-sioned members party, or any regionalpost-camp parties?Why is it that youngercadets are encouraged to join in the fun,and are led to believe that a party cannotbe held without alcohol?I realize that thisis a problem persistent in every secondaryinstitution to varying degrees. But why

do those of us who parade in a uniformand salute patriotically as we sing O Canada deliberately break the laws of the land?

Under-age drinking is an illegal offence.In doing so, not only are we, for themost part, betraying our parents trust,but we are setting a bad example foryounger cadets. Yes, smoking is bad too, but intoxication can lead to a loss of rational decision-making. It baffles mewhy this subject has remained taboo forso long. If we are really going to moveahead, alcohol and sexual awareness aretopics of top priority, which must be dis-cussed. Through this magazine, we canteach cadets from across the nation. Ifwe cant stop the drinking, lets at leastteach the future of Canada (as we areoften referred to by reviewing officers) todrink responsibly. The effects of alcohol,statistics of auto accidents, the dangersof alcohol poisoning these are thethings we should be learning about insensible living not the fourbasic food groups! As westride forward in a newera, let us takecourage anddeal with thedark secrets. Letno drunken festiv-ities overshadowour sunset parades.

Problems do not arise sponta-neously. To a certain extent, thisdilemma must have filtered downfrom our officers. At summer camps primarily, Im sure weve all had flightcommanders who have missed escortingtheir flights to breakfast. Having been astaff cadet, I know the reason why. And

so now I wonder whether it would behypocritical of me to go into the cadetinstructors cadre,aware of this problembut not doing anything about it? ShouldI just turn a blind eye to these eventswhen I introduce the parents of an eager 12-year-old to the merits of the cadetprogram? Could I look myself in the mir-ror knowing the perilous course Ive setthese youngsters on? So thus I strugglewith my decision.

The benefits of our program far outweighits dangers, but when dangers are leftunattended, will not the very frame ofthe entire system deteriorate, slowly butsurely? Do I want to be part of the know-ing but unresponsive group of officers,concerned only with keeping this out of the media?

I urge you take heart, take action. E

Under-age dr ink ingBy a concerned cadet

Speakers Corner



A word to webmastersBy Maj Guy Peterson

The cadet organization may be themost represented youth organizationon the Web right now.

Hundreds of sites claim to speak onbehalf of Cadets. However, because mostsites are created without the knowledgeand approval of unit commanding officers,the information they convey is often mis-leading or outdated. The quality of sitesvaries from excellent to bad, creating animage problem for Cadets.

I have visited 130 cadet sites sinceSeptember and found that while severalWeb sites are well designed and maintain-ed, a lot of them contain informationthat should be updated or deleted. Lastyears schedule, names of cadets thathave left, unauthorized logos, and, as insome cases, information that dates backalmost three years does not belong onthe Web. I also found that many Websites do not comply with CATO 11-07,our national policy on Internet use.

Here is some free advice for web-masters: If you havent created a Website yet, ask your commanding officer for permission to create the site beforepublishing it on the net. Then, readCATO 11-07 and all directives publishedby your region on the subject. Onceyouve created the site, ask your com-manding officer to look it over beforeputting it on the net.

The good news is that we, as an onlinecommunity, are using the Web to com-municate. Creating Web sites has become

easy with freeware readily available overthe net. The difficult part is maintainingthe sites for content and technology tokeep them interesting.

If you are a webmaster, mandated byyour unit commanding officer, find thecorrect information, or delete what hasbecome obsolete. The image and credi-bility of your unit is at stake. Being thewebmaster goes far beyond writingwords and placing images on theInternet. Make yourself aware of rulesand regulations that define what youcan and can not do. Ensure that your unit is represented correctly and profes-sionally on the Internet. This can not bedone in isolation. Get your commandingofficer or an officer delegated by himor her involved.

Our national policy on Internet use willbe revised soon to make it easier forunits to create an official Web page. The number of Web site categories forexample will go from three to two. Also, criteria will define more preciselywhat should be included in a Web site to get the official seal of approval fromregional authorities.

Great news is that all cadet units will beprovided with at least one basic Webpage containing such information as element, locations, e-mail, phone number,name of commanding officer and so on.The central database of all cadet unitswill generate this page automatically anda unit webmaster will not be required tomaintain it. Units that have a more elab-

orate site already will be provided with enough space to host it free of charge without the burden of advertising banners.

If you want to take advantage of this, askyour commanding officer to contact theregional webmaster for more information.The only criterion for the free web spaceis that your Web site complies withnational and applicable regional policies.

Also, look for the introduction of a com-mon look and feel for the national andregional cadet sites. It will be definedwith various headquarters webmastersand help us promote a more united fronton the Internet. More information onthis will be posted on www.cadets.ca,where you will also find the informationyou need to create your own Web site.

Finally, we are creating National WebAwards for excellence in Web design andmaintenance to recognize webmasterswho make the extra effort to create Websites that comply with regulations andare well maintained. Only Web sites thathave been approved officially by the unitcommanding officer and regional author-ities will be eligible. The awards will likelytake the form of a logo for deservingsites. More information will follow onCadetNet and at www.cadets.ca. E

Maj Peterson is chairman of the national information management committee.


Democracy at workElections replace appointments on new CIC branch advisory council

The CIC (cadet instructors cadre) branch advisorycouncil has been given a shot in the arm and is aboutto adopt a new look. For the first time, many of thecouncil members will be elected, rather than appointed.

The restructured council is going to be more pro-active, allow more grass roots input into policies andissues affecting officers, and improve communicationwith the cadre. The idea is to better reflect the needsof the CIC into the 21st century, says LCol Al Memess,acting co-advisor until the end of December. It will alsobetter reflect the voluntary nature of the cadre, givingthose who are interested a chance to have a say.

The restructuring will ensure that no one individual orinternal organization will have undue influence on therequirements, needs and direction of the branch andits members. It will be structured around the needs ofthe occupations to supervise, train and administer thecadet program and will provide a stable and respon-sive framework to nurture and treat all its members in a fair and equitable fashion, says LCol Memess.

So what are the main differences between the new council and the old?

There are still two co-advisors on the council.But now, one of the co-advisors is the director of reserves instead of the director of cadets. Theother co-advisor is a serving CIC officer electedto the position, instead of the senior CIC officer in directorate of cadets. The main difference isthat the field nominates the candidate and thebranch advisory council and two independentmembers from the field elect the candidate. Theposition has certain basic prerequisites, and theterm is three years, with a possibility of a one-yearextension in exceptional circumstances. The incum-bent may be elected for a second term.

There are still six regional advisors, but theywill now be elected, instead of appointed, to their positions. There are also prerequisitesfor these positions for CIC serving officers.Regional advisory councils and two independentmembers from the field will elect the candidates.The term is three years, with the possibility of aone-year extension. Incumbents may be electedfor a second term.

The commanding officers of the regionalcadet support units (RCSU) will appoint serving CIC officers to act as branch advisorycouncil coordinators. There will be six regionalcoordinators, as well as one coordinator fromdirectorate of cadets. The directorate of cadetscoordinator will be the CIC human resources of-ficer, who will also act as branch secretary. Thecoordinators role will be to provide administrativeand other support as required. There are prerequi-sites for these positions. RCSU commanding officers will determine the term of the regionalpositions. These officers will not sit on the council.

Capt(N) Jennifer Bennett, director of reserves, is a new co-advisor on the CIC branch advisory council.



Numerous changes in the movement relating to offi-cers, including the CIC occupational structure projectreview, the rationalization of the CIC training system,the reorganization of directorate of cadets, and thework of the Way-Ahead structures action team, haveprompted the revitalization of the council.

Its new structure allows the direct involvement ofmembers at all levels in controlling and influencing the cadre. The aim of the council is to facilitate CICofficers in voicing and addressing their concerns andrecommendations, as well as having input into policyaffecting their branch. It will act as a champion andadvocate for CIC personnel issues.

Senior management can use the council as a soundingboard and focus group.

The transition from appointed to elected representa-tives on the council will take place over the winter.Each region established its own election process, usingmembers of the previous council as a starting point.When the new council is established it is hoped thatelections will be conducted in a more standard way.

Further information on the council and roles of councilmembers is available on the internal electronic net-work, CadetNet.

The spring 2000 issue of this magazine will provide an update on the election results. E

Recycle Me! When youre done reading me, pass me along to someone else. Thanks!

Cal l ing a l lnaval alumni

The Navy League of Canada, OntarioDivision, is forming an alumni associationfor all former sea cadets who haveserved with a sea cadet corps in theprovince of Ontario.

The purpose of the association is to com-municate with former sea cadets so theycan be informed with respect to thechanges in the cadet movement. It isalso an avenue for renewing oldacquaintances.

If you know of any former sea cadets,please forward their names, addresses,phone numbers or e-mail addresses sothey can be added to the list.

Ann Blonde,Chair Alumni Committee47 Bigham CrescentWoodstock, ON.N4S 8G5(519)539-2572(519)539-0385 (fax)[email protected]


Letters to the editor

Earring error

Diversity means diversity

Iwould like to comment on the latest Proud To Becover. Im not one to complain, however I do notbelieve that this photo best represents cadets. Thiscadet not only had an improperly trimmed moustache,but he also had two earrings in his ear. I am sorry butlast time I checked, male cadets were not permitted towear earrings, and females were only permitted to

wear one earring in each ear a stud centered on thelobe. This photo does not make me Proud To Be. E

F/Sgt Jeffrey McRaeTruro, NS

Editor: The photographer says this cadet wore no earrings.

Some time ago I wrote a letter asking that the cadet movement reconsider some of the unthink-ing compulsory and exclusive religious practices it hascarried over from a bygone era. I stressed my desire to see our traditions and heritage preserved, andexpressed my admiration for the chaplaincy. I askedthat ceremonies be modified, not eliminated.

The emotion and hysteria, not to mention outrightanger, which greeted my letter dont surprise me. Ive been subjected to it before. To read these letters,one would imagine that the cadet movement is aplace where one has to be a Christian or get out, or at least shut up. The references to God in theConstitution, O Canada (where it was inserted about20 years ago, as it was not in the original lyrics I learned as a child), Her Majestys titles or even my commission scroll are irrelevant.

The only thing that matters is the law, military regula-tions and the Charter of Rights. Why not read them,or ask a lawyer?

In the mid-90s the assistant judge advocate generalfor Central Region was asked for a legal opinion onparade square prayer in the cadet movement. Theopinion is clear, unequivocal and devastatingly blunt.No religious observances of any kind belong on parade,or at any other public or unit function. Period. Ill sendyou a copy of that letter if you like. I can also send

you a copy of the letter in which the deputy com-manding officer of a cadet summer training centreasks that I be investigated by the military policebecause of my views.

The people who wrote in heat to attack my viewswould never consider writing a letter stating that allcadets should be white, or speak only English, or beonly male. The cadet movement was like that, notthat long ago. Yet no one today would openly advo-cate a return to that time. Why then should cadets allhave to make obeisance to Christianity on the paradesquare?The people who threatened my own childrenwith drill for not going to church still have not beenpunished, and I still await an apology. Why?

I am now serving my second tour of duty in a countrywhere people cannot or will not separate their religionfrom their nationality. They are prepared to commithorrible crimes to further that goal. I rather thoughtCanada was different.

Diversity means diversity. If you can have an entiremovement built around it, and publish a magazine,then youd better be prepared to practise it. Andplease, wont someone consult a lawyer? E

Maj Tony KeeneBanja LukaBosnia-Herzegovina



New faces at the topBy Lt(N) Dan Hurley

There was a changing of the guard at the top of the cadet movement this summer. RAdm RaymondZuliani became chief of reserves and cadets and BGen

proud to be - cadets canada - way ahead process - volume 11 - winter 2000

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