Everyone is invited to the 9th Change of Command of the 1943 Army Cadet Battery.
William Dobson, of Palmerston, will be handing command of the Battery over to Julie Boubert, of Mount Forest.
Dobson said in an interview that he has held the top post with the group for ten years and since a command normally lasts only three years, it is time for a change.
He said the unit was formed in 1943 with the Norwell District High School principal of that day in charge.
Today, the Battery has about 30 members, and Dobson said it is an excellent experience for students.
“Most people who put down ‘cadet’ in resume’s usually get the job,” he said.
Dobson explained that “the vast majority” of those who join the program learn self-discipline, dress and deportment, as well as self esteem and things like time management, and employers know they can expect a well dressed, disciplined employee if they hire someone who has cadet experience.
He noted that there are Air Cadets in Wellington County, but those groups are generally more oriented to academics. “We try to get outside and get active,” he said.
There are plenty of benefits, too.
Dobson said the Army Cadet Battery is mainly focused on activities such as shooting and pipes and drums. In the summer, cadets qualify for free camps that can last from two to six weeks. Further, the longer camps take place overseas or in far away places. The more senior cadets qualify for those.
Dobson said one 18-year-old in the 1943 Army Cadet Battery has been to Banff, and some over the years have qualified for a free, six week camp in Wales. Dobson himself spent six weeks at camp in Scotland one summer when he was a cadet.
“Somebody who wants to go to camp – we can usually find a place,” he said, noting that musicians can attend camps for bagpipes and drums.
He explained that Reservists are officers in the unit, but the cadets are all youths.
Dobson said, “This year, we’ve got a lot of kids from Clifford and Drayton,” with some from Listowel, but that can vary from year to year, and anyone who wants to attend is welcome, no matter where they live.
There are Army Cadet Batteries in Palmerston, Brussels, Orangeville, and Guelph.
The 1943 Army Cadet Battery meets every Wednesday at Norwell at 7pm. Anyone wanting to join can simply show up that night, and “We’ll walk you through it.”
The Change of Command takes place on Feb. 3 at 7pm at the high school.
