Alexis Tosh was presented with the Air Cadet of the Year Award when the Mount Forest 895 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Cadets, held its 34th annual ceremonial review on May 11.
She was presented with the award by Captain Julie Kiers, a Mount Forest resident who, as reviewing officer, inspected the squadron last Wednesday evening.
Kiers was first introduced to the military when she enrolled in a Junior Cadet Program in Mississauga in 1990. She retired from cadets nine years later as the Chief Warrant Officer. She enrolled directly into the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves as an Officer in the Cadet Instructor Cadre and was commissioned in August 2000.
During an extended trip to England in 2002, Kiers volunteered with a Cadet Corps in Southampton. She was training officer with 1943 RCAC (Palmerston) beginning in 2002 and was Commanding Officer from 2010 to 2014.
She told the 895 Squadron it had done “an awesome job.” She praised both the squadron staff and leadership, as well as the parents of the cadets, for their dedication.
Award winners – Awards were presented at the Mount Forest 895 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Cadets’ 34th annual ceremonial review on May 11. Showing off the hardware they won are, front row, Sebastian Davies, Derek Richardson, Matthew Rumpf, Charlee Anderson, Matthew Dickinson, Skylar McGee and Ethan Boelke. Back: Shane Peters, Brandon Richardson, Alexis Tosh, Rachel Shwehr and Dillan Grant. Also winning an award but absent was Noah Benn. photo by Lynne Turner
Tosh was co-winner, along with Rachel Schwehr, of the Initiative and Enthusiasm Award and co-winner, along with Brandon Richardson, of the Best Leadership Potential Award.
Another multiple winner was Skylar McGee. She was presented with the Royal Canadian Legion Cadet Medal of Excellence, the Best Dressed Senior Cadet Award and was co-winner of Leadership Award along with Matthew Dickinson.
McGee won the Top Marksman Award and was co-winner of the Commanding Officer’s Trophy, along with Dickinson.
Rachel Schwehr won the Best 1st Year Drill Award and the Best First Year Cadet Award.
Dillan Grant won the Best Model Aircraft Award, with Sebastian Davies in second place.
Ethan Boelke and Schwehr were co-winners of the award for Best Dressed Junior Cadet. Co-winners of the Continuing the Spirit Award were Matthew Rumpf and Charlee Anderson. Derek Richardson was the Most Improved Cadet.
Dillan Grant won the Oscar Award for being “the most helpful of their peers,” as chosen by his fellow cadets.
Noah Benn, who was absent, will be presented with the Best Junior N.C.O. Award.
Perfect attendance awards were presented to McGee and Shane Peters and excellent attendance awards went to Rumpf and Peters.
The cadets presented two demonstrations, one showing enthusiasm with chanting and a choreographed marching drill led by Tosh and another about orienteering led by Peters.
Jim Gale, who brought greetings from the Air Cadet League, told the squadron he was impressed “by how well you have executed your annual review.”
“I commend you all on the very high standards you have demonstrated,” he said.
Gale also commended Mount Forest Legion Branch 134 and the Mount Forest Lions Club for their continuing support of the Air Cadet program.
The 895 Squadron Commanding Officer Mark McGee also thanked the group’s sponsors and introduced the squadron staff — Administration officer Cynthia Comeau, Training Officer Nataniel Dickinson who was also emcee at Wednesday’s ceremonial review, Supply Officer Cathy Turner and Level Training Staff Sean McGee.
