On October 12, 2011, the 3016 Calgary Highlanders (Airdrie) Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps will be awarded the prestigious Army Cadet League Shield recognizing them as the Top Army Cadet Corps in Urban Alberta.  We would like to invite all interested media to attend this event at 6 PM at Ralph McCall School gymnasium in Airdrie 1505-1^st Avenue NW (Please see Page 4 of this document for a map and directions).  This is a particularly big honour as Airdrie has gone up against major cities including Calgary and Edmonton to win this award in the urban setting.  There is also a rural corps award which smaller community corps compete for each year.

The 3016 corps has been running for 25 years and has never been awarded this distinction on any previous occasion.  In June of this year, the 3016 Airdrie Royal Canadian Army Cadets were awarded with the top cadet corps in Southern Alberta.  This is an annual award which includes 14 corps from the area.  Captain Krissy Wood is the area cadet officer for Southern Alberta and makes the selection for the award recipients.   The award is based on many facets of each cadet corps activity levels, community involvement, increase in enrolment and staffing levels as well as the range of different activities available to youths who are members of the corps.

In the last year, the 3016 corps has increased in membership from approximately 25 cadets to 90 cadets, both male and female ranging in age from 12-18.  This huge growth in corps size necessitated a move from Golden Rod Hall to Ralph McCall School in Airdrie to accommodate the growing number of youths involved.  The corps has worked with the support of the Army Cadet League of Alberta, the support of parents, volunteers and staff cadet instructor cadre DND officers (including Commanding Officer Captain Tanya Mark, Administration Officer Captain Lesley-Anne Petcoff, Training Officer Lieutenant Kevin Rycroft and Supply Officer Second Lieutenant Christopher Taylor).

The 3016 corps has a newly founded pipes and drums band which provides optional training to interested cadets without any cost for instruments or instruction.  There is also a newly formed biathlon team, marksmanship team in addition to a precision drill team that the cadets have the option to join.  The cadets are also busy at many corps organized field training exercises on weekends, volunteer events at local area legions supporting veterans, trips to the Military Museums, poppy sales, donations to the veterans food bank, sports days at local recreational centres, as well as physical and leadership training.  They were also involved in an interprovincial cadet exchange program in February of last year hosting an Air Cadet corps from Regina.  The visiting corps went to various local attractions including trips to both Edmonton and Banff, a Hitman hockey game, a visit to Cross Iron Mills, the Military Museums and the Aerospace Museum in Calgary.

The corps was featured at the Calgary Stampede parade this year as well as the Airdrie Canada Day parade, the Crossfield Pete Knight Days parade and the 2011 Tim Horton’s NHL Heritage Classic Hockey Game.  The band was also featured at these parades and is led by nationally and provincially recognized instructors.  Cadet Pipe Major Jamie Taylor performed bagpipes at the Airdrie Air Show in full highland gear this summer.  The 3016 Training Officer, Lieutenant Kevin Rycroft, has been working extremely hard to get all senior cadets and band members outfitted in full highland gear including kilts, sporrans, glengarries, spats, lovat and dice hose.

The Airdrie Army cadets have also been hard at work ensuring that all cadets who are involved or youths who want to become involved have easy access to information on the 3016 corps.  As technology use with young people has increased, so has the need for youth groups to increase their presence on social media sites and online.  To stay current, the corps has its own website updated continually with events, dress code requirements, corps news and ongoing issues of interest at http://airdriecadets.com/ which was created and run entirely by parent volunteers.  There is also a Facebook page for the 3016 group which has reminders for events organized by the corps, information about cadet programs and articles and pictures featuring cadets at http://www.facebook.com/pages/3016-Airdrie-Royal-Canadian-Army-Cadet-Corps/247972518434.  Both of these sites in conjunction with emails are used to keep youths and parents informed as to what events are happening and when.  A quick look at the calendar shows just how busy the corps has become in recent months.

The cadets have also been recognized in the cadet summer training programs that they were involved in this summer.  Various awards were won including Corporal Marchessault winning top in platoon for the Sports and Fitness Course, Sergeant Teegan Martin winning the Lieutenant General J.E. Vance Leadership award for the top course cadet for the Cadet Leader Instructor courses and Warrant Officer Jessie Taylor winning the Lord Strathcona Trust Fund Annual Summer Training Centre Achievement Award for top staff cadet.

The Commanding Officer, Captain Tanya Mark, has also received several awards.  She was awarded the Canadian Forces Decoration presented for 12 years of service and good conduct, the Best in Show and Best Cadet Instructor Cadre photos in the Army Cadet Photo Contest for 2010 and Honour Officer for the Southern Zone in 2010.  Staff Lieutenant Kevin Rycroft won the Honour Officer award for the Southern Zone in 2011.  Both staff and cadets have continually shown that they are they are outstanding members of the Canadian Cadet program!

Please join us at the award presentation on October 12, 2011 at 6 pm to show the community that the 3016 Airdrie Royal Army Cadet corps is making a big difference in the development and preparation of youth for the transition to adulthood, enabling them to meet the challenges of a modern society, through a dynamic community-based program.

Highlights

• 3016 Airdrie Army Cadets have won Top Army Cadet Corps in Urban Alberta and will be presented with a plaque on October 12, 6PM at Ralph McCall School gymnasium in Airdrie.  All interested media are invited to the presentation ceremony.
• Airdrie Army cadets founded in 1986, 25 years ago and have never previously won this award.
• Airdrie Army Cadets won the Top Cadet Corps in Southern Alberta in June, 2011.
• This award is based on corps activities, enrollment, staffing, community involvement and range of activities they are involved in.
• Airdrie Army cadets involved with:
  • Interprovincial Cadet Exchange Program
  • 2011 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic Hockey Game
  • Calgary Stampede Parade
  • Airdrie Canada Day Parade
  • Crossfield Pete Knight’s Days Parade
  • Airdrie Air Show
  • Volunteering at local area legions to support Veterans
  • Poppy Sales
  • Leadership Training
  • Physical Training
• Airdrie Army cadets have:
  • Pipe and Drum Band
  • Biathlon Team
  • Precision Drill Team
  • Marksmanship Team
  • Own website and Facebook page
  • Huge increase in enrollment from approximately 25 to currently having 90 youths aged 12-18 both male and female
• Cadets have won awards including:
  • Lord Strathcona Trust Fund Annual Summer Centre Achievement Award (Warrant Officer Jessie Taylor)
  • Lieutenant General J.E. Vance Leadership Award (Sergeant Teegan Martin)
  • Top In Platoon (Lance Corporal Jill Marchessault)
• Corps Staff have won awards including:
  • Honour Officer – Southern Zone 2011 (Lieutenant Kevin Rycroft)
  • Honour Officer – Southern Zone 2010 (Captain Tanya Mark)
  • Canadian Forces Decoration (Captain Tanya Mark)
  • Best in Show – Army Cadet League Photo Contest 2011 (Captain Tanya Mark)
  • Best CIC Photos – Army Cadet League Photo Contest 2011 (Captain Tanya Mark)

Contact Person –             Captain Tanya Mark

Email:  tmark50@hotmail.com

Phone: (403) 912-0105

Ralph McCall School  1505 1 Avenue Northwest, Airdrie, AB T4B 2E6

Click here for a PDF version: Press Release – Top Army Cadets in Alberta(Urban)