Heather Latter
The 144 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps (Fort Frances) saw six cadets off to summer camp this year, with two already having returned home.
Twin brothers, Able Seaman Clinton Gray and Able Seaman Matthew Gray, 13, attended HMCS Ontario in Kingston, where they spent two weeks in general training.
“It was awesome,” enthused Matthew Gray, citing they specifically learned about four trades: sailing, boatswain, music, and gunnery.
“It’s good because you get to learn a lot more when you go to camp,” he noted.
For example, the siblings learned skills for sailing in small boats as well as those in seamanship, small boat operation and maintenance, and marksmanship.
They also underwent music training, as well as adventure training, physical fitness, drill, and ceremonial.
While Matthew Gray enjoyed learning boatswain skills the most, his brother found his favourite to be sailing.
“I liked scaring people when we were capsizing,” Clinton Gray remarked.
This was the first Sea Cadets camp the boys attended and both said they would like to go again.
“You learn a lot and you get to meet a lot of new people,” Clinton Gray noted.
SLT Dawn Gray explained it’s important for the cadets to attend summer camps because they are able to learn different things than they can here.
“It’s beneficial because we’re very limited in what we can teach them being where we are,” she reasoned.
She explained cadets have gone away to summer camps for years now, and it’s obvious the skills they learn have helped them in both sea cadets and their personal lives.
“It’s also great being able to meet people from all across Canada,” she stressed.
Others local cadets away at camp this summer include Petty Officer 2nd Class Dylan Taylor, attending a six-week music trade camp at HMCS Quadra in Comox, B.C., and Able Seaman Dallas Maki, also at HMCS Quadra in Comox for a two-week general training camp.
Meanwhile, Petty Officer 2nd Class Ian Enns is at HMCS Acadia in Shearwater, N.S. for a six-week boatswain trade camp while Leading Seaman Erik Engberg is at HMCS Ontario attending a three-week music trade camp.
A new training year for the local Sea Cadet corps begins Sept. 5 and runs until June. New members (aged 12-18) always are welcome.
In fact, the local corps always is looking for adults to join to help supervise and teach the cadets. They can become officers or civilian instructors.
For more information, visit www.cadets.ca or contact Commanding Officer Lt(N) Terry Newman at 274-2014.
