Page 118 - MERCIAN Eagle 2015

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QUEEN MARY’S GRAMMAR SCHOOL CCF
Another busy year started with one weekend per month from January through to March. Then as the 2015 Easter Holidays commenced, the annual Adventurous Training package based at Farchynys got under way. This gives cadets experience
in mountain walking, navigation and camp craft skills over the spectacular, but arduous terrain of Snowdonia. Approximately 20 cadets plus accompanying staff were faced with some very wet, and at times stormy weather.
At almost the same time, 30 cadets were attending RAF Annual Cam,p which took place at RAF Henlow. An exciting and varied programme included visits to all parts of the station, as well as shooting and flying packages. Six other cadets travelled to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus for a full 10 days.
In the summer term, a Formal Parade
of all 350 cadets was held in school on 24 April. This year’s inspecting officer was Air Commodore David Prowse OBE. In June, a large party of mostly RAF cadets attended the Desert Warfare weekend at Farchynys.
On 2 July, all Year 9 cadets completed their first overnight outdoor training exercise known as EX SLEEPLESS NIGHT at Swynnerton training area. This developed into a full field day on Friday 3rd July,
with the rest of the contingent enjoying
a package of teambuilding confidence activities.
A number of cadets attended external courses during 2015, including Leadership and Senior Instructor. It is good to see cadets participating in events like these, giving them the chance to see how the Regular Army organise things. It is also an ideal environment to work with youngsters from other contingents.
This year’s Army Camp was held at Crowborough in Sussex, an unfamiliar location for the contingent. Just over fifty QMGS cadets attended, rather low on numbers for us, due mainly to some cadets undertaking activities on World Challenge
in Tanzania and China. However, it did not seem to matter. The contingent performed magnificently throughout the week, and finished 2nd overall in the unit competition. This was a marvellous effort considering we were only pipped to the post of top slot by a hand-picked team of Canadian 6th formers!
Finally, during the period 2-7 August, we ran a Senior Cadet Instructor Cadre at Leek Training Area in Staffordshire. This course is aimed at older cadets who we hope will be the instructors of the future. We even got good weather!
A CCF cadet enjoying annual camp
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
Some of the CCF cadets on Exercise