ISLE OF MAN ARMY CADET FORCE NEWSLETTER

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1 ISLE OF MAN ARMY CADET FORCE NEWSLETTER JULY SEPT 2013 Editor SI Lewin Welcome to the third issue of the Isle of Man Army Cadet Force Newsletter! This issue is packed full of information for you and also features a new Caption Competition with chance to win a mystery prize!! If you have a story you would like to see in the newsletter then please speak to me. I hope you enjoy it and find it helpful, full of information and activities to look forward too! We are also now on TWITTER!! Follow for updates, information, upcoming training and events! Word from the top IoM County Commandant Maj Johnson First of all, may I once again offer my sincere congratulations to SSI Wernham on her recent award of the Lieutenant Governor s Certificate of Merit of her outstanding contribution to the ACF. You may well be fed up with me bringing it up by now but I am immensely proud of what she has managed to achieve under trying circumstances and she is a great role model for our brand new joiners. On that subject, may I also offer a warm welcome to our new PI s who, as we speak will be undergoing the first stage of their training. Again this is no mean feat in terms of time and dedication, not only from the PI s but also from the training staff. On all levels, it is very much appreciated. Well done to everyone who attended Summer Camp at Wathgill in August! A very successful camp and I am sure it was enjoyed by you all. I recently had the privilege of attending The Oval cricket ground in London as part of my graduation for earning a Graduateship from the City & Guilds Institute of London (GCGI) the equivalent of a BSc (Hons) degree. It was a very formal and grand occasion, in a wonderful setting. All well and good I hear you say. Well, yes it is however, it should be noted that the only reason I was able to gain the qualification was through CVQO and my ACF service. This very same opportunity is now open to all adult staff, regardless of experience and is one of the most valuable qualifications that you can gain during your cadet career. It benefits the ACF, true, but more importantly it will benefit you and your employer even more. PLEASE take advantage of these qualifications. For relatively little cost and some degree of effort you can really boost your qualifications and employability and is some reward for all of your hard work and dedication you give to the cadets.

2 County Training Officer Lt Farrington We are once again at the start of a training year and looking to create and exciting but informative programme. This now includes factoring in formal adult training for new Potential Instructors, something we have not done before. I am also very keen to ensure that 2 stars and above do receive the training they require to progress through their star levels. With this in mind there are tentative plans for a JCIC to take place in the near future. To try and fit all this new and additional training in we may need to restrict attendances to some weekend camps to certain star levels so that we have more than enough adults to deliver the training. Plans are being started to create and challenging but enjoyable training programme for Inverness 2014 which is a wonderful location and something we can all work towards and look forward to. As always if any adults are cadets have any ideas about training then please speak to your Detachment Commander who can pass the suggestions on to me. County Shooting Officer WSMI Farrington 14 cadets volunteered to be in the shooting team for the Cadet Skill At Arms Meeting (CSAAM) in September. We did a selection day up at Windy Corner and were very impressed with everyone s shooting, so much so that in the end we required a running race to decide on the last member of the second team. We took two four person teams to CSAAM and six cadets as Butt Markers (these are the cadets who mark and patch the target). Both teams put in a good effort and with more practice I believe we can start competing for some of the trophies. Our lack of preparation showed as although we were good we were inconsistent, this was evident in a couple of the competitions where our best shot in one competition would then go on to score zero in another competition. We will work on this over the next year. May I take this opportunity to thank all the adults involved with the teams and with running the ETR and to the cadets who didn t make the team but came with us to act as Butt Markers, without your help we could not enter these competitions. Looking forward next year we have a weekend booked at Altcar for Target rifle prep in Feb and another booked for May for GP prep. We also have four range days booked for Easter Camp. We are also planning single day weekend shooting up at Windy corner from the New Year. Capt Deehan Padre HI everyone, I am Padre Des and have recently joined the ACF having been appointed as an Army Chaplain. I look forward to getting know both cadets & staff and learning from you all (including how to wear the beret correctly)! Although I am the Padre and a Pastor of a church I would not consider myself to be religious, I just love God and people and try to enjoy having fun. So I would ask that you feel free to approach me at any time for a chat. In the meantime you can contact at the following address; des.deehan@ramseyelim.com

3 SSI Wernham County First Aid Training Officer (CFATO) We have had quite a successful year so far on the First Aid front. December 2012 we qualified 9 cadets in the St John Activity First Aid certificate which is a fully recognised adult first aid qualification and comparable to a pass at 4 Star level. We then hosted a county wide first aid competition in March 2013, in which Douglas Detachment won both the awards for best team and best individual. Well done to Cadet Sgt Kay on achieving the highest score in the competition overall. We then focused on the regional first aid competition which was held in Altcar Training Camp in Merseyside in May. We ran a Youth first Aid course in preparation for potential first aid team candidates and passed 10 cadets in this 2 Star equivalent award. After some intensive training we managed to select 2 teams of 4 cadets ranging in ages 12 to 16. Out of over 18 teams from different counties and cadet contingents in the Northwest we placed 3rd and 4th which is a massive achievement. Particular recognition needs to go to the Devereau twins, both scoring the highest scores in the Isle of Man ACF. They at this point in time had only been practicing first aid for less than 3 months. We will beat Merseyside next year won t we guys! Also congratulations to SI Gardner and SSI Naylor who achieved the Activity First Aid qualification and to SI Hill, BSM Moffatt and SI Sayle who prequalified in their First Aid at Work qualification in June. I would like to thank 2Lt Richardson, Merseyside ACF who graciously came over to the Island to make this possible. We have a lot more installed in for later in the year. We are teaming up with the British Red Cross in November to go through some casualty simulation training which may possibly be opened to senior cadets. I am also hoping to run another Youth First Aid Course later in the year for any of you cadets that need to pass this for your 2 Star badge. Lots more to come guys! SI Gardner DofE Officer I organised and ran a Duke of Edinburgh weekend during the September weekend camp. Myself and SI Lewin are very grateful to and impressed by all of the cadets who made it such an enjoyable and successful weekend. The team work and morale was excellent and no one got LOST! The cadets had wonderful weather for walking on the Saturday and all of the participants finished their day in high spirits. The weather on the Sunday was not so good but all three teams completed their walk in excellent time with smiles on their faces despite the torrential rain! All of the cadets who participated passed the practise weekend which is an excellent result! Congratulations to the following: Pass - Bronze Practice Lance Bdr Kennish CDT Moffatt CDT Holohan CDT Watterson CDT Prescott CDT Perry CDT Hird CDT Gale Pass - Silver Practice Sgt Kay Sgt Johnson Bdr Kingett Bdr Martin

4 The qualifying Duke of Edinburgh expedition for the above cadets and a practise expedition for any cadets who wish to start Duke of Edinburgh will be held next year with the dates being released soon. I will also be running a couple of weekends before the expedition to plan the next routes and ensure the cadets are prepared for their assessment, again specific dates will be announced soon. If you wish to start Duke of Edinburgh and are 14 or above please ask SI Gardner for an enrolment form. SI Hill BTEC Officer I am very pleased to announce that all the cadets that took their BTEC exams in the last school year have all passed with distinctions! I will be organising a BTEC weekend in December to complete your workbooks. A VERY MUCH DESERVED WELL DONE! I have already signed up NINE cadets to start this year but always have space for more. So any questions please come and speak to me on a Thursday night. What Is BTEC And What Does It Entail? With a little extra work on top of your usual cadet activities, the CVQO-led programmes provide you with a valuable qualification widely recognised by schools, colleges and employers. The BTEC qualification is equivalent to 4 GCSE s at Grade A* - C. As the qualifications are carefully mapped to the training programmes of uniformed youth organisations, you ll already have a head start with what you ve learned as a cadet. In addition to your usual cadet activities, you will be required to complete two workbooks which should take you no longer than two training days. A BTEC training weekend will be run by the Army Cadet Force to allow you to complete your workbooks. The rest of the course is made up of practical assignments and these are marked on the attendance and completion of your usual cadet activities. What Are The Courses And Qualifications? As a cadet you can choose from BTEC courses in Public Services, Music and Engineering. The Army Cadet Force encourages the BTEC course in Public Services rather than Music or Engineering, as it is the course closest to the subjects taught from our training syllabus. Exceptions can be made for cadets with an enthusiastic interest in Music or Engineering; however the requirements for these are more stringent than those for the Public Service course. How Much Will It Cost? As a cadet, it s free! There is no central government funding for this qualification and so the Army Cadet Force looks to raise funds from a range of sources including donations, charitable funding and public bodies. Can I Apply? Yes, if you re aged 15 or over, a 1* Cadet or above and a member of the Army Cadet Force, we will fund your study on any of the selected vocational qualifications. How Do I Register? If you are interested in completing the BTEC Qualification or would like further information, please direct your interest or requests to Sergeant Instructor Hill on any training evening. Alternatively you can telephone HQ on

5 SMI Moffatt BSM I would like to say a thank you to all the Adult instructors and Cadets that have given up there time to volunteer to help out at the community events over the last few months; The Southern Show, The End2End and Poppy selling to name a few. I hope this carries on through November as we have possibly the most important public event on our calendar.remembrance Parade. There will be your local parade and your Detachment Commanders will give you the details on them. There will also be a National parade on the afternoon of the 10 th November and would like as much support as we can muster! Upcoming events WEEKEND CAMP 22th 24th November 2013 (Which will include JCIC and a Leadership Course) INVERNESS 2014 (Scotland) HALTON 2015 (Lancaster) (This might change to Nesscliffe) SWYNNERTON 2016 (Staffordshire) RIPON 2017 (Yorkshire) Recent Promotions Cdt Kennish to L/Bdr Cdt Quilliam to L/Bdr Bdr Kay to Sgt Well Done, Keep up the good work! Star Level Passes Cdt Leeds, Passed Basic L/Bdr Kennish, Passed 1 Star L/Bdr Quilliam, Passed 1 Star ROUND UP IN PICTURES Left Cadet Volunteers ready to sell poppies at this year s launch!

6 Left Cadets selling poppies at the 2013 Poppy Launch, Along with Ellen Vannin Pipes and Drums. Caption Competition Every newsletter we will have a caption competition! The best caption to fit the picture will win a mystery prize! The way to enter is to write your caption on a piece of paper with your name and detachment, then hand it to SI Lewin or your Detachment Commander. Closing date is 28 th January (The caption will be judged by SI Lewin and his judgement is final)