The Okotoks Sea Cadet Corps was chartered on March 12, becoming the Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corp 360 Erratic to much excitement.
The occasion was marked with the RCSCC 360 Erratic holding a large stand-up parade, becoming official. The parade was one of the biggest the Corps has ever had.
The Sea Cadet Corps was part of Calgary’s RCSCC 344 Victoria until they reached 30 cadets and were able to apply for chartership.
Lieutenant Navy Pam Mattock, Commanding Officer of the 360 Erratic, said the occasion has been long awaited.
“The last three years we haven’t had a name, we’ve just been Okotoks. We haven’t had a number, we haven’t had a charter,” said Mattock. “We just got our charter, a number and a name.
“It’s a very big deal.”
Mattock said that it took three and a half years for enough community support and 30 cadets so they could submit for a charter. Currently, the Corps has 34 cadets.
Mattock explains that during the war, Cadets was used as pre-training, and the program continued because of the skills it teaches to the youths.
“They teach leadership, they teach citizenship, they teach physical fitness, and our corps, because we’re Sea, we learn how to sail,” she said. “It’s Canada’s best secret.”
The Cadet Corps is free of charge for youths aged 12-18, and supplies are provided throughout. The Corps has three elements: air, sea and army.
The Sea Cadet Corps is Okotoks’ first, while army and air are in High River.
The value of the program extends beyond future service, said Mattock, making the program suitable for any goals or aspirations.
“They can join [Canadian Forces] if they want, but the leadership and the citizenship that they learn from cadets is amazing,” she said. “Take a kid that’s gone through the program and stick them in a job interview, and then take a kid who hasn’t, and see the difference in their leadership.
“It builds personality.”
An example of the type of character cadets embody was Petty Officer 2nd Class Rachael Wilsher, who has been a cadet for over three years, and has been in the Okotoks Corps for two.
“Cadets over the past three years has formed my life,” said Wilsher. “I used to do so many other things and I used to be so overwhelmed, but I focused my life on cadets and it has brought so much joy to me. It’s brought friends, it’s brought community.
“Every summer I get to go on camps where I go sailing, this year I get to go for six weeks. It truly builds a community with Canadians all over the world and it makes you feel safe. It’s a very trusted environment.”
The cadets are open to everyone, which made a difference for Wilsher in feeling she had a place there.
“The two DPO’s, myself and Petty Officer 2nd Class Blackburn, we are both females and we run the two divisions in this corps,” she said.
“We like to think of that as a statement saying that men don’t have to completely run everything, we are strong as women.”
Now being a named corps, the 360 Erratic Sea Cadet Corps has two divisions and a guard and parade every Tuesday.
Mayor Bill Robertson was in attendance and spoke on his family history in the military and his pride in the corps. On behalf of the council and administration he congratulated the sea cadets for their perseverance and commitment in receiving the charter.
