The Westlock Cadet Corps No. 2467 welcomed a new commanding officer and said goodbye to their old one during a ceremony at St. Mary School on Monday, Dec. 9.
The change of command ceremony was originally supposed to occur a week earlier, but was delayed due to the heavy snowstorms.
Capt. Amanda Race has been the commanding officer of the Westlock Cadets for two years, but she is moving to Edmonton.
She is being replaced by Capt. Rick Thibault, who has been with the Cadets for nearly a decade and came to Westlock from Wetaskiwin.
The ceremony saw the Westlock Cadets march one final time for Race before a handing-over of the Westlock unit’s flag from Race to Warrant Officer Christine Ashton and finally to Thibault.
The ceremony capped off with the official signing-over, followed by one more parade around the gym with Thibault as the new commanding officer.
Race said the members of the Westlock unit are “some of the best Cadets I’ve ever seen,” adding she was really glad she got to do a stint as commanding officer for them.
“You guys are wonderful. You’re just all-around good Cadets,” she said. Race also thanked the parents, who she said are the “backbone” of this group.
Capt. Pat Neilson acted as the presiding officer for the ceremony. He said he enjoys coming out to the 13 Cadet units under his command for these change-overs.
“On one hand, I get to come out and show my appreciation and express the appreciation of the region to a commanding officer who has put the time in, who has put the effort in and who has put blood, sweat and tears in (to this unit),” he said.
“Capt. Race, through diligence and hard work ... has certainly represented her unit to the region to the best of her ability.”
Neilson said the other reason he liked to come out to these ceremonies is to welcome the new commanding officers, who build on the work of their predecessors.
“Usually when you have a new commanding officer, they’re excited and they’re motivated. They have ideas ... to make the unit a better place,” he said. “Under the leadership of Capt. Thibault, that’s what’s going to happen.”
Neilson noted a unit always becomes a reflection of the commanding officer and Thibault’s ideas about leadership would eventually be reflected in the Cadets.
“He is going to lead you in the same manner that Capt. Race led you: with diligence, with honour, with dignity and with pride. You guys are going to have to reflect that back.”
Capt. Thibault told the Cadets that the unit ultimately depends on them as members to keep going.
“We function because of you,” he said, noting they also depend on the parents, the presiding officer and the command in Edmonton and Winnipeg.
Thibault said the Cadets have to work hard, noting there will sometimes be good days and bad days as a unit. “But we have to work together and do our best to have fun,” he said.
He noted the ultimate goal is to have the Cadets leave at the end of the day saying they were happy. While it may seem like they do boring things at times, the point of Cadets is to prepare its members and help them in things like getting a job.
“Guess what? It will pay you in the long run, I guarantee,” he said.
