795 ACR

The day had finally arrived; Saturday, May 26, 2012.  The 42nd Annual Ceremonial Review of 795 Iqaluit Squadron.  An ACR parade is a year-end event designed to showcase what the cadets of the squadron have learned throughout the regular training year.  Every squadron/corps in Canada organizes an ACR of some kind for parents, friends, and visiting guests before the beginning of summer.  I have participated in several ACRs when I was an army cadet but this would be my first air cadet ACR as a civilian instructor.

The parade was scheduled to begin at 1300hrs (1pm) but cadets & officers were required to be at the cadet hall for 0900 for setup and practice.  For setup, several areas of the cadet hall needed to be prepared to host guests.  Obviously, the drill hall was the first item on the list.  Cadets swept the parade square with brooms, placed chairs along the wall where the podium was located, and surrounded the perimeter with blue curtains.  Officers setup the microphones and awards tables.  Many plaques and small trophies would be handed out during the parade. 

Next were the numerous static displays.  The largest display was the CF-5 cockpit in the storage garage next to the drill hall.  The commanding officer, Captain A. Chubbs had managed to save the large aircraft piece from the scrap yard several years ago and it has been used as a teaching aid ever since.  Visiting guests would be allowed to sit in the cockpits, safely assured that the ejection seats were no longer operational. 

            

The other static displays were located in the two classrooms upstairs.  Tables and chairs had been moved to the walls to let people walk freely.  After the parade, several cadets would sit behind the displays and answer any questions from visitors.  The displays showcased: the model rocketry, biathlon, and fencing clubs; various air cadet uniforms & the air force rank structure; and past & present photos of the squadron.  The display I liked the most was the airport diorama because it displayed models of various types of commercial aircraft.  The largest model is the Airbus A380, the 'double-decker airplane' as I call it.   The model was given to the squadron as a gift when the aircraft was flown to Iqaluit in 2006 for cold weather tests.  I was a mild model enthusiast when I was growing up.  Mild because I always had trouble gluing the pieces together.  Now I just buy premade models.

           

The rest of the morning was devoted to parade rehearsals & team practices.  With the five team demonstrations scheduled in the middle of the parade, the ceremony would last around two hours.  When it came time for lunch, we all headed over to the Legion Hall next door.  Even though I had been living in Iqaluit for the last 4 months, I had yet to step into 'The Legion'.  The Royal Canadian Legion Hall serves as a restaurant, bar, and karaoke nightclub for members.  And judging from the stories I've heard, it seems that everyone in Iqaluit has a legion membership.  On weekends, the establishment hosts a morning brunch buffet and I have to admit that the food is quite good.  There're various fruits, vegetables, fish, meats, desserts, and drinks to sample.  Eating the prime roast beef reminded me of the brunch buffet at Wilfrid's, an expensive restaurant at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa.

            

After lunch, the cadets & officers returned to the unit and changed into their uniforms. Parents, legion members, and guests began arriving around 20 minutes before 1300 and took their seats in the drill hall.  I would alternate between sitting and standing because I wanted to document the event with photographs and short videos.     
              

The parade began with the falling in of the squadron and marching on the Colour Party.  Next came the arrival of the Reviewing Party, consisting of the squadron's commanding officer, guest reviewing officer, and legion representative.  Every ACR has a guest reviewing officer and the GRO this year was Lieutenant-Colonel D.P. Townsend.  For the General Salute, a recording of the national anthem was played over loudspeakers.        

            

Lt.C. Townsend joined the Canadian Forces in 1985 and graduated from Royal Roads Military College in Victoria, BC, in 1989, with a  BSc in Physics & Computer Science.  For the last 4 years, he has been project director for the Chinook and Griffon helicopter fleets.

            

The cadets were inspected by Townsend, the squadron's commanding officer (CO), Captain A. Chubbs, and the Legion president.  The inspection only took a few minutes because of the small size of the squadron (est. 25 cadets).  Several of the younger cadets looked rather nervous, having never been talked to by a high ranking officer.  I have participated in parades where an inspection can take up to 20 minutes.  Thankfully, there is a cadet band that plays several tunes to keep the audience from falling asleep.

The inspection was followed by a march past.  This drill movement requires the squadron to march past the podium, giving an eyes-right to the reviewing officer.  Cadets with parade positions are required to salute.  Although it may look odd in an enclosed area, a march past is done as a form of respect. 

            

It wouldn't be a military parade without speeches and awards.  Thankfully, there were only three speeches and all of them were kept short.  The speakers were: Lt.C. Townsend, Cpt. Chubbs, and the president of the Legion.  In short, they each congratulated the cadets for a well put together parade, and thanked the parents for coming out to support their kids and the cadet movement.  As for awards, there were a lot to give out.  Most of them were top cadet awards in various categories.  Several cadets even received multiple awards.   

            

The first demonstration was the drill team, exhibiting proper standing & marching drill, and maintaining group discipline on parade.  Their finale included the use of the .22 rifles.  Next came the Colour Party demonstration which was pretty much the same except the team had to march with flags and rifles. 

            

As for music, there were three demonstrations.  One of my grade 10 clarinetists is learning how to play the bagpipes in cadets.  She was asked by the CO to perform a few Irish tunes on the ACR and she accepted.  For added assistance, her civilian instructor, dressed in traditional Irish clothing, played along with her.  They played 'Maple Leaf Forever' and 'Scotland The Brave'.  Next came my two senior trumpeters, Sgt Moss and Flight Corporal Niego-Akavak, who played two classical pieces.  And the last musical demo of the parade was of course, the drums.  My three female drummers (two snares, one bass drum) marched out in a line towards the centre of the parade square.  After halting and facing the audience, they began their short drum feature.  Despite a few mistakes, they kept it together and received a round of applause at the end.  As they marched off with grins on their faces, I hoped their  performance had attracted new percussion recruits for next year.

            

One of the key cornerstones of the cadet program is the promotion of physical fitness.  The sports team put on a short demonstration for the audience, showing them what kind of sports the squadron engages.  These include: soccer, ultimate frisbee, and volleyball.

The last team demonstration was the fencing team.  Fencing is a combat sport where opponents duel with bladed weapons.  The objective is to score the most hit points by 'touching' your opponent with your sword.  For safety, fencers wear all around protective clothing.  In cadets, the choice of weapon is the foil, a light thrusting sword.  With this blade, you can only score points with the tip.  For the demonstration, the cadets displayed standing & attacking positions, and a typical fencing duel.

            

With the demonstrations out of the way, the squadron reformed on the parade square for the Advance In Review Order, General Salute, and the Departure of the Reviewing Party.  For the General Salute, a recording of God Save The Queen was played over loudspeakers.  Before the Reviewing Party departed, they enlisted the help of the audience to give the cadets on parade one final applause.  When the cadets were dismissed, the festivities moved to the upstairs classrooms where the static displays were located. 

            

In my view, the ACR was a success.  I am proud of my trumpeters & drummers for putting on well received performances.  I was also impressed by the other team demonstrations.  The fencing demo got me thinking about the time when I attended a summer fencing camp at Carleton University when I was just a kid.  Maybe I should give fencing another try?