by Peter S. Milsom, Navy League of Canada
And now for the best part of our Navy League of Canada 125th celebration – the recognition of the two remarkable young people, both young women, who were honoured with the award of the 125th medallion.
First let’s set the stage. For all cadets and their dedicated, hard-working officers, COVID constraints and the always intrusive COVID protocols have made the past year’s training in the Cadet Program a real challenge. Training and fun developmental activities have largely had to take place in a virtual, on-line environment. Much of their schooling has had to be conducted in the same fashion, so most students encountered very long days and evenings on the computer. The fact that our cadets additionally undertook the challenge of persisting, progressing and succeeding with their cadet program activities underscores that these young “Kemptvillians” are very special people indeed. Two of them have been chosen for special notice.
For Navy League Cadet Corps (NLCC) Assiniboine, the Corps chose a cadet to whom our readers were already introduced in our eleventh article back in the early spring entitled “Meet Aneka Reid”. The picture of her in a wide-open farm field, in uniform and waving semaphore flags, may spring to mind. Yes, Aneka is a farm girl who knows all about hard work and, probably thanks to four older siblings, knows a lot about having fun. Now a Grade 7 student, and now promoted to Cadet Petty Officer Second Class (PO2), she is almost through her second year in cadets and has spent the past year actively engaged in her training. Also engaged along the way in community support activities, this busy young person has been an unremitting, constant supporter of her corps.
In recognition of this, PO2 Reid was named as the winner of the 2020 – 2021 Assiniboine Attendance and Participation Award and was nominated by her corps to receive the 125th Anniversary Medallion. A fine young cadet who is making her mark!
And now for the second recipient of the 125th Anniversary Medallion which has been awarded by Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps (RCSCC) Defiant. Just like the last recipient, this cadet is a person already introduced to our readers, but, in this case, in our thirteenth article entitled “Meet Dilan Yildirim”. This bright, highly talented young lady has personally, in her second language no less, written five of our now twenty articles introducing the cadets, the officers, the Board supporters, and the objectives and achievement of the Navy Cadet Program to our citizens here in Kemptville. No wonder her efforts have caught the attention of her officers.
Also earning promotion recently, Cadet Petty Officer 2nd Class Yildirim is now a Cadet Petty Officer 1st Class. Always purposefully engaged in the full range of activities of her corps, she portrays the mien of a champion – a cadet who is excited about the opportunities, activities and events that characterize the Cadet Program. Whether in her leadership, seamanship, drill, communications and other cadet developmental activities or her engagement in other special interests such as media and public affairs activities, Dilan is considered by her officers to be a great cadet who makes the whole Program better for all.
Congratulations to both of these outstanding young Kemptville citizens!
