A large contingent of the Anguilla Cadet Corps, attached to the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School, left a memorable mark at St. Augustine’s Anglican Church at East End on Sunday, February 25.
That was when the paramilitary group celebrated their second anniversary since their relaunch and then, following the service, paraded in grand style across the churchyard to the applause of the congregation.
The service was conducted by Lay Reader, Dr. Linda O.M. Banks, who, together with Church Secretary, Mrs. Ingrid Lake, welcomed the uniformed boys and girls and congratulated them on the relaunch of their organisation.
Addressing the congregation, Commanding Officer, Mr. Neville Hamilton, said in part: “I take this opportunity to thank Almighty God for the grace with which He has blessed us and all those who contributed towards making the Second Anniversary possible since the relaunch of the Anguilla Cadet Corps on 21st February 2016.”
He continued: “The Anguilla Cadet Corps is a voluntary interschool organisation that focuses on paramilitary training to instil [in its members] the values of discipline, etiquette and leadership skills and to improve the general wellbeing of the individual….
“The Cadet Corps was relaunched in 2016. This year [2018], we are celebrating our second anniversary under the theme: ‘Training, Serving, Leading: Building a strong foundation for the future of our nation.’
“This theme captures exactly what the Cadet Corps is all about. Our main objective is to provide a solid future foundation for those people who are willing and able to serve…We believe that working in partnership with parents and guardians that our children’s future and our nation will be much better. We understand the issues faced by various individuals because of circumstances that cause their responsibilities to fall shorter than they expected.”
Mr. Hamilton expressed thanks to a number of persons for their support. They included the Director and Staff of the Department of Youth and Culture; the Commissioner and all other ranks of the Royal Anguilla Police Force; the Chief Education Officer and Staff of the Education Department; and the Principal and Teachers of the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School.
Serving with Mr. Hamilton, the Commanding Officer, are the following persons who, for the past months, have committed themselves to building the Anguilla Cadet Corps: Police Officer, Kerry Sylvester, Adjunct/Deputy Commandant; Mr. Henderson Burges, Training Officer; Mr. Vanburn Brooks, Training Assistant; Ms. Gleneva Hodge, Administration Officer; Ms. Tirichmir Gumbs, Administrative Assistant; and Adults Cadets Mrs. Casilda Thomas-Brooks, Mr. Alfred Douglas; and School Representative, Ms. Maxine Olanzo.
