ROYAL CANADIAN SEA CADET CORPS FORT LENNOX

1960 Annual Report, from L’Echo, Juin 1960

by: Midshipman William E. Reid, A/PO1 Bruce A. Hannah, and A/PO2 John Bloxham

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And so another successful year in the records of R.C.S.C.C. "Fort Lennox" has drawn to a close.  In its wake it has left many inspiring memories for its members to look back upon. 

With our flag flying proudly from the main mast, we the cadets of R.C.S.C.C. "Fort Lennox" returned in September to face another year of vigorous training.  Ahead of us lay our goal, the Able Cadet Stripe which we hoped to wear so proudly on our arm.  The work was hard, the course was long but the spirit of teamwork made many of us see it through.

On a few of our Sunday mornings, we paraded to and from the Church to attend various services.  It was on one of these special parades that the visit of the Victory Band inspired the forming of our Honour Guard. 

They, the select twelve, wearing white webbing, helped to make our Armistice Day service one that few of us will ever forget.  With the addition of rifles, they now can be proudly matched against any of their counterparts from other Corps. 

The visit to our namesake which apparently is becoming an annual ceremony was looked forward to with great enthusiasm.  After a brief boot excursion the Cadets disembarked on Iles aux Noix, many of them viewing the Fort's proud old buildings for the first time.  For the second year in a row, the island’s inhabitants watched our precision drill.  Guards were mounted at the gates and on the battlements, fulfilling the age old custom of bygone years.  The boys enjoyed themselves immensely; playing hard, working hard, and eating well!!!  

On Wednesday evening, 11 May 1960 , the Officers and Cadets played host to the Area Officer, Lieutenant-Commander Paul Emile Buisson, R.C.N., at a farewell dinner held in the Mess Room. The Mess Deck was attractively decorated with naval flags, lifebuoys, and ships’ lanterns.  Head table guests included the Chairman of the Sea Cadet Committee, Rev. E. A. Boisvert, Mrs. E. A. Boisvert, the Guest of Honour, Lieutenant and Mrs. P. Ferguson, Sub-Lieutenants S. May and F. Howard-Rose, C.D., Midshipman William Reid, I. Gardner, Esq., and Mrs. H. Brouillet, Dean of Girls. 

Following the Toast to Her Majesty the Queen and the Naval Toast of the Day, the Chairman called upon the Executive Officer, S/Lt. May, to give a brief history of the Corps and to introduce the Guest of Honour.  Lt-Cdr. Buisson spoke briefly to the Corps and traced his association with it since its inception in September of 1958 and the presentation of the Warrant in April, 1959. 

Lt. Ferguson responded to Lt-Cdr. Buisson and, on behalf of the Officers and Cadets, presented him with a set of three books, as a token of the Corps’ appreciation of the A.O.’s labours for the Corps.  Lt Ferguson also voiced the feelings of all present when he expressed the fond hope that the new duties to which Lt-Cdr. Buisson has been assigned will still permit him to visit R.C.S.C.C. "FORT LENNOX" from time to time. 

At the conclusion of the dinner and presentation, the Corps paraded in the School Gymnasium and were inspected by the Area Officer.  He had many words of praise for their first-class appearance and wished them good luck in the Annual Inspection scheduled to take place on June 9^th. 

During the course of the year, our Corps was strengthened by the addition of Sub-Lt. S. May and Sub-Lt. F. Howard-Rose, C.D., without whose help our Cadet year would not have been as successful. 

On June 9^th, Commander Manson honoured us by Inspecting the Corps and presenting our trophies both for Divisional and individual efforts.

In closing, our deepest gratification to Lt. P. Ferguson R.C.S.C. for his conscientious attention in fulfilling his duties as our Commanding Officer.  We would like to wish him and his family a wonderful summer and we hope he will be back with the Corps next year.*

Sea Cadet Index          Military History Index

*curiously prescient note on which to end the report - dgf