More photos from the needles parade
And the Year Continues On!
By: 26659 OCdt (II) Danielle Andela
Reunion Weekend is finished; the skylarks have been taken down, the obstacles dismantled and the Officer Cadets have begun to settle into their now First Year Orientation Period free year. The mood around the College is electric as the First Years begin to become more integrated into the Cadet Wing and bring new skills and talents to each Squadron.
This week has been one filled with catching up on classes and finalizing military requirements. The cadets met this Saturday to complete their After Action Reports on FYOP. During this process they take the time to critique the different aspects of FYOP and help make next year even better! The First Years also took a trip up to the base hospital for their immunizations.
The rest of the Wing is doing their best to make the First Years feel right at home! The following is an interview of one First Year who was taken for dinner by her Academic Mom (a Second Year) and another Squadron Member.
The weeks will continue to fly by as the First Year Officer Cadets of the Royal Military College of Canada push themselves to excel in their four pillars of training.
Following article written by 26056 OCdt Jasques on the topic of Ac-Parents with input from 26944 OCdt Valair.
Ac-parent stands for academic parent, representing their role in mentoring and guiding the younger cadets in their first year at RMC. After FYOP, first years can find it very difficult to catch up academically, as mid-term evaluations are just around the corner. In this critical time, the second years of their squadron fill a vital role in instructing them in the topics they may have had trouble with during the high-intensity Orientation Program, sharing their notes and giving tips as to the functioning of both academics and the Cadet Wing.
Ac-parents are also for much more than just academics, offering advice on everything from simply surviving the RMC environment to excellent activities for de-stressing in town, such as the best restaurants or attractions to visit on the weekend.
As OCdt Valair, 9 SQN, says, “I feel really lucky to have so many people supporting me and helping me successfully get through my first-year at the College. Just recently, my whole ac-family, from my ac-mother to my ac-grandfather, took me into town to get me acquainted with the city of Kingston. They also offered plenty of help with the functioning of the school itself and shared some of their notes from past years for me to study.”
Clearly, Ac-parents serve a vital and appreciated role in the life of this particular first-year Officer Cadet, a feeling surely shared by her peers throughout the 2013 first-year class, and first-years past and future.
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Life After FYOP
26944 OCdt (I) Valair & 26958 OCdt (I) Beattie
First Year Orientation Period (FYOP) is finally over.
Going through FYOP was challenging, but now that it is over one feels a certain sense of pride and accomplishment. Coming from various ways of life, we all embarked on a five week adventure together that was mentally and physically stressful.Through the physical training, inspections and drill we all became closer as a team.
Now that FYOP is over we can say that for our flights we have a sense of appreciation for the little things in life that we took for granted before. We learned to wear the RMC/CF uniforms with pride, and found out how essential and efficient teamwork is.
We realize now after FYOP, that all of us have become part of a new family, one that will stay with us through thick and thin until the very end. FYOP has shown us that every second counts and time management is the key to success, not just at the school, but also in the military.
Staying at the college for the past month has immersed us in a new culture where we became part of a historical tradition that dates back over a 137 years. From the old 18 themselves all the way down to the class of 2017 we are all connected through our pride in our country and the embodiment of Truth, Duty, Valour.
The sense of freedom you feel after FYOP is indescribable but the lessons you learn are unforgettable.