Rugby Royal Marines Cadets

Way back in May 2008 I put up a post about the Expedition Training Team taking 2nd Place at the Warwickshire District Expedition Challenge held at Cannock Chase in Staffordshire. Well, as you will remember the team from Rugby Sea Cadets came 2nd to Sutton Coldfield Sea Cadet team, but were selected to represent the Warwickshire District at the Area Expedition Challenge, held last weekend.  Teams from the South West Area of England and Wales entered teams of six cadets to compete in various expedition disciplines over the weekend. At the end of a very long and tiring weekend the team from Rugby finished 3rd, which is very commendable.  Well done to the team, which consisted of: Petty Officer Cadet Alice Spiby, Ordinary Cadet Danielle Parker, Cadet Sarah Parsons, Ordinary Cadet Declan McKenna, Marine Cadet 2nd Class Jakk Cope and Cadet Elizabeth Barnes.

Sunday 14th September 2008 brought and e the Warwickshire District .22 Shooting Competition and a 1st for the team from Rugby, made up of Lance Corporal Ryan Bott, Marine Cadets 2nd Class Ted Spiby, James Barber and Ordinary Cadet Christian Nunnally.  The all day competition was hosted by the Rugby Sea Cadet Unit and the TA Centre in Edward Street, Rugby, with indpendent judges from District and Area Level.  being the first to shoot at the range, is never easy as you have to wait all day for the other teams to compete, but once the end of the day came, it was clear that the team from Rugby had done enough to secure 1st Place in the competition and take the trophy for “best shot”, awarded to the cadet that gains the highest score in the competition.  This year Ordinary Cadet Christian Nunnally from Rugby unit, took the “best shot” award.

The results for the competition were as follows:

1st – Rugby (556 Points)

2nd – Tamworth (283 Points)

3rd – Coventry (264 Points)

4th – Redditch (248 Points)

5th – Sutton Coldfield (179 Points)

6th – Evesham (99 Points)

The team from Rugby will go through to the Area Competition in October at HMS Raleigh, Plymouth, to represent Warwickshire District.

HMS Victory

It has been reported today that HMS Victory, the ship famous for the most historic battle of the Royal Navy, could be sold by the Royal Navy in an effort to save money.  The ship, which became the flag ship of Lord Horatio Nelson is reportedly costs 1.5 Million Pounds every year to maintain and the Royal Navy fear that its just too costly.  Having successfully defeated the combined French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21st October 1805, the ship returned to Britain where it was decommissioned in 1809 and put into dry dock in Portsmouth in 1922.  Since then it has become a popular tourist attraction boasting 400,000 visitors each year.  High ranking officers of the Royal Navy, including Sir Julian Oswald, Former First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy, have shown their dismay at the decision to sell the ship, by saying “The Victory is a national treasure. Talk of selling her or anything of that sort, is absolutely daft. ”

Rugby Sea Cadets have visited HMS Victory in dry dock on a number of occasions.

Source: Daily Mail Website

Cadets from Rugby Sea Cadet Unit will, this weekend, take part in the Warwickshire District Swimming Regatta, which will be held at the Coventry Sports and Leisure Centre.  The Rugby Sea Cadets will be swimming against cadets from all over Warwickshire and the West Midlands, to include Coventry, Evesham, Nuneaton & Bedworth, Leamington & Warwick, Redditch, Tamworth, Shirley, Stratford and Sutton Coldfield.

On the 4th September I wrote about Marine Cadet 2nd Class Jakk Cope and Cadet Sarah Parsons and how they would represent the South West Area Sea Cadets at the National Combined Regatta 2008, taking part in the Yole, a two person sculling boat.  The pair from Rugby Sea Cadets have done the South West Area Sea Cadets proud by emerging from the competition in 2nd place, against teams from Northern, Eastern, Southern, London and the North West Area Sea Cadets.  Cadets from literally all over the United Kingdom have competed this weekend for various accolades in kayaking, sail, power and pulling boat handling, pulling racing and of course the Yole that Jakk and Sarah won the Silver Medal in.  Jakk and Sarah’s Silver medals helped in securing an overall victory for the South West Area Sea Cadets in the whole Regatta.

Jakk commented on their performance by saying “We competed in a number of races this weekend against the other teams, to decide who would be the winner.  The team from Southern Area Sea Cadets just pipped us to the post, and I’m gutted we didn’t come first, but a Silver Medal is still a great achievement, considering there are around 400 Sea Cadet units in the Country.”

Jakk and Sarah are both looking forward to competing at District level again next June where they will compete against cadet units locally, with the hope of getting through to the National Competition again.

Pictured: MC2 Jakk Cope, Commander N. Hinch RN (South West Area Officer) and CDT Sarah Parsons

The Rugby Marine Cadets are training hard for the forthcoming Annual Field Assessment, where the Rugby Detachment will be assessed on their leadership, ability to work together as a team, stamina and field craft skills.  Training has been taking place at Coton House, just outside of Rugby, by Sergeant (SCC) Sian Scholes, Sergant (SCC) Wayne Musgrave and Captain (SCC) David Scholes RMR.

The Field Assessment will include Marine Cadet Detachments from A Coy and will be held at Swynnerton Training Area over the weekend of 26th to 28th September 2008.

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) for Rugby Sea Cadet Unit has now been confirmed.  It will be held at the Unit Headquarters on Thursday 9th October 2008.  Arrive at 19:00 for a 19:30 start.

All parents and guardians are invited to come along and anyone interested in getting involved either on the Unit Management Committee or Parents & Supporters Association.  There is always lots to get involved in, if you have a few hours a week or month.  For more information about the AGM or the Unit Management Committee, please contact the unit for an informal discussion with Mr John Bott (Vice Chairman).

NB: Cadets are not permitted to attend the AGM.

Green Module Badge

Leading Junior Sea Cadet Michael Suddens and Junior Sea Cadet 1st Class Sean Crisp were

Junior Sea Cadet 1st Class Badge

both awarded the Green Module badge last night for completing all the required elements of the Outdoor & Recreation Module.

Junior Sea Cadet 2nd Class Paul Elder and Angus Fitzsimons were promoted to Junior Sea Cadet 1st Class having been with the unit now for over 6 months.

Marine Cadet 2nd Class Jakk Cope and Cadet Sarah Parsons will travel down to London, Victoria Docks this weekend to compete in the National Combined Regatta, against cadets from all over the UK.  Jakk and Sarah earned the right to represent the South West Area having beaten off competition at the Area Combined Regatta in July, down in Bristol.  They will be competing against 5 other teams in the Yole competition.  The Yole is a small 2 person sculling boat, fairly new to the Sea Cadet Corps.  As well as the yole, cadets from all over the South West of England and Wales will be competing in Kayaking, Sail, Pulling and Power Boat Handling and the ever popular Pulling Races.  Everyone wishes Jakk, Sarah and the rest of the South West Area the best of luck.

The Yole

PO (SCC) Henri Smith

Probationary Petty Officer (SCC) Henri Smith became the latest member of the unit staff  to attend the week long Sea Cadet Instructor Qualifying (SCIQ) Course held at HMS Excellent in Portsmouth. Students are assessed during the week on their organisational ability, communication, interpersonal skills, common sense, drill, dress and bearing. Having passed the course successfully, Henri has now been promoted to Petty Officer (SCC).