Army Cadets celebrate a successful year

Jan 8 2009 by Sandra Walls, Hamilton Advertiser

CADETS from 4 Platoon Royal Scots Borderers Hamilton Detachment held a presentation dinner to celebrate a year of achievements.

More than 28 cadets or teams were commended for their efforts or presented with awards on the night.

The ACF Detachment have been operating since 1948 in the Cameronian Barracks, and are based now at the TA Centre in Bothwell Road, Hamilton.

From humble beginning they began with six cadets, which has increased in strength to the current 42 cadets, plus five new recruits this month.

Lieutenant Derek Balfour, a cadet in Hamilton Platoon from 1983-1988, came back as detachment commander in November, 2007.

He said: “I wanted to do something different for the presentation of the platoon awards and let cadets experience an official ‘smart dress’ dinner and get parents involved.”

“We presented Major Ian MacKenzie, who was up until November last year the quartermaster of the Glasgow and Lanarkshire Battalion Army Cadet Force, with a engraved quaich from the platoon to thank him for his assistance to Hamilton over the years.

“Through his role he regularly provided assistance to all 22 detachments throughout the battalion.”

The Recruit of the Year award went to cadet Tony McMahon (14) from Uddingston, who attends Holy Cross High School in Hamilton and has been a cadet for six months, while FCdt Jennifer Morrison (15) from Bothwell, a cadet for two-and-a-half-years, was the Cadets’ Cadet of the Year.

Lieutenant Darren Hughes, the battalion’s PR officer, said: “This has been a wonderful occasion for all the cadets and parents involved in the 4 Platoon RSB Hamilton Detachment.”

And he added: “A huge effort has been put in by detachment staff and also by cadets.”

The Army Cadet Force, a voluntary youth organisation sponsored by, but not part of the Regular Army, is open to males and females between the ages of 12-18.

They learn various valuable skills including leadership, team-building and confidence, map and compass work, first-aid, fieldcraft and drill .

In addition, the young people are provided with the opportunities for annual camps and exchange visits to Canada and Germany.

The cadets parade on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 7pm-9.30pm at the TA Centre.

For further information about the Army Cadet Force, contact Battalion HQ on 0141 641 0858 or visit www.bebo.com/GLBattalionA