TS NIMRODPort Chalmers Sea Cadets

NEWSLETTER TERM 12015

Day sail and picnicOne of the major events we held in the first term was the day-long sailing expedition and family picnic at Aramoana. Cadets had an exciting adventure sailing up the harbour, even though the wind was on the light side. It was great to meet with cadets’ families at the beach too.

From the Executive OfficerIt’s been one of the busiest starts to the year I can remember at TS Nim-rod, with training, activities and administrative challenges all occurring in the first term to keep us on our toes.

Cadet Forces has had a slight change in structure, which basically means that we have more CF personnel in the command chain than we did be-fore. We still have plenty of contact and support with our Regular Force staff from Burnham and further afield, but now have more support available locally through an Area Support Officer (MAJ Kevin Weir).

Fundraising is of course ongoing, and a kind donation of firewood to raffle will not only help us raise money but also contribute to future grant applications. A huge thanks to the Dreyer family for providing the wood for this.

Recruiting at the end of last year has brought us a great intake of new recruits who are learning fast and enjoying themselves. It’s fantastic to see smiles on new faces out on the water, so welcome aboard to them.

Merchant Navy DayPort Chalmers has a long maritime history, and much of this involves lo-cal people going to sea on Merchant Navy vessels. Every year during the first term, TS Nimrod helps to hang flags at Iona Church and participates in Merchant Navy Day to commemorate those whose lives were lost or changed forever at sea on merchant vessels during conflict. Left: cadets support a veteran from the Merchant Navy Association bearing the Red Duster.

Getting a CareerThe departure of two of our senior cadets at the end of last year to begin careers in the Army has highlighted just one way that being a Sea Cadet can help young people get jobs and ultimately build careers. Joining the armed forces is by no means the only career opportunity given a boost by cadet knowledge and experience.

As many readers will already know, the range of training opportunities of-fered at Unit level and by New Zealand Cadet Forces is not limited to the core features of our “Navy flavour”.

It’s true that what cadets learn about military values and culture, as well as skills such as drill and uniform care, put them in the perfect position to make an informed decision to join the Services. Our focus, though, is not to produce “recruits” but to train young people in life skills and values which will put them on the front foot whatever they decide to go on to do.

One example of how a mention of Sea Cadet service can boost a job ap-plication and lead to a career is that cadets have the opportunity to gain qualifications in instructional technique. This in turn can lead to careers in education, including at tertiary level, regardless of what subject pathways have been followed at school.

Whatever the job is, a prospective employer will be intrigued by a young person’s volunteer work history and this can in turn boost an applicant’s chance of getting an interview. Including Sea Cadet service on a CV shows commitment, respect, integrity, loyalty and self-motivation and could make all the difference in a competitive job market.

Did You Know...?New Zealand Cadet Forces is run by a partnership between the NZDF and com-munities around the country. These com-munities select suitable adult leaders to provide their youth with training, men-toring and support.

NZCF officers, once selected by the com-munity, are trained by NZDF in Duty of Care, instructional technique and other specialist areas and receive their commis-sion from the Ministry of Defence. They then attend regular courses to update and refresh these skills. Officer ranks currently range from Ensign to Lieutenant-Com-mander.

TS Nimrod currently has two officers, meaning we are allowed to supervise 20 cadets according to Duty of Care ratios set by NZCF. Both the Commanding Of-ficer and Executive Officer at Nimrod have commissioned from the ranks (were Nim-rod cadets as teenagers) and have a com-bined service of around 25 years as officers and over 40 years all together.

Southern Area RegattaEvery year TS Nimrod participates in the Southern Area Regatta held at Cass Bay near Lyttelton. The competition sees four units from the South Island go head to head in water- and land-based activities including sailing, pulling, sea-manship, first aid, drill and navigation.

This year Nimrod took home the trophy for pulling (once again) but did not place overall. We also saw excellent promise from emerging coxswains in the sailing races for Feva and Crown dinghies.

The team had a great time training and competing and are looking forward to upping the stakes for next year.

Feva raceTS Nimrod showed prom-ise in the sailing races at Regatta despite our most experienced coxswains having left the unit last year. The image at right shows part of the Feva race. Fevas are our most modern sailing dinghies.