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Enrolment and presentation
Friday 5 March saw the enrolment of a new cadet in the Unit with Cadet Rebekah Roberts completing her New Entry training and joining the Ship's Company. Cadet Roberts read the Sea Cadet promise in front of all of the other cadets in the Unit and was presented with her cap and rank badges by the Commanding Officer.
The evening also saw Cadet Ross Honey awarded the badge for his Paddlepower Passport canoeing and kayaking qualification.
S Lt Jones said, "It is fantastic to see another cadet enrolled in the Unit and hopefully Cadet Roberts will take advantage of the many courses and other opportunities now available to her. It was also excellent to award a paddlesport qualification to Cadet Honey - the only one held in the Unit at the moment!"
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District Training Success
On Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 February Cadet Georgia Hall attended a District Training Course at Marlow Unit and passed the Seamanship Class 3 qualification. This is a very important qualification which all cadets must gain in order to progress and teaches cadets how to tie a variety of knots and lets them participate in rigging evolutions.
Sub Lieutenant Nick Jones, who was an instructor on the course, said, "It was good to see one of the Unit's cadets on a District Training Course for the first time in a while. Hopefully this will persuade more cadets to make use of the District's fantastic training resources."
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Annual Report and Accounts 2009
Marlow Sea Cadets' Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2009 has now been submitted to the Charity Commission and can be found online at the following location:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/26990949/Annual-Report-and-Accounts-2009
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Cadet150 Photoshoot
On Sunday 17 January, Cadet Emily Roberts-Moore represented Marlow at Buckinghamshire's Cadet150 Photoshoot in Bicester.
Cadet150 is a year long celebration in 2010 to mark 150 years since the cadet movement started when the Cadet Corps was formed to help bolster the country’s defence numbers following heavy losses in the Crimean War.
Through Cadet150, 2010 promises to be an exciting year for the wider cadet family. Over 131,000 current cadets from the Sea Cadet Corps, Combined Cadet Force, Army Cadet Force and Air Training Corps will be taking part in events across the country and overseas, showcasing their movement and what it’s all about. The 25,000 Adult Volunteers of all of these organisations will also be recognised through Cadet150.
For more information on Cadet150 visit http://www.cadet150.org.
For more photos from the photoshoot in Bicester visit http://www.stphotos.co.uk.
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Cadet Mess Dinner
On 15 January, Marlow Unit held its annual Cadet Mess Dinner and Presentation Evening. The evening, delayed from the end of 2009 due to snow, consisted of a three course meal for the cadets prepared by the Unit Management Committee and served by the Instructional Staff.
Following the meal, the Commanding Officer presented awards to those cadets who had contributed the most to the Unit in the preceding twelve months. The awards this year were very close with a number of cadets putting in a great deal of effort. However the award winners were:
Commanding Officer's Cadet of the Year: Cadet G. Hall
Cadet of the Year Runner-up: Cadet R. Honey
Junior Cadet of the Year: Junior Cadet R. Roberts
There was then a disco, allowing all of the cadets to relax following their hard work throughout the year.
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Adult training
Between 31 October and 1 November, the Commanding Officer was in Gosport for an Area Multi-Activity Training Course. Sub Lieutenant Jones was joined by other adults from across the South of England on this course.
Sub Lieutenant Jones completed the Presentation Skills Course over the weekend, learning many skills which will be useful for future fundraising and recruiting activities for the Unit.
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Lord Lieutenant's Award
On Monday 26 October long standing Unit Management Team member, Graham Cooper, was presented with a Lord Lieutenant's Certificate for his services to the Sea Cadet Corps.
Graham joined the Unit Management Team over twenty years ago after his son joined the Unit as a cadet. He has served in all of the major positions on the Committee having been Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary during this time.
A measure of his success can be seen in the fact that the Unit was awarded its first ever burgee (the highest efficiency level) in his first year as Chairman in 1989.
The Lord Lieutenant's Certificate, which can be considers as one step below an MBE, was presented to him by Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, the Lord Lieutenant for Buckinghamshire, at a ceremony in Milton Keynes.
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National Trafalgar Parade
Leading Cadet Murray from Marlow Unit joined 400 other Sea Cadets in Trafalgar Square on Sunday 25 October to parade before the Commander-in-Chief Fleet, Admiral Sir Trevor Soar KCB OBE RN, and honour Nelson's historic victory at the Battle of Trafalgar.
Leading Cadet Murray was part of an 80 strong Sea Cadet marching band that paraded from the Mall to Trafalgar Square as part of the Sea Cadets' National Trafalgar Celebrations.
This is the first time in many years that Marlow Unit has been represented at this parade so well done to Leading Cadet Murray for being selected to participate in this prestigious event.
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District Trafalgar Parade
On Sunday 18 October, staff and cadets from the Unit attended the Oxon Bucks District Trafalgar Parade, which was held in Chesham. Cadets from all eight Units in the District were represented, including four from Marlow. Leading Cadet Murray and Cadets Roberts-Moore, Hall and Crowe were all present.
Sub Lieutenant Jones and Petty Officer White also formed part of the Guard for the Guest of Honour, with S Lt Jones as the Second Officer of the Guard and PO White as a Petty Officer of the Guard.
The Guest of Honour was Captain Ian Turner OBE RN from NATO Allied Maritime Component Command Headquarters in Northwood.
Trafalgar Day occurs annually on 21 October, the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar where Vice Admiral Nelson defeated Napoleon's French and Spanish fleets. Oxon Bucks District Sea Cadets hold a parade each year to mark this date rotating around the different towns in the two counties.
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Annual General Meeting
On Tuesday 13 October, the Unit held its Annual General Meeting. As an independently registered charity, this is a legal requirement for the Unit and allowed the officers of the Unit Management Team to present the current status of the Unit to parents and supporters.
This year the meeting was also attended by Ivor Riddell, the Southern Area Chairman, who was impressed by the bearing and standard of the ship's company in his first visit to the Unit.
Full documentation of the meeting will be published shortly. Meanwhile, if you are interested in joining the Unit Management Team, please contact Richard Royall (the Unit Chairman) on 01494 439763.
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Rally across Europe
Between Friday 18 and Sunday 20 November one of the Unit's adult volunteers rallied across Europe to help raise money for the Unit.
Civilian Instructor Jodie Hall took part in the Urban All Star Rally - the challenge being to get from High Wycombe to Zurich (and back) in a car costing less than £200.01!
CI Hall and her team found an old BMW 3 series and spent the weeks prior to the rally customising it ahead of the event. Their chosen theme was the Wacky Races cartoon with each dressed up a character (with Jodie as Penelope Pitstop) and the car painted like the Mean Machine.
In total Jodie raised over £400 for the Unit! Well done to her and the rest of her team who were raising money for other local charities!
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New enrolment
On Friday 4 September Marlow Unit enrolled a New Entry who has been working very hard throughout the summer to become a Cadet.
Over this time Cadet Hall has been learning what it means to be a Sea Cadet. She has learnt some basic knots, about ranks and rates in the Sea Cadets and how to pull our ASC boat.
Cadet Hall made the Sea Cadet promise in front of the rest of the Ship's Company and received her cap welcoming her as a full cadet in the Unit.
The Commanding Officer, Sub Lieutenant Nick Jones said, "It is fantastic to welcome a new member of the ship's company and I hope that our other New Entries will be enrolled later in September.
Friday 4 September also saw the Unit lose a cadet and gain a potential new member of staff as it was the first parade night after Able Cadet Josh Punyer's eighteenth birthday. Josh will be joining the Unit staff as a Probationary Civilian Instructor and will be working towards going into uniform early next year.
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Pulling qualification successes
The last week has seen a number of successes in pulling qualifications for the Unit. Firstly, on Tuesday 7 July, Ordinary Cadet Rhodes completed her Competent Crew qualification meaning that she is able to pull to the required standard in each position in our ASC boat.
Then, on Friday 10 July, Petty Officer White, New Entries Giles and Bryan, Junior Cadets Masterton, Hooper and Crowe completed their Water Safety Certificates. This is the first qualification in the pulling proficiency syllabus and hopefully they will all be able to gain more over the course of the summer!
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Southern Area Regatta
On Sunday 5 July, five cadets from Marlow represented both the Unit and Oxon Bucks District at the Southern Area Regatta. The team entered the Pulling Boat Handling Competition, testing their skills controlling an ASC pulling boat.
LC Murray was coxswain with LC Smith in the tricky bow position and OC Rhodes, Cdt Hughes and Cdt Roberts-Moore making up the rest of the crew.
Although it was the first time at any Area Competition for many of the cadets, they all did very well, finishing fifth out of the eight Districts in Southern Area!
By keeping this young team together and with the qualification of the Commanding Officer as a Pulling Instructor, we hope that this crew can build on their success in future years!
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Commanding Officer passes as Pulling Instructor
Between Sunday 26 June and Friday 3 July the Unit's Commanding Officer, Sub Lieutenant Nick Jones, attend and passed a Pulling Instructors Course at the Southern Area Boating Station in HMS Excellent, Portsmouth.
The course covered instruction of all aspects of the pulling (rowing) proficiency syllabus from Competent Crew right the way up to Coxswain. As a result of passing, S Lt Jones can now instruct and assess cadets for these qualifications within the Unit.
The course was a small part of the Southern Area Boatwork Camp, which was attended by over 100 cadets from Units around the Area.
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Armed Forces Parade
On Saturday 27 June, three cadets from the Unit attended Marlow's inaugural Armed Forces Parade. Cadet Emily Roberts-Moore and Junior Cadets Toby Roberts-Moore and Akira Hooper formed a guard of honour for the standards on the war memorial. After this they took part in a church service before returning to the Royal British Legion.
This was the first year that the country has had an Armed Forces Day as in previous years the day had been called Veterans Day. This was not just a change of name but a change of emphasis to serving as well as retired and deceased personnel.
The cadets were all very smart and a credit to the Unit.
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Marlow International Regatta
On Sunday 21 June, thirteen cadets from the Unit spent the whole day helping out at the Marlow International Regatta at Dorney Lake.
All those who had previously stayed over at the Unit for the Giant Sleepover took part along with another seven cadets.
The cadets had a number of roles including managing the pontoons to ensure that the boats got away and returned alongside safely, keeping track of the lane cards and organising the trophies before they were awarded.
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Giant Sleepover 2009
From Saturday 20 to Sunday 21 June, the Junior Cadets at Marlow Unit got the opportunity to stay over at the Unit as part of the Giant Sleepover 2009.
In total six cadets took part with S Lt Jones and Miss Hall running the activities. They were joined by over 22,000 other children and 8,000 adults also participating in the event around the country in an attempt to break the world record, set last year, for the most people simultaneously sleeping over at numerous venues.
The Juniors did a number of modules which make up their training syllabus, including preparing their own food for dinner (skewers for a BBQ), an orienteering challenge at nearby Rookery Park and learning the basics of first aid.
All those taking part thoroughly enjoyed themselves, although both S Lt Jones and Miss Hall were thoroughly exhausted by the end of the event!
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Marlow Regatta
On Saturday 13 June eight cadets from the Unit assisted the Mayor at his annual reception, held during the Marlow Regatta.
The cadets greeted guests to the reception including the Lord Lieutenant, Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, Member of Parliament for Wycombe, Paul Goodman, and, of course, the Mayor of Marlow, Councillor Neil Marshall.
The Commanding Officer, who also attended the reception, spoke to a number of very influential members of the town who all commented on the smartness and standards of the cadets present.
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District Pulling Boat Handling Competition
On Tuesday 9 June the Unit hosted the District Pulling Boat Handling Competition on the River Thames at Bisham. Teams from High Wycombe and Oxford Units joined one from Marlow in the competition, demonstrating their skills handling an ASC pulling craft.
Leading Cadet Meade was the coxswain of the boat with Leading Cadet Murray, Able Cadet Punyer, Cadet Hurst and Cadet Hughes in the crew.
After a very close competition the team came third but may still be going to the Area Competition as High Wycombe and Oxford will be representing the District in the Pulling races. Well done to all those who took part!
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Course success
Leading Cadet Meade has returned successful from a Petty Officer Cadet advancement course held at SCTC Inskip, near Preston.
On the course he was assessed on his dress and bearing, drill and ceremonial, leadership, instructional methods, Sea Cadet Corps organisation and fire prevention and safety.
LC Meade scored very highly on the course getting 115 out of a possible 150 (just five marks off a credit pass)! S Lt Mitchison from SCTC Inskip, said that he "is a confident ... young man who seemed to take the lead when things needed organising".
There are a few pre-requisits left for LC Meade to complete before his promotion to Petty Officer Cadet but the Unit will help him to get these before his eighteenth birthday so that hopefully he can become the first POC at the Unit since 2002!
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Bowling Night
For a night off from normal training, Friday 8 May saw the whole Unit go to AMF Bowling in High Wycombe. In total 15 cadets and 4 members of staff attended. This evening was in recognition of all of the hard work the cadets have put in recently, particularly those who attended the Mess Dinner and Guard Competition.
The stand-out star of the evening was Junior Cadet Hooper who scored a fantastic 140 beating all of the other cadets hands down (and including an unprecedented triple strike to finish). The top three was as follows:
1. JC A Hooper - 140
2. PO (SCC) M Sabin - 126
3. JC G Hall - 103
When looking at the average scores by Division, the Junior Cadets' dominance shows through even more:
1. St Vincent Division - 98.29
2. Cunningham Division - 93.75
3. Staff - 91.25
4. Mountbatten Division - 77.25
As a result of these scores, Cunningham Division have been awarded points that will factor into the Divisional Competition at the end of the year!
After completing the bowling game the cadets all had an excellent time playing on the arcade.
Pictures to follow shortly.
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SA80 Rifle Acquaint
On Sunday 10 May, Officers and Instructors from Oxon Bucks District attended an acquaint for the new SA80 rifle at Marlow Unit. This rifle is due to replace the Number 4 .303 rifle which the Sea Cadets have used for many years for drill and ceremonial purposes.
In total nine members of staff attended and were taught the new drill by Lt Cdr Alan Fleming, the Area Staff Officer (Ceremonial), and CPO Steve Collier.
Marlow Unit was once again well represented with S Lt Nick Jones, PO White and PO Sabin all in attendance. A good day was had by all and hopefully this training will serve the Unit well when the rifles are rolled out in February and March 2010.
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Safeguarding Training
On Wednesday 6 May, adult volunteers from the Unit were joined by others from across the District for a Safeguarding Presentation by Martin McCluskey from Southern Area Office.
In total almost 40 management committee members and instructors descended on Marlow Unit for the presentation, including 6 from the Unit itself.
This presentation is a crucial part of the Sea Cadets' Safeguarding Policy, providing training for adult volunteers to protect both cadets and themselves. The evening also provided an introduction to the new Independent Safeguarding Authority, which will come into being later this year.
Now that this course has taken place, all of the instructors at the Unit have received safeguarding training and, as such, are up to date with all of the latest safeguarding best practice.
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St George's Night Mess Dinner
On Saturday 25 April, Marlow Sea Cadets held their annual St George’s Night Mess Dinner. This dinner is one of the Unit’s major fundraisers throughout the year and is held to commemorate the opening of the Unit on this date in 1956.
The Guest of Honour for the evening was Group Captain Tony Radcliffe RAF, who has taken over as the Station Commander of RAF High Wycombe in the last week. The night was also well attended by serving members of the Royal Navy with Captain John Clink OBE RN and two other members of the ship’s company attending from the Aircraft Carrier HMS ARK ROYAL, the Unit’s affiliated ship and the Royal Navy’s flagship. Finally the town was well represented at the dinner with the town mayor, Councillor Neil Marshall, and the Unit President, Councillor Doug Anson MBE, both in attendance.
The forty guests were served an excellent four course meal with Leading Cadet Murray, Cadet Rhodes and New Entry Hall from the Unit assisting in stewarding. A fantastic evening was had by parents, supporters and adult volunteers alike and over £400 was raised for the Units funds.
Sub Lieutenant Nick Jones, the Unit’s Commanding Officer, said, "This was one of the best Mess Dinners that the Unit has held in a number of years. It was fantastic to see so many people attending from the Ark Royal and I hope we can continue to build on our strong affiliation with the ship.
Particular congratulations should go to the Unit’s Mess President, Petty Officer Chloé White, and Civilian Instructor Jodie Hall who have spent many hours since January organising the evening!"
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Good Friday
Friday 10 April was Good Friday but there was no change for the Sea Cadets with the Unit open as normal! The Unit is in fact only closed 2-3 weeks a year for Christmas - it is open for the 50 other Tuesdays and Fridays!
As a special treat however, the cadets who had made the effort to attend on Good Friday each got an Easter egg from the Commanding Officer. Second half, the chocolate-y theme continued with a quiz with some mini-eggs as prizes!
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Visit by the Area Officer
On Tuesday 7 April, the Area Officer, Commander Andy Giles RN, visited the Unit. This was an informal visit as the Unit is not due for its next Royal Naval Parade until February 2010. This visit was part of a series across the Area allowing Commander Giles to get a better idea of standards in each Unit.
As part of his visit, Commander Giles, was also able to announce our efficiency standard for 2009, in particular that the Unit received a Pennant! This is an excellent achievement for a small Unit such as Marlow and recognises that the Unit is a safe place to be and that the cadets are achieving a high standard. Furthermore, this is the fourth year in succession that the Unit has achieved a Pennant, showing that standards have been consistently high.
In his report about the Unit, the Captain of the Sea Cadets had said that Marlow has "a strong team spirit" but highlighted the need to recruit additional adult staff. The Area Officer echoed this advice but congratulated the Unit on its achievements as a whole.
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District Drill and Piping Competition
On Sunday 22 February the Unit attended the OxonBucks District Drill and Piping Competition. The Unit was represented in the Guard Compeition by a 6 + 1 cadet guard, with Leading Cadet Smith as Guard Commander.
As well as being in the Guard, Leading Cadet Murray also entered the Individual Piping Competition. The rest of the Guard was made up by Cadets Rhodes, Beazley, Roberts-Moore, Clinch and Hughes.
The competition consisted of a dress inspection (so all uniforms had to be immaculate) followed by a drill display.
The cadets did extremely well especially as some of the newer members of the Unit picked up a rifle for the first time in December. Their dress was of a particularly high standard.
Unfortunately they were not placed but they should be very proud of how they got on and hopefully they can continue to build on their progress in 2010.
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Unit Review Visit
Tuesday 10 February saw the District staff descend on Marlow for their annual Review Visit. This is the most important inspection that the Unit goes through each year and is vital to the determination of its efficiency level.
On the whole the District Officer was pleased with the progress that the Unit had made over 2008, particularly citing the amount of time cadets from the Unit had spent offshore with TS Royalist, TS John Jerwood and HMS Ark Royal, our affiliated ship.
There were a couple of areas for improvement, however, and over 2009 the Unit will be trying to enter more District Competitions and Courses.
The full results of the inspection should be reported in the next 5-6 weeks so please check back soon for an update.
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Civic Service
The Commanding Officer and Miss Hall attended Marlow's Civic Service at All Saint's Church in the town centre on Sunday 8 February. There they joined the Mayor and the other Town Councillors who were affirmed in their roles.
The event was also an excellent opportunity to build links with other members of the local community, which the Unit will hopefully see the benefits of throughout the year.
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Swimming
On Friday 30 January the whole Unit went to Handy Cross Sports Centre in High Wycombe to go swimming in place of the normal parade night. This was an excellent opportunity for all the new cadets in the Unit to complete their Sea Cadet Swimming Tests. This test involved each cadet swimming 40 metres, treading water for 3 minutes and then climbing out of the water unaided. In total seven cadets passed and each moved one step closer to promotion to the next rate by getting one progress point.
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Water Safety Successes
January was a very successful month for the Unit with respects to Water Safety qualifications.
In total seven cadets gained their Water Safety Certificate after a short test with the Commanding Officer. This qualification is a prerequisite for going boating and teaches cadets how to don a lifejacket and buoyancy aid as well as basic safety rules for all types of boating.
The qualification also carries valuable progress points which the cadets can use towards advancement to their next rate.
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Working Party Day at the Unit
Sunday 18 January saw a Working Party Day at the Unit with the aim of making progress on the areas of the building that have fallen into disrepair. In particular all those present worked to empty the old paint store and prepare the new Communication Information Systems Room so that carpet can be laid and new benches installed. The Commanding Officer and Unit Committee were very thankful for all of the parents and supporters who assisted during the day. The next Working Party Day will be on Sunday 5 April and any help will, once again, be very much appreciated.
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HMS Ark Royal - Portsmouth to Liverpool
On Sunday 11 January, five cadets from Marlow and four from Caterham Unit joined the Units affiliated ship, HMS Ark Royal, for a passage at sea from Portsmouth to Liverpool. This was an excellent example of the very strong ties that the Unit enjoys with its affiliated ship as it was the third time in as many years that cadets from the Unit have had the opportunity to go to sea.
This trip saw 80 cadets and 32 members of instructional staff from Units around the country join the ship and gave all those present a unique insight into life at sea aboard a Royal Navy warship.
The cadets had an opportunity to visit areas such as the engine spaces, operations room and bridge, which are normally off limits to members of the public visiting the ship.
More photos from this event can be found in the Picture Gallery.
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Cadet Christmas Mess Dinner
On Friday 12 December, the Unit held its second ever Cadet Mess Dinner. This year the dinner was combined with the Unit's Annual Presentation Evening.
Before the awards ceremony, the cadets sat down to a formal, black tie dinner served and prepared by the Unit Management Committee. The cadets were joined by the Unit President, Councillor Doug Anson MBE, as the Guest of Honour.
After the meal Councillor Anson presented the annual awards to the following.
Commanding Officer's Award: Leading Cadet A. Murray
Chairman's Award: Cadet L. Hughes
Most Improved Cadet: Cadet A. Rhodes
Reg Wilkinson Award for Seamanship: Able Cadet L. Smith
Bob Crook Award for the Junior Cadet of the Year: Junior Cadet C. Hughes
There was then a disco, allowing all of the cadets to relax following their hard work throughout the year.
More photos from this event can be found in the Picture Gallery.
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Skittles Evening
On Saturday 29 November, for the third year in succession, the Unit held a skittles evening to raise funds. The evening was very successful with over 25 guests in attendance, including the Mayor of Marlow, Councillor Neil Marshall, and the Chairman of Wycombe District Council, Councillor Roger Wilson.
All of the guests enjoyed the competition of playing skittles, followed by a lovely curry (from the Marlow Curry and Tandoori Centre) and a raffle with some excellent prizes on offer!
In total the evening raised over £200! Thanks to all those who attended and particularly Graham Cooper, a Unit Trustee, who was responsible for making the evening happen.
More photos from this event can be found in the Picture Gallery.
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Gutters project
The Unit has just had brand new gutters installed thanks to a grant from Buckinghamshire Masonic. The old gutters were frequently a problem, with water leaking into the building in heavy rain. It is hoped that these new gutters will resolve these problems as well as reducing maintenance costs in the future.
The Buckinghamshire Masonic Centenary Fund makes donations to local charities on behalf of all the Freemasons of Buckinghamshire. They were delighted to assist TS Apollo to renovate its Headquarters and thus secure its use for future generations of Marlow's Sea Cadets.
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Lord Lieutenant's Cadet
On Tuesday 11 November, Leading Cadet Murray attended the presentation ceremony to officially be recognised as the Lord Lieutenant's Cadet for Buckinghamshire.
This is an exceptional achievement, recognising her as the best Sea Cadet in the county and this is the first time that a cadet from Marlow has received this award since 2002/03.
In this role, Leading Cadet Murray will be given the opportunity to assist the Lord Lieutenant (the Queen's representative in Buckinghamshire) and his Deputies at engagements (particularly any major royal visits) throughout the next year.
Leading Cadet Murray is well deserving of this award following her hard work at the Unit, not least in helping to instruct the New Entries.
More photos from this event can be found in the Picture Gallery.
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Remembrance Parade
Sixteen cadets and all four of the staff members from the Unit attended Marlow's Remembrance Parade on Sunday 9 November, making this one of the best attended parades by the Unit in recent history.
It was a big day for Leading Cadet Murray who undertook her first duty as Lord Lieutenant's Cadet for Buckinghamshire, assisting the Deputy Lieutenant and Guest of Honour, Lieutenant Colonel Simon Wilkinson TD DL.
Able Cadets Smith and Lindsay-Carlin also had duties, forming part of a Cenotaph Guard (with Able Cadet Smith as Guard Commander). They were joined by cadets from the Army Cadet Force and Air Training Corps who had attend the Unit twice over the preceding weeks to learn Sea Cadet rifle drill. They also formed a Guard of Honour for the Deputy Lieutenant during the march past.
Finally Cadet Beazley had a very important role, reading the names of the fallen while the wreaths were being laid on the war memorial.
All cadets, not just those mentioned above, were very smart in both uniform and drill, and everyone who attended was a credit to the Unit!
More photos from this event can be found in the Picture Gallery.
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Thorpe Park
On Saturday 8 November, the Commanding Officer, PO White and 14 cadets had an excellent day out visiting Thorpe Park. Even though this was the last weekend before the park closed for the winter, almost all of the rides were still open and many of the cadets went on the dead-defying Colossus and Nemesis Inferno.
This day out was organised in recognition of the hard work that all of the cadets had put in preparing for both the Trafalgar and Remembrance Parades.
Although the weather wasn't great, everyone had a fantastic time and was absolutely exhausted on return to the Unit.
The cadets and staff then stayed at the Unit overnight allowing time to watch a DVD and put the finishing touches to uniforms before Remembrance Sunday the following day.
More photos from this event can be found in the Picture Gallery.
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District Trafalgar Parade
Sunday 12 October saw the Oxon Bucks District Trafalgar Parade held in Aylesbury. Cadets from all eight Units in the District were represented, including six from Marlow. Leading Cadet Murray, Able Cadets Smith and Lindsay-Carlin, Ordinary Cadet Martin and Cadets Beazley and Rhodes were all present.
Sub Lieutenant Jones and Petty Officer White also formed part of the Guard for the Guest of Honour, with S Lt Jones as the Colour Officer and PO White as a Petty Officer of the Guard.
Trafalgar Day occurs annually on 21 October, the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar where Vice Admiral Nelson defeated Napoleon's French and Spanish fleets. Oxon Bucks District Sea Cadets hold a parade each year to mark this date rotating around the different towns in the two counties.
More photos from this event can be found in the Picture Gallery.
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Another enrolment
Tuesday 7 October was the second parade night in succession to see a new cadet enrolled into the Unit. On this occasion, New Entry Beazley was enrolled as a Cadet.
Although this would normally be done on an evening with Ceremonial Divisions (i.e. the first Friday of the month), an exception was made for New Entry Beazley to ensure she can participate in the upcoming Trafalgar and Remembrance Parades.
Cadet Beazley joins Cadets Hughes and Roberts-Moore who were enrolled on Friday 3 October.
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Enrolments, promotions and other awards
Friday 3 October saw a number of awards for the Ship's Company. Firstly New Entries Hughes and Roberts-Moore were enrolled as Cadets. Both wore their best uniforms for the first time and swore the Sea Cadet Promise in front of the entire Unit.
Secondly a number of cadets gained qualifications that they have completed over recent months. Leading Cadet Murray, Able Cadet Lindsay-Carlin and Ordinary Cadet Seymour were all awarded Communications 3rd Class. Leading Cadet Murray and Able Cadet Lindsay-Carlin also both achieved their 3rd Good Conduct Badges, signifying 3 years service in the Sea Cadets.
Last but by no means least, Probationary Petty Officer Chloé White was promoted to Petty Officer. This marks the end of Petty Officer White's eighteen month probation at the Unit in which time she has completed important courses in child protection, lesson delivery and first aid.
Over these eighteen months Petty Officer White has taken on additional responsibilities, not least becoming the Unit’s Training Officer, responsible for organising an interesting and challenging training programme for all of the cadets at the Unit. She has also helped organise training courses with other Unit’s from around the county, including a fieldwork and shooting weekend with cadets from Milton Keynes.
Following the promotion ceremony at the Unit’s Headquarters (based just off Wethered Road in Marlow), the Commanding Officer, Sub Lieutenant Nick Jones, said, "Petty Officer White's contribution to the Unit has been invaluable over the past two years, serving through a change in command and resulting staff shortages. This promotion is thoroughly deserved and I am sure that she will continue to build her skills and knowledge into the future."
Petty Officer White has a number of plans to continue her development and her next target is to become a Physical Training Instructor, which will involve going to Portsmouth for a week at the Royal Navy’s Directorate of Naval Physical Training and Sport (DNPTS), HMS Temeraire.
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Staff Training
On Friday 26 September the Unit was closed to allow the instructional staff to attend a weekend training course with the aim of opening up more subjects that can take place within the Unit.
Sub Lieutenant Jones attended a Weapons Training Course at Farnham Unit in Surrey and came away with a qualification to conduct weapons handling tests (qCWHT) for air rifles and the Number 8 .22 rifle.
As an organisation, the Sea Cadets prides itself on its very strict approach to shooting and weapons handling in general. As a result this was a very tough course but now that he is qualified it means that Sub Lieutenant Jones can check that any cadets wanting to go shooting meet the very high standards required to do so.
This qualification means that in the near future we may be able to start small bore shooting within the Unit for those cadets that want to do so.
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Special Presentation from the Royal Navy
Friday 19 September saw a very special presentation at the Unit as we were joined by a guest from the Royal Navy. Lieutenant Robin Hill RN joined us from HMS Torbay where he has just completed his training to become a submariner.
Lieutenant Hill gave a presentation to all of the cadets detailing his experiences in the Royal Navy so far, from his initial training at Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, through his Initial Sea Training (on board our affiliated ship, HMS Ark Royal, no less) to his training on board submarines.
The Unit is very grateful to Lieutenant Hill for sparing his time to come and present his initial experiences on joining the Royal Navy and all present got a unique insight into what is involved.
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Boating Assessment Day
Saturday 13 September saw the Unit's second full day of boating with practical assessments taking place for a variety of pulling qualifications. By the end of the day four cadets had passed their assessments for Competent Crew and one for Coxswain.
The cadets haven't achieved the qualifications just yet as there are a few theoretical sections that still need to be assessed but this can be done in the Unit over the winter months.
Well done to all those who took part! This assessment day now marks the end of the boating season. The boats will be taken out of the water in the coming weeks so they can undergo maintenance over the course of the winter.
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Commanding Officer nominated for award
The Commanding Officer of the Unit, Sub Lieutenant Nick Jones, has been Young People of the Year (YOPEY) Award for his work at the Unit.
YOPEY was founded by Tony Gearing, a former national newspaper journalist tired of the ‘bad press’ given to young people. It has the support of Prime Minister Gordon Brown who calls the contest “a wonderful celebration of Britain’s youth”.
The Citygate YOPEY in Bucks, which is supported by the county’s VW retailer, looks to recognise young people aged 10-25 who are positive role models and give to the community.
You can read more about the awards at www.youngpeopleoftheyear.org. Additionally, the CO's nomination can be found here.
Related articles
Maidenhead Advertiser - 18 Sep 08
Marlow Free Press - 12 Sep 08
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Unit Boating Day
On Saturday 16 August the Unit had its first boating day in recent memory. Five cadets and the Commanding Oficer took the Unit's SMB powerboat out for the day. They travelled up from the boat's moorings in Bisham up river to Henley where everyone had lunch and the cadets were given an opportunity to look around the town. The afternoon was then sent travelling back down river.
All of the cadets had an excellent time and were able to develop their powerboating skills, both as the crew and the coxswain. They particularly enjoyed Hambledon Lock where they took the boat down river of the weir and used this as a more challenging environment for steering the boat.
Now that this pilot day has proven itself to be a success, future days involving more cadets out can be planned.
More photos from this event can be found in the Picture Gallery.
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Presentation from Marlow Regatta Committee
Friday 1 August saw a Tony Evans and Charles Hill from the Marlow Regatta Committee attending the Unit to present a cheque for £250. This was in recognition of the hard work by the cadets at the regatta at Dorney Lake earlier this year where four cadets and two members of staff from the Unit helped out on activities from the lane management to the timings.
Our thanks go to the Regatta Committee, and in particular Charles Hill, for organising our participation in this event, which we hope to build on in future years.
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Pier Cellars Summer Camp 2008
From Thursday 24 to Wednesday 30 July, two cadets (Cadet Rhodes and New Entry Hughes) and the Commanding Officer attended a Summer Camp at Pier Cellars in Cornwall. In total this camp was made up of 44 cadets from various Units around the country (including Caterham, Ashington, Gosforth and Horsham).
The cadets took part in numerous adventurous activities, including climbing, adventurous training, swimming and taking part in a night exercise. The adventurous training was a particular favourite amongst the cadets, giving them the opportunity to learn how to move stealthily as a group and then storm buildings.
There was also plenty of time for relaxation with a day at the beach in Looe, a visit to Meet the Navy in Portsmouth and some shore leave in Plymouth.
The week was rounded off with a chance for the cadets to show off their dramatic/comical sides with a SODS opera which had to put a nautical theme on a well known fairytale.
The cadets and staff had an excellent time and hopefully the Unit can be represented in even greater numbers at the camp next year!
More pictures can be found in the Picture Gallery.
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Marlow Regatta
On Sunday 22 June, four cadets and two members of staff from the Unit assisted with in running the Marlow Regatta at Dorney Lake. This was the first year that the Unit has been involved in this Regatta (not be confused with the Town Regatta which is held on the Thames) since it moved out to Dorney in 2000.
The cadets, Able Cadet Smith, New Entry Roberts-Moore, Junior Cadet Hall and JC Roberts, helped with the lane management and timekeeping of the event.
Our thanks go to Charles Hill for inviting us to take part in the event and hopefully we will be able to continue to build ties with this excellent event in the future.
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Marine Workshop/Boatswain's Store Clear Out Day
Saturday 31st May saw a lot of a hard work at the Unit from the Unit Management Committee and Instructional Staff alike. The major work taking place was the clearing out of the old garage so work can begin to convert it to a high quality Marine Engineering Workshop and Boatswain's Store (for Seamanship instruction).
Since the last Marine Engineering Instructor left the Unit in the mid-1990s, the garage had mainly been used for storage and over the years many items with little or no use had been collected. These have now all been sorted, with some disposed of and some now ready for sale.
The next stage of the project is for electricians to fix the aging electrical systems in the room before painting work and installation of new desks and shelving can commence. It is hoped that the new classroom will be completed by the end of September for the end of the boating season.
Saturday also saw the Unit's boats going into the water, officially marking the start of the boating season. A lot of work has been carried out on these boats over the last few months with the SMB powerboat being sent back to the Ministry of Defence for critical repairs and High Wycombe Unit's Boat Maintenance Officer, Trainee Instructor Joel Hawkins, coming to assist with work on our ASC pulling boat.
Many thanks to TI Hawkins for all his hard work over the past couple of months in getting this boat ready. Thanks also to new UMC member, James Hall, for providing his pick-up to remove rubbish from the old garage and to tow the boats to the slipway.
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Waitrose Bag Packing
Cadets, members of staff and Management Committee members from the Unit did some bag packing to raise funds at Waitrose in Marlow on Saturday 24 May. The six people present during the day raised £461.32 between them which will be used in part to fund some of the operational costs of our building.
The day also gave the Unit an opportunity to expand our profile in the local area with a number of people expressing interest in the activities we do and potentially in joining as cadets.
A massive well done to all those who took part, particularly Able Cadet Smith and New Entry Hughes who were present for the whole day from 1000 to 1700!
Many thanks to Waitrose as well for allowing us this opportunity to raise funds and to the check out staff in particular who were all very welcoming.
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Royal Marine Charity Band Concert
On Friday 16 May the cadets, staff and committee members from the Unit took a night off from normal training to attend a charity concert performed by the Portsmouth Band of the Royal Marines held at Reading Blue Coat School.
The band, one of the premier military bands in the country, if not the world, performed a wider variety of music from the theme tune to Rocky to the traditional naval Heart of Oak.
The concert was organised to support the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) and was one of the few times in recent years that any of the Royal Marine Bands have visited the region.
Everyone who attended had an excellent time with particular praise going to the musician who played a wonderful rendition of William Tell on the xylophone.
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Field Training Weekend
The May Bank Holiday saw the Unit run its first Field Training Weekend. Cadets and staff from Marlow Unit and Milton Keynes' Marine Cadet Detatchment joined the Unit on Sunday 4 May to practice fieldcraft skills.
Over the course of the weekend the training team led by Sergeant Lloyd Green covered subjects such as constructing a bivouac, sentry duty and using a Hexamine cooker to cook some very tasty ration packs. This was all done in a suitable field area in Marlow Bottom. The cadets were also given an opportunity to practice shooting with an air rifle in the Unit.
The cadets all very much enjoyed themselves and by the end of the weekend had passed a short assessment and vastly improved their shooting skills.
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Cadets return from courses
Tuesday 22 April saw two cadets return to the Unit having been on courses the week before.
Firstly Leading Cadet Murray returned from Gosport where she had been training with a large number of other musical cadets who will form the Sea Cadet massed band at the Army Navy Rugby Match at Twickenham on Saturday 3 May. The cadets will play immediately prior to the start of the match, which last year was attended by a crowd of over 40,000. LC Murray will be forming part of the woodwind section, playing the saxophone.
Secondly Able Cadet Smith rejoined the Unit having been on board TS Royalist for 5 days. This trip was a prize from the Unit Committee based on her activities in promoting the Unit in 2006 but, due to the popularity of the course, this was the first one available. Able Cadet Smith had a fantastic time on board and even scaled to the highest level on the mast. She joined the ship in London from where they went to both Belgium and France before returning to Ramsgate. While on board AC Smith achieved her Offshore Hand Level 1. She hopes to go on board again next year with the aim of advancing her knowledge further. The picture to the left shows all of the cadets on board TS Royalist last week.
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Staff first aid success
Two members of staff from the Unit, SLt Nick Jones and PPO Chloe White, attended a multi activity training course from Friday 18 April to Sunday 20 April at Browndown Camp in Gosport. Of the many courses available they both chose to do first aid related ones, passing with flying colours.
PPO White completed her 2nd Class First Aid which allows her to act as a first aider at the Unit and provides more training on the actions to take in any emergency.
Meanwhile SLt Jones was assessed to become a First Aid Instructor, meaning that he can now deliver first aid training to the cadets in the Unit. In particular the Unit can now offer 3rd Class training to the Senior Cadets (aged over 12) and the British Heart Foundation's Heartstart course to Junior Cadets (aged 10 to 12).
These courses are the first steps towards the nationally recognised Royal Navy Level 2 qualification (which is a Health and Safety at Work approved course), which cadets can obtain at national training centres.
Having completed this weekend, the two staff members hope to provide high quality first aid training to the cadets in the Unit (the only one in Oxfordshire or Buckinghamshire to offer this) with the aim of having a Unit full of qualified first aiders before the end of the year.
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St George's Night Mess Dinner 2008
Saturday 12 April saw the Unit's annual St George's Night Mess Dinner. The dinner was held earlier than normal this year to avoid clashes with our training calendar but once again proved to be a fantastic success.
Petty Officer (SCC) White took charge of the evening as the Mess President which brought together many months of planning by her, the other staff of the Unit and the Unit Management Committee.
The guest of honour for the second year in succession was Commodore Richard Hawkins RN, who once again had an excellent time. The evening also marked the first in a number of years to see guests from other local cadet forces, including the Officer Commanding the Air Training Corps and two instructors from the Army Cadet Force. They were joined by other supporters of the Unit, including parents, ex-cadets and members of staff from other local Units. In total 41 people were present for the Mess Dinner.
Those present served by cadets from the Unit before participating in a raffle with prizes which had been donated by local companies - one of which was a meal for four worth £100! In total the evening raised approximately £500 for the Unit, which will go towards the general operating costs. Many thanks to all those who came to support the Unit and to those who donated prizes!
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