Airdrie’s Navy League Cadet Corps, “Holger Storm,” is gearing up for its fourth season and is excited to return to traditional programming for the first time in nearly a year.
The club’s commanding officer, Lieutenant Karen Murfin said that except for approximately six weeks in the fall of 2020, all of the club’s activities last season were conducted via Zoom and Google Classroom, due to COVID-19 public health restrictions.
According to a press release, Holger Storm was one of few cadet units in the province that did not shut down during this time. Last season, Murfin said the club had 20 registered cadets.
She explained that while the cadets weren’t able to gather together to do drills, parade or other activities, she got creative as a way to keep Holger Storm’s members engaged. This led to hosting a few COVID-friendly activities, including virtual cooking classes, gingerbread house-making, and a city-wide scavenger hunt.
"It wasn't easy – COVID affected morale and training – but I was assisted by dedicated officers, parents, keen cadets, as well as Google Classroom,” Murfin said via the release. “In fact, we were one of only a few cadet units in Alberta that kept right on going, and that puts us in a good position to start up this September."
Cadet training is set to begin this month, with meetings every Wednesday evening at the Balzac Community Hall from 6:15 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The local unit was launched in 2018 and is open to youth of all genders aged nine to 12. While wearing a Navy-inspired uniform, cadets learn naval history and traditional skills, including knot-tying, sailing, geocaching, archery, and pellet rifle shooting
In addition to all of the hands-on activities, Murfin said the cadets learn other valuable skills that will benefit them later in life.
“They’ll gain self-respect, they’ll gain discipline, and they’ll also gain a lot of friendships,” she said, while adding the unit focuses largely on teamwork as an overarching principal.
Though the troop was able to stay afloat last year, Murfin said they are eager to resume normal meetings now that COVID-19 health restrictions have been lifted.
“We’re hoping that it will work out well this year,” she said.
The commanding officer added public service is a large part of the cadet corps, and Holger Storm is looking forward to once again being present in the community. She explained the cadets typically volunteer with the Airdrie branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, and create hygiene bags to deliver to the RCMP’s victim services unit during the holiday season.
“We are looking forward to getting back in the public and doing some community service.” Murfin said.
Parents interested in registering their children for the fourth season of Navy League Cadet Corps are encouraged to contact Murfin via email [email protected] for more information and enrolment.
For more information about the Alberta division of The Navy League of Canada, visit abnavyleague.ca
