By Kirk Starratt
NovaNewsNow.com
It not the first time it’s happened, but the accomplishment is quite rare.
For the second straight year, members of the 2444 Kings County Royal Army Cadets have been presented with the Lord Strathcona Cup trophy for being the top army cadet unit in Nova Scotia.
The unit, based at Camp Aldershot, is open to boys and girls ranging in age from 12 to 18. Commanding Officer Captain Mandy Forbes said the trophy was recently presented to the cadets.
“It’s great to have such a strong group of young teenagers,” Forbes said, pointing out there are a lot of options when it comes to how young people choose to spend their time these days.
“They still choose to come to cadets and put in a strong effort in everything they do.”
Forbes said it’s a huge honour to receive the trophy once, let alone twice, and she hopes the unit wins it a third straight year.
“That’s a good goal,” she said.
Forbes is especially happy to see the group win the award a second time because the younger cadets who didn’t necessarily have a full understanding or appreciation of what it meant to win last year certainly do this time around.
In 1910, Lord Strathcona set up a trust fund with the Dominion government to encourage the training of army cadets. The trust continues its support today.
The original award in Nova Scotia, starting in 1946, was a wood shield with silver trim. The Lord Strathcona Cup trophy was inaugurated in 1959. The cup is awarded annually by the Nova Scotia Branch of the Army Cadet League of Canada to the army cadet corps judged to be the best in the province in training its cadets in leadership, citizenship and physical fitness and promoting an interest in Canada’s army.
There are 28 different corps in the province vying for the honour.
