SOLO navigation, communication skills and learning how to motivate others were all part of the package for 58 students who completed The Armidale School Cadet Unit’s annual leadership course in mid-February.
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Held at New England University Company Depot (Army Reserve) and at the property Danehurst, 10km south of Kingstown, the fiveday course was run by the TAS Cadet Unit for those cadets who volunteered to take on leadership positions in the second-oldest cadet unit in Australia.
Operating concurrently, the courses – for junior leaders, senior leaders and cadet under-officers (CUOs) –were conducted by seven instructors from TAS and the Australian Army, and involved boys from years 9-11.
Both the junior leaders’ course and the senior course involved introductory and advanced levels of training in leadership, navigation, communication and team-building.
Scenarios were designed to be realistic in order to test the cadets’ logic, leadership and resourcefulness.
“The style of training is designed to promote and develop initiative, teamwork, responsibility and decision-making skills, as well as taking them out of their comfort zones by providing them with challenges in a field environment by day and night,” unit Commanding Officer MAJ (AAC) Trevor Thatcher said.
Meanwhile, the TAS Cadet Unit’s first female cadets will be introduced into the program on Friday, spending training sessions at TAS and Dumaresq Dam.
The girls, all those in years 9 and 10 and those who have selected cadets in Year 11, will be part of 7 Platoon, under the command of teacher LT Jayne Heagney.
Team concedes nothing on field
THE Armidale School had success on and off the football field in Armidale last week.
An undefeated run by the TAS side in last week’s North Coast Independent Schools Sporting Association’s football championships in Armidale had a spin-off effect on the selection table.
The strong TAS did not concede one goal in their four games against school teams from across the North Coast region, on a day that attracted about 280 players from across the region.
TAS won the senior division; Bishop Druitt College from Coffs Harbour, also undefeated in their four games, won the juniors; and Emmanuel Anglican College of Ballina took out the junior girls. Seven TAS players, including skipper Alex Boulus, won a berth in the NCIS team to contest the Combined Independent Schools Championships in Sydney on May 24.
He will be joined by teammates Jarrod Bourke, Angus Lloyd, Jim Orr, Cai Spiers, Euan Spiers and Angus Webber
