On Tuesday 1 October our Combined Cadet Force (CCF) held its Biennial General Inspection, and welcomed Lt Col Lyndon Robinson, the commanding officer of Bicester Garrison as our inspecting officer to determine the stands of our CCF and the practices we do here at Shiplake College. Head of CCF, Mr Macpherson, provides his account of the visit:
The afternoon started with a hearty lunch for the inspecting officer and the CCF staff before all of the students who take part in CCF lined up for a parade in the sports hall for the Lt Col Robinson to speak to all the cadets about his experiences in the military and how he valued the cadet experience and the transferable skills that it can provide not only in to their studied here, but in future life too. After the parade we all gathered for a picture outside the pavilion before dispersing for our activity sessions.
The afternoon’s activities were reflective of the kind of weekly training programme we usually hold and it gave the inspecting officer an opportunity to talk to the cadets on an individual basis and get their impression of the CCF experience first-hand. The Year 10 cadets were working through a carousel of leadership and team work activities with the addition of a navigation stance, some drills and an introduction to the two person shelter. Meanwhile the older cadets were showcasing elements of their section specific syllabus: the Royal Navy were on the river practising their coxswain skills on the Navy launch; the RAF were working through elements of the principles of flight in the sports hall, by building gliders and adjusting specific aspects to improve its flight to make them glide further down the hall; and the Army were being put through infantry field craft training in the riverside woods.
On completion of the tour all the cadets once again paraded in the sports hall and Lt Col Robinson gave a short final address to everyone involved in the day, providing his thoughts on the day and how well the cadets applied themselves throughout the activities they were doing.
We would like to thank Lt Col Robinson for his time and enthusiasm during the inspection, the cadets certainly enjoyed meeting him as much as he clearly enjoyed meeting them.
Flickr album: CCF Biennial General Inspection |
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