A total of 73 Bermudian and 12 Canadian teens took part in this year's annual two-week Bermuda Cadet Corps training camp aimed at combining adventure with learning important life-saving skills.

And the enthusiasm shown by the 44 Bermudian boys and 29 girls is certainly encouraging for the Bermuda Regiment as some will likely go on to become long time members of the organisation. The Bermuda Cadet Corps is designed to introduce young boys and girls from 12 to 18 to what Regiment life is all about.

“It started in 1936, before the Regiment, and the concept back then was that boys over the age of 13 could come into an adventure training programme that mimicked a regiment and thus would be able to help out when the Regiment started,” explained RSM Brendan Millett, who was one of the senior officers putting the young privates through their drills during a two-day exercise at Ferry Reach.

The two-week camp, which ended at the weekend with a passing parade at Warwick Camp, was under the command of Major Anthony Steede. The local youngsters were joined yet again by a group of 12 from Niagara Falls in Canada under the command of Capt. Debbie Shadel.

“The morale is extremely high, but we still have our challenges with those who are not used to the type of discipline we have,” explained RSM Millett.

“We do feed the Regiment with a few of them every year and a lot of them, like myself, do reach higher ranks within the Sergeants' Mess or Officers' Mess and excel. There are a number of them who come through the programme and are full time.”

A programme has been introduced in the middle schools and RSM Millett remembers being introduced to the Bermuda Cadet Corps as a Berkeley student in 1974.

“There is also a number who choose, for one reason or another, not to come to the two-week camp,” RSM Millett explained.

“Some are doing summer school, family vacations and other camps that are less hectic than this one and they choose to go to those.”

And even if the young soldiers choose not to pursue a career with the Regiment, RSM Millett says they still get something from the experience of being with the Cadet Corps.

“What we try to get them to understand is they can be leaders rather than followers...in a positive role rather than something negative,” he explained.

“One chap here is one of our problem children but has conformed slowly. It's unfortunate we don't have something like this on a continuous basis.”

College student, CSM Jennecka Stovell, is happy to spend part of her summer doing something she loves.

“I've been in the programme for nine years, it teaches young people a lot about discipline and working together,” she said.

“It's taught me a lot in terms of man management skills, how to handle and be in charge of your peers. This year I'm the Company Sergeant Major, I'm 21 and my CSM designate is actually 17 so I'm the oldest to that person as a peer.

“The first week was tough, as they adjusted to people shouting in their faces and telling them what to do and conforming to the rules. Some of the kids here aren't used to rules and regulations, but we're into the second week and they are starting to understand why there are rules, why there are rank structure and why there are people in charge of certain operations. It's in order for the camp to run smoothly.”

The first week was spent at the Bermuda Regiment doing things like drills, signals lessons and first aid lessons and the second week was adventure training, practicing what they learned the week before.

The youngsters came from various schools but when they first went into the camp they were split up from their school friends.

“They were forced to make new friends and work together in each of the platoons,” explained CSM Stovell.

“They are from the middle schools as well as Berkeley, CedarBridge and Warwick Academy.”

And the girls can certainly hold their own with the boys as in the 22 shoot (.22 air rifle) a girl finished top of the scoring.

“Out of a possible score of 80 the highest score was 78 from a female...not that it makes a difference,” explained RSM Millett.

“And they were taught by their own peers. In other words the section commanders themselves, who could be just a year or two older than them, take those lessons.

“Their rank structure is exactly the same as the Regiment's.”