Trevor Crawley
There is a new commander officer in charge of the 552 Key City Royal Canadian Air Cadet squadron.
After three years at the helm of the unit, Captain Lori-Lee Bott handed off command to Captain Dorothy Palmer during a ceremony that included Mayor Lee Pratt, members of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 24, Ladies Auxiliary, and cadet family members at New Life Foursquare church on Tuesday evening.
Captain Bott will be taking on a new role as Training Officer for the squadron.
Commanding Officer terms are usually three years, barring extensions.
The Change of Command ceremony is deeply rooted in military tradition, dating back to the Norman conquest of England, where it was not uncommon that soldiers in the field did not know who their commanders were or what they looked like.
A formal change of command ceremony allowed the troops the opportunity to witness the proceedings and view their commanders.
While the optics of the tradition has changed over the centuries, the symbolism remains the same.
Tuesday’s ceremony was simple and direct.
The Cadet Ensign was passed from the outgoing commanding officer, Captain Lori-Lee Bott, to Regional Cadet Support Unit Representative, Captain Hannah Walker, Kootenay Zone Training Officer, to the Air Cadet League Representative, Mr. Keith Kepke, Kootenay Wing Rep, and to the incoming commanding officer, Captain Dorothy Palmer.
The League was included in the passing of the flag, to demonstrate the partnership between the Air Cadet League and Regional Cadet Support Unit Pacific.
Completing the change of command was the signing of the certificates.
The evening ceremony also included praise for Captain Bott’s service by Commander Henderson, RCSU Pacific, as well as short speeches from local cadets who expressed their appreciation.
As her first official duty, Captain Palmer promoted three cadets.
The Annual Ceremonial Review Parade on June 12 is the next official function for the 552 Key City Royal Air Cadets. The parade, which is open to the public, is an opportunity to showcase the accomplishments of the cadets during the training year.
Additionally, the air cadets are hoping to get up into the skies in gliders and a tow plane on May 18, if the weather permits.
552 Key City Royal Canadian Air Cadets meets every Tuesday from September to June, with select cadets attending two, three or six week summer training courses. The squadron welcomes youth, to join anytime throughout the training year.
The cadets program is designed to install positive military values, promote citizenship and develop leadership and team building skills.
For more information: Captain Palmer 552Officersdesk@gmail.com