On Saturday February 24, 2018 Air Cadets from around the Kootenays competed in the annual Effective Speaking competition. The eight competing Air Cadets were from Castlegar, Nelson, Creston and Cranbrook. The competition was hosted by the Castlegar Air Cadets sponsor group.
Leading up to the competition, cadets have to write and learn how to deliver a 5 minute prepared speech and practice short speeches on impromptu topics. Participating squadrons selected their top cadets to compete in the Regional Competition.
It takes a lot of courage for these young men and women to stand up and speak in front of others, not many people can.
For the competition, each of the cadets gave a 5 minute prepared speech and then an impromptu 2 minute speech.
From 552 Key City Squadron in Cranbrook, Flight Corporal Dhruv Jethwa and Corporal Orion Lancaster both talked about “Canadian History”. From 904 Kootenai Squadron in Creston, Corporal Andreas Kamp talked about “Volunteerism in our Community”.
581 Castlegar Squadron had three cadets in the competition. Sergeant Seth Whitehead talked about “The Roles of Indigenous Peoples in Canada’s History”. Flight Sergeant John Colley talked about “Laughter, the best Medicine” and Sergeant Deannah Kaiser talked about “Cadet Life”.
561 Osprey Squadron from Nelson had two cadets. Flight Corporal Chia Minchin, who lives in Nakusp, talked about “Volunteerism in our Community” and Corporal Kai Thomson talked about ”Science and Technology”.
All eight cadets gave the same two minute impromptu speech on “Why does the Leaning Tower of Pisa lean?”
The judges for the competition were Chief Sam Lattanzio from the Castlegar Fire Department, Castlegar City Councillor Deb Macintosh, and Gerry Cartwright, Manager, Client Experience at CIBC in Nelson.
The competition winner will compete in the provincial competition in April in Richmond and the provincial winner will compete in the national competition in Montreal later in the spring.
The winner of the competition was Sergeant Seth Whitehead from Castlegar. Second place went to Corporal Kai Thomson from Nelson and third place went to Corporal Andreas Kamp from Creston.