Commendable cadets

Four cadets Sanaya Dhabhar, Nerina Byramji, Jeraz Cooper and Urvaksh Daver representing the Navy League Cadet Corp (NLCC) Revenge won awards at the Ontario Division Provincial Competitions in April 2009. After a day and a half of competition, Petty Officer First Class Coxwain Dhabhar won a gold for drill with arms, another gold for seamanship and a silver for drill without arms. Petty Officer First Class Byramji also won a gold for drill with arms as did Leading Cadet Cooper. Chief Petty Officer Second Class Daver won a gold for semaphore, as notes a news item in the June 2009 newsletter of the Zoroastrian Society of Ontario.

"While the competition is tough, this is also a wonderful opportunity for cadets to meet and socialize with peers from all over Ontario,” noted a write-up by the children’s Lieutenant Commander Lori Martin, adding that participants had come from Sault Ste Marie, Timmins, Sudbury, London, Brantford, Niagara Falls, Toronto, Downsview, Ajax and Port Hope. NLCC Revenge, one of the five cadet corps in 5th NL Barber Pole Squadron, "has been winning all elements of their Squadron competitions consistently for over 10 years to earn the right to be the sole representative of the Squadron at Provincial competitions. On March 8, 2009 they did it again taking first place in drill with arms, drill without arms, seamanship, semaphore and first aid. In addition they were awarded Best Drill Captain for both drill with arms and drill without arms making the Corps ‘Cock of the Walk’ or Best Corps overall,” reports Martin.

On April 24, 23 cadets traveled to HMCS (Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship) York, the Canadian Forces Naval Reserve Division in Toronto, to compete against the other squadron winners where they showed their true mettle. "It took a lot of time and effort on the part of the cadets and the officers to achieve this success,” notes the write-up. Credit should also go to Sanaya’s parents Arnavaz and Jamshed Dhabhar, Nerina’s, Behnaz and Vispi Byramji, Jeraz’s, Tazeen and Zarir Cooper, and Urvaksh’s, Diana and Porus Daver.