Every two years, each Sea Cadet Unit across the Corps has a Royal Naval Parade. This is when the local Area Officer visits the Unit and inspects it. They have a look at all aspects of the Unit - its management, its training, and most importantly the quality of what the cadets are achieving.
What a night! Months in the planning, hours of rehearsal and our Ship's Company of TS Dreadnought has pulled off a remarkable Royal Naval Parade. Since our closure in May 2017, we have been on an incredible journey and tonight, was a celebration of the great success we have achieved, together. Our Inspecting Officer, Commander James Nisbet RNR, gave us full marks for the Parade (an extremely rare score)!
Our Cadets had to perform for the Area Officer and guests an 'evolution'. This is a demonstration that is meant to show what our Cadets learn, do and achieve within GDR. Within this we showed seamanship, communications, metrology, cook stewarding, engineering and our juniors provided a historical reflection of the Great War. Under each seat, was a name and picture of a past Greenwich servicemen who had been killed during the Great War. A very reflective and beautiful occasion.
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Our guest list ranged from the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Greenwich, Mr Peter van de Merwe, the Chairman of the Trustees of the Greenwich Foundation Mr Tony Hales (who is also our Unit President). We had the Duty Lord Mayor and Mayoress of Greenwich Mr Mick and Gillian Hayes. We had the Chair of Lewisham Council, Councillor Jacp Paschoud and we were deeply honoured to have some of the members of the Ship's Company of the new aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales.
As well as the annual four trophies that were awarded, we had two other things to celebrate on this great occasion. The first, was our Ship's Padre, Chaplain (SCC) Dr Susan Blackall RNR was formally officiated into the Sea Cadet Corps. The second, was the formal exchanging of Ship's Crests between TS Dreadnought and our new sister ship, the new HMS Prince of Wales.
