Members of the Preeceville Harvard Air Cadets 606 Squadron canvassed the Town of Preeceville on November 6 to promote wearing poppies prior to the Remembrance Day service.
After they had canvassed the Town of Preeceville, the cadets met at the Preeceville Community Legion Hall for hotdog lunch supplied by the Preeceville Royal Canadian Legion members. They also had the opportunity to practice their shooting skills at the gun range.
Leon Sill, a member of the Preeceville Legion branch, presented the cadet squadron with a cash donation that will be utilized towards the maintenance and upkeep of the program.
"The poppy has a long association with Remembrance Day," said Capt. Troy Rogowski of the squadron.
Scarlet corn poppies (popaver rhoeas) grow naturally in conditions of undisturbed earth throughout Western Europe, said information on a Legion website. The destruction brought by the Napoleonic wars of the early 19th century transformed bare land into fields of blood red poppies, growing around the bodies of the fallen soldiers.
In late 1914, the fields of Northern France and Flanders were once again ripped open as the First World War raged through Europe's heart, the information said. Once the conflict was over, the poppy was one of the only plants to grow on the otherwise barren battlefields.
The significance of the poppy as a lasting memorial symbol to the fallen was realised by the Canadian surgeon John McCrae in his poem In Flanders Fields, it said. The poppy came to represent the immeasurable sacrifices made by his comrades and quickly became a lasting memorial to those who died in the First World War and later conflicts. It was adopted by the Royal British Legion as the symbol for its poppy appeal in aid of those serving in the British Armed Forces.
The air cadet program is open to youths between 12 and 18 years and there is no registration fee.
“There are 34 cadets registered to the program this year,” said Rogowski. “New cadets to the squadron receive a complete uniform. The new cadets are taught rules and routine drill manoeuvres throughout the year by leaders as well as older cadets.
"The purpose of the cadet program is to develop in youths the attributes of leadership and engage in active citizenship and physical fitness within an environment that stimulates an interest in the Canadian Forces, a release said. The cadets are funded by the Department of National Defense, the Air Cadet League (a civilian non-profit organization), the Navy League and the Army League.
The motto of the air cadets is “To Learn, to Serve, to Advance."
Cadets are given the opportunity to travel, go to Camp Saskadet and do a variety of monthly activities, Rogowski said. They also play a part in the community with their attendance and participation in the Preeceville School Remembrance Day service and the annual Remembrance Day service.
