Cadets To Participate In Diamond Jubilee In UK
The Bermuda Sea Cadet Corps have been selected to take part in the celebration of Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in London on 3 June.
The Bermuda Sea Cadet Corps has been honoured with an invitation to participate in one of the major events commemorating the historic Diamond Jubilee year of HM Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. A total of five senior Cadets and two escorts will travel to the UK at the end of May, to take part in the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant, scheduled to take place on 3 June 2012.
The Pageant will see a flotilla of over 1000 boats sail down the Thames, through the heart of London, accompanying the Queen’s Royal Barge as crowds of spectators line the banks to wish her well. Organisers are expecting well in excess of one million spectators to turn out for the event.
The Queen is the patron of the UK Sea Cadet Corps [which the Bermuda Sea Cadet Corps has enjoyed a long affiliation], and the Sea Cadets have been given pride of place in the historic flotilla. Sea Cadets from throughout the UK will provide crews for a total of 54 “Trinity 500” Dinghies which will travel in formation surrounding the Royal Barge.
Building on relationships developed as a result of the annual Bermuda International Sea Cadet Exchange Programme, the Bermuda Sea Cadet Corps expressed an interest in participating in the event, and are very excited to have been selected to join the UK Sea Cadet crews and man one of the 54 participating dinghies.
Other international sea cadet units elsewhere have also been selected to participate, and there are crews expected from Australia and Hong Kong, in addition to the Bermuda crew.
Deputy Governor David Arkley said, “This is a great honour for those selected and for the Bermuda Sea Cadet Corps. Everyone involved with the Sea Cadets should rightfully be proud of their participation in the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant.”
The cadets will be working hard to raise the funds to participate. Accommodation during their stay will be provided free of charge by the UK Sea Cadet Corps, but the Cadets still need to raise approximately $13,000 in order to cover the costs of the airfare, equipment needs and incidental costs associated with their participation.
Two major fundraisers are already planned, and the Cadets have been busy with preparations to make them a great success. The first is a Fish Fry take-out dinner scheduled for Friday 24 February [at the St. George’s unit, TS Admiral Somers]. The second is a Sponsored Row, in which the cadets will practice their skills and row our five-man pulling dinghies for a total of 10 nautical miles to earn funding pledges from friends, family and sponsors.
Anyone interested in more information about the Sea Cadets’ plans for the Jubilee, or the Bermuda Sea Cadet Corps generally, or wishing to offer support for the Cadets’ efforts, are encouraged to contact Lt. Frith at tsadmiralsomers@hotmail.com.
