Honouring 100 years of QRC, CIC cadets

A century of cadetship at St Mary’s College (CIC) and Queen’s Royal College (QRC) was celebrated with the unveiling of Cadet Centennial Photographic Murals (1910-2010) at Queen’s Hall, Port of Spain on November 19.

The event marked 100 years of leadership, discipline and service by the cadet units of both Port of Spain schools.

The initiative, led by the CIC and QRC Cadet Committee, began on November 21, 2010, with the goal of producing a centenary publication.

The Ministry of National Security websites say the TT Cadet Force is a voluntary youth organisation aimed at training and inspiring young men and women to become model citizens. It incorporates basic military training and discipline, drawing its membership from secondary schools.

Secretary of the organising committee Nicholas Cumberbatch said compiling the commemorative project was challenging because of the lack of information.

“The process was difficult due to the time frame and the fact that many who were to be honoured have since passed away,” he said.

Cumberbatch said finding relatives and families of those involved was a daunting task, but expressed gratitude for the event’s eventual success. He also lamented some contributors might not have been recognised, owing to a lack of available information.

Cumberbatch said the murals each measure eight feet wide and six feet high, and 40 former cadets are featured on each. The two murals are expected to be installed by the end of November at their respective schools. He said they are designed for durability and are long-lasting.

The audience at the unveiling included some of those honoured, relatives of those honoured, officials and many attending on behalf of those who had died or could not be present.

Among the dignitaries in attendance were the mayor of Port of Spain, Chinua Alleyne, and Minister in the Ministry of Education Lisa Morris-Julian, who delivered greetings.

She praised the cadets' leadership qualities, saying discipline, production and tolerance are the qualities instilled by the cadet force and are seen in everyday activities.

“This programme plays a vital part in shaping well-rounded students, as, through their participation, our young people develop a profound sense of belonging…in these days and times, for the adults in the programme we need to make sure our children know that they belong to us,” she said.

Co-hosts Dr Wallace Williams and Nestor Lambert expressed their gratitude to Morris-Julian for her warm remarks and welcomed esteemed guest Elton Prescott to share his recollections of his days in the cadet force.

Prescott, who has held significant public roles such as being an independent senator, reminisced about his time in the corps at QRC, noting its initial name was the "Cadet Corps" before the term "Cadet Force" was introduced.

Reflecting on his early attraction to the cadet force, Prescott said rifle drilling and the challenge of handling rifles much bigger than himself led to his curiosity.

He also recalled, "As hungry cadets, we scoured around looking for something to eat. One person found a tin of corned beef, some of us found condensed milk and bread. For hungry cadets, that taste real good.”

Replicas of the murals were distributed to those honoured as well as relatives of those who have died.

Prof Clement Imbert, chairman of the University of TT, gave the feature address.

Imbert said, “Today, as a nation, we remember and honour 80 distinguished centennial cadets from 1910-2010.

They played an integral role in our journey from a colony under the United Kingdom to our status as an independent republic.”

He said a renewed focus on integrating holistic educational programmes is needed to equip students with opportunities to thrive.