Cadet Activities Under Review

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 16, Issue 4, 6 October 1950, Page 5

Cadet Activities Under Review

About 80 per cent of New Zealand boys receive their introduction to military life in the New Zealand Cadet Corps, which now has a roll of 28,000. It is estimated that this total will swell to 31,500 in 1960. The pearly intake into the corps is approximately 9000 and is expected to rise to 12,500 in .1954. These figures were quoted by the Minister of Defence, Mr Macdonald, in a review of the cadet corp’s activities.

He said that the holding of cadet unit camps in the present training year was still under consideration, but whether camps were held or not, he wished)to make it clear that the value of cadet training was fully appreciated.

“Cadet training helps to develop alertness, good hearing, a sense of responsibility, obedience and ability to work in a team and to lead, and these are all qualities of importance in the making of good citizens,” Mr Macdonald said.

Cadet training was also a useful preliminary to Territorial training, said the Minister, and gave a guide to the selection of potential officers and n.c.o’s.

Reviewing the recent history of cadet training, Mr Macdonald said that a services cadet committee, consisting of the Navy, Army and Air Force staff officers responsible for cadet training had been established. Its function was to co-ord-inate the administration of cadet training with the services. Speaking of the division of responsibility for cadet training, Mr Macdonald said it was desirable that school boards and headmasters should decide whether or not cadet units should be formed. Once a unit was formed, the ensuing responsibilities should be accepted by all concerned.