King's Cadet Corps
The King's Cadet Corps | |
Motto | Honore pro Dei et patria |
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Formation | June 5, 1876 |
Type | Youth and patriotic organisation |
Headquarters | Lendert-with-Cadell, Great Nortend |
Membership | 422,134 |
Captain General | Alexander II |
Colonel of Cadets | Sir Stephen Daldey |
His Majesty's Cadet Corps is a military-style patriotic youth organisation operating in Great Nortend. The programme is run by the Board of Education and the War Office in conjunction with the Royal Army, the Navy Royal, the Royal Servicemen's Club and the Erbonian Navy League. More than 400,000 boys between the ages of 11 and 19 are members of the Corps.
Organisation
The Cadet Corps are mostly run on a local basis in senior schools, with the majority of boys' senior schools operating a cadet company, independent, common and state. All cadets partake in land and some sea activities, although certain companies may skew towards either side depending on their backgrounds.
Cadet companies are supervised and run by adult staff officers, assisted by senior cadet officers. Staff officers are usually both employees of the school wherein the company is based, as well as members of the Militia. Officers receive a formal commission from the King as a Cadet Staff Officer. Senior cadet officers, holding the rank of Ensign (or Cornet in units affiliated with the cavalry), often in 6th form studying for either matriculation or commission into the Royal Army or Navy Royal, are also commissioned as a Cadet Under Officer.
Activities
The core component to cadet activities is based on general military training, usually focussing on the land warfare aspect, i.e. the Royal Army. This includes learning history of the armed forces, discipline, traditions, navigation, field surgery, drill, marksmanship and fieldcraft. Leadership skills are also important for cadet non-commissioned officers.
Another component is patriotic service, which aims to inculcate love for God, King and country by engaging in what may be termed community service activities, as well as pilgrimages, camping, woodcraft, aquatic activities, hiking and sports. These two activities are evidently not mutually exclusive, and throughout all, appropriate military-level discipline and structure is maintained.
Cadet companies often organise weekends or weeks away in the countryside to these ends, with each company at least running an annual field exercise. On a more regular level, cadet companies usually have weekly or twice-weekly parades on weekday afternoons.
Membership
Membership of the Corps is open to boys between the ages of 11 and 19. Girls are only admitted through a number of historical companies operated by a select number of girls' schools. The vast majority of cadets enter the Corps through their senior school. 83% of all boys' senior schools operate a cadet company and of these, membership of the Corps is compulsory in 90%. All in all, there are around 600,000 members in the Corps.
Oath
Joining the Corps requires that prospective members take the Oath of Allegiance to the Sovereign in the form prescribed:
I, A. B., do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Alexander the Second, his Heirs and Succesours, according to law, as a cadet/staff officer in His Majesty's Cadet Corps. So help me God!
Ranks
The Corps uses a system of rank somewhat similar to that used by the Royal Army.
Cadet ranks
Insignia | (No insignia) | 1 chevron | 2 chevrons | 3 chevrons | 3 chevrons, 1 crown and colours | 4 chevrons (with or without crown) | 1 pip |
Rank | Cadet | Cadet Lance Corporal | Cadet Corporal | Cadet Serjeant | Cadet Colour Serjeant | Cadet Warrant Officer | Cadet Ensign |
Abbreviation | Ct | Ct L/Cpl | Ct Cpl | Ct Sjt | Ct C/Sjt | Ct W/O | Ct Ens |
Staff Officer ranks
Insignia | 2 pips | 3 pips | 1 crown | 1 pip and 1 crown | 2 pips and 1 crown |
Rank | Lieutenant of Cadets | Captain of Cadets | Major of Cadets | Commandant of Cadets | Colonel of Cadets |
Abbreviation | Lt Ct | Cpt Ct | Maj. Ct | Cmdt Ct | Col Ct |
This page is written in Erbonian English, which has its own spelling conventions (colour, travelled, centre, realise, instal, sobre, shew, artefact), and some terms that are used in it may be different or absent from other varieties of English. |