Commanding Officer – WCCU, MAJ(AAC) Julie-Ann de Kantzow
Readers of last week’s Nurrunga will recall the core tenets of the AAC and the Waverley College Cadet Unit. While Service enables us to demonstrate Excellence, Integrity and Courage, it is Respect which underpins everything we do and fosters an inclusive, collaborative and positive experience in Cadets.
In the leadup to AFX, it is timely to remind all our members of the importance of Respect when interacting with others. In Cadets, we have groups of students coming together in a context vastly different to their experiences throughout the week – from St Catherine’s, from different Year groups, from different friendship groups, from different understandings of the world – and while this interaction is one of the key youth development opportunities for growth and tolerance, it is also one of the program’s biggest challenges.
It is a big demand on young people to check their behaviour, to think twice before acting and speaking, and it is not something the instant, modern world facilitates. I would therefore ask all Cadets to remember that my core tenet, and therefore that of the Cadet Unit, is Respect, and to be mindful of keeping interactions professional and respectful at all times.
In the AFX environment, this can be tricky. We are outside our comfort zone, we are undertaking challenging and demanding roles, and we are with each other 24/7 for a whole week. In the pursuit of tenacity, fortitude and resilience, treating others with respect in this space will strengthen our characters, and make us valuable and productive citizens.
Thank you to all parents and carers for attending to the AFX paperwork in such busy lives. In the leadup to camp, all cadets should now be ensuring they have their uniforms and equipment ready to go. A warning to all, that the Q Store will not be open to students in the two weeks before camp, as we prepare the many stores and supplies to keep 380 people in the field without modern conveniences.
Three weeks to go!
MAJ(AAC) Julie-Ann de Kantzow
Commanding Officer – WCCU
E: jdekantzow@waverley.nsw.edu.au
