1932
Church Parade 1932 Warrant Officer J. Freestone and cadets during church parade 1932. |
No history of Sea Cadet activities in Winnipeg would be complete without reference to the outstanding assistance given by the Ladies' Auxiliary, Navy League of Canada. This dedicated group of ladies have, through the years, given freely of their time to provide a varied range of services to the cadets.
In 1932 Mrs. A. J. Hughes was elected president of the Ladies' Auxiliary while other ladies in the Executive were Lady Nanton, Honourary President; Mrs. D.C. Coleman, Mrs. E.W. Kneeland and Mrs. James Richardson, Honourary Vice-Presidents. Countless other people, too many to note here, were also members of the Auxiliary.
A jamboree was held on the evening of April 1st at Drewry's Social Hall. When "fall in" was sounded at 8:00 p.m., all divisions and band showed almost perfect attendance.
The program opened with a singsong lead by Lt. A.E. Tamkin with all divisions trying to outsing each other. A short comic pantomime was given by cadets Tristrum, Cassidy, Brierly, Easton and Summerville. Cadet Tristrum's make-up as a girl was enthusiastically received.
After twenty minutes of comic songs and jokes presented by Sandy Phimister, refreshments were made available. Soft drinks with doughnuts and chocolate bars were served.
Later in the evening the boys were entertained with a boxing match staged between cadets Tristrum and MacSkimmings. The first round was fought blindfolded and proved lively. A saxophone solo by Cadet Dibna, accompanied by Cadet MacIntosh at the piano, closed the evening.
A new feature of cadet training was offered in 1932 with the introduction of a Morse class under Warrant Officer J. Freestone. The class had to date been practising with signal flags but, with the arrival and installation of sounders and receivers, the cadets looked forward to the training with renewed enthusiasm.
The band under Bandmaster J.P. O'Donnell was kept extremely busy during the summer with many public appearances. In particular it had the distinguished honour of playing in the Royal Guards for Their Excellencies, Lord and Countess Bessborough. Towards the end of June, the band, together with four boat crews, spent a delightful afternoon at the home of ex-Mayor Charles F. Gray, when he entertained the Winnipeg Cutty Sark Club at a garden party.
A great deal of excitement was generated when the Winnipeg Sea Cadets moved to new quarters in October. The Corps once again shared barracks with the R.C.N.V.R. at the site of the old Winnipeg Fire Hall on Gertrude Avenue. With the additional space, the band paraded for the first time in their history, on the same evenings as the Corps.
Photograph provided by Mr. Jack Freestone of Regina, Saskatchewan.
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