Guildford Sea Cadets

Visit by the Mayor of Guildford

2012-01-21T11:46:00.001-08:00

MAYORS VISIT
The Mayor of Guildford Councillor Terence Patrick visited T.S. Queen Charlotte on Thursday 19th January to present the units efficiency award of a Burgee for 2011
The Mayor was meet by the unit Chairman Mike Evans and Commanding Officer Lt (SCC) Colin Whitear.
The Mayor was then presented and inspected a guard of honour, after meeting with the unit committee the Mayor was shown around the unit meeting with staff and cadets to see them in general training

2012-01-10T12:45:00.001-08:00

2012-01-10T12:39:00.000-08:00

Well done to all at Guildford Burgee for 2011
five in a row
This is for all the hard work done by Staff, Cadets, UMC, Parents without your help and commitment this would not have been achievable
In order to make this six in a row we need your continued support in 2012

BZ to all
Commanding Officer

2012-01-04T12:14:00.000-08:00

Commanding Officers news letter for 2012

Well here we go again new year, I think it's going to be a busy one, we have lots to do in 2012 RNP (Royal Naval Parade) 19th July it is also the units 70th year and the Queens Diamond Jubilee.
Our cadet numbers continue to grow with over 50 on the books, we are also looking at setting up Royal Marine Cadet Detachment once again here at Guildford.
As for dinghy sailing the unit is looking for Instructors to help up at Ripley.
We welcome two new members of staff details I will post later in the week
As you can see from the photo a tree has come down on top of the boat shed so if any one has a chain saw?
no damage appears to have been done.
We need to arrange a clear up day towards the end of this month tidy up the grounds details to follow.
No replacement for the job as CO yet? I would however like to thank all who made 2011 another great year for Guildford, we host the Mayor of Guildford on the 19th January who will present our award of a Burgee for 2011, also have a look around and see the cadets in classes.
Training this year up until the boating season all cadets will train for 3rd Class Seamanship, we also have two cadets getting ready for their Leading Hand board A/C T Gittins & A/C B Bayliss, As you may know Tom Winskell is now settled in Canada but keeps in touch via email.
Well now we know how to work the web site we will keep you up to date with events through the year

Welcome 2012

2012-01-04T11:41:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all
from CO

An Offshore Sailing Experience on the TS CITY LIVERYMAN

2011-09-07T03:14:00.000-07:00

The offshore sailing course during which I spent a week on the yacht TS Liveryman was a great experience.

Upon arrival in Ireland, it was, for once sunny. I made my way down to Howth Marina, and met most of the crew on Liveryman, and all of the crew on Vigilant, as well as the skippers and mates from both the yachts. After the remaining crew arrived on Liveryman, introductions were made and we had the essential briefings for that evening, and after a story, went to bed.

The next day we woke up hoping to set sail, however with the wind at force 8/9, that proved impossible (or just dangerous and stupid). We spent the morning learning sail theory and receiving more briefs, such as how to use the winches and how to send out a distress signal. After lunch we caught the train to Dublin, where half of the cadets went round some interesting shops, and the other half saw Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2. Later, after a lovely dinner of bangers and mash, we went off to hear a bit more of the story, read by our skipper, Jenny, and again, went to bed.

When we woke up the next morning, the wind was still too strong to go out. So we continued with the sail theory and pumped up the dinghy to take a paddle in it. After lunch the wind died down enough for us to finally set sail, and we had an exciting race with Vigilant on the way to Arklow (which they only won because they cheated by motoring). Unfortunately one of the crew injured her shoulder whilst sailing. We moored up in Arklow late that night but we still managed to have the story.

The next morning, the injured crew member went off to the doctor to have her shoulder checked, where it transpired that she had trapped a nerve. Together, we decided to do a night sail to Wales. Buoyed with excitement we set off, steering, as we would for most of the journey, on a compass course of 160. We figured out a watch system. Overnight, a few of the crew members got quite seasick and Jenny, our skipper, kept our spirits up by making us sing slightly silly songs. Some of the crew even saw dolphins! We arrived at Dale at 5am.

After we woke up at about 1 pm we had a lunch/breakfast of tasty burgers. We then set off to Neyland, doing sailing exercises such as man overboard and sailing at all points of sail on the way. After a shower in the luxurious showers in the marina we had a tasty dinner, the nightly story and went off to bed.

The next day we set off early to beat the flood gates into Milford docks. On the way we managed a man overboard drill for everyone, and a few tacks and gybes. After mooring up in Milford, we set about cleaning the boat, which wasn’t as much of a chore as it sounds, and was a lot more fun because we were doing it as a team. After Liveryman was spick and span, we went off to have fish and chips with the crew of Vigilant, later having an improptu birthday party for one of the crew members of Vigilant. The next day there were tearful goodbyes and promises to stay in touch.

As I said earlier, the week was a wonderful experience. I gained sailing knowledge, experience and my offshore hand 2. Apart from that a huge part of the week was working together as a team and meeting new people which was extremely character building. I am glad I went, I have made friends with people from different parts of the country and that I find the most valuable of all the positive things of that week.

Use our webshop to help us raise money

2011-08-31T04:49:00.000-07:00

Exciting news! We're delighted to announce our fundraising webshop.

When shopping online, you can access over 100 leading retailers - such as BT, Thorntons, Marks & Spencer and HMV - using our webshop. Every time you use our webshop to go to a retailer's web site and subsequently buy something, you'll automatically earn money for us!

You don't pay anything extra by using our webshop, so please try to use it whenever you can. Please spread the word. Thank you!

Find our webshop at buy.at/GuildfordSeaCadets.

Happy shopping and thank you for your support!
Best wishes,
Guildford Sea Cadets

Cadets Raft Up at Guildford Lions Raft Race

2011-07-28T05:19:00.001-07:00

Guildford Lions Raft Race, a photo by Guildford Sea Cadets on Flickr.

On Saturday 2 July 2011 cadets from Guildford entered the Guildford Lions Raft Race. They built, then paddled, two rafts to raise money for the unit. Photographs have kindly been provided by AC Tommy Gittings. Watch this space! Further details to come!

An Experience Onboard TS JACK PETCHEY

2011-07-28T05:14:00.001-07:00

TS JACK PETCHEY, a photo by Guildford Sea Cadets on Flickr.

Photographs and report kindly provided by AC Tommy Gittings.

"On my voyage on TS Jack Petchey, we sailed from Gosport to St Helier via Cherbourg and St Peter Port. We learned about every aspect of operating the ship and had a go at all the different aspects of crewing an offshore power vessel. Living onboard for a week was a good insight into life onboard a small navy ship and was an experience of a lifetime.

The first full day we were on the ship, we had a cameraman onboard for a promotional video; this meant that the day was spent having fun in the Solent. We learned lots of new skills on this day; we anchored the ship, practiced for a man overboard and familiarized ourselves with the handling of a much larger vessel than most of us had ever driven before.

On day 2 of our trip, we set off very early so as to have the tides with us on our cross-channel passage. Once out of port and away from the coast, there are no other ships to be seen and I got my first proper seafaring experience. The seas were quite rough for such a small vessel, making it rather difficult to steer in a straight line and maintain our course. This was quite an exciting day as we developed our skills in helmsmanship, navigation and keeping an effective lookout.

The third day was a short hop to Guernsey; there was lots of opportunity for fun with the boat as we sped through the water, we developed our boat handling techniques and some interesting, new aspects of navigation. The next day we spent in port but there was still an opportunity for learning in the morning and fun in the afternoon; we swam in a freezing cold saltwater pool and visited a historic castle.

The final day involved another short hop to Jersey, we utilized this time to complete our final safety drills before being presented with our qualifications. We all cleaned up the ship before the captain’s rounds and going ashore for the final time. All the ports we visited were interesting places with their own unique character and different attractions to visit.

The voyage has been a great experience for me, not only have I learned loads of new skills that I would not have otherwise but I have developed as a person in general. I have experienced what it might be like to join the navy and go to sea on a real warship; I have also improved my skills in working as a team and as an individual in challenging circumstances.

Going offshore with the Sea Cadets is a once in a lifetime experience that would be an excellent character building and learning activity for anybody. No other course I have been on has been as fun and exciting whilst still being educational. It is hard to describe how much fun I have had and how much I have learned by I can say that it has been the best single activity of my life."

Summer Competitions 2011 - Success Stories!

2011-07-20T08:56:00.000-07:00

2011 has been a brilliant year for Guildford Sea Cadets. We have had a massive number of cadets enter competitions with a significant amount of success stories. Everyone who has taken part in a competition this year deserves a cheer and a shout! Well done for your commitment and achievements!

It all started with LC Traylor and OC Horton entering the Surrey District Sailing Regatta at Mercer's Park near Reigate. They sailed the unit Bosun dinghy together and although they didn't win they got valuable experience that they can use next year! Well done to both of them for their achievement!

Following this was the District Paddlesport Regatta at Guildford Unit. A number of our own cadets competed and some walked away with medals. Well done to all of those that took part! Those that achieved a medal went on to the Southern Area Regatta and put in a solid performance. LC Deverell walked away with a gold medal which means he will continue on to the National Regatta and compete against cadets from across the UK. AC Bird, AC Barnett, OC Seymour and OC Collins all achieved runners up medals. Well done to them all, a great effort!

Finally, after automatic entry to the Southern Area Rowing Regatta, our junior girls team put in another excellent performance against fierce competition. Although they did not walk away the winning team they have again gained a valuable experience that will put them ahead next year!

Well done to everybody who took part in competitions this summer. We hope to continue to perform well into the Autumn and Winter and return even better in 2012! Check out the photographs of our competition success on our flickr website.

Surrey District Multi Activity Weekend

2011-07-20T08:33:00.001-07:00

Surrey District Multi Activity Weekend, a photo by Guildford Sea Cadets on Flickr.

"The last weekend of June was awesome!" That was the response from cadets from across Surrey District who attended a multi activity fun weekend at the Sea Cadet Training Centre (SCTC) in Weymouth.

On Friday 24 Jun 2011 two minibuses filled with cadets and junior cadets, from Guildford, Reigate, Crawley, Horsham and Woking, left Surrey to head South to the coast. We had a blast! Cadets got the chance to have a bit of a laugh in a kayak, a power boat and a sailing dinghy. Due to the bad weather on Sunday some cadets even got to have a go at indoor climbing.

The weekend would not have been possible with out the generosity of the volunteer staff. All gave up their time for free. Without the staff the weekend would not have been possible. Thank you also to SCTC Weymouth for a fantastic weekend!

Well done to all the cadets who might have had a go at something new or helped others enjoy the weekend!

SLt (SCC) Colin Whitear RNR Receives Recognition of Meritorious Service

2011-07-19T23:43:00.001-07:00

Lord Lieutenant and SLt Colin Whitear , a photo by Guildford Sea Cadets on Flickr.

The Lord Lieutenant of Surrey Awards Ceremony took place at Wotton House in Dorking on the 28th June 2011. At the ceremony awards were presented to members of Surrey's successful cadet forces community.

Included in these presentations was our very own Commanding Officer, SLt (SCC) Colin Whitear RNR. He received a meritorous service award which recognizes his longstanding and outstanding contribution to the Sea Cadets. Colin has been active at Guildford Sea Cadets for many years. This has included a lengthy stint as Commanding Officer for in excess of 10 years. He has helped many cadets and staff to develop a range of skills during his time.

Cadets in Catalogue Shoot

2011-06-24T01:05:00.000-07:00

It's as if you are looking at the latest photo shoot for H&M! Cadets struck a pose by the River Wey to show off the newest look this season!

Cadets and staff have just received new team kit. T-shirts and hooded sweats have been available for our cadets to purchase. They boast the latest Sea Cadet colours and logo. Sweats are in bright blue (not baby) and t-shirts are white with a colourful design. So, look out for us when your walking around town or at the next competition!

There are still some spare t-shirts available to purchase. They are £15 and available from SLt (SCC) Winskell RNR.

Summer Activities Ahoy!

2011-05-12T04:33:00.000-07:00

Bosuns at Papercourt, a photo by Guildford Sea Cadets on Flickr.

We are pleased to announce that Summer has indeed arrived at Guildford Sea Cadets. The beginning of May has brought long evenings and beautiful weather. This has meant lots of time on the water for Cadets and Junior Cadets.

All have been out on the water kayaking, canoeing, rowing and learning power boat skills. In addition, the lengthy evenings and light breeze means the start of the sailing season. Cadets have chosen to start sailing or improve their skills in the units new sailing boats. Monday saw our old faithful Bosun and brand new refurbished Bosun out on the water together for the first time. Cadets enjoyed a brisk breeze and brushed away the cobwebs for a fantastic sail.

We have also found time to get both Trinity 500 pulling boats out onto the River Wey. The boats look fantastic and due to their weight glide through the water at quite a speed. The juniors looked especially good rowing together with their instructor. We are hoping to pull together a good team for the fast approaching rowing competition this Summer.

What a fantastic way to spend the long summer evenings! If you want to join and learn new skills while having fast and furious fun then drop in an see us Monday or Thursday between 1900 and 2100.

Guildford Sea Cadets Awarded High Sheriff Youth Award

2011-04-21T23:59:00.000-07:00

The Surrey High Sheriff Youth Awards have generously given Guildford Sea Cadets a grant of £1500. The money will be used to build a bouldering wall at Guildford unit. This is part of the project 'Climb to Curb Crime' which aims to provide a positive activity for young people at Guildford Sea Cadets.

Not only will the new wall be used with cadets but also with young people from Surrey Police Victims of Crime. We already work closely with this organization providing positive, meaningful and fun activities for young people. Building a bouldering wall is a sustainable way to provide climbing for young people in Guildford. With the money we can offer the activity at little or no cost.

Cadets at Guildford have raised £500 that will combine with this money to give us the total amount required to build the wall. Thank you to the High Sheriff Youth Awards for granting us the money as without their support the project would not have gone ahead.

Guildford Cadet on TS JACK PETCHEY

2011-04-16T14:36:00.000-07:00

AC Tommy Gittings today joins the TS JACK PETCHEY in Gosport. He will be traveling with the ship to St Helier in Jersey over the next week. We wish him good luck and hope that there are fair winds and following seas. OC Rebekah Horton will complete a similar trip onboard TS ROYALIST later in April.

This is a fantastic opportunity for both of them and is a once in a lifetime trip. All cadets who go away to see on one of the Sea Cadet vessels always returns with a smile on their face and some stories to tell. We wish them both good luck and look forward to seeing some photos and hearing some stories when they return.

If you want to find out more about offshore experiences that are available in The Sea Cadets then click here.

Cadets Climb UK's Highest Peaks in 5 Hours

2011-04-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

On Monday 11 April 2011 a team of brave and enthusiastic explorers set out to conquer the UK's highest mountain peaks. They did not set out to walk them but to climb on an indoor climbing wall the 3410 metres required to reach the summit of each of these three peaks. If you know a little geography you will know these three peaks as Ben Nevis (1344m), Snowdon (1088m) and Skafell Pike (978m).

The team started at 1500 and between 8 of them by 2000 had completed all 341 climbs required to reach each summit. All are to be congratulated for the superb effort that they put in. They did not falter and although they were tired by the end each and every one of them kept on going and supported those around them. The team work, motivation and leadership among the cadets was top class!

The team was made up of LC Edgar Deverell, LC Matthew Traylor, AC Jenny Barnett, AC Tommy Gittings, OC Rebekah Horton, OC Emily Collins, OC Ronan Garnham and Cdt Emma Guyan. Well done to them all. A special mention goes to OC Emily Collins who managed to complete the most climbs in the 5 hours. She pushed herself to climb an incredible 710 metres which is 71 ascents and descents of the 10m indoor wall. Amazing!

In addition, not only did all of the cadets exceed expectations on the day but have raised a substantial amount of money for the unit. The team will have raised in excess of £500 in sponsorship money for them event. This makes the achievement even more incredible! This money will go towards furthering climbing at Guildford Sea Cadets. The intention is to use it in combination with grant money from the Surrey High Sheriff to build a bouldering wall at the unit.

Once again, well done to all those involved. A fantastic effort that is really something to be proud of!

Surrey Life Community Heroes

2011-03-23T09:03:00.000-07:00

Looking through the pages of the April 2011 edition of Surrey Life magazine you will find a well deserved congratulations to all the hard work of our Commanding Officer. The meessages below are quoted from pages 83 and 92 where you will find the Surrey Life Community Heroes article.

"With all the talk about the Big Society, it seemed an opportune moment to take a look at some of the inspiring people who are already making a big difference in our communities. Here, you’ll find the charity volunteers, lifesavers and other proactive members of the community – all recommended via our website at surrey.greatbritishlife.co.uk – who you feel really make an impression on the quality of life in Surrey. It’s by no means a definitive list, just a tribute to a few of our unsung heroes, so please feel free to get in touch with your own nominations for next time. In the meantime, though, without further ado, here we bring you the first ever Surrey Life Community Heroes list."

"Colin Whitear, Guildford

Involved with the Sea Cadets for 15 years, mostly as Commanding Officer of the Guildford Unit, Colin Whitear devotes many hours each week to the organisation, which is based on the traditions and heritage of the Royal Navy and aims to develop youngsters into responsible adults using a maritime curriculum. The Cadets meet twice a week for parades as well as often at the weekend for both sporting activities and competitions."

You can pick up a copy to read the full article or get a better idea of what the article is about by clicking here.

Building Teams, Creating Leaders at Guildford Sea Cadets

2011-03-22T13:03:00.001-07:00

Team Building and Leadership Tasks a photo by Guildford Sea Cadets on Flickr.

The Sea Cadets have always followed the Royal Navy ethos of moulding recruits into coherent and successful teams! They also train competent and professional leaders and managers to drive Britain's warships and submarines. We have always passed on leadership and team building knowledge and skills to our young people through workshops, tasks and activities.

Yet, on Monday 21 Mar 2011, we have advanced our capability to deliver 21st century training to cadets. We had our very first session using the MTa Team Kit. The MTa Team KIT provides us with 6 long and 10 short team-based activities that can be used to develop a wide range of individual and team skills. It is used by a number of well known international companies which includes the ministry of defence.

The kit will enable us to deliver and facilitate first class training to our young people. This will help towards our aim of teaching cadets transferable skills that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Take a look at the photos in our online flickr gallery. Click the photograph and it will take you there!

A Big Thank You to The Community Foundation for Surrey - New Year New Outboard Engine for Guildford Sea Cadets

2011-03-19T07:44:00.000-07:00

The Cadets, Staff, Volunteers and Committee would like to say a big thank you to The Community Foundation for Surrey, Electronic Arts and The Kaye Family Fund. Guildford Sea Cadets have received a very generous grant to purchase a new outboard engine. This will provide us with the capability to have a safety boat at Papercourt Sailing Club. Until now we have borrowed an engine to allow us to run a safety boat and to rescue and teach cadets who are sailing.

With this grant we will now be able to provide an independent service meaning that we are completely independent. This will give us much more flexibility meaning more hours on the water for our young people.

Thank you again from us all at Guildford Sea Cadets! The grant will make a huge difference enhancing the activities that we provide!

Half Term Sails Past!

2011-02-26T05:40:00.000-08:00

Cadets at Guildford spent two full days during half term enjoying the great sailing conditions. The staff and young people from Guildford Sea Cadets spent Mon 21 Feb 11 and Fri 25 Feb 11 at Papercourt Sailing Club. The new Toppers had their maiden voyage on the Monday as did some of our junior cadets who took to the water in a sailing boat for the first time! Other more experienced cadets got to grips with the new dinghies, some becoming more familiar with swimming than sailing!

Greeted with light wind conditions on the Monday cadets spent more time drifting than actually sailing. However, the afternoon was much better with wind picking up to a Force 2. This made for great conditions and all of the cadets achieved some excellent progress. Friday saw a lot more wind gusting Force 4. This made sailing a lot more tricky but by the end of the day the majority of cadets were a lot more confident and handling the conditions well.

Despite some tricky conditions all cadets made good personal progress. So, well done to everyone who took part and had a go at sailing! Dinghy sailing will now become a regular activity at Guildford Sea Cadets both in school holidays and during unit nights in the Summer. We are hoping to run Stage 1/2 courses and Stage 3/4 courses so that cadets can really push themselves to be better sailors!

I would also like to say a personal well done to all the staff and volunteers who made this possible. Well done to all and thank you!

Photos and videos of the week are available on our FlickR and YouTube pages.

Guildford Sea Cadets Team Kit

2011-02-14T14:58:00.000-08:00

Dear Cadets/Parents and Guardians,

You will probably be aware that the Sea Cadets have undergone a process of rebranding this year. It is our intention to produce a line of stylish “team kit” which sports the fantastic new logo.

Cadets will be encouraged to wear this “team kit” to events where uniform is not practical. Examples of when cadets could wear the kit include: climbing at Surrey Sports Park, sailing at Papercourt, during a period over the Summer at the unit and when traveling to/from competitions.

As well as looking good “team kit” will also serve to promote our cause wherever we go. We hope that by promoting the unit in this way we can create interest across Surrey, the southern area and nationwide. This interest could potentially allow us to identify new sources to fund the activities that we offer cadets.

T-Shirts and hooded sweatshirts will be available to buy at the price quoted below. The designs can be viewed by clicking on the links below:

T-Shirts - (Price £15) - http://tinyurl.com/guildfordtshirt
Hoodie - (Price £20) - http://tinyurl.com/guildfordhoodie

Both are being sold with a profit of £2 to the unit which will be used to fund the current bouldering wall project.

If you wish to purchase either a T-Shirt or Hoodie then please ask for an order form from SLt (SCC) Tom Winskell RNR. All orders must include a cheque or cash for the full amount.

Mayor Guildford Present RNP Burgee...and Poses for a Quick Photo!

2011-01-28T02:29:00.001-08:00

The Mayor Visits Guildford Sea Cadets
Originally uploaded by Guildford Sea Cadets

On 20 Jan 11 we were proud to host The Mayor of Guildford. She visited the unit to present our burgee, which was awarded for our 2010 Royal Navy Parade (RNP) performance. You can read more about our RNP by clicking here or here.

The Mayor spoke to cadets, staff and members of the committee. She was given a tour by the Commanding Officer (CO) and Unit Management Committee (UMC) before making the presentation. Councillor Marsha Moseley then game a short speech recognising all those that made a contribution to the achievements of the unit.

Guildford will not have another RNP until 2012 because of a two year cycle. However, in 2011 we hope to get even better with our growing number of cadets and activities that are available to them. This is with the hope of getting an even better RNP result in 2012!

A HUGE Well Done to Guildford Cadets at District Football

2011-01-13T14:13:00.000-08:00

For those 'in the know' the district 5 a-side football competition took place last weekend on Sun 16 Jan 11. Cadets from across the district competed against each other to achieve titles in a number of different categories.

This year saw a very successful joint effort with Farnham. Our cadets walked away from the competition placed FIRST in the junior girls competition! We also achieved a very respectable SECOND in the senior boys. Teams were also entered for other questions and played well but did not have quite enough to challenge their competitors. All who took part deserve a well done! An excellent entry to a brilliant competition.

There will be photographs to follow, so, hold onto your hat and check back to see all the action here!

Guidance on Social Networking Websites

2010-12-10T10:10:00.000-08:00

Sea Cadet Headquarters has, this month, published guidance on Social Networking Websites. The guidance is available for all from www.sccheadquarters.com. This extract below states the bottom line of the document.

"We want cadets, volunteers, members of staff and the wider general public to be fans of our site; we will not discourage Units from developing their own organizational sites and linking them to our main site, but they must be on brand and constructed in line with HQ guidance to follow (fan pages not friend pages); we do not want adult volunteers to be Facebook friends with cadets; if cadets or volunteers allow access to their personal information on their individual Facebook pages (which is their choice) then this could attract unwarranted attention from other users (both within the SCC and beyond), we can be mindful of that but cannot stop this, but this is no different from the potential for inappropriate relationships to form in the physical world within and around SCC Units."

All cadets, staff and volunteers with Guildford Sea Cadets should read this document and take note of the guidance within. Download it directly by clicking here.