ADDRESS

LT. COL ELLIS ROBINSON CAMP COMMANDANT At the TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO CADET FORCE ANNUAL TRAINING CAMP 2013 CAMP Lt. Col ECR BLACKETT

Date:

Friday 19th July 2013

Venue: Signal Hill Secondary School Time: 16:00

Permanent Secretary Ministry of National Security . Dr. Quamina - Yorke Camp Second in Command ..Maj Colin Harold Officers, Warrant Officers, Chief Petty Officers, and Other Ranks, of the Trinidad and Tobago Cadet Force, and the St Lucia Cadet Force. Parents of Cadets: Well Wishers Member of the Media. Good Afternoon.

Immediately after the decision was made to have this years training camp on the island of Tobago, it was decided to name it after the founding father of ALL Tobago cadets Lt. Col ECR Blackett. Colonel Blackett whilst a principal at Bishops High School Tobago entertained and pursued the idea of establishing a Cadet Unit in his own secondary school. The factor that influenced his decision was seeing for himself the positive impact that cadets had in their

respective schools, in his native Barbados. On the 20th November 1958 he saw his dream materialized with the commissioning of the BHS #1 Platoon. Lt. Col Blackett assumed command of the Trinidad and Tobago Cadet Force in 1988 after the sudden death of Lt. Col Baptiste, and served as Commandant during the darkest and bloodiest days to date in the history of Trinidad and Tobago. That is the 1990 attempted Coup. It should be noted that this was also the Cadet Forces finest hour, as we as a youth organization with a long and proud military heritage were able to assist our senior formations in nearly every aspect where help was needed. Today well into his nineties Col Blackett is very much alive and well and his interest and love for the cadet force is as strong and all encompassing as it was in 1958. It was indeed an honor and privilege for me to have once served under him.

Traditionally cadet camps concentrate solely on military training, it is not unusual for a cadet having camped two weeks in any geographic location, on departing had no

new information of that areas history, or even local culture and traditions. With time very much against us this year we are attempting a well rounded curriculum that is Military Training To expose the cadets to training they would not be privy too otherwise. Educational - Conduct tours of historical sites inclusive of our legislative chamber here in Tobago. Social Integration of Cadets from differing Battalions Allow cadets to visit the nearby mall, cinema, and beaches (already identified for safe bathing) instead of keeping them on the camp to aimlessly wander its halls. It would be remiss of me not to first thank Mrs Potts the Principal of the Scarborough Secondary School, for permitting us to camp here, and Mr. Cruickshank and his maintenance staff, for their kind continued assistance in ensuring that all facilities are operational during our stay. I will also like to thank the business community of Tobago who have been donating bottled water and other items, as we are experiencing difficulty in accessing our own supplies from Trinidad. We are currently in the peak season of the inter island ferry service.

Finally our gratitude to you Madam PS for taking the time out of your busy schedule to be here with us this afternoon. Without further ado may it please Madam Permanent Secretary to graciously address us.

Ellis Robinson Lieutenant Colonel Camp Commandant Annual Training Camp 2013 Signal Hill, Tobago

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