The 2302 Weyburn Legion Cadet Corps celebrated 60 years of history with a Christmas Mess dinner on Dec. 16 at the Weyburn Legion. A full house of cadets, officers, family and friends enjoyed the dinner, presentations and silent auction during the evening.

One presentation during the evening honoured Captain (Retired) Jesse Balkwill as a life-time member of the 2302 Weyburn Legion Cadets. Balkwill started his military career in 1959, with the South Sask. Regiment. At that time, the Army Cadet Corps in Weyburn was known as the "2302 South Saskatchewan Regiment Cadet Corps" and was affiliated with the South Sask. Reserve Force.

When the South Sask. Regiment closed in 1968, Balkwill was discharged from the reserves. He started helping the cadets, under its present name of the 2302 Weyburn Legion Cadet Corps, becoming an officer-cadet to aid in training and education. He retired from the service in 1995 after meeting the mandatory retirement age of 65, but Balkwill continued to volunteer many hours with the cadets.

A second presentation inducted Brittany St. Jules into the position of Officer Cadet, enabling her to continue to serve and educate younger members of the Corps.

St. Jules started her cadet career in the Weyburn corps in 2000, working diligently and in her fifth year was the top cadet in the province in the National Star Certification Examinations. She went to the University of Regina in 2005, continuing to parade weekly in Weyburn first as a cadet and then as a Civilian Instructor. Officer Cadet St. Jules will continue to work with the Weyburn Cadet Corps as she trains to become a junior officer in the Cadet Instructor Cadre.

Both Balkwill and St. Jules demonstrate the rich history of men and women who have been a members of the Weyburn Cadets and made a name for themselves in prominent positions in the city, province and the nation. Just within the last 10 years, several cadets from Weyburn have worked hard to represent the community in careers and employment as officers in the Canadian Forces or have served in subordinate positions with reserve and regular units.

Captain Bob Demencuik, Commanding Officer of the 2302 Weyburn Legion Cadets, stated, "Any cadet who completes the program will tell you the harder you work, the more you get out of the program. There are many opportunities gained through adventure, challenge and learning and fitness, leadership and citizenship."

One such person is Lt. (N) J. Turner, who was a cadet in the 1990s. He completed all training at the Weyburn cadet corps and was selected to represent Canada on a Cadet Exchange to England. He successfully was selected to attend Royal Military College in Kingston, where he earned an engineering degree. He is currently serving on the Pacific Coast, awaiting promotion to Lt. Commander.

Another was Mark Fish, who also worked hard and did very well as a cadet. He was selected to represent Canada on a Cadet Exchange to Europe. He chose to pursue a degree at the University of Saskatchewan. While there, he joined the Reserve Forces where he became a junior officer prior moving to British Columbia, where he now works as an engineer.

Officer Cadet Anthony Thompson is another cadet who worked diligently and when he took his National Star Certification Examinations he placed second in Saskatchewan. He got to try a parachute course and was selected in the fall of 2005 to represent Canada on a cadet exchange to Mont Blanc in France, Switzerland and Italy. In June 2007, Thompson was selected to attend Royal Military College in Kingston, where he will take an engineering degree.

Not all cadets choose to pursue military careers. Recent graduate from the Weyburn Cadets, Ben Gill, balanced his desire to be a farmer with a commitment to the cadets. He was able to take the opportunity of summer employment at the Rocky Mountain National Army Cadet Camp to earn enough to buy several head of cattle. Upon completion of the program, he was selected to represent Saskatchewan on the regional expedition on Juan De Fuca Trail in B.C. in the fall of 2006.

The dedication of the Weyburn Cadets even showed in recent accomplishments in the Army Cadet Fitness Test (ACFT) by many first-year cadets, as well as higher ranking cadets. Achieving gold in the ACFT was Geeno Harrison, silver was earned by Trent Corbin and Jonathan Tougas, earning bronze was Alex Blais, Gavin Carnegie, Cullen Froese, Alex Huard, Julia Huard, Christopher McIntyre, Matthew Miskolczi and Kyle Wilton.

The role of the Cadet movement has evolved and the current mandate is to develop in youth the attributes of good citizenship and leadership, to promote physical fitness and to stimulate the interest of youth in the Canadian forces. Army Cadets are not members of the Canadian Forces, however their basic training is funded and staffed by the Canadian Forces. The Weyburn Cadet Corps parades every Tuesday evening from 7 to 9:30 p.m. and is open to any youth from the ages of 12 to 18.