G And D Mar 06

Alnwick Detachment, Northumbria ACF

The George and Dragon Northumbria Special points of interest: • The latest news on Annual Camp. • Gain more from your ACF membership: BTEC and D of E: Real qualifications for little extra effort. • The Royal Logistics Corps: More than potbashing and blanketstacking. • What’s happening in the County and Company. • Forecast of events.

Inside this issue: Cadet Vocational Qualifications

2

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme

2

News from Around the Company

2

Army in Focus: The Royal Logistics Corps

3

Forecast of Events

3

News from Around the County

3

13th March 2006

Volume 1, Issue 3

Annual Camp Programme W Company are in the last stages of planning the Annual Camp programme. The first four days (9-12 Aug) for the cadets will be spent in the field up at Carshope Farm. Carshope lies in the Upper Coquet Valley and provides a picturesque base for fieldcraft, campcraft and expedition training. The farm can accommodate the entire company. It is 50 yards from the river and has grassy areas for sport. The 13-14 Aug will be range days. Most cadets will spend a day on the DCCT (SAT) at Otterburn. Some will spend time at Ponteland and some

will hopefully have the opportunity to use the CQB and clay pigeons.

Photo opportunities: Last year: Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth. This year: Sheep in Otterburn? Tuesday, 15th August will be a visit day: we also need some cadets to help out at Doxford Hall for the day.

The 16 Aug will be an incamp APC training day. The 17-18 Aug will be Adventurous Training down at Kielder. W Coy aren’t organising this, but it is likely to include canoeing, hill walking, archery, mountain biking and climbing. The final day, 19 Aug, will be the County Open Day. This is an opportunity for your folks at home to come and see the camp and what we do. Competitions will also be held this day. County HQ will choose some 3-star cadets for a 3star training cadre during the first week of camp.

IMPORTANT: Annual Camp Admin Annual Camp will take place at Otterburn between 5th and 19th August 2006. The first four days will be for adult refresher training only. Cadets will go to camp from Wed 9th August until Sat 19th August 2006. The cost of camp will be £35, which is to be paid by 1st July 2006.

County HQ require names of those attending slightly earlier than initially thought, therefore the cut-off date for enrolments in now 1st April 2006. Any cadet who has not handed in an enrolment form, fee and size roll by 1st April will not go to camp. Every cadet going to camp is required to complete a new enrolment form, so we have

up to date information. Training will be done in companies. There will also be a 3-star cadre at camp. A County open day will be held on Saturday, 19th August (before we all go home): this is an opportunity for your family and friends to visit, see what we do and maybe have a go themselves.

Cadet Vocational Qualifications Senior cadets (2 star, aged 16 years or older) can obtain a BTEC First Diploma in Public Services alongside their APC training. The diploma, the vocational equivalent of 4 GCSE grades A-C, is achieved by completing 6 out of 7 units:

* The first three units are compulsory.

• Public Services* • Public Services Skills* • Public Service Fitness* • Outdoor Activities • Land Navigation • Expedition Skills • Nautical Skills

For an ACF cadet, completion of the units will involve leadership tasks, a small project, a short presentation, map read-

ing, expeditions, first aid training and completion of the CVQO resource book. You may have even already completed some of these units through your APC or D of E training. Participation in the scheme is free of charge to cadets.

obtain a BTEC First

For more information check out the Army Cadet magazine or the Cadet Vocational Qualification Office website: www.cqvo.co.uk

equivalent to 4

tary to the APC: you can gain a D of E award by very little extra effort on top of your ACF training. The Award can be achieved at three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. Each level includes four sections: Service, Skills, Physical Recreation and Expeditions. Additionally, at Gold level, participants complete a residential project. You can start working towards Bronze

at the age of 14 years, Silver at 15 years and Gold at 16 years. The upper age limit for completion of any level of the award is 25 years. To enroll on the scheme you need to buy a record book (~£8) and fill in a form. Further details from the DC, or check out the website: www.theaward.org

Amusement in the butts. art, Cdt L. Warren and Cdt N. Tweddle. The two Amble girls, LCpl Lucy Cowell and LCpl Lauren Stewart, have (voluntarily)

Diploma in Public Services….

GCSE grades A-C.”

“Learn new skills, help other people and experience adventure…. Employers and universities take a good view .”

News from Around the Company The Company had a very successful Range Day on 4th March 2006. Despite the howling wind and snow on the ground everyone remained in good humour and some good scores were achieved. The County shooting team were also on the range that day. W Coy is represented on the team by Cpl C. Braithwaite, LCpl G. Renner-Thompson, Cdt C. Allan, Cpl M. Haggerty, Cdt Connine, LCpl C. Dunn, LCpl R. Holman, Cdt C. Stew-

“Senior cadets can

To participate speak to the DC.

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme (D of E) is a challenging programme of activities which will help you to learn new skills, help others, experience adventure and gain a great sense of achievement. What’s more, many organisations such as employers and universities take a good view of the Award and the person who has achieved it. The award is complimen-

Volume 1, Issue 3

taken on the task of organising the W Coy team for the County Athletics on 15th April 2006. Names for the athletics are needed urgently. If you are available on 15th April and are any good at running, throwing or jumping make yourself known to the DC as soon as possible.

Contributions The newsletter continues to be written as a solo effort. If you don’t like my style of writing, or what I write about, then get busy yourself. In the words of Dr. Evil, “Throw me a frickin bone”.

The next month is very busy for W Coy: look at the forecast of events on page 3.

Page 2

Army In Focus: Royal Logistics Corps One in every four soldiers are members of one of the newest and largest Corps of the Army, the Royal Logistics Corps (RLC).

specialists.

ammunition to the front line.

- Ammunition Technicians.

The Really Large Corps (one of the more polite nicknames) provides vital logistical support to the other Arms and Services of the Army: there’s more to this than just potbashing and blanket-stacking!

- Catering Operations.

One of the career possibilities is Bomb Disposal. On call to the Army and civilian Police your expertise will be vital in dealing safely with dangerous situations.

Jobs in the Corps are divided into 5 main categories: - Distribution Operations. eg. Drivers and air dispatchers. - Maritime Operations. eg. Seamen and movement control. - Supply Operations. eg. Petrol operators and vehicle

Weapons testing and maintenance.

Feeding the rest of the Army. Keeping the Army supplied with everything it needs isn’t just a full-time job: it’s several full-time jobs. A career in logistics is about keeping your options open. British Army troops are based around the globe and require logistical support by land, sea and air. As an Army logistics specialist you could find yourself loading ships in Southampton, sourcing food in Jamaica, storing equipment in the UK or making a crucial delivery of

Opportunities to learn new skills and gain qualifications will arise all of the time. More information: www.army.mod.uk Tel: 08457 300111

Volume 1, Issue 3

“Providing vital support to the other Arms and Services of the Army: More than just pot-bashing and blanketstacking.”

Want to top up this tank?

Forecast for the Next Few Weeks •

18-19 March: County Cadre Training, CTC Otterburn

•

25-26 March: W Coy Recruit Training Weekend, Alnwick

•

Sat 1 April: W Coy Drill Day: Berwick Barracks

•

Sat 15 April: County Athletics: Venue tbc (MAXIMUM ATTENDANCE)

•

15-23 April: SCIC and ITC: CTC Stainton

Coming soon….

•

22-23 April: County Cadre Training: CTC Otterburn

Major General’s parade in London.

If you want more information about any event ask the DC.

Profiles Since the adult and cadet profiles haven’t proved very popular (eg. nobody has bothered their arse to give me any information) I have left them out.

News from Around the County A very boring month. No dollies thrown from the pram! In case you didn’t hear SSI Alan Perry didn’t get the RQMS’s job: it went to SMI Anika Morrison of Y Coy.

This is lucky for W Coy (oh yes it is!) because SSI Perry gets to stop with us. The Officers Mess has a new PMC: Major Derek Fairbairn.

STOP PRESS: 12 Mar Weather Forecast: It’s very, very cold and very, very windy and the snow is drifting very, very deep. Someone please dig me out of here!

Page 3

March’s Review 1 THE MATADOR Cert: 15, Dir: Richard Shepard Duration: 96 mins

Alnwick Detachment, Northumbria ACF

Julian Noble (Brosnan) and Danny Wright (Kinnear) meet in a Mexico City hotel. In a moment of alcoholic truth Wright tells Noble about the death of his infant son and loss of his job. Sensing the depressing mood, Noble counters with a dirty joke. Greg Kinnear and Pierce Brosnan are a salesman and An offended Wright walks out in disgust. a hitman in The Matador. Noble is a man on the edge, with no sense of purpose or belonging, wandering from town to town on a diet of booze and hookers. He seeks reconciliation with Wright, appreciative of the fact he was someone to have a conversation with.

TA Centre, Lisburn Terrace, ALNWICK, NE66 1XQ Monday Evenings: 7-9.30 pm Det Mobile: 07776 475089

The two men end up at a bull fight and the conversation turns to the mechanics of hired killing. Noble picks out a business man from the crowd and explains to Wright, in clinical detail, the way of killing and escaping without being caught.

Email: [email protected]

Months pass and we find ourselves in Denver, Colorado. Wright and his wife Carolyn (Hope Davies), known as Bean, reminisce about their school days when the door bell rings: it’s Noble down, depressed and with only one friend left in the world. Noble’s employer, Mr. Randy (Philip Baker Hall) is losing patience with him. Noble’s life is in danger. For the rest of the movie Noble clings to Wright and Bean like a lost child: can they all avoid the dangers that lie ahead?

Inspiring to Achieve

W E ’ R E O N THE WEB :

A cerebral and subtle ’psychological comedy’ exploring the relationship between the two men. May be too complex for younger viewers, but if you like a complicated plot you might like this.

W W W . NACF . ORG . UK

Disclaimer

March’s Review 2

This document is not an official publication of Northumbria ACF. It is produced for the guidance of Alnwick Detachment cadets only. Any opinions expressed herein are those of the author and not necessarily those of Northumbria ACF or the Army.

Submissions Deadline for April 2006 edition: Monday, 10th April 2006

Publication of April 2006 edition: Monday, 17th April 2006

The following items can be published: Personal notices and announcements, adult & cadet profiles, reviews of weekend camps, photos. Items do not have to be ACF related. All items will be vetted and may be edited.

THE WORLD’S FASTEST INDIAN Cert: 12A, Dir: Roger Donaldson Duration: 127 mins Burt Munro (Anthony Hopkins) is a native of Invercargill, the southernmost city in New Zealand, and a man who has always had a passion for speed. He's spent his life tinkering with his beloved Indian Twin Scout and, after years of making and remaking his own parts, he believes he might just have built the fastest bike in the world. The problem is he has no way to prove it. Anthony Hopkins stars as Burt Munro, a bike fanatic, For years he has dreamt of going to Bonne- in The World’s Fastest Indian. ville speedway in Utah to find out how fast the bike actually goes: sadly, he’s never managed to scrape together enough money to get there. Munro discovers he has angina, may not have long to live, so decides to take out a loan and travel half way around the world to fulfill his dream. The movie is based on a true story. Director Roger Donaldson actually worked on a documentary, Offerings to the God of Speed, where he met the real Munro and discovered more about his story. A perfectly pitched cast of extras drawn from a cross-section of 1960’s America add some nice comedy touches. Hopkins plays the role well. Even the hardest of cynics will warm to him as he meets numerous set backs on the road to Utah. By the end of the movie you’ll be desperate to see him ride his bike. The movie culminates in a gripping finale: even if you know the outcome you are still perched on the edge of your seat. A humorous and heart-warming tale about overcoming adversity. Worth seeing.