January 1999 Volume 2.1



The Moose is Loose


Newsletter of 2397 (Devizes) Squadron, ATC

Recruiting

We will be holding another "come and see what the ATC is about" evening very soon. It is important that cadets take part in this so be ready to volunteer to show what you can do. What you say and do is much more convincing to potential joiners than just the staff spouting away at the front of the room.

Don't forget that the more cadets we have, the better our new accommodation will be.

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Newsletter Contributions

The Newsletter is intended to be your opportunity to say what you like on any topic related to the squadron or the ATC in general. We've had one credited column from Cpl Hurkett - how about Ben's Den, Claire's Lair, Tom's Times. It's not limited to the NCOs to write articles.

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Subscriptions

There are just a few cadets who have not paid subscriptions for several months. At £3 per month, the outstanding amount soon gets quite large. To help cadets keep trace of their payments, a chart is now displayed on the main notice board.

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Canteen IOUs

Use your Christmas money to settle the amount you owe.

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Our latest Nitex was on Saturday 19 December. It was cold and muddy - but as they say "no pain, no gain". The CO was impressed with the high morale even amongst those who for whatever reason had walked for over an hour longer than planned.

It appears that not all kit issued on the evening was handed back at the end. The most obvious items are a Silva type navigation compass and a pair of mess tins. Please check your kit and bring back the items loaned out for the evening. We do not have sufficient of many items to do permanent loans so instead we issue as needed and then wash items which have been next to skin before the next issue. Obviously, this is something the CO and his wife could do without but we cannot think of another way of guaranteeing the kit you need is available when you need it.

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BAND

If you have any band skills or would like to try, do have a go. The local Scouts will be expecting us to lead their St George's parade

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The Year Ahead

1999 is going to be busy !

We know that we will be relocated around July time when the TA unit closes.

The annual ATC Sunday parade is at Malmesbury on 7 February

Our Easter camp on Salisbury Plain is at the start of April

There will be the chance for about a dozen cadets to attend summer camp at an RAF station

There are opportunities to go to Gibraltar in July

We will run a Night Exercise every 4-6 weeks and will continue with the fieldcraft training which helps to give purpose to these events

We expect to assist the Devizes Lions and PHAB with their charity work and to assist the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust with their sponsored Sarsen Trail walk from Avebury to Stonehenge

We are to negotiate with the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust regarding our continued involvement in creating wheelchair access to Roundway Covert

We expect more opportunities for free day trips on RAF aircraft to overseas destinations

We hope to have the indoor range operational in early 1999

We will run a weekend canoeing course when it gets a bit warmer

Watch this space !!