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While Air Cadets in Canada were actually started in
British Columbia circa 1938, the Air Cadet League of Canada was not
chartered until April, 1941. The Air Cadet League of Canada along with
the 12 Provincial and Territorial Committees have been providing
direction, guidance and support to the Air Cadet movement in Canada for
over 60 years.
The Air Cadet Program is open to the youth of Canada who
are between the ages of 12 and 18. Administered jointly by the
Department of National Defense and the Air Cadet League of Canada, the
program offers a wide variety of training and exciting challenges and
rewards to those young people who have chosen to take part in this
program. There are no fees or costs to join Air Cadets and uniforms are
supplied free of charge. While the program is military based, there is
no obligation for a cadet to join the Canadian Armed Forces when he or
she finishes their cadet career. However, those cadets who choose to
pursue a career in the Canadian Military certainly have an advantage and
insight as to what to expect in their chosen career.
The Air Cadet League of Canada today is comprised of
three levels throughout the country; the National Organization, the
Provincial Committees, and the Squadron Sponsoring Committees. The Air
Cadet League is a very large organization, which assists the Department
of National Defense in administering Air Cadet training on all three
levels throughout the country. The Air Cadet League provides a voice in
Canada for the Air Cadet movement as a whole, so that the Canadian
public is kept aware of the accomplishments and capabilities of the
movement and of its ability to fulfill its aims.
The Nova Scotia Provincial Committee comprises
approximately 50 unpaid volunteers, who administer in excess of 50
Sponsoring Committees from the provincial offices which are located in
the address below.
The main areas of responsibility for the
Nova Scotia Provincial Committee include:
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Formation of new squadrons
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Assisting with the recruitment of officers and cadets into
the
program
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Maintaining our fleet of tow planes and eleven gliders which has been
valued in excess of $600,000
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The administration guidance and support of Sponsoring Committees in
the province of Nova Scotia
One of the requirements in forming a Squadron is that
the proposed unit has a Sponsor who in turn will appoint a Sponsoring
Committee. The main areas of responsibility for the Sponsoring Committee
are:
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Finding and maintaining suitable quarters to house
the Squadron
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Financing and raising funds to pay all those costs of squadron
operations, which are not covered by the Department of National Defense.
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Recruiting of officers and cadets
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Organizing social events
On a national basis, individual Sponsoring Committees
generate in excess of $6.5 million annually in supporting their units,
while provincial committees raise in excess of $1 million. Quite apart
from the financial considerations, however, are the efforts of the
thousands of Air Cadet League personnel across the country in assisting
Squadrons and Sponsoring Committees in meeting their objectives.
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