Colin joined the cadet program in 1989, when he joined as a cadet at 107 Spitfire squadron in Saskatoon. He transitioned to serving as a CIC officer in the squadron afterwards. He worked as the Supply, Admin, UHRA, Band Officer and Training Officer during his time with 107 and also worked two summers with Summer Movements in Regina and four summers at Penhold Air Cadet Summer Training Centre. After a brief break, Colin rejoined the cadet program as a civilian instructor at 574 RCACS in Martensville, w here he has been since they started operating there.
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Speaking about his previous activities, Colin said:
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&ldquo;This will sound rather cheezy, but one favorite memory was putting on my uniform for the first time and stepping onto the parade square. Yes, I had creases in the wrong place, railroad tracks on my pants, maybe a loose thread or two on my shoulder flashes, but the feeling I had was nothing but excitement. I have a lot of fond memories throughout my cadet career, but I don't think anything matches the excitement of putting on that uniform for the first time. I do have another favorite memory and that is when I represented 107 RCACS at the 50th Anniversary Gathering of Air Cadets back in 1991, which celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Air Cadet League of Canada. Imagine one Air Cadet from every squadron in Canada (over 400 of us), gathering for one weekend in Quebec City. We toured all of the usual tourist spots, participated in a parade through Old Quebec, attended a huge air show and then had dinner with the Snowbirds after that air show. We climbed to the top of Mount St. Anne and went on a big river cruise down the St. Lawrence. That was the first big trip away from home for me and my first trip on an airliner. Any thoughts of being homesick quickly went away when I started meeting friends and hanging out...not to mention all of the fun activities that were planned for us. I kept in touch with some of those friends for a while, but like life, people drift apart and lose contact, but to this day, I still have very fond memories of that trip.&rdquo;
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&ldquo;Whether it has been as a volunteer, Civilian Instructor or CIC Officer, cadets has given me plenty of opportunities, from the smallest things like driving a van full of cadets to a MUSCON in Moose Jaw to working with many cadets, whether it be at summer camps or when I worked summer movements. Working with the cadets is and always has been the biggest and best opportunity afforded me while working as an adult staff member.&rdquo;
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&ldquo;I will always recommend the cadet program to anyone who will listen to me because it opens up so many doors for kids today, which you just cannot get with any other youth program in the country. What other program offers you a chance to get your glider or power license, sail on a real military ship during the summer, learn how to parachute, go visit another country? What other youth program gives you a sense of self, along with a sense of camaraderie than the cadet program?&rdquo;
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&ldquo;I think the biggest thing I have learned from being involved with cadets is the fact that it provides structure to a youth's life that they may not be able to get with any other kind of youth organization, or even organized sports. You can come in off the street as you are and almost immediately, given tools to succeed at anything you want to do. What you learn as a cadet will apply to anything you do in your life after your time in the program is over. You can be the shiest kid coming through the doors on day one and thinking you'll never be able to make a friend, and then next thing you know, that shy kid is no longer shy and has made many friends.&rdquo;
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&ldquo;I think other people should join the cadet program, whether it be as a cadet or as an adult staff member, because of the challenges that the program can present to a person. Cadets will always challenge you to become better at something, whether it's simply polishing your boots to putting a good lesson plan together for a class or organizing an entire sports or survival weekend. If you want to prove to yourself what you are capable of, cadets is ready to challenge you.&rdquo;
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&ldquo;If you're a young kid reading this and you've been thinking about cadets and whether it's for you, I highly urge you to give it a try.&rdquo;

Colin Kunkel Interview

Nominate an air cadet volunteer today! Four possible awards are available. Award nominations are due September 30th and any submitted after the date will be considered for the following year. Nominations can be sent to <a href="mailto:richardp@skacl.ca" target="_blank" rel="noopener">richardp@skacl.ca</a>&nbsp;when filled.
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Download and fill out the pdf below.
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IZwDwVnOXscRNUWgjGG2_o0gZxbKoUZ4/view?usp=sharing">SKACL Awards</a>

SKACL Award Nominations

Camp Saskadet is a Tri-Service Provincial Cadet Camp located at Round Lake. The building of the camp began on July 5, 1975 with construction being done by Air, Army and Sea Cadet programs. Today, Camp Saskadet provides opportunities for camping, outdoor recreation, physical fitness training, biathlon, and survival training! Next year Camp Saskadet will be celebrating its 50th anniversary!
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Stay tuned for more details on an anniversary celebration.

Announcing Upcoming Camp Saskadet 50th Anniversary

Do you have photos or cadet memories you would like to share? Or maybe even get it featured on our social media? Submit them to <a href="mailto:linzyz@skacl.ca">linzyz@skacl.ca</a> by August 31st to be entered into a general draw to win $75. Keep your eyes out as we share the entries over the next few months!
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We are accepting submissions throughout Canada.
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Check out our <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C93B6gTyrTb/">Instagram page.</a>
Check out our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/skacl.ca/posts/pfbid02QXSKVVp6uZQzoPbPWjVFcahBZXMjQABBpAU7JkimufvKKvEr7JzZEb1Rne2HwbPrl">Facebook page.</a>
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By submitting your photo(s), you acknowledge and agree that all submitted photos become the property of SKACL upon submission. SKACL reserves the right to use, reproduce, edit, display, and distribute all submitted photos for promotional purposes without further compensation.

Calling for Photos and Air Cadet Memories!

Cadets from #574 Martensville were features in the Martensville Messenger newspaper after they hosted their ACR. Take a look!
<img src="https://_/storage/uploads/2024/07/01/Martensville-Story-1_uid_66820a324a48d.png" alt="" /><img src="https://_/storage/uploads/2024/07/01/Martensville-Story-2_uid_66820a3293123.png" alt="" />

Martensville Messenger Newspaper Features #547 Cadets

The Prince Albert and Martinsville combined zone Effective Speaking Competition was held on March 16, 2024.
The top four cadets moving on to the provincial competition are:
1st place: Sgt. Amelia Wood, 574 Dakota Squadron (Martensville)
2nd place: WO2 Jaydan Braaten, 38 Prince Albert Squadron (Prince Albert) 
3rd place: WO2 Parthi Shah, 107 Spitfire Squadron (Saskatoon)
4th place: F.Sgt. Jigisha Jain, 702 Lynx Squadron (Saskatoon)
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<img src="https://_/storage/uploads/2024/03/20/ESC_2024_PAMartinsville_Winners_uid_65fa7f14834c9.jpg" alt="" />

2024 Prince Albert & Martinsville Zone Effective Speaking Competition

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The Saskatchewan Air Cadet League is seeking a highly motivated and creative Summer Student (current university or high school student) to aid in maintaining and developing the League&rsquo;s social media presence, marketing efforts, and communications with squadrons.
This highly flexible position will provide opportunities for growth, development and learning in various areas.
Responsibilities:
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<li>Manage social media accounts, including Facebook and Instagram, as well as the possibility of a YouTube channel</li>
<li>Create engaging and visually appealing content for social media channels, websites, and other digital platforms</li>
<li>Creating new, and maintaining existing Google Ad campaigns and optimizing audience engagement</li>
<li>Develop marketing materials such as posters, brochures, and flyers.</li>
<li>Connect with League Members to create content for newsletters and social media features</li>
<li>Track and analyze social media metrics to measure the success of campaigns and posts, and adjust strategies as needed</li>
<li>Respond to inquiries and comments on social media and other digital channels</li>
<li>Attend League events and participate as a member of the media</li>
<li>Perform other related duties as assigned</li>
</ul>
Skills and Qualifications:
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<li>Willingness to learn, quick learner</li>
<li>Flexible project management skills</li>
<li>Time management skills</li>
<li>Strong verbal and written communication skills</li>
</ul>
Preferred Skills and Qualifications:
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<li>Experience with graphic design (ex. Adobe Suite, Canva) and/or video editing (Premiere Pro, or similar program)</li>
<li>Experience or familiarity with the Air Cadet Program, and Air Cadet League Structure</li>
<li>Familiarity with all SKACL media-related platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Linktree, YouTube, Canva, etc.</li>
<li>Photography and videography experience</li>
<li>Experience with React or NodeJS is an asset</li>
</ul>
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Please submit a resume and cover letter to Richard Petrowsky, the Executive Director, at richardp@skacl.ca. The application deadline is May 31, 2023.
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Job Opportunity 2023 - Summer Student

The Air Cadet League of Canada, Saskatchewan Provincial Committees 81st Annual General Meeting Conference and Awards banquet was held on October 21, 22 and 23, 2022 at the Doubletree Hotel in Regina.
After two years of virtual meetings, everyone was enthusiastic about meeting in person.&nbsp;
Friday Nights registration and social was well attended. The opportunity to catch up with and meet new friends was welcomed by all. Congratulations to Tina Bousfield on winning the registration door prize, a portable Bluetooth speaker from Visions. Friday night also saw the start of the Silent Auction Bidding!
The training meetings started early Saturday morning. Informative speeches by Lt Col Kevin Diduck, Commanding Officer Regional Cadet Support Unit NW region, Terri Hinton &ndash; National rep on Risk Management and Muhammad Abdullah University of Regina Professor on cultural inclusion within the Muslim community were all very informative and well received
At the COPA, Canadian Owners and Pilots Association Luncheon, Candace Pardo, provided insight into how squadrons and the COPA organization can work together to provide more flying opportunities for Saskatchewan Youth.&nbsp; For more information please contact visit their website at skcopa.ca.
The Annual General Meeting was held on Saturday Afternoon.
Our incoming chair, Curtis Bousfield, hosted the Awards Banquet on Saturday Evening. After a delicious meal, numerous awards were presented to deserving organizations, volunteers and cadets. A very successful Silent Auction came to a close with a total of $ 1,000.00 being raised for the Air Cadet program. An Inspiring speech from our keynote speaker, Lt Col Riel Erickson, from the # 2 Canadian Forces Flight Training Center, Moose Jaw. Her speech on her travels and the Cadet Program was very well received.
Sunday morning brought SSC Training, a Board of Directors Meeting, and a significant snowfall.&nbsp;
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A great informative weekend was had by all!
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We look forward to seeing everyone in Saskatoon at the Travelodge Hotel on October 20, 21 and 22, 2023 for the 82nd Annual General Meeting conference and Awards banquet!

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