Veron Cadet Summer Training Centre — Platoon Sergeant
One of my first summer jobs was as a platoon sergeant in 2016. As a platoon sergeant, I supervised a section of four—to six-course cadets aged between twelve and thirteen. My job was to ensure that the cadets I was in charge of wore the proper uniform for the day’s activities, which the platoon warrant officer and the platoon commander organized. Another part of my job was teaching a couple of lessons about survival skills, such as maps and compasses. In any spare time, I had the cadets engage in games that allowed them to learn about each other.
Vernon Cadet Summer Training Centre— Platoon Warrant Officer
The following year (2018), I returned to Vernon Summer Camp and received the rank and position of Platoon Warrant Officer. For both years, I stuck with Charlie’s company, which consisted of 12 and 13-year-olds. Looking back on these jobs, I only wanted to staff with the younger cadets because they were more eager to be there, making teaching them more fun. This year, I was in charge of 24 course cadets and three staff cadets (16-17-year-olds), and it was my job to ensure that everyone knew the day plans and that the platoon was on time for all scheduled activities. I also had to organize the sergeant’s days off and plan when and what lessons the sergeants and I would teach. Along with planning, organization, and teaching, I had the cadets play games when the opportunities arose to build teamwork and give them breaks from the content.
Babysitting
I babysat for a couple with two kids a long time ago, and thinking about it now, it was a valuable experience. It helped me learn how younger kids work, and it’s essential always to keep kids engaged, or bad things can happen. For example, one night, we took a break from playing a game of Mouse Trap, and the kids had a big argument. They refused to talk to each other and wished the other had never been born; thankfully, I resolved it by the end of the night and got them to hang out and have fun until bedtime. Since then, that night has stuck with me. It helped me better understand kids and what I can do to rebuild and maintain those relationships.