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FAITH WISDOM
INTEGRITY COMPASSION |
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Overview : History and aims
The Knox Grammar School Army Cadet Unit (KGSACU) is distinct among its peers and indeed the entire Australian Army Cadets, being the largest unit in Australia and on current evidence, in the southern hemisphere.
We are proud of our history and successes which have lead to our current size. We are also proud of the role we have within the school which has seen generations of Knox boys respect and participate in the traditions of Knox Grammar School.
The unit is the custodian of important traditions of Knox such as the ANZAC Day memorial service and parade dedicated to the memory of our Old Boys who have given their lives in time of conflict. The unit also provides an important heritage component in many other Knox occasions.
This cadet unit goes beyond the provisions of outdoor recreation, fun and leadership. It is a crucible in which the traditions and heritage of the school are distilled and perpetuated. |
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Our mission
To provide quality leadership training and youth development through outdoor recreation delivered in a military setting.
Australian Army Cadets
The Australian Army Cadets (AAC) is firmly focused on providing an outdoor recreation experience in a military setting for adolescents aged 12 1/2 to 18 years, with structured programs and courses which give the cadets a purposeful progression through the developmental stages of adolescence and leadership.
Currently there are approximately 19,000 adolescents in Australia enjoying this experience. This truly national organisation has allowed us to send cadets interstate as well as overseas to enjoy safe but exciting activities supported by government.
Over the past four years, Knox Grammar School Army Cadet Unit has benefited from support from the Australian Defence Force. In return, the unit has provided support to community-based units, assisting with the conduct of their training, courses and exercises.
Knox cadets have forged a strong place in this national organisation through their professionalism, willingness and skill and are often sought to provide support to all manner of representational tasks on behalf of the AAC.
More information on the ADF Cadet Scheme can be found at www.defence.gov.au
KGSACU
The Knox Grammar School Army Cadet Unit has a central role in helping define the essential nature and character of the School. The cadet unit has been as important part of Knox since its earliest years when it was founded five years after the School itself in 1929. It has continued ever since and was even maintained by the School Council for the two years in the early 1970's when cadets were disbanded elsewhere by the Whitlam government.
The Knox Grammar School Army Cadet Unit is currently the largest in Australia with approximately 600 cadets and 40 adult officers. It forms a distinctive and essential part of the character and ethos of the School in assisting to make the Knox boy a well-rounded person.
In Year 8 all boys are required to join the unit and must complete at least one year of training, beginning in August and finishing their compulsory year in June, after which most students choose to continue.
The cadet year includes participation in the significant ceremonial events of ANZAC Day; the Passing Out Parade for Year 12 students who have spent four years in the unit and the presentation parade, where the OKGA presents much appreciated swords, kilts and sporrans in memory of OKGA members. In recent times, Knox cadets have also played an important role in the ANZAC Day march in the city of Sydney, which builds an appreciation of national events and the Australian identity. It also teaches the boys the importance of leadership and gives every boy, regardless of rank, a sense of fellowship and achievement on graduation.
The School Pipe Band has been expanded over recent years and now forms a significant performance group supporting the unit and the School's ceremonial interests, such as the official Anzac Day parades in various cities as well as the Knox annual memorial service and ceremonial parade.
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