saddest day of my life :(

[SeaGull631]

man... we were getting ready to march on at annual the other day and right before we went on, the chief calls all of the WOs and a couple FSgts over and is like, "alright. heres the deal. When they call our names up to retire..."

it was insane. It was like, HOLY $hiznit! Im RETIRING?! I just got here!

A couple of the other warrants, though... they were like, YEAH! Im retiring!

How many of you were happy to retire or started to cry as soon as you thought about it?

[HammerOfHope]

I was sad, but I never broke out in tears because I was retiring. It just felt a little weird because I left on the first parade night back after camp. Camp felt like the last step of my cadet career, but here I was coming back to the corps just to say goodbye. Anyway, by the end I was just glad it was over and it was time to move on.

[Profound Darkness]

I cried a little before cadets when my mother was taking her pictures of me in uniform. But once I got there if was pretty easy to hold them back. I was there the next week as a CI anyway (which isn't the same, but at least I'm still involved). If my CIC papers weren't taking forever I'd be in uniform by now in time for camp.

[The Blue Tory]

Handled it professionally...

The memories just flooded in through my mind though, as I saluted on my final dismissal... the memories took over timing, and it was held up a little too long... probably a sign of trying to extend the career for just a few more seconds.

[HammerOfHope]

The memories just flooded in through my mind though, as I saluted on my final dismissal... the memories took over timing, and it was held up a little too long... probably a sign of trying to extend the career for just a few more seconds.

And then... a single tear rolled down his cheek.

[WO2 Mandal]

awww poor ma'am, I'ts ok lol

[DM Sgt Vanderlinde]

mandal.. nows not the time to be.. .well urself... its a serious moment for these cadets who had put their time and efforts throughout the years towards the cadet program.

[SeaGull631]

mandal.. nows not the time to be.. .well urself... its a serious moment for these cadets who had put their time and efforts throughout the years towards the cadet program.

*sniff* I need a kleenex!! lol

[AMothfromWpg]

there were 2 moments when I got caught in the throat- when I went up for the congrats that I am "retiring" then turning back to the sqn and having everyone clapping and cheering as I marched back to my position of parade comd

the 2nd was on the D-Day parade where I was ic of the air cadet flight during the parade and marchpast.....

[canoe instructor]

i took it in stride when i retired back in 2002...

it was quite a moment though..all the experiences and memories came at me like a tidal wave..it was actually kinda unreal..but what made the experience worthwhile was when i passed the cutless off to the new cox'n..my younger brother..him and I had joined together, gone through the ranks together(well almost together) and been together through it all....what was more amazing was to see how much we both had grown....from little NE's all the way up to Chiefs....priceless....
i was happy to retire, sad because I was saying good bye and having to take a new step...but now im happy as a clam..because im still involved with cadets....
Congrats to those who are retiring!
Cheers
CI Meg Harris
ORCA Flatwater Instructor/Canoe Tripper I
HMCS Ontario ITPERTC Staff 2003 and 2004

[grass_roots]

My last parade night was actually the day before I moved away for Katimavik. I handed in the uniform said my goodbyes to everyone and quietly walked out the door and back home to finish packing after classes begun. It really wasn't too emotional, I left on a high note and I didn't want to fuss or obsess about it.

[Jiggy]

Mine was pretty sad. Cadets really did a lot for me.
THe thing that was hardest was when my kids cried, that was sad.
But i got over it pretty fast and i was kinda glad to be out of the bull**** that went on.

[smynkey]

I thought i was going to be sad when I left... but i wasn't.. I do still have the summer left with cadets, so maybe it hasn't hit me just yet....

[Jumper02]

I really didn't think it would affect me that much. I retired at our Christmas mess dinner. When I saluted, it didn't hit me that I wouldn't be saluting again for a very long time. After the dinner, my C.O. took me over to the Legion with the rest of our staff and bought me a drink. We had good times and discussed my return to the corps as a C.I. I thought all was good and went home to go to bed. Lying there, I started thinking. I couldn't sleep. I started thinking that, no more boots to polish, no more lesson plans. No more drill lessons. I was kind of culture shocked. I decided to go for a walk. It's like 2 in the morning now, and I'm just walking, the snow crunching under my feet. No sounds to be heard other wise. It was soo weird. I walked by a Canadian Flag, and I got all choked up, not being able to Salute anymore. All is well now. I'm a C.I., I help out at the corps with the Adventure training and fitness, I'm going to connaught this summer. But its still strange. At our annual a couple of weeks ago, I was standing aside, and when the RSM called attention, I felt my leg twitch as if to do the movement. It was pretty sad.

[Morrison]

My last night at Cadets was great. I had free reign to do anything. Photo's were my main priority. I actually left that night, but the final goodbye was being invited back for the end of year mess dinner. Sitting at the head of the table next to my former CO was great. At the end of the night, thy called for me and the other three retiring to say a little goodbye, and my words were short and simple: 'Being in Cadets is the best thing you can do as a young adult. Stick with it, and build yourself up. I thought joining cadets was the hardest thing I ever did, but now I know it's not. Leaving is'. And at that point where I got to 'leaving is' I nearly cried, but for some reason looking upon my cadets whom I'd trained and served with, I felt a sense of pride and felt it would have been wrong to cry.

I can assure you though, when it came to removing my stripes and patches, it was an entirely different story. Even reading back through each yearbook, or viewing photo's and talking to old friends from courses and camps stirs the tearducts.

Although it was good to leave and say you've acheived a good career within cadets, I would NOT hesistate to go back to being 12 again, and joining up all over again.

[Pilot]

man... we were getting ready to march on at annual the other day and right before we went on, the chief calls all of the WOs and a couple FSgts over and is like, "alright. heres the deal. When they call our names up to retire..."

it was insane. It was like, HOLY $hiznit! Im RETIRING?! I just got here!

A couple of the other warrants, though... they were like, YEAH! Im retiring!

How many of you were happy to retire or started to cry as soon as you thought about it?

it's not that bad.. life goes on, you wil survive.. I can assure you..

[ctjj.stevenson]

For me, the story was quite different. I aged out after my last staff at HMCS Québec, and that September, I went back to my corps as a CI. I've done my job as a CI without any thoughts that I aged out yet, because the Changing of Command parade had not been done yet. The parade was late that October. I was back in uniform (after a little twisting the arm of my XO) and commanded the parade for a last time. Actually, during the day, I was busy with a whole lot of phone calls because we were organising a exchange with an Ontario unit two weeks latter. After my parade, I ran up (quickly) to change back into my civvies, and it was off to the local Legion of an officer's meeting. Therefore, aging out did not affect me too much. It will be the day that I will have to leave my unit that will.

[Lola]

There was one moment when I almost burst into tears, but I mostly felt relieved. Just before my last year, all my friends quit cadets so I felt very lonely. I still put in a good effort because I wanted staff, but I didn't push myself to excell. I really should have quit...
Anyways, I got my awesome tankard, my certificate of service(they screwed up my join date ), and I got to stand on the dias for the marchpast, so it was pretty good. And since it was a CDs night, the ACA was there(pretty cool guy) and he payed me some nice compliments.

[Juice]

My last day of cadets was Final Graduation last year at HMCS Ontario. Although at my annual inspection it was kinda like my last day. I didnt cry at all, which surprised me. i think it was because I knew I had plans of coming back as a CI or CIC, so it wasnt like I was leaving the movement altogether. I had a great run as a cadet. 6 years, CPO1, cox'n, 2 years of Gunnery staff, Quest, Provincial swin champ two years in a row. It was the best time of my life. Now I am in university, still putting in as much time as I can in the CCM and am doing great. I owe a lot of the way I am today to cadets. The movement taught me how to be confident in myself. It was fun being a cadet, but after being out for a year, as much as I loved being a cadet, I don't think I could go back into the uniform. It just wouldnt be the same now. I enjoy working with cadets and I can't wait to see what HMCS Ontario holds for me this summer.

[Grumio]

Lying there, I started thinking. I couldn't sleep. I started thinking that, no more boots to polish, no more lesson plans. No more drill lessons. I was kind of culture shocked.

Boy, that's a weird feeling, isn't it....