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The leader of Team Barbados accepts her??trophy at the ceremony.
(A. Miller/BGIS)
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Deviant youth in this island are in the minority, and organisations such as the Barbados Cadet Corps can provide opportunities for them to become more productive citizens.??????????

These sentiments were expressed by Minister of Family, Culture, Sports and Youth, Stephen Lashley, during an address at the closing ceremony for the third International Cadet Challenge Camp (ICCC), which took place at the Frank Collymore Hall, last evening.????

Mr Lashley assured the cadets that "there are a number of benefits to be derived from [their] involvement in cadet programmes." He highlighted discipline, confidence, camaraderie, the ability to think critically and work as a team, as the five core values which are gained from participation in the Cadet Corps.

The Youth Minister noted that "these are just a few of the values which I have engendered. In fact, the list of values may very well be infinite, as the Cadet Corps and Armed Forces engage the young men and women of the region in more technological challenges and skills development."

Mr. Lashley urged the young people to use their experiences to derive their own unique list of values which "will help mould and shape your lives." He also encouraged them to apply the survival and self-improvement skills which they were taught during the camp, within their respective communities.

"Some of our youth and adults practice deviant life styles… Your determination to seek out persons within your communities who are clearly in need of guidance and use your cadetting skills to save them from the consequences of their actions, must be on your agenda.?? I am not asking you to put your own lives at

risk, but by your own examples and positive interventions, demonstrate that there is no fast track to instant success. Rather, it is only by self-discipline, delayed gratification, hard work, diligence, and respect for self and others that true and lasting success may be achieved," Minister Lashley stated.

The Camp, which ran for 10 days, attracted cadets from Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Nottinghamshire, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the Cayman Islands and Trinidad and Tobago. They competed in a range of disciplines such as shooting, relay race, triathalons, obstacle course, drill display and public speaking.

The Barbados team emerged victorious, followed closely by the cadets from Nottinghamshire. Grenada placed third in the 2011 ICCC challenge.

sharifa.medford@barbados.gov.bb

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