Falcon Fall/Winter 2005 RGB.indd - 48th Highlanders of Canada

BRAVO COMPANY ...continued from page 1Leandro, Morrel, Park and Thomson beganthe eye-opening PLQ Course in October.The Course runs until May 2006 and givesthese soldiers the opportunity to developand improve their leadership skills andinstructional techniques and will preparethem for a gruelling Infantry Module whichthey will complete in the summer of 2006. Asecond section of 5 soldiers is busy preparingthemselves for a future PLQ Course. Underthe direction of Sgt Lauder, Cpl’s Markowski,Rukman, Valenzuela and Hldr’s Petrovic andMadill will spend the training year reviewinginfantry skills as well as leadership andinstructional techniques in order to betterprepare them for the PLQ Course. Over thepast few years, the unit has a solid record ofdeveloping junior leaders and our soldiersexcel at the Brigade Battle School as a resultof their preparation.The remaining 2 section sized groupingsare reserved for new recruits to the Regimentand to those (un)fortunate Highlanders whoare employed outside of the unit or who areon operational tour. MCpl Carvahlo, MCplPotapenko, MCpl Young and Cpl Duff areall ready, willing and able to assist any newrecruits who enter the unit. These leaders willhelp new recruits adjust to military life beforethey are loaded on a course. Similarly, thesoldiers who are in development to becomejunior leaders will take on a mentoring role toassist all new recruits. In the absence of theCSM and when his time permits, WO Smintichassumes the job as CSM. He brings a wealth ofexperience, knowledge and leadership skills tothe company. Bravo Company also welcomesback Maj Poles to the Regiment. After a 2year hiatus from the Active Regiment (whichmust seem like an eternity to Maj Poles, asuniforms, equipment, doctrine, training andmost importantly faces have all changed),Maj Poles assumes command of the companywhich was without an officer for the durationof the 2004-05 training. The company is ingood hands and is moving forward in itstraining of leaders and new recruits.The company may be small innumbers, but it makes up for this in itsimportance. Leadership is critical to theeffective functioning of the unit and as suchthe development of leadership cannot beoverlooked. Bravo Company is instrumental indeveloping the future leaders of the Regiment,it also is front line support for the fightingcompany and provides years of professionalexperience to mentor and introduce the new,fresh young recruits into the world of the48th Highlanders of Canada. The Companyis strong and can only get stronger as it seeksto capture a second South Africa Trophy. It’snice to be back in green after a summervacation!!!The Pipes and Drums––––––––––––––––––by MWO Iain LangThe year of 2005 is quickly coming to a closein a few weeks and people will start to lookback over the past year and evaluate theyear’s events. The Pipes and Drums havehad a busy summer season with severalsuccessful appearances across the countryfrom Edmonton to Quebec City. Since the lastreport in August, the Pipes and Drums havebeen quite busy too.In September, the band performed atthe 2nd Beaches Celtic Festival and was thelead organization for the Pipes for ProstateCancer Awareness parade. In October, thePipe and Drums returned to tradition andopened the hockey season at the ACC for theToronto Maple Leafs and ended the monthoff with the 16th Annual Royal CanadianMilitary Institute’s massed band concert atRoy Thomson Hall. In November the bandagain provided the pipe music for the TorontoSt. Andrew’s Ball at the Fairmont Royal YorkHotel.Several members of the Pipe Band havehad mentionable milestones this year. Twolong serving members have attained amilestone worthy of extra attention. DrumMajor MWO Larry Fullerton CD, and PipeMajor CWO Alexander “Sandy” Dewar MMM,CD both received their third bars to theCanadian Forces Decoration (CD) awardedfor 42 years of service with the CanadianForces (the Pipe Major received his almosta year and a half late). While they both haveserved the reserves for more than 42 yearsthey also started playing with the Pipesand Drums as boy pipers a few years beforejoining the Reserves and both have a lengthyfamily connection to the 48th Highlanders.Few members of the Canadian Forces receivea third bar to the CD.Drum Major Fullerton’s association withthe 48th started with his father, Tom, whoserved with the 48th Highlanders during andafter WWII. Drum Major Fullerton startedlearning the pipes at the age of nine, receivinginstruction from Pipe Major Archie Dewar.He developed a high standard of drill andwhen he made any mistakes people wouldcall his father, a CSM, and there would beextra drill practice at home! After joiningthe 48th cadets he was often called uponto augment the 48th Pipes and Drums. Hejoined the Regiment as a Reservist in May of1962. Despite being a piper, he received theappointment of Drum Major in 1971, makinghim the by far longest serving Drum Majorin the history of the Regiment. Drum MajorFullerton’s son, Tom, joined the regiment as apiper in the mid 1990s; Tom has since movedto British Columbia.Pipe Major Dewar’s association withmilitary and the 48th started in the samemanner as Drum Major Fullerton’s. PipeMajor Dewar’s father, Archie, was a piper inthe Regiment starting in 1928. Archie servedin WWII with the Pipe Band, eventuallybecoming the second Pipe Major of the1st Battalion 48th Highlanders. Archie wasalso Regimental Pipe Major from 1952 to1965. The current Pipe Major Dewar has hadseveral uncles, cousins, sons, and a niecewho have played with the 48th Pipes andDrums. He started playing pipes with theband in the 1950s and joined the Regimentas a Reservist on May 8th of 1962. He wasappointed Pipe Major in 1985, making himthe second longest serving Pipe Major, afterPipe Major James Fraser (1913-1952). Thereare five Dewar pipers playing in the Pipe Bandtoday, four (Pipe Major Dewar and his threesons) are active members of the Regiment.For many years now, a debate has been wagedover which family has served the most manyears,the Darlings or the Dewars.Contributing to the lengthy Dewar familytradition in the 48th Highlanders, MCplColin Dewar was promoted to Sergeant atthe Regimental Remembrance Day Parade,November 6th. Colin recently also becameengaged to Hailey Burnett in October.Congratulations Colin and Hailey!In the coming weeks the band willonce again be performing at the SovereignAwards held by the Jockey Club of Canadain December. Also as in past years, the Pipesand Drums will host a New Years Day Leveein the Bands’ Mess at Moss Park Armoury onJanuary 1st , 2006.On behalf of all the members of the Pipesand Drums, have a Merry Christmas and aHappy New Year.Dileas!5 THE FALCON, FALL 2005