Monday morning brought a time of reflection and remembrance for students, as they sat in silence during Carihi’s Remembrance assembly.
The assembly followed the traditional Carihi routine, with Brian Shaw leading the cadet honour guard to the sound of the pipes, followed by the singing of the national anthem. Included in this, was the reveal of the year’s theme.
“We all understand that it was terrible work, and that it still is. Because, to this day, men and women still stand tall in our defense and in our place, ‘standing on guard for thee,” Carihi student Hailey Rutherford, one of the assemblies MC’s, read. “Easy to say and difficult to pin down, standing on guard for thee is what Canadians started in 1914, and have continued to do to this day.”
The theme, Standing on Guard For Thee, was chosen due the recent tragic deaths of Warrant-Officer Patrice Vincent and Corporal Nathan Cirillo.
“The theme was important, because of those events and because, really, defending our country and others, or supporting those who are defending, is standing on guard for thee,” Rutherford said. The MC’s emphasized that standing on guard takes numerous forms, from having two minutes of reflection to upholding the ideals that Canadians hold dear, such as peace, order, and equality.
The theme presentation was followed by a speech given by an Afghanistan veteran in the community. He spoke of his time in Kandahar, of the friendships he created and the children he met, and the thoughts that run through his mind as he stands at attention during the two minutes. As he spoke, the proverbial pin could be heard hitting the floor.
Due to the hundredth anniversary of the First World War, a special tribute was paid to the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, a regiment created only days after Canada’s entry into the war. In respect to the regiment, the cadet honour corps marched off. The assembly closed with a reminder to take a moment to pause and if possible, attend the ceremony at the cenotaph.
