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Cadet Keely MacDermaid - Army Cadet Dispatches

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Everyone was excited as the memos were passed out. It was the first cadet dance of the year — the Halloween dance, to be exact. All the Army Cadets at Dr. Losier Middle School were so excited, because most of us are green stars (first year cadets) in the Miramichi Army Cadets. All my Army Cadet friends and I rushed out to get our outfits. I went as a punk rocker.

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Cdt. Keely MacDermaid (second from right) poses for a photo with her army cadet friends at the dance in Richibucto.

Wendy Patterson photos

Army cadet Alex Essen competes in the apple-on-a-string-eating contest at the dance. Several other Miramichi cadets went home with prizes for their dancing and costumes.

We met at the armoury to get ready for the dance (which was held by the Richibucto Air Cadets). One by one, all the army cadets and our friends from the 315 Newcastle air cadets showed up. Soon we were all on the bus, ready to go. (We had to be — it was a one hour drive to Richibucto, on an old silver schoolbus). When we got to the school in Richibucto, we all went in. At the beginning of the dance, we all said, "This wasn't worth being excited about!" But shortly after that it became more and more fun.

The refreshments were great — just candy, pop, and chips. I bought a chocolate bar, and a bag of dill pickle chips from the canteen.

Of course everyone danced, and talked, and ate, and danced some more. Then the officer who was the master of ceremonies did her intro, and there were some contests, and everyone found a partner for the slow dance.

I mentioned having dill pickle chips, right? BIG MISTAKE! I tried not to breathe on my partner so that I wouldn't knock him out!

My friend, Moriah, kept on looking at me and grinning, a goofy look, and I laughed! By the second dance I managed to find a friend who had a piece of gum.

After a while, the girls and the boys separated, and then we all played snowball. Snowball is an activity that starts with two people and

ends with everyone on the dance floor. I danced with a bunch of new friends. The dance went on for two long songs. I think that in that amount of time I danced with almost every person there!

Snowball was one of the last activities we did at the dance before it was time to go — by then we were all tired out.

We loaded on the bus, and I was feeling like I was going to drop. That's when my friends starting handing me candies.

After a few candies, I was wide awake! I lent my MP3 player to a person I knew and he listened to it all the way home.

I got off the bus, said my goodbyes, and got in my mom's truck and went home. It was my first dance, and my first official Army Cadet dance, so I'll remember it for a long while. I can't wait for the Christmas dance soon!

The 3037 Miramichi Army Cadets are still accepting new members, and we're getting ready for our first field training exercise of the year in CFB Gagetown, near Fredericton. We meet Tuesday nights from 6-9 p.m. at the armoury, 305 George Street, in Newcastle. For more information about cadets, call 625-7248 or 836-1804.