WELCOME WEEKEND 2011

Check out all of the pictures of Welcome Weekend 2011.  Click here to view the names of those who are a part of this newest session of cadets.

There was a scrumptious turkey dinner, with all the fixings, followed by a visit from a very special guest.  He made an early appearance, so our cadets (who were soon to be off on their winter assignments) and their families had a gift to send them on their way.

CFOT cadets, officers and staff send many thanks to our terrific caterers, Lois and her husband Roy, for the hard work and effort that went into cooking such a lovely meal.  Thanks also to the cadets who set the tables and decorated our mult-purpose room.  The room was beautiful and warm!

And of course, special thanks to Santa, for going out of his way to visit us before the usual day.  The kids (big and small!) were happy to see him!

Cadets and Officers from CFOT ‘laced up’ on December 4 and joined over 450 runners in Winnipeg for the Annual Canadian Santa Shuffle.  Temperatures in Winnipeg co-operated for the event, a balmy -10 was recorded at the start of the race.  Events such as the Santa Shuffle are reminders for those of us in ministry that building relationships with those in the community is Kingdom Building ministry.   Through events such as the Santa Shuffle we’ve been reminded of the value of relationships between The Salvation Army and others. Comradeship is established with organizations (The Running Room), with runners and within the CFOT community.  Following the 5Km run, CFOT runners and non-running supporters gathered together for brunch, to tell and retell the stories of the Santa Shuffle.

The final days before Commissioning were busy times at CFOT as we prepared to travel to Newfoundland for the commissioning of the Prayer Warrior session.  But on Sunday, June 13 we took a bit of time to acknowledge the “kidettes” of the Prayer Warrior session with their own commissioning ceremony.

Beginning with a march-in to the rousing song “Dare to be a Daniel” accompanied by the Cadet Band, the nine Kidettes of the Prayer Warrior session stood at the front of the CFOT chapel and were commissioned by Territorial Commander, Commissioner William Francis.  The Commissioner addressed each kidette individually and presented them with a special plaque.

The Kidettes gave a fantastic black light show during the afternoon as they sang a music rendition of 1 Timothy 4:12 which says, “Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.”

Commissioner Marilyn Francis shared a special prayer for the kidettes as they prepare to move to their new homes and make new friends.  She gathered the kidettes around her as she sat in a chair and lifted their precious lives up to their Heavenly Father.

Please join the Commissioners, staff and cadets in praying for these young people as they join their parents in exciting new adventures in ministry.

Each year 11 cadets sit on the Council, 6 second years and 5 first years.  The second year cadets fill the Director roles for each committee, plus a business director and the council president.  The first year cadets fill the Secretary roles for the committees as well as the vice president for the council.

A staff representative joins the 11 cadets to act as an advisor and liaison.  This year’s council was made up of Michele Elsasser (President), Kyla McKenzie (Vice President), Kristen Gray (Business Director), Carolyn Reid (Missions Director), Peter Kim (Missions Secretary), Lorri-Anne Butler (Community Life Director), Jason Waters (Community Life Secretary), David Bond (Curriculum Director), Grace Kim (Curriculum Secretary), Elizabeth Knight (Yearbook Director), Joshua Downer (Yearbook Secretary), and Captain Deana Zelinsky (Staff Advisor).

Over the next couple of weeks watch for posts highlighting the work of each committee and the role they play in CFOT life.

We recently held our first fundraiser lunch hosted by the Missions Committee of CFOT.  We hosted guests from fellow Cadets, CFOT Staff, Prairie DHQ and Booth College.  We  were served a generous portion of spaghetti with tasty ceasar salad and garlic toast.  To top it all off, we were treated to homemade harvest cupcakes!  It was a great time of fellowship and fun while being well fed!  We raised over $200 with all proceeds going directly towards our yearly goal of $8,000 to support Partners in Mission.

Our featured partnering country till January is Tanzania.  Click here to see more about the work of The Salvation Army in Tanzania.  The Missions Lunches are held monthly with a different theme each time.  Our next lunch on November 24th, we will celebrate the Christmas season with a festive meal and a carol sing.  Join us!

At the end of each training session CFOT has a retirement service for the newly commissioned session’s flag, a changing of the guard so to speak.  The remaining session, the Prayer Warriors currently, is physically moved to symbolize the change to 2nd year cadet status, and the commissioned session’s flag is moved to our hallway at CFOT where it will be retired with 6 other flags.  At the same time we remove the last flag in the row, and send it to the archives at the Heritage Centre at THQ where it will be stored in such a way as to prevent deterioration of the flag due to the elements.  This year, my sessional flag, The Crossbearers Session (Hallelujah!  That is what you are supposed to yell when your sessional name is mentioned at a public meeting).  Anyway, our flag is now moving on to the Heritage Centre.  We posed with Officers who were on staff when we were cadets.

Is that the end of the story?  No, in fact, when sessions meet for reunions they can contact the Heritage Centre and their flag will be shipped out to them for the occasion.  As well, from time to time, when officers have been promoted to glory their sessional flags have also been employed to drape their casket. 

So as not to leave this posting on that note, it is also important to note each session has a flagbearer whose duty it is to ensure the flag never falls, and to carry the flag for public meetings or sessional campaigns where required.  Flagbearers remain as such for the entire duration of training.

In November Major Gilliam Brown, the Associate Director of World Missions for the Canada and Bermuda Territory, visited CFOT following a trip to the CFOT in Bangladesh.  This proved to be the opportunity needed for a connection between our fellow cadets training thousands of kilometers away.

Over the next month cadets put together a scrapbook using photos of people and events to represent life at CFOT Winnipeg.  In January, at one of our monthly fundraiser lunches, the opportunity was given for the cadets and staff to write a personal message of love and encouragement to our overseas counterparts.  The scrapbook, and souvenirs for the cadets and frisbees for their children were delivered to Major Gillian in February, just in time for her to pack them in her suitcase bound for Bangladesh.

The day Major Gillian arrived in Winnipeg to lead chapel at CFOT she brought with her a most loving “Hello” from the 8 Ambassadors of Holiness who at the time were just two months into their training.  They made for us a book of beautiful and encouraging words as well as sent some pictures and a little for each cadet.

God has given us the opportunity to give and receive this encouragement and we are truly blessed to have made this connection.  Cadets and staff at CFOT Bangladesh, you are in our prayers.

Overall, the Partners in Mission Campaign raised $12,000 from the CFOT community.

To read more about The Salvation Army’s Partners in Mission click here.