Portland Sea Cadets ~ TS Penn
Our affiliation with TS Penn Sea Cadet Corp goes back many years. The Isle of Portland Unit was founded in 1956, the same year that the RNA Portland Branch was formed. The Unit took its name from Admiral Sir William Penn (1644-1718), an English Quaker and founder of Pennsylvania, USA. His residence on Portland, Pennsylvania Castle, built 1797-1800, used to be a major hotel on the island, but is now a private residence and is hired out for functions and events, it is Portland’s most expensive residential property. As well as the Portland SCC Unit, two commissioned RN vessels also bore the name Penn.
The Sea Cadets provide a nautical presence at our Annual Dinners and we reciprocate by mentoring them in the ceremonial skills of standard bearing. The Branch has provided a Diamond Community Trophy which is presented annually to the cadet who had contributed the most within the community during the year. To give the Sea Cadets a helping hand our shipmates are pleased to be able to donate to the unit.
News
What a brilliant day the Cadets had at the Somerset and Dorset District Drill Competition, held at Royal Marines Norton Manor Camp near Taunton on 11 February 2024. They entered the Armed Drill Competition, which they won with some really great rifle drill. Able Cadet Lily also won the Best Guard Commander trophy, which is fantastic. Great efforts through training and a fabulous performance on the day. Massive Congratulations to all the Cadets. Oh! and just in case you were wondering… Cadets are taught drill with parade purpose non-firing rifles as part of a structured programme of supervised training that teaches commitment and self-discipline.
Portland Sea Cadets competed at the South West Area 5-A-Side Football Competition held at HMS Raleigh in Cornwall on 3 February 2024. The Senior Girls had a late call up to join the Somerset and Dorset District Team and came an amazing 4th place! And the Senior Boys Team came a brilliant 3rd place, so took the Bronze Medals. Great efforts all round from the Cadets! The District as a whole did fabulously well, big Congratulations.
What a fantastic night was had at the 2024 Annual Prizegiving evening!! It was great to be able to recognise all the fantastic achievements of the Cadets over the past year. The Unit was honoured to have Portland Town Mayor Cllr Carralyn Parkes inspect the Divisions and chat with the Cadets, and then present some of the Awards along with branch Chairman Mr Alex ‘Dusty’ Miller, President Mr Ben Cartwright and Treasurer Mr Peter Shoesmith. It was great to see so many family and friends share in their evening too.!!”
Portland’s Sea Cadets were involved in the first stage of a great Marine Environmental Project during the weekend 21-22 January 2024, which the Cadets are doing in conjunction with the Sea Life Centre and Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, and involves supporting SeaHives! As you can probably imagine, these are havens for Sea Life. They help create and restore marine ecosystems and are proven to increase the diversity and density of marine life. The Cadets assembled a SeaHive, which is a series of hexagonal tubes made from recycled fishing nets and bottles, and put together so that they resemble a honeycomb, which is why they are called SeaHives! The Cadets launched the Sea Hive and secured it under one of the Sailing Academy pontoons, and the unit will be monitoring it to see who takes up home in it and what grows there. What a great and interesting project for our Cadets to be involved with!