Cornwall College Cadet Unit gets $400K to revive drum corps

WESTERN BUREAU:

The Cornwall College Cadet Unit, which is a part of the Fourth Battalion of the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force (JCCF), has been gifted a $400,000 donation by the Freemason Association of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands towards purchasing equipment to revive its marching band.

Leroy Grey, the assistant district grand master of the association, said the donation forms part of the organisation’s ongoing effort to support youth development and community initiatives.

“Every year, the Freemason Association of Jamaica seeks out ways of involving itself in the wider community,” Grey said during the presentation ceremony at Cornwall College on Monday.

Grey, who is also a senior justice of the peace and law magistrate in St James, said the decision to support the Cadet Unit was influenced by his own connection to the institution and the important role music plays in cadet programmes at the school and across the island.

“I insisted that it (this financial support) had to go to the Cadet Unit for instruments. We think that it is a critical part and component of the Cadet Unit. Music, bands and drums motivate and even encourage others to join, and that is very important,” he said.

Reflecting on his own school days, Grey – a Cornwall College old boy – recalled the challenges students once faced when trying to assemble a band.

STRUGGLES

“I remember, as a student, we struggled to put a band together and, oftentimes, we had to use the Montego Bay Boys’ and Girls’ Club band. I am hoping that we can move away from that,” he said.

Grey also noted that the cadet programme at the school has helped to shape the lives and careers of many young men.

“A number of us went on to do other things, including joining the army. I certainly served as an officer in the support and service battalion and the Third Battalion Jamaica Regiment. It was a good career,” he said.

Lt Corysa Salmon Ten Fah, the officer commanding of the unit, welcomed the contribution.

“I am appreciative of this donation because in my early days when I started out as an officer, we never had our drum corps. We had lost it, and, to have this to ignite the process of reviving our own band. We appreciate it,” she said.

Michael Ellis, the school’s principal, also expressed his own appreciation, saying that music has the ability to heal and advance the development of students into well-rounded men of might.

“This will certainly help the boys and we welcome any such support that we can get in the advancement of these boys,” said Ellis.

The Freemason Association of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands is part of the wider global fraternity of Freemasonry, a centuries-old organisation known for its emphasis on brotherhood, charity, and community service. In Jamaica, the fraternity has historically supported a number of philanthropic initiatives, including assistance to schools, scholarships, community development projects and social welfare programmes.

The association continues to partner with institutions and youth organisations as part of its commitment to building stronger communities and supporting the development of young people.

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com