No 9 Army Cadet Corps

I joined almost 10 years ago, when I was 13, and left less than a month later because of how badly managed this Corps was. I distinctly remember our CO saying that less than a third of us would go to summer camp (the entire reason why I joined). He would also frequently threaten to delete our file in the system if we missed more than 3 parade nights. I honestly felt like I was no more than a number to the cadet staff. The complete lack of connection made me feel incredibly unwelcomed and I struggled to make friends with my fellow cadets.There was also an extreme abuse of power by higher ranking cadets and instructors. A CIC officer (don't remember his role but I believe he was formerly in the reg forces) would repeatedly yell at the newer cadets (usually 12 or 13 year olds) whenever they messed up his rank. Although understandable in the Canadian Armed Forces, his actions were entirely inappropriate as a cadet instructor. I also remember the CWO was a lanky power hungry fellow who was bullied in high school and took his frustrations out on younger (more junior) cadets. Like many other cadets, I left within weeks of joining.I later joined the Sea Cadet Corps in London (RCSCC Courageous) and was absolutely blown away at the difference in atmosphere. Despite joining pretty late into the year, I was able to go to summer camp. All the staff were incredibly welcoming and I truly felt like I was part of a family. Although there was still some abuse of power by higher ranking cadets (somewhat inevitable), it was nothing like in army cadets. I never had to deal with a CIC Officer yelling in my face when I messed up his rank or a senior cadet screaming at a 12 year old for dropping their pencil on the ground.I truly hope my experience with the No 9 Army Cadet Corp is no longer reflective of the current state of the Corp.