A Cadet Mess Dinner to Remember

This week we hosted the annual Cadet Mess Dinner for the 254 King’s-Edgehill School Highland Cadet Corps for Platoon Sergeants and Warrant Officers. I was filled with pride walking into the Stanfield Dining Hall to see how well-turned-out and sharply dressed our Sergants and Warrants were. Our Corps trophies were proudly displayed on the tables. With lights dimmed and candles lit, the room offered a pleasant, relaxed ambiance.

Our unbelievably talented Pipe Major, MWO Ezra Sasaki ‘26, piped in the head table to start the Mess Dinner. With a tap of the gavel from the PMC, MWO Jess Etou Nkaa ‘24 brought the room to order so that Reverend David Curry could lead us in our School prayer and then grace which was in Latin.

Chef Adrian Moore and his team lovingly prepared a three-course fine dining experience with the Scottish tradition of serving Haggis. All the preparations and meetings with our Food Services Manager, Twilia MacDonald, had paid off.

The servers did a fantastic job serving the meal led by Chief Steward and newly promoted Sergeant Max Proctor ‘27. Max was promoted at the Mess Dinner by the CO and RSM. The junior cadet servers took their roles most seriously and with a sense of duty and professionalism.

All heads turned when the haggis was paraded out by Sgt Maanvi Manchineni ‘27, MCpl Nathaelle Etou ‘27, Emma Lawton ’26, and Makayla MacDonald ‘26. What followed was an amazing performance of Ode to Haggis by WO Will Larder ‘26 and WO Graydon Spence ‘24 with their finest Scottish accent and flair. This concluded with WO Spence retrieving his Sgian Dubh from his hose top to stab the haggis. Now the haggis could be served!

Our very own Mr. Kevin Lakes oversaw the gifted musicians who performed throughout the dinner. WO Ann MacQuarrie ’25 played the guitar, Caleb DeCoste ‘30 the piano, WO Bryan Ma ‘24 sang, and WO Sofia Ning ‘25 and WO Gabby Shaw ‘25 sang a beautiful duo together. Their wonderful performances concluded with a number of toasts.

Our Guest of Honor was Lieutenant-Colonel Mike Bobbitt, Commanding Officer of the West Nova Scotia Regiment. LCol Bobbitt spoke of the prevalence, use, and future of technology. His message can both serve us to remember the advantages and drawbacks of the technological world we reside in.

Sgt Max Proctor concluded with God Save the King on the flute. This wouldn’t have been possible without teamwork and the dedicated efforts and attention to detail by CI Kiaya Lakes, Cadet Operations Officer. It was a special mess dinner and my first as Commanding Officer of the 254. It truly was an event to remember.