RMC Class of '76

Ted Givins investigates S-76 Crash
Ted Givins, manager of recorder and vehicle performance with the Transportation Safety Board, examines the cockpit voice recorder that was recovered from the scene of the Ornge helicopter crash near Moosonee, Ont. Click here for CBC story

Karmin McKay's Daughter Michelle in Miss Universe Canada 2013
Miss Universe Canada 2013 Riza Santos (Calgary, AB)
1st runner-up Siera Bearchell (Moose Jaw, SK)
2nd runner-up Diana Martin (Mississauga, ON)
3rd runner-up Denise Garrido (Bradford, ON)
4th runner-up Michelle McKay (Sarnia, ON)
Click here for Michelle's profile

Rick Glen Dodson (11063) died on January 1^st of 2013. He was living in Edmonton where he had remained since leaving the Army in the mid-90s after having been the Officer Commanding the CF Parachute Team (Skyhawks). For more information, see obituaries

Our Class members started meeting each other at Friday's obstacle course. We enjoyed seeing the way the recruit flights worked together to get tasks done - like using strategy in getting everyone over the high wall. It contrasted strongly with the style of race we had which was much more individualistic and the goal was simply to get yourself to the end as fast as possible. Friday evening, we got together at the Cadet Mess and got a chance to chat with everybody to catch up on what was going on in everyone's life. On Saturday morning, we were able to witness the 'badging' of the Recruits by the Old Brigade entry class (1966) and got to see the new 1st year cadets join the Cadet Wing. Saturday afternoon was dedicated to sports - some events were intercollegiate and there were 7 competitions between Ex-Cadets vs Cadets.

On Sunday morning, we formed up on parade under the direction of Chuck Oliviero. We looked very sharp on parade in the mist and rain as we treked out to the Arch for the annual service for fallen comrades. While the comments from the group were quite entertaining, the best quote was attributed to Cole Tokei after they read off the list of RMC Grads who passed away in the past year. Cole said "If you are going to die, make sure you do it in the year preceding one of our 5-year reunions so our boys will be on parade to hear your name called". On the return to the parade square, the presentation of the Piiper Challenge Cup was presented. The tradition calls for the RMC CWC to accept the trophy if RMC wins, or the senior Ex-cadet from a winning team if the Ex-cadets win. Most of the games were close, but the Ex-cadets won 4-3 so our Class of 76 was honoured to have the most senior ex-cadets participating and both were on winning teams. John McManus (Water Polo) and Dave Harvie (Rugby) marched out to accept the trophy.

For Class of 76 members, this link is a good start. You can read about some of the ongoing projects available and they may spur your creativity in choosing a 'Class of 76' endeavour. This is part of the Foundation website which is easy to navigate through.

http://www.rmcclubfoundation.ca/YourGiftsatWork/tabid/61/language/en-US/Default.aspx

Take a moment to look through the whole site - under the heading "Ways to give" you will see how to ensure your donations go directly to our class fund or a specific project. I think this will ensure future donations do not end up in a project not of the donor's choosing. From the left hand side menu you can go directly to make an online donation. For those of you who did so on the weekend - again - thank you very much! From our meeting in ML7 (where the seats were not as comfortable as the theatre seats from the 70s), Bill Sergeant received about 6 volunteers to join the steering committee to come up with a 'Class of 76' plan. Bill suggested some initial guidelines which included drafting a framework document by the end of November 2011 that defines the guiding principles for the selection of a class project. Some of the terms that were bantered about at the meeting were: teamwork (Tony Bowie); visibility; focus; Centennial class; unique. This is not meant to be an inclusive list, rather one to get us all thinking. The framework should also include how many classmates constitute a quorum to approve the potential project, who or what positions (i.e. class secretary, committee chair, elected officials) will be given authority to commit funds for the project, who will oversee the implementation of the project, and what should happen to any remaining funds once all class members have departed this life.

Hi Chuck Oliviero (Class 1976 Secretary) and John McManus (Class 1976 webmaster):

I have been writing a series of articles on the Military College bands for e-Veritas, the Royal Military Colleges alumni journal. www.rmcclub.ca/everitaswp/ I hope that you and/or your classmates can provide memories, context, updates or corrections on the album, circa 1976. I came across the album on sale on e-Bay. I am always open to other story ideas, as well.

Description follows:

Captain D.F. Pelley for the Commandant, RMC [2816 BGen (Ret) William W. Turner CD (RMC 1940)] "Royal Military College of Canada 1876-Centennial-1976" A 12" LP record in 1976 by Eastern Sound Studios of Toronto of the RMC Pipes and Drums, brass and chorus in celebration of RMC's centennial. The tracks include: `opening`, 'Salute '76', 'Centennial set,' `Strathspey and Reel`, `Salute to the ex-cadets`, `March set`, `Jig set`, `Hymnodies`, and a `finale`.

I am curious about the tracks:
Salute to the ex-cadets` may no longer be in the repertoire of the RMC band;
Whether Hymnodies includes the `College Hymn`, which is no longer in the repertoire of the RMC band;
Whether March set includes Precision (RMC March). The RMC pipes and drum play the instrumental version of Precision, but the lyrics are in the repertoire of the chorus.

Photos of the RMC Pipes and Drums, brass and chorus in the 1976 would make good additions to the profile. I have copied Ross McKenzie from the RMC museum, since this album was produced for the College centennial.

Regards,

E3161 Victoria Edwards (RMC 2003)
613 944-5695
VICTORIA.EDWARDS@forces.gc.ca

TO: THE GENTLEMEN CADETS OF RMC, CLASS OF '76

FROM: #11018 COLEMAN TOKEI

SUBJECT: JOHN ROSE FUNERAL SERVICE - 5 JUNE 2010, INVERMERE, BC

Dear Comrades,

Our Classmate John Rose shone on the sports field, was a loyal teammate and friend, and was personally very popular at RMC. Therefore, it should surprise no one then, that last Saturday afternoon, in scenic lakeside Invermere, a bright and shining sun pushed back the relentless rain that had, to now, been our B.C. Spring..........and revealed that over ten percent of the town's population of 3600 had come out to pay their final respects to their departed town doctor, colleague, and friend.

Clearly Dr. Johnson Albert Rose was well loved and respected by the townsfolk of Invermere. Besides the sheer numbers that swelled Christ Church Trinity that day, the constant sound of attending ladies' sniffles, throughout the three Eulogies offered up, underscored the deep sadness and grief that gripped the entire town. Indeed, even prior to my arriving at the Church, while assisting the two middle-aged owners of Invermere's Canterbury Florists, Joanne and Sandy, with the final touches on our Class of '76 floral arrangement, both ladies choked up when speaking of Dr. Johnson Rose, and the tragic accident that took him all too soon. At Ray Ray's Pub, overlooking Invermere Beach, where I lunched and changed into my suit, the patrons I talked to all knew our Classmate, and all mourned his loss. "Shocking" and "tragic" were the common adjectives most used, with one man cursing the rail line that split the town and impeded town peoples' progress.

The Service was simple and dignified as Paul Rose, the oldest surviving brother, was introduced by the Anglican Parson, and delivered a heartfelt and poignant Eulogy highlighting Johnson's many accomplishments, interests, and passions. Johnson, Paul told us, was the best oldest brother any boy could've had, and that Johnson had always wanted to be a doctor. Apparently, historical dealings with "the four Rose boys" growing up in nearby Cranbrook, included the concept of picking a fight with one, meant taking on the other three as well.

Paul spoke of the enormous pride and love Johnson held for his wife Denise, her skills and efforts as a great wife and mother.........and in her considerable Art talent and accomplishments. On two occasions, Paul emphasized the enormous level of Johnson's pride in his two sons Trevor, 20 and James 18.......and their tremendous accomplishments as two local area sports phenoms. I remember thinking then that "the apples didn't fall far from the tree." Paul lightened the sombreness a tad by referring to Johnson's penchant for British high-performance Sports Cars, his reluctance to operate them at less than their maximum rated speeds.........and "the account" he paid-off (over some time) with the local RCMP.

The second Eulogy was from an elderly physician who had recruited our Classmate as a young UBC Medical School Graduate, to intern there in the Columbia Valley. He spoke of John's determination on the ice, as he led the local area doctors to a Medical Association Hockey Championship over teams of MDs from much larger urban areas. That determination, zeal and passion was even stronger, he reported, when Dr. Johnson Rose took on the Provincial Health bureaucracy to obtain important and expensive resources for their local Hospital. In Johnson's soft-spoken manner, evidently visiting BC Healthcare reps would describe a long-awaited item in great detail.........John would politely let them finish.......and then say two words........"but, WHEN??!!!" Apparently the Dr. Rose "But When??!!" procurement methodology worked very well, as Invermere has more medical hardware today per capita than any other berg in Southeast BC!!

The final Eulogy was from a lady physician who was Johnson's Medical Practice partner. She was a little shaky at the beginning, but recovered very well to entertain us with stories of John's affinity for exceedingly strong coffee, his dry sense of humour, his off-the-wall observations...........and his ability to silently disappear out the office backdoor (usually down to the Hospital to check on a patient) without being noticed.

A reception followed, and I was able to meet John's lovely wife Denise, and his sons, Trevor and James. I also met John's three brothers, Paul, Kevin and Derek. I explained (to all of them) that I had known John (and it was "John" at RMC, and not Johnson, because everything in the military is abbreviated)........and that John had been the Rugby star from Royal Roads who became the fastest player on the RMC Redmen Football team, our starting halfback, and just a guy who was a naturally gifted athlete.........but more than that, John had been truly a great Cadet, comrade, Classmate, and buddy. No one had ever, I reported, nobody at RMC, staff or cadet, had ever had a bad word to say about John. The young John Rose had possessed a quiet confidence about him, soft-spoken yet very witty, with a instant and infectious laugh. He was a very easy guy to like, I said.

I made a point of emphasizing that I was there representing all 200-plus Class of '76 comrades of John's, and that many emails about John had gone around Canada, from coast to coast to coast, those past few days. Denise was particularly moved by our Floral Tribute, complete with one RMC insignia front & centre (could be alleged from a pre-worn RMC polo shirt I brought along in the car) and was most appreciative that our Class, from all those decades ago, would remember John so fondly and vividly. I told his sons that their dad was proud and confident, but never vain.........a fiery competitor on the sports field, yet easy-going in everyday situations. John had so many great traits and also strong values like loyalty, toughness, and courage. It was obvious, I said to his sons, that the good people of Invermere knew that Johnson was a great man, and that I was there to tell them, in all honesty and sincerity, that John had also been a great guy as a young man just starting out.

In the end, like the town of Invermere, our Class of '76 is poorer today than we were one week ago. This was a shocking and tragic accident which befell a Community Leader, a healer, a devoted husband and father, and an esteemed and valued comrade to us. As Paul Rose said in his heartfelt Eulogy.........

"we are all richer for having known Johnson Albert Rose!"

R.I.P. John Rose

Cole

http://www.educationforthedrivingmasses.com/2010/06/prominent-east-kootenay-physician.html

http://www.globaltvbc.com/invermere+mourns+death+respected+doctor/3118011/story.html

http://columbiavalleynews.com/2010/06/02/invermere-doctor-killed-in-train-accident/

Jeff Poste wrote:
From: "Jeff Poste" <jrposte@shaw.ca>
Subject: RE: John Rose
Date: Sunday, June 06, 2010 3:45 PM

I had some thoughts on this terrible situation that I wanted to share with you guys. As Rocky says, we've probably all thought of doing the same thing at one time or another. I know I have. What a tragic, terrible waste, as ‘Rosey’ was such a good guy. His family, in particular, must be asking over and over again why he did it. The thoughts below, from my knowledge of John, are one man’s opinion.

I remember talking to him for quite a while at one of our reunions when he was still a physician in Cranbrook and I was struck by the passion he had for his work.

I think that there are certain common characteristics that continue to bind us together as a group after all these years. They are: a commitment to excellence; a willingness to take chances; a somewhat devil may care attitude; and an internal and deep seated personal conviction that there is very little that can defeat us.

Some might say that a stupid mistake killed John that day, but this is over simplistic and ignores the man that John was. They might say that a lapse of judgment placed his sense of urgency about accomplishing his objective before that of his personal safety, and to a certain extent they may be right.

However, what many people can’t begin to understand or consider is the inner motivation of a man like John in challenging risks. Who knows what was weighing on his mind that day to make him take that chance? Perhaps he had even done this before successfully. We all did things much more dangerous than this during our time in the military and laughed about it later. Also, as a physician John was no stranger to life and death situations. Ultimately, what we do know for sure is that his personal sense of duty caused him to take a dangerous chance, for whatever reason, placing accomplishment of his objective beyond his personal safety. He saw a need, he made a decision, and he acted.

It is this same type of motivation, willingness to take chances, and often snap judgment that causes soldiers to charge through a hailstorm of bullets on the battlefield, firefighters to run into burning buildings, police officers to risk their lives daily, and search and rescue workers to put their lives at risk and often die trying to save others. It comes from an individual’s inner sense of service to something higher than themselves. If you have ever read the stories and personal accounts of individuals that we as a society consider to be exceptional, you quickly realize that they all share an innate sense of duty, and a willingness to take chances to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles in order to accomplish their objectives. Make no mistake, John Rose was exceptional.

All of the advancements and progress that the human race has made since the dawn of time have been made by the risk takers, not by people who have played it safe. I admire and honour John for being that type of individual, for his personal commitment, and for that devil may care recklessness that heroes, explorers, and world changers demonstrate.

So what killed John?

Like the stray bullet that hits the soldier, the collapsing structure that traps the firefighter, the unpredictability of a law enforcement situation, and unpredictable changes in weather that trap search and rescue workers, chance and bad luck killed our friend.

If the train had not, by bad luck, started up at that moment, John would still be with us.

Instead, as his last act on earth, John Rose like many other exceptional individuals that we remember and honour was striving ‘above and beyond’ to accomplish his objective when fate intervened and claimed him.

Jeff

Hartley's First Law:
You can lead a horse to water, but if you can get him to float on his back, you've got something.

Lewis's Corollary to Harley's First Law:
You can lead a horse to water, you can open his mouth, and you can stick his drinking apparatus into the trough, but you can't make him swallow.

Notice that it does not mention juggling food from the dining hall or spinning milk over your head!

Others from the Class of 76 have Laws, Axioms, Maxims and Theorems (actually published)!

It is impossible to distinguish, from a distance, whether the bureaucrats associated with your project are simply sitting on their hands, or frantically trying to cover their asses.

No matter how often you trade dinner or other invitations with in-laws, you will lose a small fortune in the exchange.

Corollary: Don't try it: you cannot drink enough of your in-laws' booze to get even before your liver fails.

Democracy is that form of government where everybody gets what the majority deserves.

The quality of legislation passed to deal with a problem is inversely proportional to the volume of media clamour that brought it on.

There is a statistical correlation between the number of initials in an Englishman's name and his social class (the upper class having significantly more than three names, while members of the lower class average 2.6).

When any mechanical contrivance fails, it will do so at the most inconvenient possible time.

Corollary: Never let any mechanical contrivance you are using know that you are in a hurry - submitted by 7077 Paul Wehrle - Class of 1966

All currencies will decrease in value and purchasing power over the long term, unless they are freely and fully convertible into gold and that gold is traded freely without restrictions of any kind.

(Dave) Long's Notes:
1. Always store beer in a dark place
2. Certainly the game is rigged. Don't let that stop you; if you don't bet, you can't win.

All committee reports conclude that "it is not prudent to change the policy (or procedure, or organization, or whatever) at this time."

Martin's Exclusion: Committee reports dealing with wages, salaries, fringe benefits, facilities, computers, employee parking, libraries, coffee breaks, secretarial support, etc., always call for dramatic expenditure increases.

Consultants are mystical people who ask a company for a number and give it back to them.

One-third of the people in the country promote, while the other two-thirds provide.

The desire for racial integration increases with the square of the distance from the actual event.

Finality is death. Perfection is finality. Nothing is perfect. There are lumps in it.

(Rick) Woods's Incomplete Maxims:
1. All's well that ends
2. A penny saved is a penny.
3. Don't leave things unfinishe

Corollary: The greater the funding, the longer it takes to make the mistake.

Remember 1975's how to 'Faint on Parade'

Vancouver Sun 1978 'By the left! Paaaaaasss ... out!'

Col(ret) Tim Ryley's background Author's Reply

20th reunion photos in 1996 Photo Album

HMCS WINNIPEG with Falloon Photo Album