His Excellency the Governor presided over a brief promotion ceremony in which Officer Cadet Lyston Skerritt was appointed a Second Lieutenant of the Montserrat Cadet Corps with effect from 1 st April 2019. The ceremony took place on Tuesday afternoon at the Governor’s Office.
Captain Colin Fergus performed the honour of replacing his Office Cadet Bars with new pips to show his new rank in the Cadet Corps.
Skerritt first joined the Cadet Corps in 1999 rising to the rank of Cadet Company Sergeant Major before leaving in 2005 to pursue studies in the USA. He returned home in 2017 with a desire to give back to his homeland and people some of what it had given to him. This led him to re-join the Cadet Corps on 17 April 2018 as an Officer Cadet to help inspire and shape another generation of youth. Skerritt led a small contingent of Cadets to last year’s Caribbean Cadet Camp in Barbados where he impressed senior officers with his leadership and skills.
On hand witnessing the ceremony were Premier Donaldson Romeo who congratulated 2nd Lt Skerritt on his appointment urging him to continue doing his best in shaping the lives of the boys and girls of the Cadet Corps. Also present was Major Alvin Ryan Commanding Officer of the Royal Montserrat Defence Force who expressed his pleasure that Skerritt has chosen to serve the island’s youth much the same way he had through service in the Cadet Corps, an organisation that had shaped his life in many positive ways.
Meanwhile Captain Fergus who Commands the Cadet Corps said, “I am very happy that His Excellency supported my recommendation to have Mr Skerritt fully appointed today. This appointment strengthens the Corps capacity to invest time and talent in the youths of the island.
2nd Lt. Skerritt will work primarily with the traditional Army Cadets while we continue developing the Sea Cadetting programme with the Royal Montserrat Police Service. After 84 years, the Cadet Corps is indeed evolving to better meet the needs of the youth and 2Lt Skerritt is part of that so let me add my personal congratulations to him.”
