Nelson's Sebastian Bodine named Top Sea Cadet in Canada
By Nelson Daily Staff
It’s a major achievement for a Sea Cadet to gain provincial recognition. It's another to be recognized as tops in Canada.
Sebastian Bodine of Nelson added another prestigious honour to a long list of achievements after the Chief Petty Officer 1st Class (CPO1) was named 2018 Top Royal Canadian Sea Cadet of the Year during a recent ceremony at West Arm Provincial Park near Nelson.
The Navy League of Canada’s Top Sea Cadet Award recognizes a cadet that is highly involved in the community, shows great leadership, and sets a high example for younger cadets to follow.
“Being chosen means the world to me,” Bodine said at the ceremony. “I would like to thank all the people who supported me and mentored me and made this possible.”
“They are all so important to me," added Bodine, who attended a dinner in Ottawa in April with 10 other cadets from around Canada to receive the Medal of Excellence before being surprised with the National Canadian Sea Cadet of the Year 2018.
The graduate of L.V. Rogers in Nelson was also named “Division Cadet of the Year” by the British Columbia Mainland Division. The 81 RCSCC Hampton Gray V.C. cadet was selected for this honour due to his ‘dedication, enthusiasm, high academic achievement and volunteer spirit.’
“Chief Bodine’s nomination papers best reflected our core values of loyalty, professionalism, mutual respect and integrity,” said Denise Robson, British Columbia Mainland Division President, commenting on Bodine’s selection. “His dedication to himself and to his community make Chief Bodine a shining example for other young Canadians to follow.
“We are very proud of him.”
Bodine’s grandfather, USAF Lt Col. Edmund Bodine, whom he never met was a career military officer, pilot, Chief Defence Counsel in the Far East War Crime trials in Shanghai, China in 1946.
Bodine grew up listening to the stories and reading everything I could about his grandfather and WWII. When he was a child, his mother would him to Remembrance Day ceremony in Nelson. Remembering how the Sea Cadets stood out in their uniforms and stood at attention for so long, he told his mother he wanted to be a sea cadet.
“Every year at the cenotaph I would ask my mom if I was old enough yet,” Bodine explained. “When I turned 12 in October, I joined and Lt Harris, who was my CO, let me carry the Sea Cadet flag in the parade, I remember feeling so proud.”
“After that first summer at camp for General Training, I couldn’t wait to go back the next year and stay longer," he added. "Once I became a staff cadet, I learned how to be an instructor, mentor and leader. I learned so many life skills and made many friends both cadets and officers.”
Bodine, 18, plans to attend Selkirk College in the fall, focusing on the Law and Justice program with an eventual career in the RCMP.
Royal Canadian Sea Cadets is a national program for young Canadians aged 12 to 18 that aims to develop in youth the attributes of good citizenship and leadership, promote physical fitness and stimulate the interest of youth in the maritime activities of the Canadian Armed Forces.
The year 2018 marks the centennial of the sea cadet program in Canada. There are presently more than 8,000 Sea Cadets in 236 communities nationwide.
Other awards for Bodine, a member of the L.V. Rogers Bombers Provincial Champion Rugby squad as well as the Bombers Baseball team, include Duke of Edinburgh award at 14 years of age; Lord Strathcona medal in 2016, the Navy League Service Medal in 2014 and 2016 and the Esprit de corps (awarded for inspiring devotion and strong regard for the group) award in 2013.
