Robert Land Academy
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Robert Land Academy is Canada's only non-university level military academy. Located in the former township of Gainsborough on the north shores of the Welland River five kilometres west of the hamlet of Wellandport in West Lincoln, Ontario, the Academy (shortformed RLA) began to accept students in 1978.
The Academy is an all-boy's institution. On average, a total of 160 students between Grade 6 (last year of elementary school) and Grade 12 (last year of high school) are enrolled at the Academy during any one school year.
All its students live in military-style dormitories located on-campus throughout the school year. The barracks are normally named in tribute to famous military figures in pre-Confederation Canadian history, such as Major-General Isaac Brock (leader of British forces at the Battle of Queenston Heights during the War of 1812), Joseph Brant, and Major John Butler (leader of the irregular militia regiment named after him, Butler's Rangers, formed for service in the American Revolutionary War).
The Academy is serviced by over 75 staff.
[edit] Namesake
The school itself is named after Robert Land, a United Empire Loyalist originally from New York who migrated into what later became Upper Canada with his family in the mid-1780s, in the wake of the American Revolutionary War. Land is often seen as one of the first inhabitants of modern-day Hamilton, Ontario. The Academy's founder and current headmaster, G. Scott Bowman, is a direct descendant of Land.
[edit] The Academy's Purpose
According to the Academy's website, the military theme allows for the reinforcement of the importance of organization, teamwork, discipline and personal responsibility. Students admitted to the Academy are chosen for their potential for success. Students admitted to the Academy have, while trying to succeed in the public school system, experienced difficulties related to attitude, concentration, focus or respect. Other students have been diagnosed with various learning disorders, including Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder and various forms of learning disability. For the most part, students attending the Academy often experience an increase of at least one full academic grade within their first year of attendance. The Academy's website states that in 2005, 100 per cent of the graduates who applied to a college or university were accepted with more than 75 per cent earning entrance scholarships.
[edit] Motto and Insignia
The Academy's motto is Deus et Patria (Latin for "God and Country"). The Academy's crest originally portrayed a country church in a forest, all seated on a brown-and-gold lanyard with the Academy motto on a scroll underneath. The current crest portrays the church over the background of the centre-piece of the National Flag of Canada (an 11-point stylized red maple leaf), the lanyard and motto/scroll remaining the same as before. In earlier versions of the Academy's crest, the five values (see below) were emblazoned on a circlet around the crest. The present crest displays the church, lanyard, scroll and maple leaf on a circular white field trimmed in gold, the white trillium flower of Ontario on the base. This badge is capped by a coronet and framed by two wreathes of five maple leaves conjoined at the bottom with a blue scroll bearing the Academy's name.
[edit] Affiliations With The Canadian Armed Forces
The Academy has an in-house unit of the Royal Canadian Army Cadets, #2968 Robert Land Academy Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps, which is also affiliated with The Lincoln and Welland Regiment (the Niagara Region's local Canadian Forces army reserve infantry unit) and The Royal Canadian Regiment (one of the Canadian Forces' three Regular Force infantry regiments). Membership in #2968 RCACC is not mandatory for students attending the Academy.
[edit] The Five Values of Robert Land Academy
The Academy emphasizes five core social values in everything it strives to teach to its students, within and beyond the bounds of the class: Loyalty, Labour, Courage, Commitment and Honour. As the Academy's parent's handbook explains:
- Loyalty as a concept is self explanatory. How one makes it tangible as a value determines the nature of one's conduct. Modelling plays an important role. It is paramount that loyalty is displayed to each other and the Academy. We expect loyalty as a matter of course and it is rewarded when displayed. The necessity and benefits of loyalty to something outside and other than oneself must be demonstrated in a concrete fashion, through verbal explanations and providing opportunities to demonstrate its value in life situations. By graduation, each Cadet should understand and be capable of displaying loyalty to something greater and other than himself.
- Labour for Robert Land Academy Cadets entails far more than the routine performance of menial jobs. We are committed to labour as a way of life and to the importance of fulfilling one's life work with an attitude of self-respect as well as respect for the labour of others. We view life itself as labour, in the sense that one must work for what one earns, whether rights or remuneration. This is not to say that we believe life to be drudgery; rather, as Robert Land himself believed, life is a toiling after the best, in the realms of work, rest and play. We instill this value in our Cadets by demanding from them their best in all activities. All Cadets share in the work done at the Academy, and their work must meet our standard of excellence. Our Cadets also labour in academics, life skills and extra curricular activities, and again, they must labour to be the best they can be.
- Our Cadets are taught to have the Courage to speak their minds, act on their convictions and be able to finish what they start, despite hardships. With courage our Cadets will learn to master their limitations and exploit their strengths in order to achieve maximum success. It should be noted that courage is not the absence of fear, but its conquest. The person who has never been afraid has never had to display courage.
- Commitment is perhaps the most fundamental of our values. Robert Land's life was based on a commitment to principles and institutions which were not accepted universally. For this he suffered considerably. Commitment breeds endurance in adversity, a necessary attribute for anyone seeking success. Cadets must learn that commitment means binding one's self to someone or something else, and that such binding is both necessary for one's development and beneficial to one's personality. Cadets will be taught to show commitment to each other, to the Academy and its values, and to excellence in all their endeavours.
- Cadets at Robert Land grow to Honour themselves, their families, their friends and the Academy. The service theme facilitates the development of all of the values in our Cadets, especially honour. Through the continual insistence of honour for the values of our Academy, our Cadets will learn respect for a code of conduct that will stand them in good stead for the rest of their lives. The honour associated with the life of Robert Land should be a fine example to the entire Robert Land community.
[edit] Academics
According to the Academy's website the school year is divided into two semesters from September to June. Academic courses are offered in accordance with government guidelines and are subject to Ontario Ministry of Education inspections.
The Academy offers credit courses leading to the granting of the Ontario Graduation Diploma. This government issued diploma is recognized by universities and colleges throughout North America and Europe. Each credit requires 110 hours of scheduled instruction. Students normally take eight credits during the course of an academic year. At the senior graduating level, a full-time program normally consists of six grade 12 or pre-university courses. All courses are offered at the advanced or academic level and all courses reflect traditional subjects and disciplines.
[edit] Junior Program - 'A' Company (Grades 6-8)
'A' Company focuses on preparing boys to enter high school with the necessary personal and academic tools to make possible their future success. It provides remediation of the basic academic skills of literacy and mathematics while providing stimulating and fun outdoor activities. 'A' Company boys receive double the amount of instructional time normally devoted to mathematics and English literacy. Learning is extended from the classroom to the natural outdoors whenever appropriate.
[edit] Intermediate Program - 'B' Company(Grades 9-10)
'B' Company continues to develop personal maturity and fundamental academic skills while preparing students ultimately for senior level courses. The academic program creates a solid foundation for success by opening up as many future career options as possible. Outdoor activities are incorporated in this program to further encourage fitness, initiative and a sense of adventure.
[edit] Senior Program - 'C' Company (Grades 11-12)
'C' Company focuses upon successfully placing each student in a program of their choosing at a university or college. Academic counselling provides choices and options in relation to the levels of academic performance that will be required for successful admission to post-secondary programs.
[edit] Activities Outside The Class
As part of the Academy curriculum, the staff provide, atop regular classes, the following for the student body: monitored evening and weekend study halls to permit homework to be completed on time; an extensive physical education and outdoor sports program; extensive after-school extracurricular clubs; and adventure training.
Sports teams compete with area high schools in Zone II of SOSSA (Southern Ontario Secondary School Athletics).
[edit] Ranks Structure Within The Academy
[edit] Student Ranks
As a military-themed private school, the Academy bestows ranks (similar to what members of the Royal Canadian Army Cadets may receive) on students. This serves as a mark of trust given to the student in question by the Academy's staff indicative of a willingness to bestow greater personal responsibility on the recipient. However, unlike regular Army Cadet units, the Academy may also bestow other forms of rank dependent on the situation.
All students, on first being accepted at the Academy, are termed as Recruits. The first phase of non-academic training at the Academy for new students, normally lasting a month's period, is referred to as "Recruit Period." On passing Recruit Period, the student may then promoted to Cadet and given the right to wear the Academy's crest on their berets as a cap badge.
After being promoted to the rank of Cadet, students at the Academy, on proving their ability to demonstrate rudimentary leadership and organizational skills, may then be promoted to the rank of Barman, which is normally marked by a silver bar similar to the insignia of a United States Army lieutenant.
On reaching Barman rank, the student may then advance in either one of two ways:
- If the student shows exceptional organizational skills but does not demonstrate equivalent leadership skills, he can then be promoted to the rank of Double Barman (marked with two silver bars similar to the insignia of a U.S. Army captain).
- If the student does show exceptional leadership skills, he can then become a cadet non-commissioned officer in the Academy, similar to what happens in Royal Canadian Army Cadet units. In the Academy however, some elements of the pre-1968 Canadian Army rank system are still followed, as the first rank beyond Double Barman is addressed as Lance Corporal. After that come the ranks of Corporal, Master Corporal, Sergeant and Warrant Officer. The rank of Warrant Officer is the highest student rank in the Academy and can only be held by students holding one of the Top 3 positions.
'Lance Corporal', 'Corporal', 'Master Corporal', and 'Sergeant' are all Senior NCO ranks in the academy that can be earned by students holding positions of responsibility including Section I/C (up to Lance Corporal), Platoon NCO (up to Master Corporal), and Barracks NCO (up to Sergeant). A Section I/C is responsible for a section of approximately 10 students, a Platoon NCO for approximately 3 sections, and Barracks NCO for all the students (both cadets and NCO's) in a particular Company. These NCO positions are given on basis of both merit and suitability as determined by the Company Sergeant-Major and Company Commander.
Senior NCO's in their graduating year or those that demonstrate exceptional performance in Grade 11 may have the opportunity to move in to Fitzgibbon Hall where they are given more freedom to make their own decisions. This allows more responsible students to develop the ability to become self-sustaining and adapt to a more university-like environment. Residence in Fitzgibbon Hall is limited and granted on the basis of merit and recommendation by the Company Commanders and Academy Sergeant Major.
The Top Three:
Recommendation by the Company Commanders to the Academy Sergeant-Major and Headmaster for appointment higher than the position of Barracks NCO is required for students to be appointed as one of the Top Three. The school has 3 positions that are reserved for students excelling in all aspects of Academy life and that have demonstrated superior leadership skills in their previous NCO experience. These boys have usually worked their way through the rank system. Students holding the positions of Aide-de-camp, Parade Sergeant Major, and Head Boy all serve for the school year and are usually graduating students. A student MUST hold a Top Three position, show exceptional ability, and be recommended by the ASM and Headmaster in order to be promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer. A Top Three position does not however guarantee a promotion to Warrant Officer as the rank holds a great deal of prestige and is reserved exclusively for only the top students of the Academy.
The major responsibilities of the Aide-de-camp include: counseling fellow students, escorting reviewing officers on parade, and reporting to the Academy Sergeant-Major. The Aide-de-camp wears an aiguillette on the scarlet dress uniform and holds a sword on parade to indicate his position and usually holds the rank of Sergeant or Warrant Officer.
The major responsibilities of the Parade Sergeant Major include: setting the standard in Drill, Dress, Deportment, and Discipline, ensuring the state of the parade square is acceptable, and reporting to the Academy Sergeant-Major. The Parade Sergeant Major holds a pace stick on parade indicative of his position and usually holds the rank of Sergeant or Warrant Officer.
The major responsibilities of the Head Boy include: being the model cadet in terms of conduct, overseeing the activities of the Academy in the absence of the Academy Sergeant-Major, commanding parades, and reporting to the Academy Sergeant-Major. The Head Boy holds a sword that descends from the very first Head Boy and is held on parades and formal occasions. This student usually holds the rank of Warrant Officer, the most senior rank of the Academy, and is representative of the cadet and NCO student body.
[edit] Staff Ranks
Staff at the Academy are split into three general categories:
- Academy officers
- Academy staff non-commissioned officers
- Academy "civilian" staff (staff who do not wear uniforms)
Academy officers normally wear the officer rank insignia which existed in the Canadian Army prior to 1968. Teachers wear a second lieutenant's one "pip" star, senior teachers wear a lieutenant's two "pip" stars and the Company Commander's wear a captain's three "pip" stars insignia. Other senior faculty members also hold the ranks of lieutenant and captain at the Academy. The Academy's Headmaster wears the Lieutenant Colonel's crown-and-one "pip" star insignia.
(It should also be noted that the Academy also appointed an Honorary Colonel, Mr. M.S. Richie, father of one of the original students from the Class of 1978-79. When he wears his uniform, the Academy's Honorary Colonel wears a colonel's crown-and-two "pips" star insignia on his uniform).
Academy staff non-commissioned officers are normally composed of the Academy Sergeant-Major (ASM) and his immediate subordinates, the Company Sergeant-Major (CSM). The ASM and the CSMs handle all daily drill and other military-theme classes at the Academy.
Academy "civilian" staff (including the staff running the Academy kitchen, the groundskeepers and the secretarial staff) are not required to wear military-style uniforms and are generally not given any sort of rank insignia within the Academy.
Academy Staff Structure (uniformed staff):
> Honorary Colonel (Col.)
> Headmaster(LCol.)
> Company Commanders (Capt.)
> Academy Sergeant Major (CWO)
> Company Sergeant Majors (MWO)
> Company Staff (MWO's/WO's/SSgt's)
[edit] Oustide Link
http://www.robertlandacademy.com/
http://rla.kingdom-servants.com [unofficial alumni web site]
