MORE than 800 students were reminded of the importance of respecting others and themselves during the Queen Victoria School passing-out parade at the school on Friday last week.
Republic of the Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) Commander Rear Admiral Viliame Naupoto, who was chief guest at the event, said cadet training had come a long way at QVS.
“I understand this is the first year of the second centennial that QVS is taking up cadet training. For QVS one can see this event in two ways, one as an event that is 101 years old or two, as a beginning for the next 100 years or new era of cadet training at the school,” he said.
“The training is to one, instil into you some important virtues like discipline, perseverance, obedience and respect that are important for you in school, at home and is important for you throughout your life.
“The training is intended to instil pride and a sense of patriotism for your school which I want to emphasise on. It has to be engrained into your heart it is not just something you talk about.”
He said the training was meant for students to discover a little bit more of themselves.
“Self-discovery is a vital phase of your life as you are transitioning into adulthood and during the training you would have found out new abilities, new talents, found out a little about your limits, and new skills,” he said.
“The training is designed to bring out and enhance the leadership command and communication skills of those of you in some leadership positions in school.
“What is important is that you apply all that you have learned during your cadet training into your daily life. For example, your work hard to achieve the standard that you have shown us today, apply that hard work and determination to your school work, apply that to the task you are given at home, apply it to sports if you are selected to represent the school.”
He said the students were to apply respect that they had learned in their everyday life and to show respect to everyone.
“Respect your parents, your teachers, your fellow students, respect the elderly, respect women, girls and children,” he said.
“Respect the environment, respect the poor and the weak, respect those that are physically challenged, respect all regardless of who they are but above all respect God for his love and his holiness.”
He said whatever way one saw it, the passing-out parade was a milestone event and he congratulated the school in its pursuit to the holistic development of young men who entered the gate of Vulinitu.
