The Cass County squadron was buzzing with activity September 25-26, 2009 when senior member 1Lt Mark Miller and nine cadets completed the entire Civil Air Patrol Model Rocketry program within a two-day weekend. Cadets began in the classroom where they received instruction about the three model rocketry stages – Redstone, Titan and Saturn. After completing the Fizzy Flyers and TP Torpedoes, cadets transformed the classroom into a learning lab by constructing their own model rockets – an historical rocket, a single-stage rocket, and a payload rocket. Launching the rockets is the best part of the weekend, according to cadets, but sometimes a failure to launch is as much a learning process as seeing their handmade missiles shoot to the sky. Participating cadets were: C/A1C Daniel Peters, C/Amn Jack Conklin, C/Amn Jacob King, C/Amn Ty Humbird, C/Amn Kurt Mathews, C/Amn Carlos Miller, C/Amn Ryland Miller, C/AB Ceasar Swigart, and C/AB Christian Swigart. Cadets assisting were: 2Lt Daniel Caron and C/CMSgt Karra Miller. Teaching the model rocketry program was 1Lt Mark Miller.

Ten new Cass County cadets successfully completed the Cadet Great Start Program, an orientation and training program for Civil Air Patrol cadets. Cass County offered two weekends, first in July and then in September, for cadets to spend a Friday evening and entire Saturday learning the basics of becoming a Civil Air Patrol cadet. Cadets were educated in topics ranging from becoming acquainted with correct uniform preparation to walking through the review board process. Spending the night at the squadron building and watching a movie rounded out a weekend of great fun for the ten young men completing the Great Start course. Although the main goal for the weekend was to provide new cadets with an exciting introduction to CAP, another remarkable component of the program occurred with the cadet staff acting as teachers for the majority of the course. “What a great way for new cadets to learn the ropes than by their NCO/Officer peers leading them through the process,” said Major Tony Belto. Cadets participating in the program were: C/Amn Jack Conklin, C/Amn Jacob King, C/Amn Jacob Davis, C/AB Kyle Fichtner, C/Amn Ty Humbird, C/Amn Kurt Mathews, C/Amn Carlos Miller, C/Amn Ryland Miller, C/AB Ceasar Swigart, and C/AB Christian Swigart. Cadet teaching staff included: C/Capt Kenna Eggenberger, C/2Lt Daniel Caron, C/2Lt Jordan Hargis, C/2Lt Aaron Hooper, C/TSgt Trenton Eckerle, C/MSgt Genesis Martinez, and C/CMSgt Karra Miller. Seniors assisting for the weekend program were: Major Tony Belto, Major Melinda Berry and Sgt Mike Mudry.

You, your family, and guests

are cordially invited to attend the

Cass County Composite Squadron

 Fifth Annual Dining Out and Awards Ceremony.

It will be held at

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church

Located at

 2700 E. Mechanic

Harrisonville, Missouri.

On Saturday the Twenty-ninth of August

Two thousand Nine.

Doors open at six o’clock,

Dinner served at seven o’clock.

Cost is Twenty-five dollars per person.

Please register at casscountycap.com

By the Twentieth of August

Two thousand Nine.