Reaching the much awaited day of the National Cadet Corps, the Passing Out Parade and the Award Presentation of the Hermann Loos and De Soysa Camp at the NCC Training Centre, Rantembe was held on 02 November 2023.On the invitation of Director and Officers of NCC, Honourable Premitha Bandara Tennakoon, the State Minister of Defence graced as the Chief Guest while the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Commander of Sri Lanka Air Force, Chief of National Intelligence, Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Navy, Adjutant General of Sri Lanka Army and several other senior officers from Tri-Forces and Police, the Additional Secretary (Civil Defence) to the Ministry of Defence, several other senior officers of MOD and MOE, all Principal Staff Officers and Staff Officers of NCC were present at the occasion.After a tense competition for these two prestigious trophies, the following results went to the records of NCC history for the year 2023.

Director’s Test -Boys – Dharmashoka College, Ambalangoda, 1st Battalion Girls – Davi Balika Vidyalaya, Colombo, 3rd BattalionLive Firing -Boys – Dharmashoka College, Ambalangoda, 1st BnGirls – Vidyakara Balika Viyalaya, 19th BnSquad Drill -Boys – De Mazenod College, Kandana, 7th BnGirls – Devi Balika Vidyalaya, 3rd BnDrill Display – Boys – De Mazenod College, Kandana, 7th BnGirls – Maliyadewa Girls’ College, Kurunegala, 4th BnPhysical Exercises – Boys – De Mazenod College, 7th BnGirls – Maliyadeva Girls’ College, 4th BnVariety Show – Boys – Harishchandra College, Negombo, 7th BnGirls – Mahamaya Girls’ College Kandy, 2nd BnConfidence Building Test – Boys – Poramadulla Central College, Rikillagaskada, 28th BnGirls – Girls’ High School Kandy, 2nd BnPresentation – Boys – St. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, 26th Bn Girls – Girls’ High School, Kandy, 2nd BnBillet lnspection – Boys – Mahinda Rajapaksha College, Homagama, 19th BnGirls – Devi Balika Vidyalaya, Colombo, 3rd Bn Individual Talents – Bast Commander: Drill -Boys – Capt ANM Perera, De Mazenod College, Kandana. 7th Bn Girls – Lt WWDSNSM Perera, Princess of Wales’ College, Mount Lavinia, 26th BnBest Commander: Physical Exercises – Boys – Sgt Peters HDPS, De Mazenod College, Kandana, 7th BnGirls – Sgt Tilakaratne WPJKMaliyadeva Girls’ College, Kurunegala, 4th BnBest Shot – Boys – Cdt Kavinda A KKS, Mahinda Rajapaksha College, Homagama, 19 Bn and Cpl Abeykoon AMRL Poramadulla Central College, Rikillagaskada, 28th Bn Girls – Cdt Attanayake ADPG, Bandaranayake Central College, Veyangoda, 7th Bn and Cdt Rupasinghe BARP, Taxila Central College, Horana, 26th BnBest Cadet 2023 – Boys – Sgt Perera HDPS, De Mazenod College, Kandana, 7 BnGirls – Sgt Jayesinghe PVLM, Mahamaya Girls’ College, Kandy, 2nd Bn

Hermann Loos Challenge Trophy – 2023 was won by Ananda College, Colombo of the 3rd Bn and Dharmashoka College, Ambalangoda, 1st Battalion won the Runners-up Trophy.De Soysa Challenge Trophy was won by Girls’ High School, Kandy and the Runners-up Trophy was won by Devi Balika Vidyalaya, Colombo, 3rd Battalion.After the presentation of awards, the Chief Guest, Honourable State Minister of Defence addressed the Parade. He marked the day as a special one for everyone present at the occasion and congratulated all award winners on their achievements. He said that he has new hopes about the future of our country after witnessing the talents of young cadets on Parade. He further said that the country needs good leaders who can take challenges and go forward achieving goals. “Once, we fell down, we stood on our feet again. These young buds too can stand if they fall down, due to the hard training they had during their cadetship.”He happily mentioned about the way forward plan of the NCC, the commencement of the Second Training Centre at Mullaitivu and the plan to enlist 1000 Directors of Education and Principals as officers of National Cadet Corps, reviewing of Cadets’ uniform and their syllabus, establishment of the Media Unit at HQ-NCC, and his plan to renovate the NCC Training Centre at Rantembe.The Minister paid much attention on the cadets from Northern and Eastern Provinces and he said that out of 140,000 cadets in Sri Lanka only there are 10,000 cedets in Northern and Eastern Province. He wanted to keep the number on the increase.He revealed his wish to commence Social Intelligence Units in schools with the collaboration of NCC and National Intelligence Unit, with the aim of eradicating drugs and other misconducts taking place in schools, which cause a grave damage to the future generation of our country.

The Minister expressed his positivity of the National Youth Heroes Award, which will be introduced in the near future by the NCC.Honourable Minister thanked the President and all others who contribute in developing the National Cadet Corps.Finally he requested all Cadets to come forward with the might they have gained and take leadership in schools initially, and later on, in the society with the help of their maturity, talents and values inculcated by the National Cadet Corps during their cadetship.Ending the grand ceremony, the winners of Oriental and Western Band Cadet Camps as well as the Drill Displays of the Hermann Loos and De Soysa Girls’ and Boys’ Cadet Platoons were presented which were followed by some stunning shows presented by Sri Lanka Army’s Special Forces, Artillery and Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Corps.Thousands of parents, hundreds of principals and teachers came with much pride to witness the grand Parade of their valuable products.The Director and all ranks of the National Cadet Corp extend their great honour and thank to Hon President, State Minister of Defence, National Security Advisor for their gracious leadership upon the NCC which have taken the organization to a new hight in the recent past while offering sincere thanks to the Secretary Defence and all Senior Officers at MOD and the Hon Minister and the Secretary of Education and all Senior Officers at MOE for their kind guidance and support extended, while paying gratitude to the Commanders of Sri Lanka Army, Navy, Air Force and Inspector General of Police for support extended when ever needed. (Specially thanks to the Commander of the Army, Adjutant General, Chief Signal Officer, Director Operatations, Director Personnel Administration and Director Supply and Transport. for providing all the suppprt to make the event a success)Further, thanks the Directors of Education, Principals, Teachers and Parents for the commitment and hardships they had made, joining hands with the NCC to groom sons and daughters of our land. Making such viable and valuable future leaders to our nation was commended by all well wishers of the NCC, which continues to march forward rendering a great service to our motherland.

‘Never be Unprepared’