Honoring Tradition, Celebrating Service, and Building Connections
The 16th of March 2024 saw the return of the Ratcliffe College Combined Cadet Force Regimental Dinner. Formal mess dinners originated with the Vikings who used them to celebrate victories in battles or the deaths of great chieftains. The tradition was adopted by the early monasteries and developed by universities and military regiments. They have been an important part of the armed forces for centuries and our dinner reflects the military links and organisation of our CCF. Our dinner served to dine out our Senior Cadets and thank them for their hard work and dedication.
The event was attended by our current Sixth Form senior cadets and staff, as well as by past cadets and staff. It was fantastic to see such a wide range of past cadets, with Old Ratcliffians from 1960 all the way through to 2023 present at the event. We were also humbled to be joined by the family of one of our ‘great chieftains’ – Lt Col Mark Balmbra.
The evening started with welcome drinks in the Headmaster’s corridor. From the start there was a fantastic atmosphere, with lots of conversations reminiscing about our ORs’ time at Ratcliffe and catching up on the years that have passed.
The party then progressed to the more formal section of the evening – the dinner itself – which was held in the Old Library. Flt Lt Fr Ted Mullen (60) kindly led us in the Grace before our meal. This was followed by a spectacular meal, prepared by our very talented and hardworking in-house catering department. One OR commented that, ‘The meal and the service were absolutely outstanding and clearly demonstrated that Ratcliffe is not only about academic achievements.’
After the meal, toasts were raised to the King and to Absent Friends. The speeches followed, and we were addressed by our Guest of Honour, Captain Dan Amies (10). The speech was inspiring and focussed on the motto of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst – ‘Serve to Lead’ – and what can be learned from it. Capt. Amies addressed the cadets directly and hopefully his message will stay with them as they move on to life after school. Thank you so much to Capt. Amies for these words and for agreeing to serve as our Guest of Honour.
After the formal portion of the evening, the party retired to the OR Bar to continue the conversations. It was really special being able to catch up with so many past cadets and reminisce about what they particularly enjoyed about the CCF and how it has changed and developed over the years. It was also a unique opportunity for cadets of the past and the present to connect over something they have in common and for the current cadets to really appreciate what they are and always will be a part of.
A huge thank you must go to our amazing Catering and Hospitality teams who really made the night extra-special. Thank you also to all our Old Ratcliffians who joined us – your company is always enjoyed! It was particularly special this year as commented on by one of our ORs, because we had ‘such a spread of age groups that encompassed the best part of 70 years of Ratcliffe CCF, which in itself, is an impressive achievement.’
And finally, a very special thank you to our departing cadets: Cadet Warrant Officer Zoe Howling and Colour Sergeant Maddy Dunstan. Thank you both for your support, service and leadership – our contingent couldn’t run without the hard work and reliability of our Senior Cadets. We wish you both all the very best for all your future endeavours.
Written by Capt. M Reeves President of the Mess Committee
