B3

BY BILL CLARKE

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DALHOUSIE - John "Bud" Stewart of Dalhousie sees Air Cadets as the best youth organization in Canada. As he explains, anybody can join and it doesn't cost the cadets or their parents anything. The governing body and the Department of National Defence provide everything.

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Bud Stewart

"I've seen a lot of good cadets go through the process. One is flying with the Snowbirds. I had him in 1986. About six others (from the Dalhousie squadron) are still in the forces," Stewart said last week.

He's been involved with the cadet movement since 1983, not long after he got out of the Navy after a 25 year career and returned to his home town. He was the Commanding Officer of the Dalhousie squadron from 1983 to 1984 and has been involved with the Air Cadet League since then. In September, Stewart was elected to chair the Air Cadet League of New Brunswick.

He's also a Governor of the national Air Cadet League - the only one in New Brunswick.

He retains his interest in the naval side of things. He's a director of the Royal Canadian Naval Benevolent Fund and of the Royal Canadian Navy Association, again, for both, the only one in the province. He's the immediate Past President of the New Brunswick Naval Association and Honourary President of Branch 17, Royal Canadian Legion.

When Stewart came back to Dalhousie, he would probably have become involved with Sea Cadets, if there had been a squadron there. Still, since he was with the Fleet Air Arm, he says he had more to offer the Air Cadets, anyway.