Forty years later much has changed for the air cadet unit.
Unit commander Squadron Leader Jill Checketts said the unit initially paraded at the Alexandra Army Hall before it was closed in the late 1990s.
After a six-month stint in a farmer’s coal bunker in Alexandra, the unit moved to Clyde Memorial Hall where the unit has been since.
The New Zealand Cadet Forces (NZCF) had also changed a lot in the 40 years since the creation of the unit, Sqn Ldr Checketts said.
After seeing what her son, who joined in 1995, got out of being a cadet, Sqn Ldr Checketts became an officer in 1997, wanting to contribute to cadet forces.
She was made unit commander of No50 squadron in 2000 and had been with the unit for her entire time as an officer.
Every document used to have a carbon and handwritten copy sent to headquarters in Wellington, each unit with its own practise.
Now records could be kept up to date on the NZCF’s online database, which allowed for a standardised approach to record keeping for all the cadet units in New Zealand.
Another major change was the shift from preparing cadets for military service to a more adventure-based programme.
The focus on adventure-based activities gave cadets opportunities they would not get at school, such as a flying camp where cadets got 20 minutes behind the controls with the instructors, she said.
A notable visual change over the decades was the uniform.
When the unit was founded in 1984, long sleeve shirts and ties were a part of the uniform, along with long pants for men and skirts for women.
Now, dark blue cadet working dress was worn at most parade nights, with the formal uniform — consisting of short sleeved shirts and dark blue pants for all — being reserved for dinners and commemoration events. Only hats now distinguish between genders.
The number of cadets in the unit has fluctuated over the years from as few as 12 to the high 30s.
Today the unit has 38 cadets, and is growing.
Cadets travel from as far as Queenstown and Wānaka to attend weekly parade nights, in Clyde, where cadets gathered for lessons on topics such as aviation, bushcraft and instructional techniques.
As well as attending parade nights, cadets also attend weekend camps.
