United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps (USNSCC)
USS Newport News (CA-148) Division
Concord, New Hampshire

Scuttlebutt: Trafalgar Days
On a US Navy ship a scuttlebutt is a water fountain. Traditionally in nautical settings (before the days of running water) crew members would gather around the water barrel and trade gossip; thus the word "scuttlebutt" has also come to mean rumor or gossip. Here you won’t find any gossip, and everything the Concord Sea Cadets posts to this page can be relied on as fact.

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Trafalgar Days is a regional competition hosted by the HMCS Rodney RCSCC unit in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. This annual event, similar to a US Fleet Ex or Captain’s Cup competition, is attended by more than 400 Royal Canadian Sea Cadets from Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Several events over the weekend give cadet units a chance to showcase their skills in military drill, martial band, and teamwork. For some years now a small contingent of American Sea Cadets from New England has been invited to observe the events and sometimes participate (in a demonstration status). In January 2008, 25 cadets and five officers from various US Naval Sea Cadet units from around New England will attend.

Check-in begins on Friday and includes a briefing by senior Canadian cadets on the rules and expectations for the weekend. The competitive events open Saturday, beginning with a muster of all units and a colors ceremony (by custom, the same protocol applies as during an American colors ceremony in the US). Typically, a Saturday evening dance is arranged. On Sunday comes the cadet party games competition with events like rope throwing and the orange pass, followed by general cleanup and an awards ceremony. The entire weekend is a chance for US Sea Cadets to make new friends, do something both different and familiar, be exposed to new customs in a slightly different culture, and most of all, have fun.

The Cadet Corps (Air, Army, and Sea) are the oldest youth movement in Canada. For over 50 years support for the programs has come from the Department of National Defense in cooperation with various Canadian veterans organizations. In past years members of the Local Navy League have supported Trafalgar Days, preparing all the meals starting at 5 a.m. and going until midnight each day. Without this dedication the event would not be possible.

 
 
The Naval Sea Cadets in Concord, New Hampshire, designed and maintain this site to provide information to unit members and the public on our activities in New Hampshire and elsewhere. This is an ongoing Sea Cadet project and continues to be a work in progress.