Royal Roads Military College - Traditions

Traditions

Tradition Significance
Blanket toss Blanket toss of senior class members after the last waltz at the Graduation ball
Ceremonial mace Symbolizes the authority of the college, as granted in the name of the Sovereign (currently Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II). When carried into the ceremony and placed on stage, the mace signals the opening of the convocation. It was last used at the RRMC postgraduate convocation in 1995. The mace's four sides commemorate the sequence of institutions at Royal Roads. It was made prior to the first graduating class from Royal Roads Military College in May 1977.
'Change of command ceremony' The former commandant offers farewell and best wishes to the college and to the new commandant. The new commandant accepts a first salute as the cadet wing marches past.
Christening bell Following naval tradition, a ship's bell was used as a baptism font in the college chapel for christenings and the names of the children were later inscribed on the bell. The ship's bell from RRMC is currently used in the chapel at Royal Military College of Canada.
HMCS Royal Roads' bell
  • During the life of the college, HMCS Royal Roads' bell was displayed in the porte-cochere of Hatley Castle. After the closing of RRMC, HMCS Royal Roads' bell was kept in the museum at CFB Esquimalt. It was officially repatriated on 10 September 2010 during the Royal Roads University 2010 Homecoming. The bell is prominently displayed in the new entrance to Grant block in the foyer that links Grant block and the new academic building.
College toast RRMC club toast to absent comrades meaning those who have fallen in action or otherwise died
Colours After the last parade of RRMC in spring 1995, the colours were deposited into the care of Christ Church Cathedral in Victoria, British Columbia where they are on display with several other retired colours including "Royal Canadian Navy" and "Royal Canadian Air Force".
Feu de Joie An honour guard perform a rifle salute with field artillery, or more commonly, rifles using blank ammunition.
Ghosts and haunting The B.C. Society of Paranormal Investigation and Research into the Supernatural have investigated stories of paranormal activity in and around Hatley Castle
Grace
  • Officer cadets ate meals cafeteria style;
  • A senior term was responsible to say a traditional Navy grace for the table “For what we are about to receive, thank God. Carry on…”
Graduation and Commissioning Parade in honour of graduating cadets:
  • Graduating students are presented with their Officer's Commissions in the Canadian Forces.
  • Officer Cadets display their foot drill and sword movements,
  • Feux de Joie an honour guard performs a rifle salute with field artillery
Jacket exchange The RRMC Director of Cadets exchanges tunics with a I Year Officer Cadet at RRMC Christmas Dinner.
Just Passing By When a graduate of the RRMC pilots an aircraft in the vicinity of Victoria, British Columbia he or she conducts an impromptu airshow over the college.
Lord Horatio Nelson's quote hung over the entrance to the Grant Building A replica of the quote, "Duty is the great business of a sea officer: All private considerations must give way to it however painful it is." was returned to Royal Roads University campus for Homecoming in 2011.
March Hatley Park; Going Home
Naval heraldry
  • Royal Roads badge 1 features a name on a shield; Royal Roads badge 2 features crown plus anchor, open book & spray of three maple leaves.
  • Royal Canadian Naval College badge features maple leaf, sword, book, anchor
Obstacle course race Course for recruits set up by the cadets' immediate predecessors
Old Brigade Alumni who entered military college 50+ years before wear unique berets and ties, have the Right of the Line on reunion weekend memorial parades, and present the College cap badge to the First Year cadets on the First Year Badging Parade. Each class traditionally marks its 50-year anniversary and entry into the Old Brigade with a gift.
Skylarks
  • Annual class practical joke or prank
  • Apples taken from the Commandant's trees at 2am were brought back to the doors of popular seniors.
  • A whaler was taken to dockyard and the Navy Dockyard flag was liberated and run up the RRMC mast.
  • A dinghy was strung up the mast in front of the Castle and left there.
  • A cow was chained to the top of Neptune stairs where the Director of Cadets held his morning parade.
  • The Cadet Wing Commander had the 1st year cadets muster in the common rooms while 2nd years took their rooms apart, moved their mattresses out and ran their sheets from building to building. The cadets scrambled back to their rooms to prepare for an inspection of their rooms to find no beds.
  • During 100 days to grad parties, 4th years were not allowed to sleep in their dorm. Instead, the 3rd years took their beds and moved them around the college. Cadets might find their bed - up a tree or in a hall. The DCadet found a cadet's bed in the DCadets residence and another in the yard.
  • University of Victoria copper dome was painted 'RRMC #1' in 1982.
  • Cadets took a whaler to Esquimalt dockyards and attached a can painted to look like an explosive device to the side of destroyer.
  • Cadets would routinely kidnap senior cadets and/or staff members, transport them to the rock (a tiny rock island in the lagoon) and maroon them there. On at least one occasion, tables were turned and the "victims" were able to maroon one or more of the kidnapper cadets themselves.
Sweetheart broach Officer cadets gave their dates an enamel brooch in lieu of a corsage for formal dances at Christmas, and Graduation.
White peacock Blue Indian peafowl have lived free on the college grounds since the 1960s. Albert, a rare white peacock resident since RRMC days, died in 2003.

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