Old Brigade Project (OBP) Ideas Update

To date, we have had four project ideas submitted for consideration by the Class:

• Eternal Flame/Plinth
• RSMs at the Royal Military Colleges (RMC, CMR and RR)
• Statuette/Bas Relief
• Piece of Art/Mural/Stained Glass

More detailed descriptions provided follow. Time is getting short with respect ta decision about which way to go.  Please post your comments in response to this article, or provide your feedback by email to Bill Simms, our Class Project Lead, or Ross Judd, the Class Secretary by April 11.

Eternal Flame/Plinth

This is the monument/plinth idea where the plinth, depending on the passage we may put on it, could be oriented to the past, present or future or any two or three of these. After many discussions with Kingston monuments a full 6ft plinth (four sided) made of granite would weigh roughly 10,000 pounds with a 4ft by 4ft base. i.e. very heavy and would likely have to be placed outside. An idea here would be to try and place it beside the Parade Square outside Currie.  If we have a full four sided plinth with some sort of brass bowl holding a simulated flame, the approximate cost of this structure, including installation is estimated to be about $150,000. As you may know, Massey Library may be changed to become a ‘Learning Commons’. The anticipated date to see a complete refurbishment of ML and the ‘weeding out’ of a number of books would be sometime in the next three to four years. This may mean that one or more class gifts, including a reduced plinth could be planned for some space in ML. By a reduced plinth, I am referring to a modern piece of art that would recognize our jointly shared values that could   be placed where students will see it often and where it will inspire them to stop and think of the past, present and future and RMC’s (whether it be Academic, Military, Second Language Training or Athletics) links to their future success at whatever they attempt. The cost could be limited to approximately $50,000. Suggestions for placement have been Massey Library and the Memorial staircase. This is a possible option.

RSMs at the Royal Military Colleges (RMC, CMR and RR)

A series of photographs and potentially a few memorabilia cabinets recognizing the names and service of all RMC College Sergeant Majors from the inception of the College until the year we enter the Old Brigade.  This will include RR and CMR as well as RMC, and could include as appropriate displays at CMR and RR.

BACKGROUND – In the Fall of 2013, Antony McManus, one of the three sons of RSM Rocky McManus, had a meeting with the College Commandant offering to provide a number of pieces of RSM McManus’ memorabilia, including his Pace Stick and some original photographs.  Recall that he was the RSM at RMC from 1961 to 1971.  It is  worth reading his Obituary at: http://yourlifemoments.ca/sitepages/obituary.asp?oId=378047

At that meeting, I understand that the Commandant was totally behind the idea, but he mentioned that there was nothing like it for any of the other RSMs.  The Commandant identified a hallway in the MacKenzie Building that potentially could be made available to honour all College RSMs in the manner that is done for past Commandants, if only some class was willing to undertake the research and a portion of the funding.  I further understand that the Commandant also suggested that Public Funds could provide the framed photographs of RSMs going forward.

Antony mentioned the visit to me and, as one not totally enamored with the Eternal Flame, but loath to say much unless I had another idea, I am now bringing the idea of honouring past RSMs forward for consideration as a class project.

MANPOWER  – We will need an overall Program Manager to coordinate all three colleges.  Each college will need its own Project Manager.  The Program Manager will need a Financial Manager to ensure reasonable balance of funds across the three colleges and to manage the collection process.  Individual researchers will be tasked by the respective Project Manager to collect the raw data and material, as well as to coordinate with potential RSM family donnations.

GUESTIMATE OF COST – A SWAG based on nominal 40 stand alone photographs, framed, museum glass, acid free paper and four memorabilia cabinets, electrical for cabinet and spot lighting is $50,000.  This could easily go up by $20,000 based on research and what other families might be willing to donate in the way of memorabilia.

SOME ADVANTAGES AND EVALUATION CRITERIA:

• It pays respect to men who have had a major influence on the Canadian Officer Corps.
• It has never been done before.
• It captures a vital element of College and Canadian military history.
• RSM McManus’ connection with the Class of 72 is undeniably strong; the same can be said of all the past RSMs and the Cadets that they helped mold.
• It can be done within a relatively wide range of funding options and availability.
• We have the time to do a real estimate and start collecting raw material.

Statuette/Bas Relief

We have received a proposal to have statuettes commissioned where the statuettes would be of both a male and female cadet that would be available for donations or purchase by future and past graduates of RMC. The idea has been given some thought by the proposer and the gist is given below:

I have made some progress wrt my proposal for a Class ’72 gift.

I recently visited Panet House and can confirm that the pewter statuette, selling at $64, is an unworthy replica of an RMC cadet. It looks worse than 9261 Cadet Lenz scrambling to make extra drill parade.

A shoddy knock-off of a Stadden statuette if ever there was one. I can also confirm that there are no female statuettes. Although, Ken Lenz can confirm that during the Cake Walk skits (Feb 69), Chuck Lumbers acted a reasonable likeness to a Lady Cadet…perhaps a claim can be made that the Class of ’72 was the first Class with lady bumps.

En tous cas, again whilst at the College last week, I saw the 4 foot high statue that Col Gauthier did for the Class of ’74. Bill Simms, if you are interested, it’s the one entitled “Cadet” (not surprisingly) which stands outside the Cadet Mess Hall. Most excellent it is. Seeing it re-affirmed my feelings that our gift should be wrapped around the works of Col Gauthier…a retired CF member and huge fan of the Colleges.

In speaking with him today, Col Gauthier presented me with some relevant background of his modus operandi and capability, as well as, some of the strengths and pitfalls of statuary learned from many years of feedback from his clients. He does not recommend 6″ to 9″ statuettes…the type I had initially envisioned. The detail is difficult to recreate at that size and the product is prone to damage quite easily, particularly if our intended clients, RMCC grads, move a bunch of times during their careers (a certainty).

Col Gauthier recommended that a reasonably sized bas relief (say 10″X14″or 12″X18″) would provide a remembrance (for the Cadet) or a gift/presentation (for whomever) that is at once robust, artful and tells a greater story than a statuette. I tend to agree. If you share my optimism, Col Gauthier, would generously provide sample sketches for our review at no cost and no commitment. The focus of the bas relief would be Cadets, both male and female, with a recognizable College building or artifact as a background. There would be room for a plaque (name, College Number or the occasion of a presentation to someone or some institution).

Again, I would remind you of the greater good beyond simply creating a gift. If we were to purchase the rights to the bas relief and selected a worthy company to produce the product, our Class should be able to generate sufficient funds to feed an annual grant scheme directed at a charitable military cause e.g. Wounded Soldiers Fund, in the name of RMCC.

I believe that this gift is oriented to the past (maybe) present and future. The guesstimated cost of this gift is $50,000, depending on the licensing agreement for reproduction and the donation aspects. At a minimum I can see at least two of the statuettes being placed in a refurbished ML.

Don Kennedy

Piece of Art/Mural/Stained Glass

In a recent email to Bill, the purchase of a stained glass window was proposed similar to the one depicted in the following image – 1917 Ypres Belgium Scene – 99″ x 34″: