South Africa: The Officer Commanding Air Defence Artillery School, Colonel Elaine Kleinjan, had the aim to welcome the Air Defence Artillery School staff members to the new year and celebrate the new beginnings with high morale.
The welcoming event serves as an excellent opportunity for the command group of the organisation to express their gratitude for the previous year’s achievements to their subordinates and motivate them and promote leadership and teamwork.
On Friday, the third of March 2023, the Air Defence Artillery School School staff members and students of the different courses gathered at the unit bar area for the welcoming event, which had the mandate to bring unity within the working environment and build the morale of the members at the beginning of the year.
Chaplain Resimate John Mabusela opened the event with a scripture reading and prayer. “The first quarter of the year is a time for refocusing and repositioning of one’s spiritual phase,” said the Chaplain.
The Chaplain furthermore said, “the moonlight is only possible if the light is in the right reflection of the sun. I encourage you to position your lives to the light of God so that you can be the light that shines in your journey for the year 2023”.
Captain Thulani Jacob Masilela welcomed the members to the event as the Master of Ceremony. In his welcome note, he gave an overview of the purpose of the day, “a welcoming event gives a warm and sincere feeling to colleagues at the beginning of the year from the long vacation leaves,” he said.
He furthermore stated that the welcoming event opens a platform upon which subordinates offer new ideas on how to reach objectives and share recommendations with senior management for the new goals of the year.
A Gunner Bridget Scout rendered a gospel song while Gunner Lebogang Masekoameng collaborated with a heartwarming poem. On behalf of the Officer Commanding Colonel Elaine Kleinjan, Lieutenant Colonel Fakazi Knowledge Nkabinde acknowledged the scripture reading of the Chaplain that we need the presence of God and appreciate his love.
Lieutenant Colonel Fakazi Knowledge Nkabinde said, “Air Defence Artillery School members allow me to take this opportunity to thank you for your hard work the previous year. Let us tackle 2023 with the same morals and work together as a team to fulfill the mandate of excellency.” He furthermore said, “in the year 2022 we had a lot of challenges and we still held the flags with our shoulders and pushed to reach our goals as soldiers”.
Lieutenant Makweshe Johannes Mokwena took charge of the physical activities of the day. The Air Defence Artillery School members took part in the aerobic exercise and tug of war and thereafter participated in the channel of command activity, which made the members aware of how the message gets lost along the way to reach the last member at the lower level (rank). The members thereafter enjoyed the day and got a chance to interact with one another.