The “Confidence Course”

The following photo and story from BOTC in the summer of 1976 was given to us by Steve Kelly for Dan McCann’s In Memoriam page but has is applicable on this page as well so has been reproduced here:

As is well known by now, Dan loved nothing better than a good story, regardless of whether it was actually true or not, so the “Senior Met Tech” at RRMC was always interested in hearing first thing Monday morning about what the single UTPM guys had been up to over the weekend.  Because he was older and held a rank senior to them prior to coming to Roads, the two guys Steve Kelly, the Patricia, and Mike Guerard, the “skimmer” (submariner slang for a surface sailor), felt obliged to satisfy his curiosity, and even maybe embellish the odd exploit a little bit. 

Dan’s curiosity did not change when the newly minted officer cadets travelled to Borden in the summer of 1976 to attend the Basic Officer Training Course with the other guys from Roads.  It was a tough go, the worst of times, but it was also the best of times, especially as the course was ending and they could sleep in the quarters rather than the hoochies.  During the final security exercise, Steve and Mike were on patrol, and as luck would have it, they noticed a young female, coincidentally quite attractive, riding on a big green tractor.  They looked at one another and concluded quickly that she was obviously suspicious looking and so they needed to investigate further. Steve flagged down the tractor and determined she was a first year McMaster University student on a summer job with Construction Engineering who had just been hired.  However, she was not carrying any paperwork nor a pass, so who knows, they thought, she could be a terrorist.  Steve radioed Dan the Man for back-up so sure enough he shows up … with a newspaper photographer in tow!  To be on the safe side, they agreed she should be taken to the Base Military Police for further “investigation”, with Steve dutifully present to keep track of all significant data, such as phone number and address.  She was a good sport about the whole thing, but Steve, being the gentleman that he is, just wanted to make sure, so of course he took it upon himself to call her up the next day … and a few other times during the rest of the summer.  That photo Dan had arranged was later published in the local newspaper, explaining the “hardships” of Basic Officer Training!