As the commander of the Overlake Squadron, Civil Air Patrol, it was my pleasure to present a Certificate of Appreciation and a military style challenge coin – the Commanders Award for Excellence - to the new Lake Washington School District Superintendent Dr. Traci Pierce.
In February 2010 our squadron needed to find a new home and the LWSD welcomed us into their Resource Center. The use of this outstanding facility with its modern high-tech equipment enabled our unit to grow and flourish.
Having a quality home helped us develop a strong program, which earned us a national award in January as a ‘Quality Cadet Unit’ and being named the ‘Outstanding Unit’ in Washington State in April.
We also enjoyed a growth rate in excess of 40% annually during our 2 ½ years based here and this July we reached a milestone of having 100 members. Unfortunately, we now needed to find a larger facility.
We were fortunate to find a new home at the Washington National Guard Armory on Education Hill in Redmond and now we have room to grow again. We will always be grateful to the LWSD for their support and hospitality.
The cadet program is open to youth age 12-17. See www.facebook.com/overlakesquadron.
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Mike Holliday of Kirkland is the commander of the Civil Air Patrol's Overlake Squadron. He can be contacted at mikeholliday1@mac.com.
