Meet Deene Collopy

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Sea Cadets who have made a career in the maritime world Meet Deene Collopy By Deene Collopy, Country Manager, Oil Spill Response Limited. Y name is Deene Collopy. I was born and raised in Durban. My late uncle was the one who influenced me to join what was then known as Mthe Durban Naval Cadet unit, the same unit my uncle was a cadet at in the 1930s. I spent five years a cadet reaching the rank of Cadet Petty Officer. I received the promotion on my last parade as a cadet, as I left for the navy a month later. My cadet mustering was seamanship branch although, engineering became the field of my career path, thanks to the guidance of my units Commanding Officer, Dave Jones. I still recall the chat on my future, we had at the Deene Collopy, Country Manager, Oil Spill Response Limited. Royal Natal yacht club in Durban following a Navy League meeting. Up until this chat, I And so I joined the navy starting with basic In 2008 I was headhunted by Semco wanted to be a gunner, but Dave spoke sense training at SAS Saldanha. After completing Salvage and Marine to oversee their ships when he advised me to choose a branch or basics as well as various courses, I was drafted working on various projects in Africa. In 2010 I mustering that can influence a career for the to a strike craft the SAS Jan Smuts (P1561) was transferred to Singapore and made project long term or life after the navy. I will never which was based in Durban. manager, overseeing a host of technical forget his words that went along the lines of… On leaving the navy I joined the merchant projects which included the building of six “If you become a navy gunner and decide to navy and for nearly ten years sailed offshore construction lift boats and four long- leave the navy the only field or industry that predominantly aboard offshore salvage, towing distance towing and salvage tugs in Japan. may be interested in your past naval tugs in various locations around the world. In 2012 I was approached by a United experience is a pirate ship captain”. Based on In 1999 I came ashore and worked as a Kingdom recruiting company to apply for the these wise words I chose marine engineering shipping agent for King & Sons in Durban. In position I currently hold today, that of country as my mustering and have never looked back 2003 was promoted to manager King & Sons at manager for a Global oil spill clean-up since that day. the Cape Town branch. company. By Lt Cdr Chris Hand, Officer does not help for anymore. Commanding, TS Springs The Government Health Services are We need unable or unwilling to perform this type of MY name is Chris Hand. I am raising funds for operation, and the only hope is to pay for a your support! my friend and fellow Sea Cadet officer Mike private procedure. Taylor, aged 46 from Springs, Gauteng. Reaching this target will mean that there Mike was diagnosed as a young man with will be sufficient funds to pay for this cancer after contracting severe malaria. Over operation to improve Mike's Quality of Life. the years, Mike has had good times, and bad Mike will be able to continue being the loving times. As his cancer(s) have progressed, Mike father to his two sons, the supportive husband has received various treatments, first through a to his businesswoman wife, who even now is private medical aid, and lately through without an income due to the forced closure Government Health Services. The past year has of her business from COVID-19. seen his disease progression get worse, and, It will also mean that Mike, or Lieutenant with limited funds available to the State, they Taylor as he is known at the Sea Cadets, will are unable to do anything other than pain relief be able to continue doing what he loves for him. In the last three months, Mike's best, that is, being a mentor, guiding light condition has deteriorated, and he is in and role model for the more than one constant pain. After consulting with a pain hundred Sea Cadets in Springs, of which he is specialist this week, it has been determined that a valuable officer. an operation is required to sever certain nerve The estimation for the medical procedure connections to his leg and groin areas, which is, according to his mother Lynn, around will alleviate a lot of pain, which even morphine R50 000 with about R15 000 more required during convalescence post-op. The funds will Lieutenant Mike Taylor, doing what he loves be paid directly to the hospital, surgeon, best, that is, being a mentor, guiding light and anesthetist, and other professional service role model at TS Springs. providers. Sea Cadets Resort to Creativity durning lockdown By Lt Cdr Glen Von Zeil, National Marketing • 30 Second PR video to encourage friend Manager, South African Sea Cadets to join Sea Cadets. • Standing inspection in room at home. OVID-19 has challenged all of us • Polishing shoes/boots. to do things differently utilising whatever resources are available. Bravo Zulu to these Officer Commanding With the national lockdown and their Officers for their creativity and Cannounced by President Ramaphosa late in commitment during these challenging times. March 2020 all the Sea Cadet units complied Thank you to the families who supported the by ceasing training. Sea Cadets. This did not prevent These initiatives resulted some creative Sea Cadet in a national competition officers from perusing their “Lockdown did which was open to all Sea passion of supporting the not prevent Cadets, adjudicated by the youth. The Officers from TS National Training Officer for Rook and TS Woltemade Sea Cadet which prizes of data were took to the wifi waves and officers from awarded. created practical tasks to During the lockdown keep those Sea Cadets who perusing their Lt Denise Gouws, an had access to smart phones, educator, worked with other internet and data busy and passion.” Officers to create an online focussed during the learning platform which will, lockdown. once completed, be used Examples of these tasks to assist in feeing up unit included: (From the photo’s and videos contact time for practical application and posted fun was had by all !) fun evolutions. • Getting to know Africa – linking names Sea Cadets units will remain closed and map of Africa. until February 2021 after the schools have • Identifying ranks, safety signs, knots, hopefully settled back into a normal rhythm flats, Morse code. and the risk of the spread of COVID-19 • Making your own knotting board. drastically reduced. • Building and floating a raft model. For more visuals see the Facebook pages • Building a replica of the quarterdeck. of the units as well as the Sea Cadet website • Building a tripod to hold 500 grams. atwww.seacadets.za.org No shipmate left behind Lt Cdr CL Hand, Officer Commanding, TS Springs TS Springs received a cash sum from the South African Sea Cadets, and with a large amount of dry rations that were donated to us earlier this year, we were able to put together 14 emergency food parcels for some of our cadet families that are in distress in this period of lockdown. Many thanks to the SA Sea Cadets for the assistance, to the [anonymous] donor of dry rations, and to the management of Rebel Big Fresh in Geduld for the generous discount. The need out there is pretty bad and we are appealing to all of our ex-cadets and friends of TS Springs to look into their hearts to see if they can help us do this next week or so. Please PM me if you can The Team who were able to put together 14 emergency food parcels for help. At TS Springs, we leave no shipmate behind! some of our cadet families that are in distress. Official newsletter of the South African Sea Cadets. The South Africa Sea Cadets is a non-profit organisation dedicated to training and preparing school-going boys and girls for a career in the maritime industry. For more information contact us: PO Box 7681 Newton Park, Port Elizabeth 6055 South AfricaEmail us [email protected] uswww.seacadets.za.org .

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