So, I've just returned from a stellar evening with Mme Clarkson and the "War Cabinet" of the Edmonton-based PPCLI. It was a terrific event designed to bring the new CinC into the currently-serving fold, so to speak. In attendance were the COs, RSMs, OCs and CSMs of the 1st and 3rd Battalions. It was a very close and informal affair designed to give Mme Clarkson a chance to interact with the current leadership of the Regiment. Suffice it to say that she did not disappoint.
PPCLI Guy and I agreed at the outset that this should be an opportunity for our bn leadership to interact with the new CinC in a relaxed setting. As a result, we decided that she ought to be sandwiched between the DCOs and then the RSMs, rather than ourselves. Big mistake. Being somewhat dim, both PPCLI Guy and myself failed to realize that we had set ourselves up for disaster by allowing unfettered access to a still impressionable CinC. And yes, chaos ensued......
Following desert where one would expect Mme Clarkson to rise and speak a few words, she did so. Unfortunately, those words were not what PPCLI Guy and I were expecting/hoping to hear. Instead of providing the expected platitudes, Mme Clarkson (urged on by our horrifically disloyal DCOs) insisted that the two COs rise and speak for 3 to 5 minutes on the Regimental significance of Frezenburg and Kapyong. Needless to say, a stunned silence ensued for all of 10 seconds before PPCLI Guy got up and spoke at length about something I cannot recall, and that had zero bearing on the assigned task. In other words, par for the course. I must admit that He did sound good. i'm just not sure what he talked about - other than slagging his DCO - our most recent SMV recipient....
When my turn came, I simply spoke from the heart extemporaneously. I told Mme Clarkson that I'd known of her selection some six months prior, and had thought she was an inspired choice. i mentioned that her selection had been debated on "an internet web-site featuring Ptes to MGens, Reg F and Res F", and that 80% were in favour. Right or wrong, I further noted that the 20% doubters were soon swayed by the majority. Last but not least, I once again welcomed her to the family. And i'm here to tell you that she genuinely appreciated the sentiment. I thought that I was going to get out of that dinner at 2000 hrs. Wrong. Mme Clarkson stuck around after the dinner for a full hour and a half chatting with the current leadership of the Edmonton-based battalions. She was genuinely interested in our current activities and challenges. She is a class act, full-stop.
Tomorrow morning, 3 PPCLI has the pleasure of hosting our new CinC for two hours. The plan is to give her a quick info brief, and then expose her to as many soldiers within the unit lines as is humanly possible. This will be the natural extension of her dinner with the current regimental leadership this evening. I must say that the troops are going to be simply awestruck. Mme Clarkson is amazing. Not to take anything away from our beloved Lady Patricia, but if ever there was a more deserving successor? We have found her. The Right Honourable Adrien Clarkson is a Patricia through and through. She has taken it upon herself to learn aspects of our regimental history that most serving Patricia's don't get to hear until they've been around a good number of years. She is seriously gripped when it comes to the PPCLI.. Impressively so.
All of the above to say that the PPCLI have secured an exceedingly worthy CinC successor. In Mme Clarkson we have a CinC who is genuinely interested in the Regt, knows what we're all about, and is committed to spending time with us both at home and abroad. She is engaged, energetic, determined, and committed. Mme Clarkson and John Raulston Saul aren't afraid of hardship - as evidenced by their tours to Kabul. You can bet that they will remain engaged with the PPCLI both at home and overseas. She has already said as much.
Fellow Patricia's? We have scored. Heavily scored. We have a big-time winner in Mme Clarkson.
