AIC Handout 09

CHAPTER 2 UNIT PARADES AND EVENTS SECTION 2 STANDARD COLOURS ROUTINE CONTENTS
2201. INTRODUCTION This procedure is also based on the Royal Naval ceremony of Colours but has been modified significantly to be used as the routine opening of a Sea Cadet parade or other meeting. The ceremonial should be adjusted as necessary to suit the importance of the occasion and the Unit facilities, layout and design. Guidance on local changes to the ceremony can be obtained from your Area Staff Officer Ceremonial. This is the shortened version of the ceremony described in Chapter 2-1 for use on all suitable occasions. Units with Royal Marine Cadet Detachments (MCD), who parade on a different night, should ensure common ceremonial is followed. The Commanding Officer is responsible for issuing instructions for the event; the First Lieutenant is responsible for ensuring that the event is carried out. ROUTINE FOR STANDARD UNIT CEREMONIAL Commanding Officers should order a uniform dress appropriate to the Unit training programme. When possible, parade times should be planned so that the ensign is hoisted on the hour or half-hour in order that the appropriate number of bells may be stuck to start the Colours ceremony, ZERO time in the following sequence is the planned time for hoisting the Colours. When the order Parade or Ships Company is given, the whole parade or Ships Company comply. It should be remembered that if the Commanding Officer, First Lieutenant, Parade Commander or Divisional Officer is an Officer, the Senior Rate or Cadet will salute; wait for the salute to be returned and then report. On the conclusion a salute will be given when the Officer has made his/her remarks. If the Commanding Officer, First Lieutenant, Parade Commander or Divisional Officer is a Senior Rate, the Senior Rate or Cadet DOES NOT SALUTE and addresses him/her by their rate/rank. FORMING UP BY DIVISIONS ZERO Minus 10 Minutes BY WHOM ORDER/EVENT REMARKS QM or Duty Bugler Divisions Call or Pipe: Ships Company Fall In By Divisions Ships Company will fall in by Divisions quickly and quietly, take up their dressing and stand at ease. BY WHOM ORDER/EVENT REMARKS Divisional Senior Rate or Cadet Division Attention Divisional Senior Rate or Cadet Divisions By the Right/Left Dress Dressing intervals can be altered as required if space constraints make it necessary. Divisional Senior Rate or Cadet Division Number Divisional Senior Rate or Cadet reports to the Parade Commander.

Making a Report. The Divisional Senior Rate or Cadet proceeds (at the quick) to a position two paces in front of the First Lieutenant or Parade Commander and halts, turns to face the Parade Commander, and (if an Officer) salutes. Waits for the salute to be returned, will then make the report and Salute again. The Divisional Officer will turn right or left as necessary, march to the position in front of the division. BY WHOM ORDER/EVENT REMARKS Divisional Senior Rate or Cadet returns to the division. Divisional Senior Rate or Cadet Division Stand at Ease Divisional Senior Rate or Cadet Division Stand Easy If ordered. ZERO MINUS 3 MINUTES. BY WHOM ORDER/EVENT REMARKS If the Commanding Officer has NOT arrived on Deck, the Quartermaster will be instructed to convey the First Lieutenants respects, and informs the Commanding Officer that the Ships Company is fallen in for Colours. Parade Commander Ships Company Attention When the Commanding Officer arrives on deck. Parade Commander reports to the Commanding Officer. Parade Commander Ships Company Stand at Ease THE CEREMONY OF COLOURS ZERO Minus 1 Minute BY WHOM ORDER/EVENT REMARKS Signalman Hoists the Preparative Pennant and reports (from the foot of the mast) in a loud voice: Signalman One minute to Colours Sir/Maam Or addressed as for the rate/rank of the CO. Parade Commander Ships Company Attention Parade Commander Divisions Turning Aft Right and Left Turn NOTE: Normal RN procedure is to hoist the prep at 5 minutes to colours. This has been modified in the SCC to one minute due to the time constraints of unit parades and the fact that individual units do not have other ships in company. ZERO BY WHOM ORDER/EVENT REMARKS Signalman Lowers Preparative Pennant to the dipped position (approximately three quarters up to the block) and reports in a loud voice: Signalman Colours Sir/Maam Parade Commander Sound the Alert/Still Quartermaster Strikes the Ships Bell. Appropriate to the actual time. Bugler/Quartermaster Sounds the Alert/Pipes the Still. Unattached Officers and Uniformed Instructors and Instructors or Cadets in charge of Divisions salute as the bugle call/pipe ends. The Bugler(s) sounds Colours. The Signalman hoists the Ensign slowly so that it reaches the peak at the same time as the music ends.

Bugler/Quartermaster Sounds/Pipes the Carry On. All those at the salute assume the position of attention as the bugle call/pipe ends. NOTE: The practice of dipping the Preparative Pennant as the executive order for the Colours Ceremony, was introduced by the Royal Navy to prevent ships in company with a Senior Officer present (but out of earshot) sounding the Carry On before the Senior Officer. This is not required in a Sea Cadet Unit. NOTE: The order Make It So is a response to the report Eight Oclock Sir or Nine Oclock Sir in the RN procedure for daily Colours. It is not used as part of the SCC procedure. NOTE: All reports made by the signalman are made from the foot of the mast and NOT in person. All addresses are to be made to the Commanding Officer, the Parade Commander responds on his or her behalf. HALF MASTED COLOURS When Colours are ordered to half-mast from the time of Colours, the above procedure is to be followed. After the Carry On has been sounded the Ensign is to be lowered to the half-mast (approximately two thirds up to the block) in silence, no salute is necessary only to remain at the attention. BY WHOM ORDER/EVENT REMARKS Signalman hauls down the Preparative Pennant and secures halyards. Parade Commander Divisions Turning Inboard Right and Left Turn Parade Commander Ships Company Stand at Ease DISMISSING DIVISIONS TO INSTRUCTION BY WHOM ORDER/EVENT REMARKS Parade Commander Ships Company Attention On completion the Parade Commander reports to the Commanding Officer: Parade Commander Permission to carry on to classes Sir/Maam Once the Commanding Officer has approved: Parade Commander Fall-Out Officers and Instructors Unattached Officers and Uniformed Instructors will turn to the Parade Commander, salute, (the Parade Commander will return the salute), turn right, and Fall-Out. Attached Officers and Uniformed Instructors will be dismissed by the Squad Commander. If the Parade Commander is NOT an Officer and Officers are to be dismissed, the Parade Commander will turn to the Officers salute and say: Fall-Out the Officers. All will return the salute, turn right and Fall-Out. The Instructors are dismissed as described above, except that NO salute is given or returned. Parade Commander Divisions when you are dismissed, fall-in by classes for instruction. Divisions Dismiss

Formation of Squad
Numbers Up to 5 6 to 9 10 and Over Numbers of Ranks 1 2 3 Description Single File File Threes or Column of Route

Dressing Distances (Centres of Individuals)

Dressed with Full Arm Intervals 40 (1 M) Dressed with Half Arm Intervals 30 (750mm) Dressed Without Intervals 24 (600mm)

Length of Pace & Cadence

Side Close Pace 116 12 (300mm)

Slow March Speed Length (SCC) Step Out (SCC) Step Short (SCC) Length Step Out (RN) Step Short (RN) Maximum Number 30 (750mm) 65 27 (680mm)

Quick March 116 27 (680mm) 30 (750mm) 21 (530mm) 30 (750mm) 33 (840mm) 21 (530mm)

Double March 180 40 (1M)

Paces Forward & Step Back 116 27 (680mm)

40 (1 M)

12 (300mm)

30 (750mm)

Miscellaneous
Distance between front and rear ranks = 2 paces Distance between heels when standing at ease = 12 (300mm) Standard pause between movements = 2 Marching paces (approx 1 second)

Reference Materials
BR 1834 Royal Navy Drill & Ceremonial BR 2118 Royal Marines Drill Sea Cadet Corps Ceremonial & Drill Handbook - SCC ANNEX TO BRd1834 and BRd2118 ASCR02 Sea Cadet Uniform Regulations All available on SCC HQ Website: www.sccheadquarters.com