[Ansteorra-rapier] Question for our fearless leaders

[IagoAH@aol.com]

In a message dated Thu, 24 Jan 2002 12:52:32 PM Eastern Standard Time, "Theron Bretz" <tbretz at montroseclinic.org> writes:

> > As distasteful as the idea is that the Dingo is the
> > mascot of the cadets, it has been mention that it
> > would be worthwhile to find out how it started.
> >
> > Does anybody know?
>
>
> Hmm...second time I've fielded this one today.
>
> The first I knew of it was at a Candlemas about a year before I got my WS
> (about nine years ago).  I distinctly remember Mouse's cadet Diego (now Don
> Diego of Aethelmarc) telling me that the totem animal of the cadets should
> be the dingo, because (among other things) they eat their own young.  The
> was he was going on about it, I'm fairly certain it was his current joke du
> jour.
>
> For what it's worth, it's a comparison I'm not that thrilled with. I mainly
> bring it up to remind folks that, while there was certainly a spirit of
> esprit de corps amongst the cadets back then, there was a _lot_ of
> posturing, maneuvering, and back-biting as well.  Personally, I don't think
> you can have one without the other given our structure, but I think folks
> tend to have a bit of the rose-tinted glasses in remembering their cadet
> days sometimes.
>
> Etienne
At the time, I think Diego's joke was promarily about Mouse's cadets.  They had a habit of starting *&#@ and letting one person take the heat.  I think the Thompson's Gazelle is a better mascot, because rather than take off while cadet X took the heat, they'd stand around and watch.

iago