Robert Land Academy is Canada's only non-university level private military academy. Located in the township of West Lincoln on the north shores of the Welland Riverfive kilometres west of the hamlet of Wellandport, the Academy began to accept students in 1978. The Academy is an all-boys institution. On average, a total of 160 students between Grade 6 and Grade 12 are enrolled at the Academy during any one school year. All students enrolled at the Academy live in military-style dormitories located on-campus throughout the school year. The barracks are normally named in tribute to famous military figures in pre-Confederation Canadian history, such as Major-General Isaac Brock, Major John Butler, and Joseph Brant who was a Mohawk military and political leader who was closely associated with Great Britain during and after the American Revolution.
Namesake
The school itself is named after Robert Land, a United Empire Loyalist originally from New York who migrated into what later became Upper Canada with his family in the mid-1780s, in the wake of the American Revolutionary War. Land is often seen as one of the first inhabitants of modern-day Hamilton, Ontario. The Academy's founder and former headmaster, Lt. Col. Scott Bowman, is a direct descendant of Land.
The Academy's Purpose
According to the Academy's website, the military theme allows for the reinforcement of the importance of organization, teamwork, discipline and personal responsibility. Students admitted to the Academy are chosen for their potential for success. Students admitted to the Academy mostly do not fit in public school system because of Academic, Behaviour, attitude and other problems. Other students have been diagnosed with various learning disorders, including Autism, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder and various forms of learning disability. The Academy asserts that each year 100% of its graduating class who apply to university or college are accepted. It also states that 95% of all students experience a dramatic improvement in their academic performance and success within their first semester of enrollment.
All students, on first being accepted at the Academy, hold the rank of Recruit. The first phase of non-academic training at the Academy for new students, normally lasting a month's period, is always referred to as the "Recruit Period" and they will dress in a tan beret to signify their recruit status, Upon passing Recruit Period, by showing a standard of organizational skills with good behaviour, the student is promoted to Cadet and given the right to wear the blue beret with the academy's cap badge. A student who makes serious mistakes may be placed on charge, meaning he stays the rank of recruit for period of time and whatever rank this student was is suspended. The student has to wear an orange beret or tan beret until being reinstated back to the rank cadet or higher. After being promoted to the rank of Cadet, students at the Academy, on proving their ability to demonstrate rudimentary leadership and organizational skills, may be promoted to the rank of Barman, which is normally marked by a silver bar similar to the insignia of a United States Armylieutenant. On reaching Barman rank and getting a position within the academy, the student may then advance in either one of two ways:
If the student demonstrates equivalent leadership skills, he can then be promoted to the rank of Double Barman. Students in grade 5 to 10 must obtain the rank of Leading barman followed by Master Barman before they may be promoted higher.
If the student shows exceptional leadership skills, he can then be promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal. From there, promotions can proceed through the ranks of Corporal, Master Corporal, Sergeant and finally Warrant Officer.
The senior ranking student on campus during a school year is acknowledged as '"Head Boy"', and normally wears the rank of Sergeant or Warrant Officer. The other two senior student positions are '"Parade Sergeant Major"' and '"Aide-de-Camp"', both of which may wear either the rank of Sergeant or Warrant Officer, together they are referred to as "Top 3" at the academy.
Staff Ranks
Staff members at the Academy are organized into three general categories:
Academy officers normally wear the officer rank insignia which existed in the Canadian Army prior to 1968. Teachers wear either a second lieutenant's one "pip" or a lieutenant's two "pip" stars, company commanders wear a captain's three "pip" stars and the Headmaster wears a lieutenant colonel's crown and one "pip". Academy staff non-commissioned officers are normally composed of the Academy Sergeant-Major and his immediate subordinates, the Company Sergeants-Major. The ASM and the CSMs handle all daily drill and other military-theme classes at the Academy. Academy "civilian" staff do not wear military-style uniforms and do not hold an Academy rank.
