BY ROBERT GILL
EACH YEAR THE Army Cadet League of Canada (the League) recognizes members and volunteers who have made extraordinary contributions to the League in support of the Royal Canadian Army Cadets. This past April during its Annual Awards Dinner in Quebec City, the League recognized three such members.
Each year the League may nominate an individual to be recognized by the Chief of the Defence Staff for the contributions to the Royal Canadian Army Cadets. This year’s recipient has been supporting the Royal Canadian Army Cadets for nearly a lifetime.
Mr. Gerard Buckley has been actively involved in leadership roles within the cadet program starting in 1976 where he was a Volunteer Training Officer with the Royal Canadian Army and Air Cadets in Newfoundland.
In 1993 Mr. Buckley became a member of the League and a member of the National Board of Directors. During his 30-year tenure on the Board, he has remained actively engaged by participating or leading many Committees including the following: the Fund Development Committee, National Awards Committee, Finance & Audit Committee, and 50th Anniversary Committee.
In 1999, he created a fund as a way of assisting Cadet Corps and their sponsors to support extracurricular training while also demonstrating economic need. During 2004, during the 125th Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Army Cadets, he challenged himself to raise $125,000 to ensure that the original fund would live on in perpetuity. This work is now recognized as the Gerard Buckley Cadet Fund.
From the time the first grant was awarded up to this year, over $310,000 has been distributed to 90 Cadet Corps and Support Committees across the country, touching every province and territory. He continues to fundraise and personally contribute to this award annually.
In addition to his commitment to support Army Cadets, this individual has been committed to supporting the League, especially during a time of flux and modernization. He has been deeply and passionately dedicated to supporting the national board transformation. Over the past several years, his broad business and not-for-profit leadership knowledge and experience have been freely shared with the Board. This has included work on several key documents, policies, and committees ensuring effective governance practices and frameworks were established.
Mr. Buckley serves as President and CEO of Jaguar Capital Inc., offering financial guidance and leadership to early and growth-stage companies. He is also a Mortgage Broker at Buckley Mortgage Broker where his passion for real estate and investment translates into long-term client results.
He is a Fellow of The Institute of Canadian Bankers, holds his ICD.D designation with the Canadian Institute of Corporate Directors, and is also a Certified Management Consultant. Furthermore, Mr. Buckley has been honoured with The Institute of Canadian Banker’s Gold Medal for Academic Excellence and has achieved recognition as a Member of Scotiabank’s Chairman’s Club Award, an accolade bestowed upon its top Global Managers.
For well over 50 years now, Mr. Gerard Buckley has been contributing his skills, knowledge, expertise, network, and personal finances to support both the Royal Canadian Army cadets and The Army Cadet League of Canada.
