National Cadet Bisley Grand Champion Medal

The National Cadet Bisley Grand Champion Medal is a military medal that was instituted by the Republic of South Africa in 1987. Originally named the Cadet Corps Grand Champion Shot Medal, it was awarded to the Grand Champion of the annual National Cadet Bisley of the School Cadet Corps.

The South African military
The Union Defence Forces (UDF) were established in 1912 and renamed the South African Defence Force (SADF) in 1958. On 27 April 1994 it was integrated with six other independent forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

Orders, decorations and medals
In April 1952 a series of military decorations and medals was instituted, consisting of substitutes for many of the British and Commonwealth awards which had earlier been used. More decorations and medals, as well as an emblem for being mentioned in dispatches, were added between 1953 and 1970. In July 1975 the military decorations and medals of the Republic were revised. Some decorations and medals were carried over from the earlier series of 1952-1975 and new awards were instituted, followed by more between 1987 and 1991. Finally, all but one of these earlier awards were discontinued in respect of services performed on or after 27 April 2003, when a new set of nine decorations and medals was instituted to replace them.

Fount of Honour
Until 1958 the top three awards were reserved for conferment by the Queen while the rest were awarded by the Governor-General, but in 1958 the Governor-General was authorised to also award the top three. In 1961 the State President became the Fount of Honour, and in 1994 the President.

Award criteria
The National Cadet Bisley Grand Champion Medal was awarded to the grand champion of the annual National Cadet Bisley of the School Cadet Corps.

Order of precedence
The position of the National Cadet Bisley Grand Champion Medal in the official order of precedence was revised twice to accommodate the inclusion or institution of new decorations and medals, first with the integration into the South African National Defence Force in 1994 and again with the institution of a new set of awards in 2003.


 * South African Defence Force until 26 April 1994:
 * Official SADF order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the SADF Champion Shot Medal.


 * Official national order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the SADF Champion Shot Medal.


 * South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994:
 * Official SANDF order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the SADF Champion Shot Medal of the Republic of South Africa.
 * Succeeded by the President's Medal for Shooting of the Republic of Ciskei.


 * Official national order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the SADF Champion Shot Medal of the Republic of South Africa.
 * Succeeded by the President's Medal for Shooting of the Republic of Ciskei.

The position of the National Cadet Bisley Grand Champion Medal in the order of precedence remained unchanged as it was on 27 April 1994 when decorations and medals were belatedly instituted in April 1996 for the two former non-statutory forces, the Azanian People's Liberation Army and Umkhonto we Sizwe, and again when a new series of military decorations and medals was instituted in South Africa on 27 April 2003.
 * South African National Defence Force from 27 April 2003:

Description
The National Cadet Bisley Grand Champion Medal is a medallion struck in nickel silver, 3 millimetres thick and 38 millimetres in diameter, depicting the prancing springbok emblem of the School Cadet Corps of the South African Defence Force, partly surrounded by a wreath of leaves.
 * Obverse

The reverse has the words "KADETKORPS" and "CADET CORPS" in the centre, surrounded by the words "GROOTKAMPIOENSKUT" above and "GRAND CHAMPION SHOT" below, with the medal number engraved underneath the centre inscription. The South African Coat of Arms does not appear on the medal. The reverse of the specimen medal depicted is erroneously inscribed "SHOTS" instead of "SHOT".
 * Reverse

The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide and yellow with 6 millimetres wide dark green edges.
 * Ribbon

Status
Originally shown as named the "Cadet Corps Champion Shot Medal" in 1993, the name of the medal was shown as the "National Cadet Bisley Grand Champion Medal" in 2003. The medal did not appear under either name in the list of decorations and medals that were discontinued on 26 April 2003.