So what exactly are the People that Matter _“The Cadets” gtting out of the 75th Year, they are the ones having to Parade all over the Place.
I thought that it would have been nice to issue them all with a Pin Badge of the 75th logo or some similar item at the beginning of the anniversary, there was talk f a Coin but that hasn’t been seen yet and the Birthday has passed already.
Please God (Excuse the Pun) dont tell me we will see Bibles again this Year our Wing Chaplin is still trying to get rid of those ones from the 70th with no great success.
Nothing official, for the 50th cadets who went to clement st Danes were issued an official 50th anniversary certificate. It better not be another bible
I had heard through unofficial channels the cadets might get… An update on gliding
i’m afraid i’d rather take the view that ‘the cadet experience’ is so far down the list of interests of the ACO that your question made me laugh…
i never used to think that, i’ve spent 20 years believing that the ACO from HQAC to the Sqns was an organisation of thoroughly decent people doing the best they possibly could and almost always delivering far more than could possibly be expected of them - now however i’ve changed my view.
the scales started to fall from my eyes when i rejoined after many years away - my Sqn, a very good Sqn, a very active Sqn, a Sqn with 45 parading every night, with an award winning OC and lots of talanted, motivated staff, was being put forward for the Lees Trophy by our Wing HQ. we had a 45 minute presentation about the process and what a good, solid, active and well attended Sqn would have to do in order to win - in short, lots of hard work and not a little tedium over paperwork - after a great deal of chat and too-ing and fro-ing, someone asked what all this extra work would give the cadets in terms of their experience.
blank looks is apparently the answer - neiither the wing commander. DWCO, Wing ExO nor Sector WSO could give a single solid example of an activity or experience that our cadets would gain by being involved.
this is why i have always been against ANOTHER parade for ATC Sunday.
Our Sqn already do two “compulsory” Parades (Remembrance and Battle of Britain) with a third D-Day parade in the calendar.
what is the need for another on a wet grey cold February for? unless as big as Wing/National events in big cities there is little public interest and critically no one lining the streets to “show off” the organisation to!
instead we went on a museum trip on Sunday. The CivCom agreed to subsidise the cost and so the Cadets got a day out at an museum matching our aims to “promote and encourage aviation” for only £2.
I am not against Parades, of the three parades the Squadron does i don’t take part in my blue ATC guise but as the RBL Parade Marshall, i love a good parade but there really is limited appeal to have another when there is limited public interest in it imo
What did the cadets get out of the 50th anniversary, the 25th anniversary?
Sometimes it’s not about getting something OUT of it, it’s about TAKING PART in it. Perhaps a good chance to bang the national media band waggon and get it under peoples noses? Generate some interest in recruiting. The national press this weekend pretty much all carried a story.
Beds, Cambs and Hunts had a parade at Ely Cathedral for the 25th, then as Beds and Cambs, had a parade at Ely Cathedal for the 50th, and again for the 75th. So in another 25 years expect another parade…
I remember for the 50th there was a range of stuff available including stationary, tea towels and a Wedgewood bone china plate.
There was a nice looking cake down in London at the weekend…
I can imagine the look and sarcastic “thanks” I’d get from my guys if I gave them a pin badge, coin, bible etc…
To me this year should have been used to get cadets opportunities that’ll never happen again or visits to places they wouldn’t normally go to. So far it just seems to be more parades and a torch relay that seems to be more of a burden than anything else.
My really far out idea was to have a flight of cadets who had been trained to do flypasts in formation at airshows!
Not to worry folks, North Region Council are doing their bit for the 75th Anniversary by “tasking” each and every squadron to run a bag pack on 27-28 February, regardless of existing planned activities.
At least squadrons will get to keep 50% of the money raised… if they participate.
“Jacques
Not to worry folks, North Region Council are doing their bit for the 75th Anniversary by “tasking” each and every squadron to run a bag pack on 27-28 February, regardless of existing planned activities.
At least squadrons will get to keep 50% of the money raised… if they participate.”
NOT ANOTHER BAG PACK, If my cadets out the effort in they should get the 100% wheres the other 50% going…
daws1159
Memories that will last a life time? I’m sure the cadets who marched down the strand and then saw the future Queen won’t forget it in a hurry.
Realy? I didnt see any Pictures of the Duchess of Cornwall… Perhaps because we hadnt got any more Brooches to give away. ( I see this years new Female Dacre winner is Air Commodore Kate Middleton)
papa_november
In my wing we’re all being encouraged to do 15 ‘Park Runs’. Jog on kitty…
the_silverback
There is going to be some circuit training in July, every cadet is to take part…
Good Luck with those too, maybe our Wing cmdr will break that news to my cadets himself and along with the Wing Staff lead from the Front.come on be realistic all the Cadets are realy going to volunteer for this one aren’t they…who’s supplying the “Qualified PTI” and Risk assessment.
My Question remains "What are the Cadets going to get out of the “Celebration” it appears they will be doing all the work.
The cadets will get sod all and let’s be honest they been getting used to getting sod all out of the organisation, despite they and the staff (let’s not forget no staff, cadets can’t go/do) have to do the work/give up their time to make the glitterati look good. I bet all but one or two of the ‘brass’ at the parade in London, wanted to be there and not doing it, because they were told to and so as not to miss out on a chance to be in the presence of the great and the good and maybe a photo op. I imagine a lot of Wing/Region Staff were there for the same reason. Was there a nice lunch for them, while the staff and cadets go onto coaches? I asked a question of how many WSO go to their local Remembrance Parades and only one indicated they do. When they were on a sqn they would have, but it seems going onto Wing or Region means not having to bother. I did get my Legion branch to invite our WSO one year, but he was ‘doing his hair’.
The 75th does seem to revolve around some meaningless and pointless non air related activities. As for a bag pack to mark the 75th, they are joking of course. Sports days and so on are all the invention of the clueless and those who won’t have to be there.
I’ve been in the organisation for the 40th, (as a cadet) 50th, 60th, 70th and now 75th for the ATC and the 150 and I cannot recall at any point the cadets getting a commemorative gift of some kind. There have been limited edition things on sale, paintings (prints), ceramics etc.
For the cadets that went to The Cranditz 2000 refugee encampment, there were some gizzits. There’s not even a national camp of this kind. But this would require some effort from HQAC to do, then dik someone else and then look to take the glory.
For me though since 1999 we seem to have been on some money grabbing era of ‘commemorating’ everything, as we have tried to allay the guilt trip of not doing anything beforehand, many of which have a range of objects attached to it and if they are military something we are expected to attend.
Why? I’m stating fact on some things and opinion on others. If you’re not comfortable with the notions, that’s not my problem.
Not until the 1995 with the VE50 and then once it was realised the last WWI veterans were dying and we’d lose that connection with that era did anyone start to mark events and now with WW2 battles etc. I was enthralled watching the programmes aired 10/11 years ago and I read Harry Patch’s book regularly. I think it has got to the point now where there are so many that they lose their relevance except to those that were there. I can see a gradual timeline of post-1945 military events/campaigns (Malaya, Korea, Aden etc) gain importance as the WW2 veterans die out. The problem is not many of these veterans want to talk about it. One my dad’s mates took part in D Day and to this day won’t talk about and has no interest in the commemorations nor smiliarly anything to do with VE. Our vicar says he’s done lots of funerals and never known the people have served in the forces, despite them being regular churchgoers.
With the ATC should we be bothering with the 75th unless the great and the good don’t think we’ll get to 80? The 70th went with a whimper as did the 60th and the 50th and 40th.
