Air Cadet Activities

Cadets Ask the Staff
1

Good morning,

I have a question about issues that are being experienced in a particular air cadet unit (I don’t want to disclose the one as I have been told in confidence)

It would appear that the Senior NCO is preventing Flight Sargent’s from organising activities with their flights cadets as they do not want to have to fill in all of the paperwork.

This is leading to a poor experience for cadets who are keen to do more, but I am unsure of how to progress this issue.

Is this something that is experienced in other flights?

If so how have you overcome this issue?

Is there a formal route for raising this with more senior members of the Air Cadets?

Many thanks

Peter

2

Are you able to specify, without giving away unit location, whether the Senior NCO saying no is an adult or another cadet, and what kind of activities we’re talking about?

3

Not knowing specifics but initial glance at this line would tell me the FS is trying to organise off-site activities. Typically this comes with a raft of other requirements and from a selfish (albeit valid) point of view, sometime the admin is too much of a hassle to consider.

Maybe the FS could ask what the paperwork requirements are and look at completing it themselves and then have it checked by SNCO/OC?

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4

I will see if I can find out more, but I believe these are off-site activities which require risk assessments.

Many thanks

5

This sounds like an interesting idea and one that I will suggest to the cadet that raised the issue.

I can understand that some paperwork might be long winded, however if you make your flight a fun, exciting and educational experience, then you are bound to gain greater numbers.

Delegation definitely appears to be a possible solution.

Many thanks

6

Equally so, how much groundwork has the FS themselves put in rather than just coming up with the ideas and then expecting it to happen?

“Hey guys, let’s have a trip to the moon tomorrow!”
“OK, so have you sorted transport, moon flight RA’s, cleared it with NASA (or relevant authority), got any SMS applications done, received correct consents from the cadets, had SMS app signed off (etc, etc!).”

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7

^ this.

I’d support cadet NCOs (and staff, for that matter) in delivering anything, so long as they’re prepared to do the leg work.

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8

And pay for it when applicable.

Actual conversation at our place not too long ago involved cadets thinking they could ask us if we could arrange a trip to the snow dome in 3 days and they completely ignored the £45/head cost of the activity.

The activity didn’t go ahead.

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9

I’ll be the cynic here and suggest the Cadets don’t understand the requirements for an activity to go ahead.

For me it’s an eye opener to them to have to do all the admin themselves to support the activity. Hopefully the CFAV has the foresight to put that to them instead of just refusing the activity though.

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