This. Desperately this.
Get the feeling and impression from many on here that OCs on some Sqns are micro managing and trying to do everything for the little darlings. STOP!
let them do it.
If they cant, get an nco to help them… 
Ah, but some of them are idiots…
Personally I like the opportunity to look at a cadet and pick a size!
I’ve met plenty of idiot staff over the years, it’s not a malady restricted to parents/cadets.
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I have found in my experience that if parents are to be responsible for measuring for uniform then they need very specific guidance. Have you seen the way that parents dress their kids in smart clothes?
Shirts that are 5 sizes too big, so that they can “grow into it”.
Little Johnny is not a size 15" collar, despite what the parent might order from the Littlewoods catalogue… A shirt collar should not fasten like a v-neck cardigan.
Even with guidance I’ve had sizes returned from a parent that on first glance I know are nonsense.
I get parents emailing me to ask how the sizes for combat clothing works… “I don’t understand all the numbers”…
So, perhaps, if there is a ‘cadet orders-delivered to cadet’ type service, it might still not be a bad idea to measure at the Squadron, select appropriate sizes with experience, and issue the cadet a chit with the sizes they should order.
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I don’t think it’s a case of treating people like idiots. It’s a case of recognising that our sizing system is probably going to be different to the system that our parents and older cadets have used previously and that that could cause confusion. Every wrong order will incur a cost to the organisation, and that risk shouldn’t be ignored.
It’s not a case of micromanaging. If your going to change a system that’s designed to make your life easier, it’s worth considering the full implications. If you spend more time helping parents with their electronic order than you would measuring up the cadet and submitting an order as we do now, then what’s the point?
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That’s always been my approach… ‘Which route gives me the least difficulty in achieving the desired outcome?’
It is for that reason that I abandoned the trial of getting parents to provide the sizes. In the end, it made more work for me to achieve the outcome - which was to have smart cadets in properly fitting uniform.
Jerseys are another classic example where measuring, taking that number, and just ordering the size which purports to accommodate it will often lead to a big, badly fitting jersey. A bit of experience knows that chest size in the jersey is less important than looking at the cadet’s shoulders and making an educated judgement call. Parents don’t have that familiarity with our uniform.
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So would every drive to WHQ to collect kit.
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But we can reduce that risk substantially by ensuring that each cadet is measured accurately, and the correct sizes ordered by someone who understands the sizing system.
I would suggest that those best placed to that are the Sqn staff.
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I know when I was kitting the kids out in MTP that we went to a surplus shop and they tried things on, not just random online eBay stuff and most of the other kids parents in my area have done the same. Appreciate it’s not that easy for everyone though.
We haven’t physically measured cadets in years, we sent them home with a sheet and got them to fill it in. Getting them to put that online is no different.
Same here…
Who in the right mind is actually measuring cadets?
You’re not telling us that you’re doing inside leg measurements… you might want to stop doing that if you are!
Presumably someone would still cast an eye over the order to check that all is well, though? Just in case little Johnny has confused his chest size in inches with his collar size in cms?
Spoilsport!
Seriously, though, we issue a size request chart, complete with drawings of how and where to measure. The cadet fill in the form themselves, and then those measurements are checked by the WO, and if they look suss, the cadet is asked to do it again (with a cadet nco to help if they are struggling). The WO then takes those sizes, and selects the best uniform size.
When the uniform arrives, the cadet tries it on, and any adjustments advised on. Hopefully, with a bit of uniform care turion, the net result is a cadet with uniform that fits reasonably well.
Having an experienced member of staff involved in the process means that the cadet is supported through the ordering process, and the uniform we order is pretty much what is needed.
right than Cadet Jones, you take this end and hold it at the top of your inside leg, i shall take this end to your ankle and take the measurement
what is wrong with that?
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That’s how we do it. Although as we currently only have female cadets I stay out of the uniform measurement full stop.
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If one were really worried, one could use the old tailor’s trick of a length of cord with the tape measure attached to it.
In the good old days, the cord would have a hook on one end which one attached through the gentleman’s waist coat button and then the other end is held behind him. This pulls the cord and tape measure to the correct place for an inside leg measurement.
But given that trousers come only in fixed increments I’ve always found that having the cadet hold it, a quick look to ensure they’ve got it right, and then a glance down to their ankle gives me a perfectly accurate measurement.
With the exception of inside leg, the general paranoia about measuring cadets is unfounded.
I would often train the cadet NCOs to do it. They crack out the measurements, I eyeball as a sanity check and scribble them down on my form.
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Suits you, Sir!
Or wo could use the system we already have with a little tweak.
Measure the cadets on the Sqn.
input sizes on SMS.
SMS generates the order on press of button
Order gets sent to address on SMS.
Simples
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I’m sure our friends in the Volunteer team will be able to find a way to port that across to Cadet Portal, and just need a staff “verify” button.
Same! Hold here, we read here, write it down and send it off. I may be pig headed but what’s the issue?