North region RATTO is insisting that team leaders for wing road marching teams must have completed BELA are any other regions facing this problem
Got to keep the numbers down some how!! Where does it stipulate BEL?
If true, thatâll mess up our Wing 
Dosnt stipulate anywhere just new ruling from RATTO and yep it will destroy RM
Not had that problem - in fact, they were clear that BEL wasnât appropriate or required.
Perhaps the new in-house FTTL course will become a prerequisite as things do forward but for now it may be an idea to loop-in the NMROA
Sorry for sounding daft., whats is NMROA. I have just been dropped into team leader and wing RM manager.
NMRO is the Nijmegen Marches Registrations Officer - a regular who looks after all BMC registrations, exceptâŚ
The NMRA (just noticed the renaming) is the Nijmegen Marches Registrations Assistant, a recent addition that coordinates cadet participants (RAFAC at least - not 100% on the others). He is RAFAC officer and can be reached at roadmarching@aircadets.org
Iâd recommend splitting the roles of Team Manager and Team Leader, if you have a buddy who can assist 
If youâve just been dropped into the role, are you a member of the âBMC Nijmegen Marches 2017â facebook group for team leaders and assistants?
And he doesnât bite (much) 
No, he is a good guy; any questions or concerns, drop hi a line and he will respond quickly.
thanks for all your support. If I could have evidence that all all regions except North are allowing FTTL to supervise Nijmegen it would add fuel
Actually, not even that. In all the research I did a few years ago, there was no actual need for FTTL on a training walk and BEL was not considered to be an appropriate qualification either. I doubt there was a consensus between wings or regions.
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Road Marching doesnât need a BEL as it doesnât fall under the definition of âtrekkingâ in the ACATI. In order to be trekking you have to be a certain distance or walking time away from a road, which of course, by road marching, you probably arenâtâŚ
Just suggest that the FTTL course covers it and get on it ASAP. Iâve led teams to Nij for years and donât have a BELA.
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Bring it up with your regional commandant. He has released a letter telling you to challenge spurious and unnecessary admin.
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My WATTO tried insisting on it once. After educating him in the error of his ways he saw sense.
Itâs road marching not an expedition so BELA is completely unsuitable even if the ACTO said you need a qualification (which it doesnât!)
If you have to have a BEL to cover placing one foot in front of another on a road and we are responsible for our cadets when they arrive and depart from the Sqn, will all staff have to be BEL qualified?
The point of a BEL for trekking is that there is an element of remoteness and you will be training by away from roads. Explain to your RATTO that Road Marching is Cadets marching on a road!! Just like marching to a Remembrance Parade, but for longer and ultimately in the land of chips and mayonnaise!!
Donât forget the curry ketchup!
And donât forget the Applebollen and Thee.
FTTL is the way ahead. Surely the RATTO is shooting themselves in the foot; a Road Marching Team is over the ratios, so he/she should know that. Having a single person with BEL breaks the quals ratio!!
I find the whole BEL/Lowland Leader/Road Marching/Walking situation to be utterly bonkers.
I can lead a team around Nijmegen. I can take cadets on roach marching training walks.
But I canât take them out on the public footpaths around the village without completing 16 hours contact training, 16 hours contact assessment, and 100 hours of âquality daysâ walking experience to prove that I understand how to navigate and how to keep a team safe and motivated. 
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Considering that we are now allowed to break the ratios for DofE the water is even murkier!
Madness. I am glad we donât have your rules!
Unless you call it Field craftâŚ
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