So following on from a debate on another thread.
Does your Squadron charge Cadets for lost and damaged items such as Blue Uniform or 3822’s?
Comment below if you don’t mind saying how much you charge.
0 voters
£5 into the canteen funds for a lost or U/S 3822… since introducing that we haven’t had to waste our time writing new ones as often as we had!
You can’t force them to pay that fiver though.
Hes right
If you lose / damage a bank card are you charged for a replacement…
Did I say we force them…
Maybe not but I can imagine the way it’s put to them.
You would have to put your list out to parents so they know what they are in for.
What happens if the cadets talk to others and it becomes apparent no one else is doing this, what would you do if a parent came in saying where’s my fiver.
The notion of enforcing something like this is reprehensible and a pretty low form of exploitation.
A mate of mine took over a squadron where they charged a refundable £10 deposit for uniform on issue. It stopped straight away and all tenners returned. He said a parent asked him and he said he’d never heard of or known of this sort of thing, so he stopped it.
No. But I am fairly sure it’ll be a case of “that’ll cost you a fiver” followed by a “yes sir”. You need to make it clear that it is a voluntary contribution to the upkeep of the squadron.
I know a sqn that charges £50 deposit for the uniform but if items are missing or the are signes of wear they dont get the whole deposit back
Disgusting.
Our CO made it clear that parents would need to be informed that not only the proposal is this charge, but where the money goes, and what happens with it (buying new equipment/xmas party , that sort of thing).
I think we only received one payment. We noticed that the rate they lose/destroy their 3822s have reduced dramatically which is what I’d say we wanted.
Also worth noting that members of the committee have been discussing this long before the CO made the decision
I’ve known sqns that charge a deposit for uniform, and others that charge the going rate to get brand new kit if they lose theirs - how they do it, im not sure.
How they do it? Technically illegally.
Surely there’s a distinction between blue uniform and all other loaned kit? The Squadron gets blues for free, but everything else in stores is owned by the unit. If the cadets went out on exped and lost a sleeping bag, you better believe they’re paying for it!
If I can get the item replaced, the cadet doesn’t get charged. If there are supply issues I tell the parent to go out and buy a replacement.
If the cadet lost or damaged a piece of detachment issued equipment such as a bergen or webbing, they are getting the bill.
Out of curiosity, which law is being broken?
When I joined as a cadet it was standard practice in our wing to pay a £20 deposit for you uniform and a pay a rate for missing uniform.
Paying for replacement uniform does have its pros and cons.
The cadets are more inclined to take more of their uniform, they parents are more interested in the uniform
It does make a rise in cadets nicking uniform from other cadets, cadets might stop turning up if they have lost uniform.
Regarding issuing of uniform, I would check an OLD acp20 there used to be a note I’m sure saying initial and updated (out grown) were free. Replacement issues would be charged and to be honest it should be if someone can’t look after it then they shouldn’t be given free things all the time.
The only time we charge for kit is Sqn purchased stuff - parents have to sign a waiver if they borrow it stating that if it is returned damaged or missing parts then they must replace it. Its not public property its ours so thats our right to do that. The alternative is they buy their own - which some prefer to do. We cant charge for RAF inventory items, nor those issued free by the ATC. Occasionally we have had to recommend cadets buy their own kit but usually I get the civ com to stump up for it if there are supply issues - prime example currently being PTS badges. Just bought Sqn ident badges and all outstanding PTS badges with sqn funds.
I’m generally with the people above - I wouldn’t charge for anything that doesn’t cost the unit money.
One of my former units did use a deposit system, not for uniform but for subs which seemed to work OK.
You can’t make a profit out of a non-profit organisation. And as the clothing itself is issued free they are making a profit. It’s just not right.
You’re not making a profit if any of the money raised is going back to the cadets in some form.