Yes.
But that doesn’t just apply to RAFAC, of course.
This is going to continue for months, so we have to pace ourselves and try to avoid the boredom, but also keep running something. Not least to give cadets some continuity and familiarity.
Clearly the longer we’re in shutdown, the more difficult the restart will be, but if we can keep some cadets engaged through online activities then the restart should be a bit easier. So ideally we need to keep running some online activities, for as long as it takes (6 months?).
More important though is keeping a core of staff engaged, without whom Squadrons won’t be able to reopen and Wing activities won’t happen. We’ve had staff go NEP and others haven’t been seen for weeks, whether due to job pressures, family demands or lack of interest in online. All fair reasons. Running too many activities is likely to burn staff out.
If we lose most of our cadets, but keep most of our staff, I think that’s a better long term outcome than keeping lots of cadets but burning out staff.
5 Likes
Will we lose a lot of staff and cadets from a long lockdown? Yes. Will we lose units? Almost certainly. But those that do remain will be able to take advantage of the break and hopefully have a hard reset. This makes it easier to change things that are done because that’s how we’ve always done it.
It could also be good for the new Commandant coming in. Giving him time to do a deep dive into policies and maybe have some zoom meetings with staff at the coalface rather than jumping straight into the merry go round of visiting carefully selected squadrons/contingents who toe the line in order to get a photo op. Sorry everyone, I’m in a weirdly optimistic mood today
4 Likes
Doesn’t help those who have just spent 3 years building from the ground up though!
2 Likes
Yeah indeed
Or those who are working their balls off now to keep it going.
Will be interesting to see how HQAC reacts if the devolved nations take a different line to central government on when groups like ours can return.
1 Like
Based on recent events I can see Westminster saying something and then a couple weeks later, for purely political reasons, the others follow along.
Right, so the reason the devolved governments have maintained a stricter lockdown is because the infection is running at a slower rate there than in England. Call that politics if you want but I don’t think it is.
1 Like
You really do speak out your hoop!
Scotland is 2 weeks behind England with the virus…
If you care to actually look at the stats carefully You will note Scotland never really peaked like England (London) we went up and then have plateaued and this plateau is gently reducing.
Perhaps if Scotland delayed by 2 weeks then we would of seen a similar curve and graph.
The mayor of Gateshead was on the news wishing he could keep the lock down on a similar track to Scotland as they are about the same Infection rate.
We did the right thing going into the lockdown as the UK, we should perhaps be coming out more as regions with northern England still locked down but mutants out there can’t understand the rules so it’s all or none for each country.
2 Likes
If only the First Minister was saying that as her reasoning rather than grandstanding and accusing BoJo of being irresponsible.
2 Likes
I don’t know what’s being reported in England, I hate Nicola but she is not doing that. The media have been trying to get her to make it political but she is really clear at her briefings that we are still higher with the R rate than England and about 2 weeks behind.
It really pains me to stick up for the boot but she is avoiding making it political in anyway and keeps telling the media she will not be drawn into a political fight over coronavirus.
4 Likes
Well I have to say thats a refreshing change for her.
1 Like
What’s the consensus on an enforced entire RAFAC stand down for a couple of weeks in the Summer?
Give everyone a break, commitment at that time would usually be lower for everyone due to holidays, camps etc but this year might give those a bit of a break who have been slogging away.
I’d be in two minds about it.
It would remove the pressure some of us are feeling to deliver stuff but equally risks there being not very much to stand back up again after the break.
I know some squadrons have a break over the summer anyway so no reason individual units couldn’t make that decision if they wanted to. Cadets can continue to attend Wing events if that appeals to them.
1 Like
I would say more than equally risks this.
It’s not like we have face to face fun activities to entice them back with.
You want a break.
Take one.
Stand your Sqn staff down for a month
this!
I know some squadrons who are not “Staff rich” and so only takes one to go away on a Summer camp and another on annual leave or the wrong work shift and it isn’t even a skeleton staff that is left let alone who turns up!
There are units who reduce to one night a week during the summer.
Given that other events will continue, and is the prime time for camps i don’t see it working. While Bob, John and Susan are all on camp, the remaining Staff aren’t even expected to attend the Squadron for 2.5 hours…?
it would also be best to have a three week break on “events” as having two weeks off prior to a camp or similar is bound to mess some people up. there are always last minute changes or items which need running around for, be it uniform or other kit for a Cadet, paperwork for Staff, or a signature in a book for something. and these won’t be possible if no one is around for two weeks…take Christmas as an example, nothing happens typically until mid-January earliest.
edit: I will add i know that some units over the summer try to combine parade nights, be that a night at the climbing wall, or a visit to a mutually convenient sports field for football or rounders match.
I can be disheartening in August making the effort to get to the unit and opening up only to fine you’ve got 3 Staff and 7 Cadets, all in different stages of training and the training programme might as well go out the window…
1 Like
The issue comes with that window being the only real time for week long camps.
Ok, there’s not as many as there used to be, but it’s still a way for the cadets to meet different cadets and spend longer than one or two nights away; there the greatest development happens.
It’s also (hopefully) the best weather of the year so it’s the best time for DofE expeds. My unit usually has 2 or 3 Bronze groups, 2 or 3 Silvers and a Gold, we need that time to get through everyone’s needs.
I think it’s more a case of “if it works for you, go for it”, but enforcing it Corps-wide would cause too many issues.
Agree. Pre-lockdown we were planning a whole contingent week long camp. Due to training, family holidays, other cadet camps etc there was only one week where we could staff it. If this happened to fall during an enforced shutdown week that’s the camp gone.
Just realised that the OP meant it as a permanent policy going forwards. I’d interpreted it as only for the lockdown period but I do broadly agree with what everyone else says.
No, I did mean it as just during lockdown, units should be left to themselves usually IMO.
1 Like