Longish time lurker, finally moved to where I’ll be living long term so in a position to put down roots and hopefully become a CI at my local squadron. COVID obviously has scuppered this but do you think there is any chance of CI recruitment starting in even the medium term?
Reason for posting is I’ve tried various ways of contacting the Sqn. Started with emails, then phoned the really helpful Wing HQ who emailed for me but still not heard anything. Appreciate that they won’t be parading so may we’ll not have got the emails yet but has anyone got any bright ideas about how to get in touch by other means? Last thing I want to do is start pestering though!! Thanks everyone.
Welcome to the forum and glad to hear you’re keen to become a CI. Recruitment activity will vary from Wing to Wing, but ours has started recruiting, as an example. There are some Sqns having some time off in August though, so they might be taking a break from email. How long have you been trying?
Whilst it’s a bit poor show from the sqn not to get in contact but I would let them off a bit in The current situation as we don’t know what the staff are involved with in the background.
My suggestion would be monitor the sqns Facebook page or other social media and then Once you see they are open again give them a week Before popping in that way they get a chance maybe to catch up with emails etc.
I’d say it was about a month ago I got in touch (online form though so haven’t got the emails to actually look at). It makes sense for the break, particularly in the current climate. Fingers crossed the email from wing will definitely have made it through whatever filter hoops the emails have on them. Appreciate the reply!
Was that a deliberate decision by your wing to say ‘everyone you can recruit again’ or has it just happened gradually (haven’t got sharepoint access are this point obviously so unaware of anything on there about this!)
@big_g that’s a good call, they’re only a short walk from me so once bedded in just knocking on the door might be the easiest way of doing it. Totally get they may well have loads of other stuff on (for all I know half the staff could be paramedics and totally exhausted)
I probably wasn’t clear, sorry. There are various Wing led introduction and training activities, which our Wing has started again. That wouldn’t have stopped a Sqn making contact or sending out initial paperwork though.
You could be right about the staff. Some Sqns don’t have anyone available at the moment due to their work demands. Another possibility is that the Sqn isn’t well staffed and has poor admin. If that’s the case, you might consider looking at another unit. Or perhaps you want a challenge and could help to sort them out once you’re staff? Either way, it wouldn’t hurt to email another Sqn, if there’s another nearby. They might respond immediately.
Ah. That would be the reason.
The online form doesn’t go direct to the Squadron - it requires intervention. I suspect that HQAC send down to Wing HQ, and then at Sqns the details are manually forwarded on to us by the staff at Wing HQ.
With the various restrictions thanks to the virus it’s entirely likely that the permanent staff haven’t been in a position to see it or action it yet.
As has been suggested above, once you’ve found the Squadron number of your local unit you can then email direct.
Well had some success. Facebook suggestion worked, messaged them in that and got an immediate response. Don’t know why I didn’t think of it earlier. I only left as a cadet less than 10 years ago, just wasn’t that much of a thing back then! Thanks for all the replies.
Agree with ‘AlexCorbin’. We had a prospective CI contact us directly - replied that obviously not parading, but suggested a “distanced” coffee at some point.
Also copied in my Wing’s staff development officer - so he knew we had been contacted, and could contact them too.
