I am in need of your advice…
Two parade nights ago there were 6 flying spots down, myself and my friend knew we were free that day and put our names down. Later that parade night I was speaking to my father on the phone and he said that I now couldn’t go, as a very important party popped up. I was devastated and had to drop out of flying. Therefore I told the CO and the CO was not please (they have every right not to be pleased).
The following parade night the Squadron was formed up an the CO stood us to attention and told us off for dropping out of events and lack of discipline recently.
I felt really guilty and felt like I had left the Squadron and the CO down.
I and the CO had a good relationship and I now feel like it’s got downhill a little.
I am really in need of your advice of what to do next…
Should I write an apology? Through Email? Letter? Face to face?
If you are a CO what would you expect your cadet to do?
Would you expect them to do anything?
Should I let it go?
Always check with your parents before you say you can do something I very much doubt a “important party” has just popped out of nowhere these things are normaly planed…
I have no doubt this is why your CO is annoyed all you really can do is say sorry and dont let it happen again.
I would just knock on his door next parade night and tell him the above you are sorry and you will check in future.
This is a problem on most Sqns and it really is annoying when Cadets drop out at the last minute
While I’d be annoyed as I would now need to find replacements, a “sorry can’t make it” would suffice. At least you told your CO that night, rather than the day before!
Life happens and sometimes we aren’t as planned in our real lives as the ATC would like or things just happen and the ATC (shock horror) takes a back seat. Mind you the ATC isn’t all it’s cracked up to be in terms of forward planning that it might like to think it is and then just expects people to drop everything or not go on something they’ve planned time off to do. If your CO isn’t familiar with these notions then I’d wonder what Corps he’s in?
Did your CO tell you off directly or address the whole sqn? If drop outs etc have been on the increase recently across the whole sqn, then he IMO would have every right to say he’s not happy. I’ve done it a few times.
The point of that talk was to make you realise you had let the Squadron down and to ensure it doesn’t happen again. So sounds to me like that talk worked.
The main thing is that you take on board you need to check with your parents that you can make events before committing to them. In addition to that if you want to tell your CO that you have taken it on board then request a word next parade night or drop them an email. It isn’t necessary but doesn’t do any harm.
The talking to might have been a direct result of your dropping out but its likely that your dropping out is the latest of several last minute drop outs.
Drop outs cause problems as it means a last minute replacement has to be found otherwise time, money, and opportunities are wasted and this can affect future allocations for your squadron. If your Squadron doesn’t fill its flying spots there will be another Squadron who says I could have filled that spot, next time give them less and give more to me.