i seem to have a vague memory of them being shared in a file possibly on ACC or its predecessor. I am sure I have seen a “library” of word docs with lyrics written down…but i cannot find anything in the ACC Drive so must have been elsewhere…
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Can we maybe a) stay on topic and b) not post any more lyrics to songs we probably shouldn’t be encouraging 13 year olds to sing?
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But whats the point of Road Marching then?
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To get a shiney badge for your brassard. And to talk about PC things and make friends. But the badge is more important.
Good question.
Never seen the point and frankly wont be sad to see it go if ol Tone gets his way.
Before anyone reaches down my throat…
No different to all those who wouldn’t care less if shooting, or cyber, or sports or classifictions rtc etc dissapered.
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Sorry i forgot to put the /s at the end of my post.
I like Road Marching
Agreed.
We’ve lost so much and gained so little. It’s worry how much more will be lost.
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Replying to Victor Zulu and Paracetamol
From my perspective, the downsides of Road Marching was that there is a ridiculous amount of paperwork to be completed before each activity - often the case with many activities.
A senior officer suggested that most, if not all physical activities could be governed by a series of Safe Standard Operating Procedures, similar to shooting, so that everyone sticks to the same rules and gets on with it…
The enthusiasm of the staff involved from top is undeniable - as is of those that deliver RM to cadets.
It’s a bit of a fun sponge - provided you’ve got staff on the activity that enjoy it, get in with the cadets and have a laugh - then it can be a great giggle.
If you’ve got staff involved that don’t want to be there, then this will also come across.
Many of the little cherubs that sign up for it, do so, because of the absence of other activities, and it beats sitting at home - or their parents suggest that they do it, to get them out the house!
In our Wing, there as a lot of interest based kn how well previous cadets and staff had enjoyed the training walks, Cosford & Lyneham…. The cadets come back with stories that inspire!
Cost of delivery is frankly, peanuts - so that should keep Wing happy.
Materials and equipment - basic
Previous experience - minimal
RMTL trainjng course for staff - straightforward and achievable; deliverable via a Teams or Venue based one day course and a second half day / full day practical assessment.
As an activity - it’s walking a little briskly…
We’re blessed with some brilliant areas to train, starting in towns and heading out into the countryside.
Great views, interesting buildings, plenty of sky and often lots of wildlife.
Above all - it’s a good few hours of not being on devices, but chatting to one another and trying to remember jokes - while teaching cadets songs that they’ll remember in to their 40s & 50s.
Sounds stupid, but as a former cadet who went staff, it was for me.
The biggest problem I see is that staff are already in short supply. There is already an overload of bureaucracy and lack of support from Wing level.
Instead of offering a collaborative approach to see how much HQAC / Region / Wing can do to support VOLUNTEERS to enable them to deliver tasks more easily and more simply, they squander the valuable spare time of its volunteers on onerous activities.
With the latest review of what activities RAFAC deliver, checking to see if they’re conducive with the goals of Astra etc, Road Marching is far from desirable - frankly Fieldcraft will go the same way…
But ask cadets what activities they actually WANT to do, and they have always come back with the same answers, Flying, Gliding, Shooting, Fieldcraft, Camps… getting active, getting dirty and having a laugh…
Suffice as to say that humour and fun is at the heart of it.
Much of that humour has had to evolve and become politically correct… but hey ho
Happy to send a Word doc to anyone that wants it with the songs I used to sing… just use your own judgement as to which ones are still allowed! Two documents available - one clean, one not so… (don’t sue me!)
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Flying drones such as RC helicopters or planes?
Close to our squadron we have a recreational ground, in summer we go there for sports or fieldcraft activities in autumn. There is a cricket strip made of fake grass perfect to use as a runway.
I think we are missing out by not engaging in that activity, at least in our sector. There are so many benifits:
• 100% related to aviation
• Promotes skills that could be used for DoFE
• Sets a goal for cadets to aim, improves skills over time
• Enhances the use of concentration and coordination
• Can be done during cadet evenings
• Exiting
Also it’s not all dreams & rainbows:
• Easy to crash the drone
• Expensive
• Only one cadet can fly at a time
• Equipment can get damaged
• Takes a long time to train each cadet to operate the aircraft
The cost of the drone can be covered by the civilian committee, insurance? Can have an experienced person with backup controller to take over in case things go wrong. A supervisor always present and perhaps an evaluation system?
Cadets can be trained on the flight sim at squadron nights, and if they are deemed good enough they can fly.
Well that’s my idea and I hope I’ll convience my squadron for that activity.
It’s not just your sector. The activity is banned (for reasons that defeat all attempts at understanding) for the Air Cadets.
You can fly small drones indoors, if you have the space.
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“Flying drones outside in a big open space is far too dangerous, we must look at alternatives”.
“You’re right sir, let’s restrict it to all the cadets and drones being in the same room. Far safer to be somewhere that has a fire exit etc.”
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Yep, compact them all together in a much smaller space and increase the risk of human/drone interface.
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Road marching!
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Not quite yet 
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In my world there’s the odd activity i miss (microlights was so much fun) but the one thing i yearn for is being spontaneous…I’ve lost far too many cadets over the years due to not being able to get staff qualified to run AT / FCT etc. because the courses arent there…
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Sorry but that simply isn’t true. There are courses run throughout the year and have done for many years with both our own NACATC centres, with the CCAT courses on a top up basis or people could even go and do it privately if they really wanted (although you might then need to pay for that from sqn funds).
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There’s also many regions and wings running courses on top of what’s being offered at the national level!
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I do wish I could log in to SharePoint on the phone. It used to work…
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