Agreed on safeguarding however unless you use the RAFAC AT centres for DofE and are using public campsites, the safeguarding concerns come about there, no age segregation in showers etc
Maybe not, but not do you have the Communal Showers and Nude Saunas that you get in Holland!
These concepts only appeal to me when very particular are using them . . . other people shudders
If HQAC have an issue over campsites/accom, then THEY should arrange for a single location for all and ensure it meets HQAC rules and regs.
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When I was in Nijmegen the showers were all cubicles?
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I went in 2013 and it was all communal. When did you go?
2022 Heumensoord was cubicles too, and there were over 18/under 18 time slots to follow
But was there a slot for staff cadets who are over 18 so can’t shower with under the 18s slot but also aren’t staff so can’t shower them either! 
If he’d stopped cadet participation in IAT, would IAT have to be cancelled and all the trouble that would have brought?
I think the BMC would have kicked us out of we rocked up, told them we weren’t actually walking and we needed a third, bespoke shower option 
Asking the real questions.
Having done many years as a Cadet at Fairford I think they would have struggled to deliver - just the FOD plods alone are big undertakings.
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In the BMC which is continuing, not in the Civvy venues.
“Do what is right, not what is easy”.
Safeguarding, climatic injury, welfare. We’re hammered on these all the time and hundreds of events were cancelled or curtailed this year at HQAC’s behest, including Nijmegen, yet “but it’s RIAT” is really an acceptable argument for acting counter to the conservative approach taken with other events and activities?
The whole organisation was shut down for wind when half the country had a stiff breeze at worst! Nijmegen was cooler than RIAT.
And I don’t even care for RM, but one look and a couple of problems is enough to knobble it without looking or asking for solutions or SQEP input?
What happens the next time there’s an FT issue? I remember the last pause and we’re still in flux now as a consequence. What happens if the Tutors are grounded again? Slippery slope, maybe, but in a world of tightening restrictions, increased burden, burgeoning power wielding, risk eradication, a lack of desire and/or perspective to justify or overcome, defaulting to “shut it down”, coupled with a “do as I say, not as I do” approach from those in certain positions (not just at HQAC) failing to set an example and follow the rules we must…
Why should anyone hold any faith that such slippery slope fears won’t be realised?
Restrictions to Nijmegen involvement could indirectly kill RM.
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How many JL training weekends out in the field will get cancelled due to cold or snow!!
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Err, I think 2006*, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Cubicles every time.
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… Where did I shower then? Absolutely were no shower cubicles in the showers at Humensoord where I was.
Does anyone really know why HQAC have got a bug up their backside about this and many other things? We are in a time still recovering from the effects of the pandemic, when people need to feel the organisation is encouraging to people who want to do things, not find out that they can’t for no real discernible reason.
It will reach break point when people really start to look long and hard and go elsewhere. WRT RM is there anything to stop people joining or starting a walking club and then suggesting they look into doing RM, you could get the Air Cadet interested parties involved or put an open invite to get involved. Cadets join the walking club and get involved, they get the experience without the BS. RM doesn’t do it for me due to amount of time you need to dedicate to training and prep, but it is a kick in the teeth for those who enjoy it. We have had 10 or so cadets get involved in the Wing team over the years and come back full of it, which is great.
I know a few who left the Corps when the AT regs kicked in 20 or so years ago and got involved in open DofE centres and got more out of it than they did in the Air Cadets, because it wasn’t so onerous. One woman has been all over the world accompanying groups.
You do wonder at times if there isn’t an underlying move to reduce the size of the organisation by stealth a bit like ‘natural wastage’ in the workplace. As the option of making sqns close has too much emotion attached to it, the same as redundancies have.
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i can only base it on what others have said with the sound of some authority and knowing - namely:
there is a debate if that is a valid reason to canx.
we all know how we should approach a Risk Assessment.
identify the hazard > determine the appropriate and practical control measures > re-assess the risk, in the hope the score drops > then question if that drop is sufficient.
unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be any consideration to this, or at least no explanation indicating
“having considered the Risks and determined that are impractical to implement the decision has been made to say no” (or words to that effect)
as a result it looks like HQAC are taking the easy/lazy/quick/ignorant management route of saying no rather than being leaders and explaining why bringing the whole team (Corps) along with it…
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I haven’t seen it, but I believe the IBN that came out earlier this week, has stated that any cadet wanting to claim for their (Nijmegen) Gold RM Badge, would need to put in for explicit permission for the Commandant Air Cadets! (Talk about micro-managing!)
The cadet would also have to have completed the Blue Badge bits - ie, classroom, climatic injury’s, 3 qualifying walks and remembered how to tie the boot laces together.
Historically, as with most qualifications, provided the cadet could prove they had completed the 4 days, and got their certificate, they could claim their Gold Badge.
This could be because they were walking with a school team or with friends / family that aren’t in cadets, or simply they didn’t want to be part of a team…
No such statement (or to that affect) in the IBN. It just limits achievement of Gold RM badge to those who can take part with a BMC team.
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