But i wasnt there…
Here’s hoping the staff AND cadets of 134 (Bedford) Sqn enjoy their champagne and canapes reception, followed by a curry and beer dinner at next week’s special event.
You might want to brief the RAF photographer before he starts snapping away!!!
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… jeez you’re not bitter at all.
Bit strong mate - especially if the event hasn’t happened yet and you seem to be putting the boots in before they’ve broken any rules?
I get it, the policy seems a bit strong (especially as I’m not in the Corps anymore) but I would think that if you’re unhappy with how another squadron conducts themselves in regards to a policy, bring it up with the staff or CoC rather than open forum?
I’m definitely out the loop. What’s the special event?
Our CWC are having conversations on this very topic with the powers that be…will be interesting to hear the result…
Next they will be stopping the RAFAC taking part in activates and events where alcohol is sold and consumed in the sight of cadets,
Ill text you my shopping list 
Daft Q.
Can the loyal toast still be carried out, with port for adults and a vimto-style substitute for the cadets? Keeping tradition, etc, but keeping the remainder of the event Alcohol-free.
Or is everything, verboten.
Actually… can alcohol-free lager, etc be drunk, as it still “looks” like they are drinking in front if cadets?
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Well its only specifies drinking of alcoholic drinks, so take that as you will
Verborten. I saw a Twitter post about using alcohol free gin and tonic. Etc
Worth asking the Q through the echelons
If you ask the question on alcohol free someone will over think & play it safe.
You can get an alcohol free port but it’s tricky.you might be able to get a relaxation for the loyal toast but it will complicate your paperwork.
If it’s alcohol-free then it’s just coloured flavoured water.
I’ll be honest, I’m finding this thread bizarre.
The ACO has decided - I think rightly - that alcohol, and the fetishisation of alcohol as a necessary social/personal lubricant, has no place in an organisation that’s about children learning about responsibility for self and others, role models, flying, shooting, and AT.
That’s it.
‘fake’ alcholic drinks are as much a bastion of the fetishism as a real one - this vacuous idea that it’s not really a loyal toast if you’re not using port, so you have you use something that looks like port massively contributes to an idea that booze is ‘the real stuff’, that anything else is a half measure (see, it even gets into the language…?), and you’re telling this to children.
I genuinely think that if you can’t enjoy yourself in an evening of chat and jokes with friends and colleagues, or to give a real affirmation of loyalty to the Monarch, without alcohol in your hand (or something that looks like alcohol, so you can pretend that it’s alcohol), then your first port of call shouldn’t be this thread, it should be your GP.
I have given a loyal toast with tepid water that tasted of puritabs, with tea (that tasted of puritabs), and cans of coke that were as hot as the tea - none of that was less than a toast with port, or beer, or whiskey.
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Like skimmed milk is just water pretending to be milk
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Hi @angus.
Just asking a question.
I’m normally the sober one, as im the driver.
Just thinking ahead to possible activities next year.
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I disagree with this bit,
I do like the taste of various wines & beers - it’s not about the alcohol & I quite enjoy drinking the low alcohol & alcohol free versions - far better than the bland range of soft drinks there’s is.
I would argue that the alcohol frees are probably healthier for you than the cokes & fantas due to the sugar content, adatives & the flavours naff with a good meal.
agree with this bit, you dont need to have port or something that looks like port for the loyal toast just a port substitute & in the tradition of dinners something that’s different to what’s on offer adds to the experience. It doesn’t have to be the same, it’s just got to deliver the same or very similar results e.g. liquid shoe polish for boots vs bulling with kiwi vs using cherry blossom.
At the end of the day everything we do with cadets is a “fake” simulation of the military. As otherwise we are fetishising the military & teaching kids to kill & murder for the greater good or an ideology.
Alcohol is prevalent in society & it is a well needed social lubricant. The majority of volunteers in CFAVs treat each other as colleagues & not friends. We need that lubricant as otherwise we would end up punching one another. Around cadets we should not have alcohol, particularly from those in a position of trust.
I have no problem with alcohol free placebo at dinners as it shows that you can have the ceremony without the alcohol & it’s still good. It normalises for the cadets that alcohol free is also a grown up drink.
But I don’t want to be at a dinner where I’m sat there with a choice of water, naff squash or chemical tasting pop - I might as well go to a wacky warehouse.
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Many years ago I had a role that required I was frequently available at short notice outside normal duty times. Obviously this was covered on a rota basis, but you were still liable to be called when not notified for duty. Hint, it required two people to be present when carrying out any associated actions.
Clearly one had to be fit to drive in order to respond to a call, but given the responsibility the duty holders had, it was clearly understood that we avoided any alcohol consumption during our on call periods. This could be a couple of days or as long as a week.
Now, I was never a big drinker, although I did enjoy a pint occasionally, but these periods of enforced abstinence made me reassess the part that alcohol played . I had noticed that I tended not to imbibe during the periods between being on call. My conclusion was that alcohol merely got in the way of life.
exmpa
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Sorry that is complete rubbish, drinking excessively to a state that you cannot be responsible yes totally agree, 1 glass of port for a toast totally acceptable. It is NOT the RAFAC role to dictate to anyone whether alchohol is a social caste. Next missive will be that we will be forced to drink water as soft drinks are bad for our teeth and wow betide that rafac will be responsible for bad teeth.
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