I.e. confirming that my view is questioning how previous policy didn’t allow for a positive impression and adequate safeguarding.
But I do develop the point, accepting that it’s possibly a better example with zero alcohol in the hands of CFAV with cadets present. If there’s actual research then I’d like to see it.
Your straw man is falling apart. Try attacking the argument instead of the person, and perhaps considering whether BED is actually relevant.
Separately, there may be a discussion to have about canteen and the ethical dilemma of selling things that sell and have a long shelf life Vs healthier options. But not on the thread about smoking and alcohol policies.
The legal age for the consumption of alcohol in the UK is FIVE years old. 18 is for the purchasing and consumption of alcohol in a public bar of licenced premises and the purchase of alochol from off licenced premises.
So you’re saying that all these teenagers who drink “cider” in the park on a Friday night, are legally allowed and can tell the coppers to b*gger off if they try to confiscate?
Which is easily solvable at a Squadron Dinner just add to the Policy…
“Cadets over 16 who’s parents attend can drink alcohol if purchased by their parents, such Cadets remain the responsibility of their parents rather than the RAFAC”.
May as well get my tin hat out on here too. For me personally I dont see the need to consume alcohol at cadets functions with cadets present. When i have to give a speach or hand an award out do i need alcohol to do so? I will gladly have a responsible drink with my fellow officers in the mess if not on duty. Least with this policy there are no grey areas. Agreed that some venues are less likely to want to host if they could have usually had a 50 person bar tab but there are still other venues about and community links that you can establish, local town or church halls etc.
Yes there are other venues…
But the traditional hotel/golf club/insert other “reasonable standard” venue with acceptable dinner and disco within a pricing bracket you would expect, attracts a reasonable number of people who expect to enjoy their evening. A sqn of 30 or so cadets attracting a dinner of 100 attendees
Move that to a church hall with a meal catered from ? on temporary furniture and all the other missing ingredients from the option above and I am sure the event would attract just the cadets and staff and number 30-35 tops with little family involvement.
I know which one I prefer - even as a infrequent drinker (can’t claim teetotal as Mrs B_L and myself might get through a whole bottle of wine between Friday and Sunday night if we really go for it)
Cant disagree with you at all there. I suppose it depends on the Squadron itself, i have been part of 2, the first although the awards night was based at a hotel within the town, there wasnt a meal to go with it just a presentation, trophies and speaches etc later there was a formal dining out night added as an annual seperate event which was for just cadets and no alcohol.
The 2nd Squadron has had their awards night with a meal at a Rugby clubhouse and it has been successful, its difficult to say if they would turn us down without alcohol present as they make money from the catering and arent exactly busy/we arent blocking business.
For us it means I can no longer support our local mayoral ceremony where the cadets support the operation as the mayor and their guests have bucks fizz (as well as non-alcoholic options). Which means I’ll lose community support for no good reason.
Actually, I think I’m wrong. I can still attend that function above, because it says
Other Premises
Where possible, CFAV shall avoid taking cadets to locations where alcohol is available; however, there may be legitimate reasons where this is not possible dependent upon the nature of the venue. On these occasions the policy provisions of this Personnel Instruction still apply to all.
It isn’t possible to avoid taking them to somewhere alcohol is available, so I can still do it.
But these “policy provisions” include that no one can drink in the presence of cadets…
(Edit below)
But this is where it starts to get messy.
At a CFAV organised event, “no alcohol is to be served”.
But “Air Cadets shall not consume alcohol while participating in functions arranged by external agencies at which alcohol is served”, suggesting attendance is ok if others are drinking.
We don’t organise the event (and this applies to the Legion scenario as well), but we do organise our attendance at the event; with how strict the policy is, have they given themselves scope to reject external events for over-zealous “risk management” even though technically permissible?
Reading again, we can go to these things because of some arbitrary and non-existent line in the sand that differentiates potentially drunk people at a RAFAC event and potentially drunk people at someone else’s event.
By policy, we just need someone else to organise a dinner on our behalf…
Formal unit functions, including dinner nights, are part of the rich fabric of the Armed Forces, and it is understandable that CFAV may wish to hold such events to celebrate success and mark historic events. Nevertheless, the restrictions at paragraph 4 shall be applied and must be extended to include external guests such as civic leaders or parents of cadets. Put simply, if CFAVs are organising an event where cadets are to be present, alcohol is not to be served.
I’m not organising the event, so it doesn’t apply.
