Those who would uphold the standards must meet those same standards. “Do as I say not as I do” isn’t an acceptable excuse to give to a toddler so why should we swallow it? (And as has been made very clear we aren’t in the RAF).
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We’re not the RAF.
Evidently not…
I’ve never quite grasped how and why we tend to take things far more seriously than the people who actually do it full time.
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That’s why. It’s our hobby to obsess about. Not the everyday.
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They are people whose real lives lack any substance and see the ATC as something to give their lives meaning and lacking anything else go for something that requires little intelligence.
Having done the drill/discip role, in didn’t take very much effort or mental agility at all.
In fairness, they don’t.
In terms of drill, unless you’re QCS you could easily go a 10 year stint doing no formal drill. The average cadets does more drill in 6 months than I did in 5 years of full time service.
They’ve got an operational role to worry about. That comes first. Poncing about on a drill square is a distant worry. Whereas for cadets - especially with the cuts and withdrawals - it’s the only thing we have left.
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And surely the people who are buying these pacesticks could buy something better, I mean £120 could get me flights to somewhere in Europe and back or a nice hotel somewhere or a fancy weekend away!
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I summed up the ATC to someone as perpetual basic training and uniformed staff are treated little differently to cadets in that sense.
I have never been one to worry about being saluted all the time or have anyone, especially cadets, standing to attention. The won’t do it at school or when they eventually start work.
Why do you bother with uniform them? Or the rank structure?
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Purely as it’s part of the game we play. I know there are people who love it and get off on it and get short shrift from me, as it adds little value to “day to day” squadron life. I don’t ever remember my COs when I was a cadet being as anal as some I know today. Bear in mind many of the staff when I was a cadet had seen military service in WW2, post war regular or NS.
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I am not that bothered either. What grips me is that some people are. If you are going to be the guardian of the rules then you need to apply them fairly and withou favour including personally. I had to have a word with a DI for telling a cadet he had to buy new boots because he had rhe wrong type for No3 uniform because you couldn’t polish them. Them justifying his statment by saying thats what it says in 1358c.
That’s the ATC in a nutshell
(ducks and runs)
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I agree, that sort of nonsense is hugely shortsighted. Pragmatism has never been the ATCs strong point.
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And devestating for the cadet and their family, if they are unable to afford them as well.
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Can’t see why anyone would want to polish combat boots anyway. They should be properly maintained. Even if they are leather, actually polishing them can be detrimental.
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Oh! Shhhhh You!! And go and get a haircut!!!
( 
for clarity!)
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Ooh. It’s all kicking off now. I’m going to go and grab my white socks and show you community based lot how it’s done.
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Every so often I look back at our CCF photos from the 1970s and feel just a little better about the haircuts now…
Good example at https://twitter.com/RadleyArchives/status/1065209048277164032
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Absolutely, but it’s always been the case and not everyone is dogmatic, IMO life’s too short to be overly dogmatic. I do tend to be a bit looser and unfussed than some, don’t do anything daft, but the rules are guidance only.
But when you live and die by a rule book and it’s all about playing a urinating up the wall game with your like-minded mates, you become extremely blinkered and common sense and pragmatism leave the building.
The thing is, there is a time and a place for a dogmatic approach and there is a time and a place for pragmatism. Where that line is drawn varies between people.
Some activities need to be absolutely regulated for safety or the appearance of safety (much of AT), others benefit for regulation to embody the correct frame of mind and skills for when it truly matters (uniform, drill), and others still really don’t matter so long as a goal is achieved (most of the academic subjects)