Unfortunately I also agree with this sentiment. How would it ever be managed in the real world? All Sqns have to do two bag-packs a year? All contribute a certain amount? I’m all for Sqns getting help where it is actually needed but I’ve been around too many years and heard too many OC’s moan they have no money when they don’t try to raise any!
It would be a hard sell to the Cadets too, let’s go bag-packing but all the money you raise goes into a big pot and you might not get to see anything as a result of it. The Cadets go fund-raising because they see the end result - to buy equipment they get to use. The local community also ask what we’re fund-raising for and like to know the money is going to directly support their local unit.
There is money out there for Sqns who get off their backsides and raise it, I have never ever struggled for funding, whether that is Lottery Funding, Tesco Blue Coins or a good old bag-pack
That’s not really how our system works. Detachment money is stored in the company account, but the company has to keep track of whose money is whose. Detachments don’t raise money for the company to buy kit, they would raise money to buy the kit for themselves, they would just either need to do the purchasing and claim the money back or someone at company level would just make the purchase. Detachment purchased assets are recorded so everything is covered by MOD insurance.
Correct. The detachment commander decides what to spend it on, though someone at company level obviously has to transfer the money or make a purchase. I’ve never known any purchase to be questioned. As long as the money is spent on something for the cadets, the purchase is approved.
Someone at county level audits the accounts yearly.
Our system works, so why change? It’s only the green eyed monsters up the chain who want a change and only get their hands on “our” money. When you see the money that’s wasted on Wing and Region on so called assets that are effectively for staff to indulge their hobbies, with cadets an afterthought , you can see they can’t be trusted
What happens to the socials or the raft of things we buy for the sqn if we have no money on sqns?
What happens to big spends like say a laptop, flight sim, projector, project work etc. For those wishing for a system that gets rid of sqn committees there are consequences, that would make life much more difficult to operate normally.
I could see Wing (or Sector) level bank accounts working really well as long as money is ring-fenced for each squadron. It would be effectively the same to a squadron as a well functioning CivCom but feels like less of a gamble if it has some actual oversight and management.
To be fair moving to the ACF model wouldn’t fix things for many units and would be one more burden on many OC’s who previously haven’t had to worry about money as the Civilian Committee have been competing and have got on with it.
Personally, I also wouldn’t be against funds being shared at Sector or Wing level. I’ve never been a great follower of the “my unit/your unit” mindset - we’re all part of the same Corps and money wherever benefits cadets.
If there was a squadron that wasn’t pulling their weight with fundraising that would become apparent pretty quickly and could be dealt with, ideally with carrots but if necessary also with sticks through the CoC.
Whilst this has the potential, not sure if a Sector level bank account would/could operate. Would this mean a Sector level treasurer; then again there would be squadron treasurers looking for a job
I would say in many places it does work and works well, otherwise HQAC’s dreams and desires of EWOW and now pretend oops I mean synthetic flying would never have happened. There are places where there are problems, but they are not and never insurmountable. Just that people always seem to make mountains out worm castes.
On what basis would money be ring fenced?
As mentioned I wouldn’t do any independent fundraising if it wasn’t going to benefit the cadets on my sqn.
I guess we may see if there is actually any plans in the works then! Although I’m pretty sure there is an exemption they can use if it is information that will otherwise be published in the future anyway.
So if we have a wing account, and you raise £100, that money goes into the wing account but is ‘yours’ still. Just means the account can be managed by less people, but you still fund-raise directly for your squadron. All hypothetical.
So how do you access it? Via an account number? Sqns already have one of them, so the idea is to have 20-30 sqn accounts, but as a notional Wing acct, all makes perfect sense, or actually not.
I bet it wouldn’t be long before someone decides to go all Robin Hood.
Also lose CWCs and you lose the people who do the fundraising and more besides.
This idea just smacks of some bloke who has been in the RAF for his working life and looks to solve a problem that doesn’t actually exist, because they have absolutely no understanding of the organisation they are tinkering with.
Also means Sqns who want to spend that money have to go cap in hand to a body outside their Sqn to spend their own money.
No thanks.
If I want to buy 10 kyacks I should be able to.
If I want to take the cadets to go ape I should be able to.
If I want to buy a new multifunction printer I should be able to.
Without delay.
Without question.
Anything which takes a Sqns funds away from the direct control of the Sqn is not a step forward.
