Recently my Sqn’s PTS training has ground to a halt, with cadets only being allowed to do Blue Leadership (before a course e.g. NCO course), Heartstart when they join. Multiple cadets have left now because they are bored and left because they no longer have the incentive to turn up. Is there anyway I can revive this as I would like to do more badge work myself, as would the other cadets in my Sqn?
Also how do I got about setting up a Mayors Cadet? Because I spoke to my staff, and they said they haven’t spoken to the new mayor, and this is something I would also like to do…
They mayor requests a mayor’s cadet. The staff just dont tell the mayor they have a a cadet. They can request that it’s something the mayor looks at but ultimately it’s not their choice
Errr nothing. Mainly drill, sometimes classifications in the winter but that’s it. I’ve kind of taken it upon myself to start planning the upcoming parade nights…
I would also think the council would need to approve the idea of a Mayor’s Cadet if they don’t exist as they would have some degree of responsibility and to set the criteria.
My squadron has sadly sort of got to this kind of point too.
Are there any nearby other ATC squadrons or ACF/CCF/SCC PTS instructors to your unit? Would it be possible to contact those units and ask if they would be interested or able to execute PTS on your squadron?
Not really, because they’re too far away. We’ve been trying to organise a comms & cyber course for about a year and a half now, so I guess that’s a no.
Sorry to hear this. But you are not alone unfortunately. There are a few questions. Like what are the staff doing? Is there anyone you can talk too about this. If it is a case of you have no staff. Then get out and be seen.
Well done you for trying to get it better. Maybe you can start the blue D of E. I find this an easy badge to do. Although it does take time and organisation.
Also communications. You do need an assessor for it but you can teach radio games. phonetic alphabet games. Also goes towards 1st class badge. Which should be done the nearly once a week. It’s different with the other classifications.
We do blues on Tuesday and mostly green stuff on Friday. So what they learnt on Tuesday is practical on Friday. Once a month is sports night- include blue D of e.
Hope this helps
Not much. DofE is a big one but mainly Bronze upwards. And I’ve been trying to organise a comms course with other staff for about a year now, because none of the staff in my Sqn are qualified. So there’s not much we can do. I’ve taken it upon myself to make presentations and plan parade night, because, to be frank, I’m getting bored.
That’s good. Most people don’t take the initiative. Well blue D of e is mainly aimed at younger ones, although it is for all. If you have cadets who aren’t really interested in bronze. It’s a start. With remembrance day coming up that’s almost volunteering done. skills is 1 part 1st class. Physical 3 things over 8 weeks. I change it a bit for certain abilities and timescales & IET.
Why not look at putting some of the already-learnt skills in to practise?
Doing (for example) blue comms is all very well, but the skills soon fade if they’re not used. Put on comms exercises, first aid exercises, command tasks… then start mixing them together in to command tasks involving first aid and comms.
You say none of the staff are qualified. The real question is, are the staff sufficiently interested in the subject? For something like comms and most things come to that I’ve found the people have to be personally interested or it doesn’t happen. If you try and make them their disinterest in the subject is evident. Areas where people need to have personal interest, IET, FMS, First Aid and shooting.
So the first thing is are the staff interested at a personal level. The best comms instructor I’ve known was a CWC member who was a radio ham, who also did lots of two way radio as well.
I can’t deduce if you are staff or cadet, if the latter don’t expect much joy if you’re trying to force staff to do things.
I’m not trying to force the staff to do anything, I’ve just been asking for courses in the wing and then I’ve been told I’ll be put on them, but then I haven’t because they say they didn’t hear anything about them…