I thought I’d asked this previously, here, but perhaps not.
Is it currently the case that serving (or former) Staff Cadets (fully CRB/PVG/Disclosure cleared, plus BASIC, and 18 yrs plus) would be entitled to join RBLS/RBL as full voting members?
Just for clarification, the standard basic entry criterion for full service membership is one day’s service in either regular or reserve service.
My perspective on this would be yes, especially since Staff Cadets do accrue entitlement towards the CFM. Membership above Associate / Family level would not be unreasonable, and could help the Legions a lot.
Any informed insights on this? If not, I shall go and get details from a more-direct source.
wilf_san
as a Member of my local RBL Branch, and also committee member for that Branch (also holding the position of Ceremonial Officer)* there is no need to be current, former/ex serving or have ANY links to the services to be a RBL Branch or club member.
As such any Tom, Dick or Harry from off the streets are entitled to be “voted in” as a Branch member (by the committee) and then be considered/nominated for the Branch committee (again voted in/out) and then by sitting on the committee board are entitled to vote
Thus allowing a 15 year old Cadet is entitled to vote, pending the above has been put in place (joining as a Youth member) although I know of only one (active) youth member in our County so it is few and far between.
that is certainly the case for the RBL…if the RBLS is different I cannot say.
*I offer this information not to show off but offer my credentials for this information as a "direct source"
I will add that off the dozen or so members on the branch Committee, ignoring my “service” in an ATC uniform, 5 of us have not “served” with the remaining the “stereotypical” RBL veteran type
Over 18 anyone can join the RBL and RAFA.
RBL as an ordinary member no requirement to have served.
RAFA with no previous service as an Associate and regular RAF or completed initial training of either sort for a minimum 3 months or ATC members over 18 with at least 2 years service. This change has probably come about as a result of the RAFA Youth. An associate needs to be proposed by the full member, even online. The RBL lost the requirement of needing to be proposed by a current member in the last couple of years, even through the online applications.
The costs are quite different though, RBL £15, RAFA £20.50 Full / £8.50 Assoc, so being an associate member for a cadet would be the better option IMO. IIRC Associate RAFA members now have full voting rights, in my branches case you have to be at the AGM to vote. Then there are club members who want use of a club, but not interested in the other side and pay a fee for the priviledge.
I’m still trying to figure out why anybody would want to!
What tangible advantages does such membership bring? Is it simply a means to support the charity?
[quote=“incubus” post=23890]I’m still trying to figure out why anybody would want to!
What tangible advantages does such membership bring? Is it simply a means to support the charity?[/quote]
support to the charity, subscription to the magazine and other literature
at our RBL we have a clubhouse and to be a admitted membership of any Branch is required (as is standard format for the RBL) else you need to be signed in.
this is a condition of the licence and should be adhered to, so without membership and wanting to use the club you need a friend who is a member to sign you in each time…(of course signing in often enough will bring about the question “why don’t you join”)
in some cases there is also priorities tickets for events (Albert Hall tickets are only sold to members) and discounts available not that i have exploited either
By and large it is to support the charity and being with like-minded people, membership brings some benefits in the form of discounts and so on, but that’s about it in tangible terms.
For an 18 year old there are few if any real things to get out of it. If you take RAFA Youth for instance lots of goodies etc but hit 18 and nothing. I don’t think RBL Youth membership brings much if anything.
Even though I’m a member of RAFA and the RBL, I can’t see them being around as they are for too much longer as memberships invariably keep dwindling and branches close. I know that HFH hit long standing service charities hard in terms of fundraising, as HFH allowed people to have a warm fuzzy feeling but not actually give up any real time to do the donkey work that the ex-eervice organisations get involved in. A woman who worked here did cake sales for HFH and got the ump when I took cakes and said I’ve put the money in a Poppy or RAFA tin.
TBPH if the armed forces were any good at resettlement / demobilisation and actually ensuring those who had been serving got the support they needed after they left, there wouldn’t be a need for ex-service associations. Especially in the last 25 years where there has been successive drawdown / cuts, the armed forces from what I have seen personally, haven’t been particularly good at weaning people off the dependency on structure and facilities that is found in the armed forces. It’s almost like cutting a baby’s umbilical and leaving it to see what happens. This is where the ex-service charities can come to the fore, as regardless of when some the problems of getting to grips with the real world are the same today as they were in the past.