Recording activities

A cadet within our wing recently asked me “who’s responsible for filling in my 3822 sir?”, I being a font of knowledge replied “you fill it in, then ask the correct member of staff to sign it if required”.

Traditionally it’s been the cadet’s responsibility as they’re the one doing the event (often away from Sqn), gives them pride in their logbook and means we staff don’t have to complete up to 50 duplicate entries.

However, with the advent of MyRAFAC and the phasing out of hard copy 3822s, should we raise a SMS activity for everything? If a cadet does something noteworthy off Sqn how do we record it? Should we even sign off activities in a 3822 anymore as it should be on SMS?

I’m not sure there’s any official guidelines, but senility is always a good excuse if they have escaped my memory.

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I can’t think of many events that are ‘3822 noteworthy’ that wouldn’t have an SMS event?

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We should be raising an SMS activity for everything off squadron, and a good practice would be to raise activities for “special events” on squadron as well.

If you want the policy reference for that, it’s the first paragraph of ACTO 010.

  1. It is mandatory to use the Bader Squadron Management System (SMS) to record and authorise all events involving RAF Air Cadets (RAFAC) cadets and Cadet Forces Adult Volunteers (CFAVs) which take place away from unit premises 1

1. Unit premises include, where authorised, an Extended Squadron Footprint which is an area adjacent to the unit and has been sanctioned by the Training Safety Adviser as a ‘Safe Place’. Events that do not involve cadet personnel such as staff meetings do not need to be recorded on SMS as long as there is an audit trail available through meeting agendas, Administrative Instructions, emails etc.

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This.

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I don’t disagree we should, but it’s not always an official Air Cadet event.

One of our local schools frequently does things such as on Remembrance Day (11 Nov if a school day) all cadets are encouraged to wear their uniforms, others wear family medals; they organised a field trip to Belgium as part of learning about WW1. Cadets with 3822s recorded both activities, who would/could raise an SMS without an adult supervisor/OIC or reference to a RA (however both must have existed).

Do we curb the youthful exuberance of cadets wanting to demonstrate (even brag) to others by telling those without log books we can’t record it whilst those with one can?

These are extremely rare examples but until the last cadet with a 3822 leaves, do we run the risk of a 2 tier system or should we remove all 3822s from cadets? Cadets will always be cadets, some as keen as mustard others content to plod along. I remember some used to record flying to Malaga etc on holiday and asking the pilot to sign (in the days before they were behind reinforced doors).

So thats not a cadet event . . .

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But it does involve Air Cadets, so catch 22 IMHO if you apply the above rules.

You used to be able to get a free cheeseburger at McDonalds if you showed your 3822, but getting a take-away wasn’t a cadet activity.

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I think if I ran one I’d get 110% turn out

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I personally wouldn’t be getting them to put non-RAFAC activities in their 3822 anyway.

It’s their record of service book. Not their record of life book!

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No it’s a school activity where air cadets have attended. You could say same about attendance of cadets from any of the CFs, scouts, guides, etc :man_shrugging:t2:

Record of service is cadet-run activities, events, courses, quals, and milestones. Relevant external qualifications may be added such as NGB and FA - if it’s listed on SMS it can go on their profile with evidence. We can’t assure what has happened outside of our ecosystem unless it comes with a record so how can we recognise it by “signing it off”?

TBH I wasn’t aware those kind of uniform days still occur. It raises a question under current policy though because at such a school event they are attending as a cadet and not just as a pupil and being in uniform ventures into minor event PME territory if you take the written word of that policy…

I’m not sure where the org officially stands on that these days considering how risk averse and authorisation slap-happy they are, or whether a degree of pragmatism still applies (and if it’s written).

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In which case this is a PME and so definitely should be on SMS!

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If it involves air cadets in any way - I believe you need to so an SMS app. Hypothetical - cadet attends a school event in uniform, gets attacked on way home as they are wearing a military uniform - I believe the sqn OC who authorised it would be in a lot of trouble.

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Does require OC to have been informed. Obviously the case here, but I’m sure it’s happened without knowledge somewhere.

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I would hope any cadets wearing uniform have the correct permission.

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I believe it requires OC Wing approval, for wearing uniform at a non-RAFAC event?

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Yarp.

Well yeah, which requires OC Sqn to know.

We can all hope that what should happen does happen, but the point made was for that reality the cadet themselves needs to actually come forward.

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Black shoes, gray trousers with a civvies jacket and a backpack - very difficult to spot the cadet standing in the bus queue with the others in standard school uniform. But maybe our schools have different acceptable clothing standards. Additionally for those with CCF contingents do their cadets not wear uniform in public, somebody has obviously decided to accept the risk or mitigate appropriately.

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