Can i ask what is the roles exactly of our senior rafac volunteer Grp Cptn? I have been asked this a few times but I am not entirely sure exactly and either is other people I have asked.
The idea is to have someone from the coal face that sits at a senior level to help represent the view of those at sqn level. It means that when there’s strategic meetings of the senior leaders, that’s a volunteers voice in there too.
A far as I understand it, that was the original logic. And it’s a good idea. It means you’ve got someone who’s done the various roles and knows how things actually work.
So how do they help people at the squadron level and when do they speak to them if they do?
The role should be taken by someone who’s been at the sqn level, and more, so can already talk about what it’s like from that angle. In Ben’s example he’s spent years as a CFAV across multiple levels from sqn to HQAC so knows what is like being a volunteer acrossthe organisation. It puts him in a great position to be able to give advice at strategic level meetings and influence chance that’s positive for the volunteer.
And with Ben as an example, he’s also getting out and about a lot from what I’ve seen on social media, and at all those occasions he’s talking to a lot of people.
Plus, this isn’t part of the role afaik, but he’ll always reply to an email! I’ve emailed a couple of times in the past pre and post him getting the role. And he’ll get back to you and help if he can.
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This would be my suggestion, drop an email and ask for a virtual coffee to understand the role.
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One of the big problems the ACO has is that many/most of the permanent staff in in the various HQ’s don’t get - in an emotional/psychological way- that the volunteers are volunteers who have jobs that pay the mortgage, and that the ACO role is a hobby.
In an intellectual way? Sure (I think…
), if you asked any of them they’d tell you that volunteers have jobs and families and that ACO shouldn’t be in the top 4/5 things in anyone’s life - but on a gut level? Nah, I think many of them act/react as if volunteers are idle buggers on a deeply cushy 6 hour week…
Ben’s job is to bring light and guidance into HQAC, and to seek to challenge the concept that HQAC and it’s activities are the top of the pyramid - whereas in fact it is at the bottom of the pyramid: it’s role, it’s only function, is to support the 900+ Sqn’s and what they do. No Sqn’s, no HQAC…
Unfortunately, Ben’s role requires discretion and diplomacy - rather than exasperated, sweary posts on ACC and going to work with a hammer, which would be more entertaining…
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There’s a whole bunch of senior volunteers who also need reminding of this. (Often the ones providing the information & the perception to the the paid staff)
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I think that is being disingenuous to many who put a lot of time and effort in at senior levels with little reward.
For many it is a job plain and simple.
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Likewise with the paid staff - but there are those on both sides who cause issues & whole bunch of volunteers who think how they volunteer should be how everyone else should & that theirs is the feedback HQ should be listening to.
there is almost a cult like mentality amongst a number of the volunteers.
The paid staff sometimes forget that it’s a hobby & the need to work round the volunteers & treat it like a job.
A number of the volunteers forget it is a hobby & treat it like a religion.
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I do think this view needs a bit of balance though.
For sure, I know that this difference creeps in pretty quickly because I’ve worked with my fair share of part-time volunteer reservists who have gone onto a full-time contract and gone native pretty quickly. It’s impressive how quickly people doing it full time can forget what it was like trying to fit it in around the edges of a full-time job.
But, we also have lots of volunteers who achieve a lot in their hobby who don’t appreciate how much the under-resourced full-time staff are trying to accomplish for something that is bigger than any one volunteer’s experience.
Volunteers are also frequently hostile to the full-time staff and openly insubordinate to the system — to the extent that we colour the perceptions of new volunteers by airing the dirty laundry. While that may feel like a justified vent, we are also responsible for the effect that has on our broader culture.
I once saw a few people from HQ take time out of their weekends to travel and talk to people about their work and build relationships, only for other people to have used the opportunity before their engagement to spend a moment slagging off the full-time staff…
We need to grip this open slagging off of each other because it’s a cancer in our organisation, even if underlying frustrations are valid.
The volunteer voice is certainly a great thing, but sometimes I think volunteers could do well to understand the realities and frustrations of working in their environment. They work with your biggest frustrations every day…
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This is what I mean by the cult mindset amongst the volunteers - it’s toxic & divisive
But it’s also just rude when people speak - there’s no magic wand Solution so it’s important to understand where people are coming from.
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If only it was simple as emailing him my wing would go mental at me if they found out I dared email someone out the wing especially a Grp Cptn and this is from experience.
Just do it. You’re not circumventing the CoC*. You’re asking a question. Tell your wing staff that you’re perfectly entitled to do that.
*stupid in a volunteer organisation but that’s another story
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I am literally not allowed to. I would love a chat with Ben and could really do with his advice to be honest but won’t happen because of wing and the threat of administrative action.
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That is bonkers.
Yes I know it really is i have never known anything like it where you are scared to ask a question on fear of action being taken against you.
This is not Russia or Germany in WWII. Surely if someone acts against you unfairly you have a right of Appeal to Region or HQAC.
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That in itself makes it challenging if you do that as then they make it very difficult for you going forward and take every opportunity to put you down and intimidate you.
Well, it sounds like someone needs to call it out to a higher level then. If nobody calls it out, then sadly, it will go on and probably get worse.
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I empathise with you @rock . I’ve previously been in a position of literal written warnings for circumventing the CoC even though I genuinely believed it to be the right thing to do at the time.
But I’d still reach out to Ben.
I wonder if you’re in my previous wing suffering from the same wing staff…
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