Was certainly still a thing when I was a cadet circa 10 years ago.
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still very much a thing
Even followed me to the OTC, where an ex SCC cadet called me it
best belive when I found out he was a puddle pirate he had a few penaltiesā¦
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it is and it isnāt.
go back 20-30 years and people got familiar with creating digital art and so after seeing a neighbouring Squadron with an Official badge thought theyād give it ago themselves, either through ignorance of the process, or fear of the cost, decided to go down the unofficial routeā¦
In many cases these badges became instantly popular and any feelings/knowledge about making it an āofficial badgeā was lost- fast forward 10-15 years and there are now a dozen such badges around the wing, and even more seen on Social Media which has now become popular in the 2010s
many of these badges have been inherited by incoming OCs and if i think of Squadrons I have been on OCs have changed every 5-8 years so the original OC who āapprovedā it and started using has long since moved on and so the history of its official-ness is lost with the badge simply accepted as part of the Squadron ābrandingā
it is a shame these badges did not go down the official route first time around - plenty of others have proved it is possible, and was a system that worked. i am sure for some it was ignorance, other its was a fear of the cost or the complexity of the process - an OC wanting to make their stamp on the Squadron while not wanting it to be a 2 year project. there are likely a dozen or more reasons why people didnāt follow the process.
in some cases based on what OC.1324 has indicated, these unofficial badges have been able to transfer into official status, with some tweaks but retaining 94% of the original design - and in these cases, it isnāt a shame as getting approved has had minimal impact.
but for those designs that were so far off the markā¦? Not a shame at all for the all the reasons OC.1324 has indicated -
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Yeah itās a shame people didnāt my squadron has so much history around it as well.
Never underestimate how much we can do to preserve that history though. Truly.
Iāve had a number of units who have now ended up with something completely different to what they initially wanted going into it, and every one of them will tell you that they absolutely love what they have and wouldnāt have it any other way.
That isnāt to diminish peopleās feelings about change. I truly understand that. But itās an opportunity to re-invest in your story, your values, and in some cases correct something that actually represents an urban legend.
Iāve had loads of 1-1 calls and even now a wing brief, so if anyone wants a chat through it all and to have the chance to air their concerns and feel heard, please know Iām always very happy to facilitate that.
The problem is itās a really messy and nuanced area, so itās hard to properly induct people without sitting them down for the better part of an hour and having a chat about it.
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Sensing a bit of deja-vu with this oneā¦
I guess seeing this has saved me waiting out on a response from the Region Media Officer as to whether I can put this to Influence or not - a shame really, as the idea could be that it still allows for āuniformityā while sqns are currently going through the process of getting an official badge (going off mprenticeās comms to myself re: the aforementioned), and means less margin for deviation. Moreās the pityā¦
I spoke to my unit and unfortunately they have said that they just donāt need it and that they donāt care about getting a new badge that is official what really upsets me as I would love a new badge.
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I mean you can certainly ask the question.
Thatās totally up to them and thereās no pressure to get one. No one needs a badge.
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I just hope they understand that if they donāt have an official badge then they donāt have one? It isnāt about getting a ānewā badge, but having one vs not doing.
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Hey, always gotta go via the proper CoC while also sounding out ideas elsewhere
So the will just be using the RAFAC logo & ATC Badge thenā¦ right
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Yeah but we will till use the unofficial one what may be a issue but I tryed my best so.. Not much more I can do
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I think youāre forgetting a certain somebody on this forum there who cares very much!
Jokes aside Iām not sure I agree with the meme premise - I know there are some squadrons with very decent looking unofficial badges where the only issue is the lack of approval, but thereās also some that look awfulā¦
I canāt see a fairer option personally to stop the latter than forcing them all to be approved, as long a process as it is.
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I just donāt believe in doing half a job, even though this is supposed to be half of a voluntary jobā¦
Whatās the point in stepping up as the organisationās SME on a niche but no less important subject area and being charged with sorting out the process if I then donāt lead on it and try to ensure people can make informed decisions?
Within the scope of the rules Iāve no interest what people elect to do, I just want to make sure they understand their choices and are supported to make that choice.
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