As well at the ATC I also volunteer in a charity shop.
Last week I received a certificate praising me for volunteering for over 100 hours in the charity shop.
Yesterday I received a card from the charity shop CEO with a personal message thanking me for all I have done this year.
Every time I leave after a shift in the charity shop I get a cheery “thank you for your help today”…and that is every time. I don’t think I’ve ever left without a thank you.
Conversely…
Thank you.
Thank you for every lesson you’ve planned and executed.
Thank you for every form you’ve submitted, and every email you’ve dealt with.
Thank you for every time you stayed late to discuss something important.
Thank you for putting up with the angry parent who disagreed with a decision.
Thank you for looking after cadets on events and camps, be it 1 or 100.
Thank you for making the RAFAC one of the most rewarding experiences for both cadets and staff.
Thank you.
Thank you for signing our volunteer agreement which absolved us of necessitating a thank you - even when you deserve it.
Ps. Please apply for your own CFM.
And staff…?
Yawn. You’re telling me you have never had another member of staff on your squadron, wing staff, or cadet say thank you to you? The most satisfying part of any activity was the very rare “thank you” I got from a truly grateful cadet. No certificate, gift or accolade can beat that.
I get a thank you quite often from the cadets. We are a polite Sqn.
It further up the chain of command that the thank yous should come from. If your paid job is to run a team of volunteers, an annual personal thank you would not go amiss
The OC should also spread the gratitude. He or she may only be paid sporadically, but they (usually) wanted the position of control and command.
I think cutting the grass at least 10 times a year as well as filling baskets and flower beds deserves at least one “thanks Sharon” per year. Even “the grass looks nice Sharon” would suffice.
Except that’s self help and work that your RFCA should be completing 
I got a letter from OC Wg along with a Christmas card that also had a personalised message for things I do away from the sqn that the wing benefits from, I’ve shared this with my staff team.
I say thanks to my staff at the end of every night, or at least try too.
I’ve had 2 RC Commendations in my 6 years as a CFAV. I’ve nominated 4 staff for recognition this year.
There is normally the xmas message from CAC & RC.
Perhaps you have a local problem, or it’s something we do well locally.
I can’t see our gardening contractors strimming round the edges, cutting with a rotary mower first, then finishing with a cylinder mower for that short back and stripes look.
They are better at having a cuppa in the van.
They won’t if someone else is.
Not satisfied with the service received report back to RFCA.
This is all I aim for.
Polite or not I try to end my time with Cadets, be that teaching them first class topics, going through a MAC subject or progressing through some IWT with a reflection that they have learnt something and 99% of the time they all say yes and ofyen a thank you when leaving, some even stick around to discuss more on the subject which to me indicates I’ve either planted a seed of interest and thirst to know more or given that individual someone to reach out to who shares a common interest.
Yes I’ve got bigger awards and praise which is easier to measure, but I serve the cadets not CAC so I get more from their praise, their interest in the topic than a official piece of paper