100% this.
This is the issue.
Hypocracy, failure and shambolic cluster from above.
My name is Paracetamol and I endorse this message.
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The thing is, this isnât an anomaly. It isnât a case where weâre saying âthis is odd, it normally goes much smoother than thisâ⌠This is the norm. This is what we expect.
Itâs been this way for every large event of the last few years. And itâs beyond a joke.
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I advocated this some time during Lockdown to my OC Wg who said it was passed onto the RC. We have a significant Internal Communication problem at the moment.
We have are overly obsessed with the CoC for things that donât need to go via the CoC, given this is an aviation focused event I feel the following should have happened.
Notification of Intent > All RAVNOs + WAVNOs in the Target Wings
Distribution of Calling Notice > All RAVNOs + WAVNOs in the Target Wings + Advisement of Global Push in + 1 Week & Social Media in + 10 Days
Distribution of Calling Notice > All Rgn for selected Regions 7 days after issue to RAVNOs / WAVNOs
Publish on SM 10 days after Calling Notice initially issued, and 3 days after global push - ensures that CoC has had chance to comment but also that ALL STAFF can actually answer questions.
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Even that seems overly complexâŚ
D0 - release to WAVOs and RAVOs.
D+7 - release to all target audience via SMS and CP.
Done.
Only then after the event, use social media for big splash publicity. No need before. All advertising done via CP.
until be stop using other sources for advertising cadets WONT commit to CP. Because we havent as an org.
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Then you get Wing 1 informing sqns of the event before Wing 2. Cadet from wing 1 speaks to cadet from wing 2. Wing 2 cadet then asks staff about event who have no information about it. Same end result.
You are always going to have that in a National Organisation unless HQAC are informing Cadets direct and then you will have Staff not knowing because it hasnât gone down the chain of command properly.
Oh yeah I agree with you that it shouldnât be last minute, if as a Wing SME I expect Squadrons to be submitting things 3 weeks in advance then that should cut both ways of U.K. planning stuff.
Paracetamol - that would be such a simple idea. I wonder why no one has thought of that first; instead of all this toâing and throwâing across email and SM.
If properly planned, as soon as it had been agreed to run as a âprivateâ event, it shouldnât have taken long to sort and put in place.
Or is it the usual thing of just giving to an individual and letting them flounder; rather than giving it to someone has the knowledge and know how to sort 
this
this
and this again.
I was once told to take down a post on FB because of âsecurity risksâ it presented indicated where Cadets would be and doing whatâŚ
#beadwindow
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Was told that Facebook and Social media in general should be used to show what we have done, not where we are going.
I saw one recently that was advertising a range day, giving dates, locations and weapon type.
Perfect⌠Well done!
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There is a time and a place for Social Media pre-event.
But it should be security risk assessed to ensure that you arenât giving too much detail away.
I have been known to advertise Staff & Staff Cadet Courses on SM because I donât trust Squadrons to pass things on. But Iâm deliberately vague âwe will be running this sort of course on these days contact me for detailsâ. No mention of locations and timings etc.
For something like this as it was originally open to the public I assume the RAF had a PME submitted to cover it and the risks havenât changed by just locking the public out, if anything they have lowered.
this is correct and a good point well raised.
and the examples you offer would be a great way to get the message out - the trouble is with this (and i am sure other examples) HQAC post something with the line âget in touch with your Staffâ yet we either donât know anything, or in this case particularly, know we canât go - the fault of the ânationalâ title used here.
I still donât feel that pre-event is necessary, security issues dealt with or not, there is a cluster in the ripple effect the message causes
Iâve been chatting to a few people and it seems that in at least one wing the WHQ hand picked squadrons to inviteâŚ
Hmm this depends on context - in our wing we have some squadrons that are 1.5 hours away, and some that are 3+ hours away⌠If for a day visit with limited places they might choose squadrons nearer - they are more likely to make it on time!
But if it was favouritism that is another matterâŚ
Thereâs other wings further away, so if theyâre making those decisions and removing opportunities based on location and travel time, then what hope do more wings have?
I wonder what the farthest attending unit currently is?
A symptom of it being so short notice, if you want Wings to put it together at short notice they will do it their own way. If they are or were looking at SOV transport that might also have been part of the thinking. (Only 1 in 3 Squadrons in my Wing have SOVâs and that mightâve dropped over lockdown).
That many!?
we have been the result of negative favouritism/discrimination in the past.
year 1 - have 4 Cadets go to RIAT. WExO could âonlyâ get a 50 seater bus to transport them there
year 2 - no places allocated - reason given, it is inefficient to transport you there âi spent ÂŁ600 moving 4 Cadets last year i cannot afford that every yearâ
Whatâs wrong with âwe have this many spaces, travel is this, youâll have to get to here if you want to goâ.
All units have been struggling for activities, which affects retention, and something like this is a boost to recruitment. By removing the option you create from WHQ level a split of haves and have nots.
When I was a Cadet I wouldâve said it was 4/5 and having had a Squadron without one Iâve said I would never do so again.