I hate to do so, but Why?
Are you suggesting that if they don’t go into uniform (CI) they would not be burnt out or that they should have a clear break between Cadet / Staff Service?
I don’t think there is anything you can effectively do to avoid people burning out, because if they want to constantly do stuff they will, having more staff overall though could reduce the pressure on them to do do do.
I think a break is a good thing anyway.
So many problems when cadets go straight to staff… first of all the fact that many of them take the nco route and later want to commission, and are told no. But at 20 weren’t ready for commission, so later on causes animosity.
I find that our cadets seem much younger these days. At 20 I had been moved out from home for 2 years and had set up my own business… I look at our 18 year olds and they still need a lot of “mothering” - sensible staff cadets are few and far between.
I came back to cadets after a 10 year break. I came back to my old squadron with different staff and cadets and this has worked very well for me - and it is good to see old faces still about in the wing, but locally it was totally different. I think that is very helpful for everybody.
Young adults lives are in flux, I could never have carried on as staff and worked the hours I needed to get my career and business where it needed to be - and of course work comes first. But now things are settled I’m able to give way more back now.
With big life choices to be made; uni/work/moving out and being a young adult so big nights out/time with mates and first “serious” relationships etc I think we are kidding ourselves if we think staff cadets becoming staff is the way to bump up staff numbers.
Let them go and live their lives and come back when home life is nice and settled. We’ll get more out of people that way.
Those of us that have been cadets all know that there is a world of difference between being a cadet (inc Staff Cadet) and member of staff. Yet many don’t like to acknowledge this. We seem to have forgotten how our lives changed through our 20s and seemingly overlook what ex-cadets will be going through; work and personal life, which will be exacerbated by this year’s goings on. It will be bad enough for a lot of older staff; potentially looking for work, loss of earnings, family difficulties etc over the next couple of years.
The ATC has changed completely to what I remember it being really up until 2005-2010. If you have a role now and email attached to that role, it moves instantaneously to one where you are expected to be on it away from the sqn, whereas it is used to be a case of leaving it all in the hut after each parade, unless you wanted to do a bit of personal prep. Granted people bring this on themselves by having cadet email on their phones, which needs extraordinary self-discipline to not look at between parades. Which turns the ATC into a 24/7 expectation. This applies to personal email as well. This is on top of other pings and buzzes on phones which plead attention like a crying baby. I don’t and won’t access emails on my phone and have no need for social media. Our WSOs over the last 7/8 years have said I am impossible to get a response from, unless it’s a parade night. I don’t see a problem with this.
As such burn out et al doesn’t need to come from doing too much, the every day organisation pushing an almost relentless need to look at emails, turn up for / do things between parade nights, can make people feel like the ATC is their entire life and work is a side-show, when it is the other way round. Too many OCs act like this so people on sqns see it as normal, when it is not.
For the first time at this time of year, I am completely relaxed as we haven’t had Wings/ BoB, Poppy collecting and Remembrance Parades, a DofE exped at ½ term and sporting events, since September. In all the years to this year, this would only be the 2nd or 3rd complete weekend of no cadet stuff, since the start of Sep. Last weekend was the best Remembrance weekend ever, what normally means 6-7 hours collecting on Saturday (with the same the previous Saturday), doing uniform on later on Saturday, followed by another 3-4 hours on the Sunday around the parade was condensed into 30 minutes; drive to the WM, lay a wreath and come home.
So yes a compulsory break in service for cadets from 18 to 20, ending cadet service at 18. It’s a rare thing to not have a cadet go to uni now, invariably don’t come home except at Christmas and Easter (when I have a stand down) and during the summer they seem to work where if they are local it’s hardly worth them coming to the sqn, unless it’s for a visit. Then when they graduate get jobs all over the world or at least not local. I do not advocate joining sqns near to their uni, as they have something far more important to be concentrating on. There needs to be a frank exploration of why we insist on looking to keep cadets in the organisation. Do other youth organisations do this like we do? There also needs to be a recognition that other than doing some courses/quals there is absolutely nothing in the ATC for those in 18-20 age group in terms of exclusive activities. Even the 16-18 school/college goers are seen less frequently, because they IMO find they need to put the extra work in to ensure they get the right grades for the next step.
They are turned into mini-staff at 18 when they are still easily manipulated. I wouldn’t see a “junior” uniform as a positive step as it would only be a measure to exert control, by an organisation that likes to think it is more than it is.
Our Scout district has for the last few years had a group which seems to be predominately 18-25 year olds and older leaders 50-60 year olds who do the admin and setting up for their events and go to groups to help out if requested. There is also a longer running senior group which seems to be borough wide who help out with running ‘recruiting’ stands. Talk to people who run Scout groups of all types and this seems to work well as they bring a wealth of knowledge and experience or just some extra hands. This floating arrangement seems to work well. However given how we are set up, I couldn’t see how it would translate into the ATC.
The more you think about this an 18 month sabbatical say every 10 years for all staff, with no loss of service etc, if they come back. Would give people a chance to re-charge.
I’m looking at this year and thinking it would be good to have a regular break, although we’ve had to do the folly of online parades etc, so not a real break, but still, without the twice weekly rushing around when you get home and then no weekends it’s been nice. I know for some this has been purgatory.
Little bit of thread necromancy but better than starting a new one. & if I posted on makes me laugh it would just derail that thread
So administrative error but then the lad is sworn in on his 18 birthday. He will be dealing with all sorts of grisly stuff yet if he was still in the ATC he would still be treated as a cadet (despite having the powers to nick people on camp)
Not bad retiring on a full pension at 43 though.
I have been comissioned for over 30 years and have had breaks of service in the NEP to recharge.
It is neccessary to recharge your batteries and enthusiasm on occasion, however the organisation appears to discriminate against those who do.
As a direct result of recharging, I have lost out on the Platinum Jubilee Medal (not that they have been issued yet in our wing) and continuity of service for CFM clasps.
Now that RAFAC is looking more closely at mental health issues, maybe there will be such opprtunities for sabaticals in the future.
Continuity of service is not required anymore
That’s great news - they owe me another two ! 
I’m always surprised that cadets want to stay on as Staff Cadets.
As I have said in a previous post, they are treated as adults when it suits (usually on Squadrons) and as 12 year olds by the organisation.
Cease cadet service at 18 and move directly to CI strikes me as being the sensible way to go.
No point replying to him, he’s been permanently banned.
It Varys from Sqn to Sqn. At mine staff cadets are effectively uniformed CIs, expected to take the lead with activities & add SMS events etc.
Regarding why people want to stay, again it varies from the person, some are peter pans not wanting to grow up, others are not ready to move on while others are looking for the next challenge & wanting to give back.
If you have been in 30years you would probably have seen all these types stay on along with a few more that I probably haven’t.
I agree with the cut off requirement, I would probably drop it to 19 to start followed by school leaving age (so you can stay until the last day of august after you turn 18).