You have a lot on at the moment - attempting to blast through your AVIP requirements, possibly taking on Trg Off role, considering a commission, and a few other things you’ve asked for advice on.
Your initial period of learning the organisation and admin is a lot of work too and will take time to fully understand and become efficient at.
Training Officer is a very involved and integral part of the unit running smoothly and cadets being happy - it will take time to learn the role and find your style and what does and doesn’t work, as well as forming the necessary relationships with the other instructors and learning their skills and interests. Even once the ball is rolling, you’ll always have work to do that will need to be prioritised.
Taking a commission requires learning and revision, interview processes, and a week away, plus learning drill and how to prep your uniform.
Many of us spin multiple plates. Some of us spin too many too early, but most of us built up gradually and ensured each plate was stable before spinning up another. Then many of us ended up spinning too many anyway.
If you take too much on too soon, you won’t be able to build the deep knowledge and efficiency to easily perform a role. You will be more effective and less stressed doing 1 thing well than 4 things barely scraping by. You have plenty of time available ahead of you, so there’s no need to rush.
Please speak to your OC, agree some priorities, and allow other things to be “happy to work towards, but let’s focus on priorities and then see if there’s the time and capacity to do more”.
For example(s):
Cadet of the Year is a great “nice to have”. But a system of points scoring is an added complication for you to track, when ultimately a nomination from staff at the end of the year will do the job for now. “But a points system is fairer” - yes, but you are currently potentially overhauling the training programme, fundraising methods, and adding new subjects to what is delivered on unit. What good is a points system if those things aren’t solid?
Blue leadership - I’ve said it’s something that you can deliver. But if you don’t have experience with the content, if you haven’t built up your leadership experience using those skills, how effective can you be at assessing it? Instead, get yourself on someone else’s course at the back of the room, learn it, and watch the assessments. Then get yourself a bit of practice of delivering briefs to the cadets when you have tasks you want them to do.
And for recruitment… if your training and activity programme isn’t effective, however much you recruit you will struggle to retain. It’s worth considering accepting smaller intakes in the beginning while the programme is beefed up and fine-tuned. A few, hardcore, interested, and engaged cadets are easier to work with and worth more in the long term than lots of half-interested that will just drop out later - you create a programme and plan activities for dozens of cadets, and then that programme and those activities struggle to work when you suddenly have a reduced group size.
…and when your plans fall apart or aren’t as popular as you hoped you will question your life choices and wonder why you bothered. That’s a rollercoaster we’ve all ridden at some stage, but the successes answer the cry. Set yourself up for some simple successes before riding the helter-skelter.