Except that now many events in fact do not require a TG 21…
We post on the parents Facebook group informing parents their child has made a bid on an activity, especially as we are seeing some that require transport that staff may not be able to attend and transport.
I do not know if this happens but do the email addresses they signed up with get a email notification to say they bid? Especially if little Johnny’s put their parents email down to sign up with.
@james_elliott
(sorry if this is covered elsewhere/before)
When looking at the Cadets who have bid to view their profile I can’t simply click their name on the bidding screen (Cadets Tab).
For instance we’ve got 12 Cadets interest for 3 flying places we’ve lot later this month.
The obvious selection process is to consider who hasn’t flown before/the least/the longest time since they flew, but to view this information it requires selection of the:
Cadets menu
active Cadets,
then find the 12 names in turn.
(and then the flying log)
It was no big drama to do so, but it could have saved some clicks (multiplied 12 times) if from the Cadet tab in the event we can view their profile to then find the flying log, or shooting log etc, (ie reduces the clicks above to just the brackets) rather than finding the individual name in the 50 on unit/using the search function.
It isn’t a “bug” or something that doesn’t work, just something which could be “better” (read smoother)
So far I am loving CP – It works, which is a bonus, it makes sense and is very easy and intuitive to use. Plus our Cadets seem to have got on board, I have cadets bidding for events I’ve set up before I have chance to tell them about it on a Squadron parade night or post on SM!
Why not run the built in flying log report?
These are all great comments and something we are definately aware of. We want to make SMS events more context aware of what type of event it is and showing info relevant to that and it is on our backlog.
All that said, our backlog is pretty long and there are other things we will be doing ahead of that which should deliver even greater admin burden reduction.
the what?? 
*goes to search
ok i think i have found it…
didn’t know that existed
there is still an element of filtering through the whole Squadron, but does give a single screen (ish - two pages so perhaps single source better phrase) view of what I was looking for!
cheers! 
I’m not sure if they get an email to confirm having bid, but they should certainly be getting one when they are selected or rejected.
Aye, that’s been a niggle of mine for a few years.
When creating Wing events there are even more clicks to first get the particular squadron.
The second scenario is an event where you have invited other units at the same level (i.e. other Sqns for events created by Sqn accounts, and other Wings for by Wing accounts). Cadets from the other units can bid but you can’t then view their record, which is sometimes required.
The first one should be a relatively easy fix - we already have the required permissions to access the record, it just needs a shortcut to go straight to the cadet. The second scenario is more problematic, because we don’t have the required permissions to see other unit’s cadets, and I suspect that to temporarily delegate access for specific cadets on a per event basis would be quite a fiddle.
Considering this is likely to be the cadet’s own email it still doesn’t get around then telling the parents does it ?
As good as the system is and can be, it’ll never get around some children acting like children.
And as another takeaway lesson, if the wing run a event that cadets can bid for on CP, and this event is over subscribed, the event organizer will chose the cadets. In this scenario they select CADET X, however the sqn staff knows that CADET X will never turn up!
It appears that the pre CP sqn receives X no of places and allows the sqn staff to select, this responsibility has now be removed to the Event Org who know little of the cadets they are selecting!
Uhh no. You can still select cadets.
Ok so can the Event Org Select/reject/reserve cadets and thus generate a notification direct to the cadet?
Are you going to tell Cadet X they cant go even tho the system tells them they have been selected.
Are event org going to email Sqn to tell them how many cadets can attend? If this is the case its not reducing the admin burden as yet.
What? I don’t understand your question?
Both the sqn staff and the event organiser can select cadets.
I think the worry is that the organiser will set a cadet as selected (thereby automatically notifying them of the fact) before the squadron can mark them as rejected.
It is as if we need a 2-stage system whereby the units have a deadline to finalise their bid (based up a set allocation), then the organiser gets to play and modify those bids as needed. Ideally, the organiser could only confirm a selection or promote a reserve, not select a cadet who has been rejected by the unit. This kind of mechanism might be something to be developed as the system evolves into being able to properly deal with higher-level activities.
I believe that the mechanism which seemed to be in place to allocate places to units and display this on SMS has been withdrawn (for now) as it was slowing things down.
Perhaps the option is, then, to bar event organisers from selecting (but still view to judge uptake for ratios), before squadrons approve nominations.
Squadron doesn’t confirm in time, nominations aren’t accepted - same as before.
Or if Squadron doesn’t confirm in time, organiser bypasses them as the squadron clearly wasn’t that bothered.
Fair counter.
Though, equally, this could be dealt with as a simple matter of policy.
When I set a bidding deadline for a Wing event I’m not going to bother doing anything with the cadet bids until after the deadline.
So if a Squadron wants the option to veto before I select someone they think I shouldn’t, all they need to do is set their own CP deadline in advance of mine.
Their cadets sign up, they check them and make any amendments they feel necessary before my deadline. My deadline comes and I deal with what’s left.
I think we need to be wary of restricting the system to one particular workflow. Far better to keep our options open and to train people how to use it effectively.
1 Like
That is true so we will have to continue to message on the Parent’s Facebook page to say who has requested places on such activities or regardless of if they need a TG21 form, at least the parents will be aware they are doing a cadet activity when they have to sign the form.
Exactly what I’m doing with my Wing events, I’m also being very proactive at looking at who from my Squadron is signing upto events and rejecting early where necessary.
I don’t see any need for Staff to be managing this, the whole point of CadetPortal was to empower the Cadets, so as far as I’m concerned it’s the Cadets responsibility to tell parents that they have put in for an event, exactly as it was when we had paper signup sheets on the wall.
1 Like