cadence vol 22

CADENCE Issue 22, Spring/Summer 2007

Running a happy supply shopA local officer shares some pointers for keeping your supply shop in perfect running order. Check his tips for keeping tabs on inventory, keeping up with administration and more. OCdt Eric Coomber

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IN THIS ISSUE

Sea cadets use new training shipsCadets and CIC officers climbed aboard the firstnew Patrol Craft Training ship—Orca—during theannual seamanship concentration in March. Eightnew PCTs are replacing the wooden-hulled YardAuxiliary General vessels that have been used fortraining for more than 50 years.

13 The challenges of ‘homelessness’Six officers talk about their challenges, coping techniques, hopes and possible solutions to homelessness.

17 Finding accommodationCraig Hawkins

18 Accommodation costsAccess to military facilities is the ideal.

19 Proceed with cautionWhen trying to solve accommodation problems, take care.Terry Whitty

26 Training delayed, but worth the waitWhat’s good about the delay in rolling out the updated first-year local and summer training programs?

27 Summer training more holisticLook for standard course lengths, training days, periods in a day and minutes in a period when updated training begins in summer 2009.

28 Summer training—seaThe new focus will be fun!

29 Summer training—armyExpedition fully integrated into updated summer training.Capt Rick Butson

30 Summer training—airHelping cadets explore.

31 The new CF leadership doctrine and youCapt Darin McRae

32 Meeting the legal standard of careWhat can you do to manage legal risks and avoid potential legal responsibility?Nathalie Richard

35 CF recruiting campaign includes CIC officersCIC recruiting at Canadian National Exhibition and moreCapt Chantal Durepos and Capt Sonia Nadeau

36 Unpaid reservists not “deemed on duty”Policy change means unpaid reservists are no longer “deemed on duty” while supporting the Cadet Program.

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24Preparing cadets for summer trainingLocal officers may be able to drastically reduce ‘returned to unit’numbers by adequately preparing cadets and their parents before-hand. In 2006, 898 cadets were returned to unit from cadet sum-mer training centres across the country—a jump from 2005.Capt Calvin Facey

FRONT COVER

‘Homeless’Countless corps and squadrons in Canada are virtually ‘homeless’—having no permanent headquarters and moving from locationto location to parade in temporary spaces and operate withoutsuitable classrooms, office or storage space. Officers literally runtheir units from the trunks of their cars. How do they do it?(Photo by Lt (N) Julie Harris)

UPCOMINGCanadians have a rich history of volunteering andcommunity involvement. According to the Canadianwebsite www.volunteer.ca, voluntary activity playssuch a unique role in Canadian society that it hassometimes been described as the glue that holds allspheres of society together.

Certainly, the Cadet Program would be a lesser pro-gram without our league partners and the thousandsof volunteers who give so much to it.

Originally, we planned to do an article on motivatingand caring for volunteers in this issue. Instead, wehave decided to expand our treatment of the subjectin the Fall issue.

The above website states that managing volunteers isboth an art and a science. “The job demands a widerange of skills with a high level of complexity,” it says.“Regardless of the size of the organization, it is vitalto ensure that individuals responsible for volunteershave the necessary skills, experience and support todo the job well.” The same could be said of CadetProgram leaders who work hand in hand with thou-sands of volunteers to deliver the program. Checkout our next issue for more on the subject.

You can also look for a follow-up on the new CF lead-ership doctrine that is the core for new CIC leadershiptraining currently under development. This secondpart will talk about leading people, the importance oftrust and leadership characteristics.

Other articles in the Fall issue will include more onthe Cadet Program Update, one on planning mealsfor cadet exercises from a Prairie Region officerand another on morale from an Atlantic Regionofficer. Your interest may also be tweaked by oneofficer’s view on the importance of competition inmotivating cadets.

Copy deadlines for the Fall and Winter issues areJune 15 and Sept. 28 respectively. If you are inter-ested in writing for an upcoming issue, or havea story idea, please contact the editor in advanceat [email protected], [email protected] 905-468-9371.

Professional Development for Leaders of the Cadet Program

IN EVERY ISSUE4 Opening notes 5 Letters 6 News and Notes

38 Viewpoint 40 Test your knowledge


Itake this opportunity to reflect onmy tenure as Director of Cadets and

Junior Canadian Rangers before mydeparture this summer. In the past fouryears I have focussed on two themes ofthe Cadet Program that reflect my pas-sions: enthusiasm and fitness.

During this time, I visited numerouscorps and squadrons, as well as all ofthe cadet summer training centres. Ihave always been quite impressedwith the enthusiasm and dedicationof the leadership of the CadetProgram. In fact, I truly believe thata leader’s positive attitude is the bestapproach—the best medicine for cadetmorale. And cadet morale is impera-tive for the success of our program.

Such challenge and fun radiating fromcadets would not be possible withoutCIC officers and civilian instructors.You should never underestimate theprofound and important role you play

in developing the youths that join ourprogram, and I encourage you tokeep up the excellent work.

Certainly, when I read the feature inthis issue about officers setting upand dismantling offices every paradenight, building shelves in their base-ments and bedrooms to house cadetsupplies and doing cadet work athome (over and above their cadettraining nights), I was humbled attheir dedication. This dedication andenthusiasm are equally reflected inthis issue’s Viewpoint by Lt(N)Wendy Butt and a letter from CaptValda Styles, who loves workingwith cadets so much that she wouldnot have her life any other way—nomatter how much time it takes.

During my tenure, I also fulfilled amission related to my passion forphysical fitness.

Physical fitness plays a valuable rolein the development of youth. I want-ed to encourage physical fitness inall elements of the program. This ledto the creation of a new award,which applauds the considerableefforts made by a cadet in his or herquest for physical fitness excellence.

Physical fitness and nutrition in theCadet Program have also been fea-tured in Cadence over the past twoyears and continue to receive atten-tion in letters the magazine receivesfrom officers regarding their ownlocal initiatives in this area.

The Cadet Program makes an enor-mous difference in the lives of cadets and the people around them.I know in my heart that the cadets’experience—no matter the length of their stay—has made them betterCanadians. Seeing cadets being chal-lenged while having fun has beenmy foremost motivation factor forthe past four years, a privilege I willnever forget.

It has been an honour to serve theCadet Program as the director, and Iwill have fond memories to takealong with me forever.

Enthusiasm and fitness

Col Robert PerronOPENING NOTES

Issue 22 Spring/Summer 2007Cadence is a professional development tool forofficers of the Cadet Instructors Cadre (CIC)and civilian instructors of the Cadet Program.Secondary audiences include others involvedwith or interested in the Cadet Program.

The magazine is published three times a year by Chief Reserves and Cadets—Public Affairs,on behalf of Directorate Cadets.

Views expressed do not necessarily reflect official opinion or policy.

Editorial policy and back issuesof Cadence are available online athttp://cadets.ca/support/cadence/intro_e.asp.

Managing editor: Lt(N) Julie Harris, Chief Reserves and Cadets—Public Affairs

Editor: Marsha Scott, Antian Professional Services

Contact informationEditor, CadenceDirectorate Cadets and Junior Canadian RangersNational Defence Headquarters101 Colonel By DriveOttawa ON, K1A 0K2

Email:[email protected] CadetNet at [email protected] [email protected]

Phone: Tel: 1-800-627-0828Fax: 613-996-1618

DistributionCadence is distributed by the Directorate TechnicalInformation and Codification Services (DTICS)Publications Depot to cadet corps and squadrons,regional cadet support units and their sub-units,senior National Defence/CF officials and selectedleague members.

Cadet corps and squadrons not receiving Cadence or wanting to update their distributioninformation should contact their Area CadetOfficer/Cadet Adviser.

Translation: Translation BureauPublic Works and Government Services Canada

Art direction: ADM(PA) Director Public Affairs Products and Services CS07-0028

A-CR-007-000/JP-001

Col Perron with the new PerronAward. See articleon page 9.

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ONE CLASS “B” POSITION PER UNIT?

Professional Development for Leaders of the Cadet Program 5

For me, the biggest challenge as aCIC officer is time. When you haveto work at a civilian job, it takesaway from the time you can give tothe Cadet Program and what youare able to do.

I travel each week for my job so Ionly have weekends to do thingswith cadets. Living in a rural com-munity, I have only two other offi-cers (who also work in civilian jobs)to do week-day training. I conducttraining on the weekends.

This leaves me no time for myselfor my family. Because I was acadet, however, I know the impor-tance of cadet training. That’s whyI devote my weekends to it. If I wasnot here for the cadets, they wouldnot have the opportunity to takepart in our well rounded program.

People continue to say to me, “Howdo you do it? You travel all weekand do Cadets all weekend. Whendo you get time for yourself?” Iwonder what people who don’t dosomething in the community dowith all the time on their hands.

LETTERSREFLECTION ON STAND-DOWN

When we close at the end of theyear for the summer, I miss work-ing regularly with my cadets. I dohelp with transport in the summer,so this helps.

I do not have any children of myown so my cadets are my childrenand fill the void. I love workingwith them and would not have mylife any other way no matter howmuch time it takes. My husband isalso a CIC officer, so we do spendtime together with the cadets.

If we could have a least one class“B” position per corps/squadron, itwould make a world of difference toour training program. If we can’t,we will continue to do what we canto make our civilian lives and CadetProgram lives fit together for thesake of the cadets we train.

Capt Valda StylesCommanding Officer708 Air Cadet SquadronStephenville, NL

Cadence reserves the right to edit for length and clarity. Please restrict your letters to 250 words.

PHYSICAL FITNESS STANDARDS

I have noticed in the last five yearsthat we as CIC officers haveallowed a reduction in standards forcadet summer training—mainly areduction in physical fitness stan-dards.

At our corps, we are getting thecadets involved in helping eachother.

On physical training (PT) night wedo a 2.2-kilometre walk/run as agroup—officers and cadets. We placethe slower cadets up front and westart as a team and end as a team.The better runners help motivate

the others to complete the walk/run. (In New Brunswick, we have alot of power poles along the road-ways, so we walk a pole and thenrun a pole.) Each time we do thewalk/run, we try to better our time.We can only better our time if wearrive as a team.

This effort began last fall and wehave high hopes that as a corps, wewill raise our fitness standard.

Capt James LewisCommanding Officer3015 Army Cadet CorpsSt. Martins, NB

Last June after annual inspection, I was alone in our squadronheadquarters and wrote this poem.The hangar is silent, I’m all alone,There are no messages on the squadron phoneClassrooms are empty, no orders to hear,No drill movements shouted, by voices so clear.Annual is over, awards given out,The Chief has departed, no longer to shoutHis orders to others, and watch them comply.The old Chief is done, and given goodbyes.The training year’s over, the summer begins,The slate is wiped clean of uniform sins.So soon will the summer and sunshine slip by,And then the new Chief and the squadron will tryTo pass the tradition that has gone on before,To all the new people who come through the door.But for now, it is silent, but for those who’ve been throughThe doors and the archives of old 892.For it’s not just a place to go to spend time,But rather a life that will stay on your mindLong after you age out and go on your way.In the future you’ll look back and here’s what you’ll say.“I am what I am, and part of it set,By the fact that I was once a cadet.”But for now it is empty, no one walks the halls,And the pictures are silent as they hang on the walls.But when summer is over and the squadron falls in,The making of memories will once more begin.

Capt Terry FilceDeputy Commanding Officer892 Air Cadet SquadronCheltenham, ON


NEWS AND NOTES

When the CBC’s mini-series “TheGreat War” aired on April 8 and 9,OCdt Justin Walsh, 870 Air CadetSquadron in Brockville, Ont., was init. He played the commander of the46th South Saskatchewan Battalion—the battalion his great grandfatherCol Herbert Snell actually com-manded and raised in 1914.

The release of the mini-series, starringJustin Trudeau, was timed to coincidewith the 90th anniversary of theBattle of Vimy Ridge and there-dedication of the VimyMemorial in France.

OCdt Walsh’s journeyfrom CIC officer to bat-talion commander wasan interesting one. In thesummer of 2005, Galafilms, in conjunction withCBC Canada, askeddescendants of FirstWorld War veterans to

CIC officer in “The Great War”participate in a landmark televisionproduction recreating the hard life of aCanadian soldier during the FirstWorld War. OCdt Walsh was one ofmore than 6500 people who answeredthe call. He then became one of 150descendants selected to take part. Hewas also among nine chosen to

become non-commissionedofficers (NCOs) who wouldtrain, command and educatethe remaining descendants inall aspects of early 1900s lifeand warfare.

Last July, the nine weredressed in standardFirst World War kitand placed in livingquarters on the filmset in St-Bruno,Que. Then theyreceived a five-day‘crash course’ onbeing an NCO andon methods of trench

OCdt Walsh playedthe role of commander(centre) of the 46th

South SaskatchewanBattalion in theCBC mini-series.

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Here, “Cpl Walsh”heads back to campafter a shoot. >

warfare, musketry and battalionattacks from a film training corps thatspecializes in Commonwealth militarytactics and historical training.Following that, they were assigned tocommand battalions that would re-enact First World War battles, includ-ing Beaumont-Hamel, Passchendaele,Vimy Ridge and Ypres.

OCdt Walsh equipped, trained andcommanded 23 descendants. “Theprivates lived like First World Warsoldiers in canvass tents, ate hardrations and followed the disciplinaryrules of the British military of thetime,” he says. “Wearing wool uni-forms and boots, many sufferedfrom heat fatigue in the 40-degreetemperatures and developed blistersand trench foot.”

When the cameras began to roll forthe first set—the re-enactment of thegas attack of Ypres—the actor sol-diers filmed battle sequences in thetrenches and met their Germancounterparts for the first time. Theywere actual descendants of GermanFirst World War veterans.

In the film, OCdt Walsh is eventual-ly ‘promoted’ to Composite BattalionCommander, in command of all 150descendants. “All of us came to realizethe stress of combat that our grandfa-thers must have felt,” he says.

As 870 Squadron’s training officer,he hopes to incorporate some ofwhat he learned during his experi-ence into the squadron’s field train-ing exercises.

The sea cadet sail training programin British Columbia was recognizedin 2006 as the “sail training programof the year” by the CanadianYachting Association.

The CYA—the national authority forsailing in Canada—presented a tro-phy in February to Regional CadetSupport Unit (Pacific) in recognitionof “operating a premier sail trainingprogram and sharing information

with the Canadian sailingcommunity to the benefit ofimproved sail training every-where.”

RCSU (Pacific) operatesthree sail centres in Victoria,Comox and Nelson, B.C.Approximately 1300 seacadets are enrolled in 31 seacadet corps in the province.N

ationalaward

forsailtraining

program

Cdr Rick Mountford, commanding officerof RCSU (Pacific) and LCdr Martin Head,staff officer sea cadets, with the CYA trophy.(Photo by Gary Webster, Navy League of Canada)

EEVVEENNTTSS


OCdt Ross Davies has just complet-ed a 12-month tour at the CanadianProvincial Reconstruction Team inKandahar, Afghanistan. He was partof the civilian police contingent there,along with four RCMP members.

OCdt Davies was the course officerfor the Red Star program at 148Army Cadet Corps in Charlottetown,P.E.I., before his departure. He hasbeen a police officer with the City ofCharlottetown since 1995.

“Our primary mission there was totrain, monitor and mentor membersof the Afghan National Police,” hesays. “We were also involved in uni-form and equipment supply to thepolice; were project co-ordinators forpolice station construction; and wereheavily involved with the fire depart-ment—a branch of the AfghanNational Police.”

OCdt Davies believes the missionwas very worthwhile and that menand women of the CF and other gov-ernment departments are doingremarkable things there.

He says he has some great stories totell the cadets and that the experiencehas given him a greater appreciationfor what we have in Canada. “I thinkthis experience has made me a betterrounded person, and that can onlybenefit the cadets,” he says.

CIC officer returns fromAfghanistan

MAY 6-12National Cadet MarksmanshipChampionship in London, Ontario

Co-ordinator is Capt Peter Westlakeat [email protected].

JULY 28 Bagotville Cadet

Summer Training Centre annual get-together at CFB Bagotville, Quebec

Open to former cadets (18 years andolder), as well as civilian and militarypersonnel who have participated orworked at the camp. More than 150attended last year’s event. To receivethe official invitation, the participa-tion form and additional information,email [email protected]. Invitations will be sentno later than May.

AUGUST 19-25 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet

National Regatta in Kingston, Ont.

For more information visitwww.navyleague.ca, or phone 1-800-375-NAVY (6289)

SEPTEMBER 1-152007 Army Cadet NationalDomestic Expedition in

Cathedral Provincial Park insoutheast British Columbia

This year’s host is Regional CadetSupport Unit (Pacific). Applicationdeadline for all regionally nominatedcadets is April 15. Expedition pointof contact is Capt Al Harland at [email protected] [email protected].

SEPTEMBER 16-28 Army Cadet International

Expedition 2007 around Cortinad’Ampezzo, Italy (Dolomites)

This year’s host is Regional CadetSupport Unit (Prairie). Nominationdeadline for cadets is April 15.Expedition point of contact is MajBruce Kiecker [email protected].

MAY 1, 2009100th anniversary of the CIC

The CIC was founded in the “Corpsof School Cadet Instructors (militia)on May 1, 1909. It was comprised ofqualified male school teachers of thepublic schools of Canada. Watchfuture issues of Cadence for celebra-tion details.

FEBRUARY 12-28, 2010Olympic Winter Games in

Vancouver-Whistler

CIC officers still have time to qualifyto participate as officials for biathlonevents at the Olympics. Volunteeropportunities are available in bothbiathlon (Olympic) and biathlon(Paralympic) events . The ParalympicWinter Games will be held fromMarch 12 to 21. For more informa-tion, visit www.vancouver2010.com.Recruitment for Games-time volun-teers will begin in 2008.

2010 Canadian Naval Centennial

While plans for celebrating theCanadian Navy’s 100th anniversaryare still in early stages, hopes are thatNaval Centennial stamps and coinswill be produced to help celebrate theevent. Visit www.navy.forces.gc/ca/centennial for more information.

Ross Davies takes abreak from his work

in Afghanistan.<


Up, up and awayCapt Hope Carr trekked to Mont Blanc, the highest

peak in Western Europe, during last year’sInternational Army Cadet Expedition.

Three officers from Regional Cadet Support Unit (Atlantic) have decided tosupport the Arthritis Society’s Joints in Motion trek to Machu Picchu, Peru.

Maj Bill Kelly, commander of the Newfoundland-Labrador detachment(who is trekking for another CIC officer), detachment support services offi-cer Lt(N) Vicki Finney and Capt Hope Carr, regional public affairs officer,will trek to the mountain peak in Peru in August to try and raise $25 000 forthe campaign.

Capt Carr was inspired to do more trekking after takingpart in the 2006 International Army Expedition. “Ittaught me that you can also do more than the limits weset for ourselves and that I want to live my life withoutregrets,” she says. Capt Carr was the first to accept thechallenge and convinced the other officers to join her.

If you would like to support their efforts, all threehave set up sponsor pages on the Arthritis

Society website at www.arthritis.ca. Clickon joints in motion, click on “support

participants”, choose the provincefrom the drop down list andenter the officer’s name.

Look for a follow-up in our Fall or Winter issue.

NEWS AND NOTES

When a fire broke out in the house where she was babysitting in April of2006, PO2 Tricia Cummings, 110 Sea Cadet Corps STORMONT inCornwall, Ont., evacuated three children from the house and called for help.

The 15-year-old has now received the Cadet Award of Bravery for herprompt decisive action in the face of imminent danger—attributed in partto her sea cadet training.

“We are very proud of what PO2 Cummings has done in saving both life andproperty, and it is my honour as her commanding officer to have nominated her for the award,” says LCdr Conrad Villeneuve. “Thanks to her cadetleadership training, she was able to stay focussed and do the right thing.”

The Cadet Award of Bravery is the highest honour a cadet canreceive in the Cadet Program. It is awarded to a cadet who per-forms an outstanding deed of valour involving risk of his or herlife in attempting to save the life or property of others. A cadet’sCO is the nominating authority for the award. Concurrence ofthe corps or squadron sponsoring committee and the pertinentleague is also required.

The Ontario Fire Marshall’s office has also recognized PO2Cummings’ actions with a Fire Safety Award certificate.

PO2 Cummings received the CadetAward of Bravery on March 19.

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Sea cadet wins bravery award

New national fitness trophy

Here’s a creative way for a corps/squadron to give back to their com-munity, but officers beware!

Cadets from 2511 Army CadetCorps in Thunder Bay, Ont., chal-lenged two of their officers to helpraise funds for the Make-a-WishFoundation’s St. Valentine’s DayHair Massacre. The foundationgrants wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses.

The original ‘massacre’ began in2002 in Edmonton, Alta., when a lit-tle girl named Kali lost her hair for thethird time as a result of chemotherapy.Her father, Gordon, shaved his ownhead in support and encouraged 48co-workers at Canada Post to do thesame. That year, 840 heads wereshaved for the cause. This year, the‘massacre’ became a national event.

‘Hair’ today; gone tomorrow

Cadets from 2511 Corps challengedCapt Daniel Guay, corps CO, andLt Andy Wright, supply officer, toshave their heads if they could raisemore than $350 for the cause. Thecadets were given a week to raisefunds...resulting in their officersgoing ‘baldly’ where they had nevergone before.

Lt Wright, left, and Capt Guay show off their new haircuts to similarly shorn Mrs. Heather Vis, who received the corps’ donation on behalf of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.


IINN TTHHEE NNEEWWSSJim Kouzes, co-author with BarryPosner of a book called TheLeadership Challenge, was recentlyquoted in The Globe and Mail(“Leadership: You’ve got to want it—and build on it”, Feb. 7) as saying,“There is a leader in everyone andyou should work every day at liber-ating that leader within.” Accordingto Mr. Kouzes, who surveyed thou-sands of executives at American andCanadian companies for his book,people consistently say they want tosee these leadership traits: showinghonesty in all dealings; having for-ward-looking ideas; demonstratingconsistent competency; and provid-ing inspiration to others.

A survey by Sirota Survey Intelligence(a workplace attitude pollster inPurchase, N.Y.) of 64 304 employeesthat are Sirota clients, including 8000Canadians, found the top three expec-tations of people in all age ranges isthat they will be treated with respect;

that they will be dealt with equitably;and that they will gain a sense of con-nection with the organization on awork and personal level. According toDouglas Klein, Sirota president, theresults show that, contrary to somemanagement theories, there are nomajor differences in what employeesin different generations need to keepthem motivated. (Source: The Globeand Mail, “Boomers, Gen-Yers agree:It’s all about respect”, Jan. 24.)

Graham Fishburne, a professor inthe faculty of education at theUniversity of Alberta in Edmonton,says the more active children are, thebetter they learn. “Children don’tbecome brighter because they’rephysically active, but they are lesstired, less agitated, less stressed andless sick,” he says. “Physically activekids are in a better condition forlearning.” (Source: The Globe andMail, “Is it time for examinations inphysical fitness?” Jan. 22).

The Director Cadets and Junior Canadian Rangerswill award a national cadet award annually to acadet for his/her “outstanding achievements in phys-ical fitness”.

The deadline for nominations for this year’s trophyis April 30. The award winner will be announced inthe first week of May.

The Perron Award, suggested and funded by ColRobert Perron who currently heads the directorate,will be awarded to the cadet who attains the highestphysical fitness test score.

For now, the award will be based on the four fitnesstesting components within the Army Cadet FitnessTest (ACFT) and the scoring system of the RoyalMilitary College’s physical performance test. Infuture, the award will be based on a fitness test includ-ed in an updated Cadet Program-specific physical fit-ness test included in all three elemental programs.

Any cadet who has achieved the Phase 2/RedStar/Proficiency Level 2 or higher can take the phys-ical fitness test and apply for the Perron Award.

Sea and air units that do not have experience con-ducting the ACFT are encouraged to seek assistancefrom an army cadet corps staff member, a local phys-ical education teacher, a fitness consultant at a localgym, or local CF Personnel Support Programs staff.

For further information on the fitness test and award,refer to the Feb. 1, 2007 interim directive 1085-13 (D Cdts 3-4-2).


FEATURE Marsha Scott

‘Homeless’

What is it like to be ‘homeless’?

This article is about six homelesscorps/squadrons. Why are theyhomeless and what are its effects?How do their officers cope, andwhat do they propose as possiblesolutions to homelessness?

“I believe this problem is much morewidespread than most would admit,”says Lt Harry Whale, former train-

ing officer with 835 Air CadetSquadron in Squamish, B.C. andcurrently an area information tech-nology adviser with Regional CadetSupport Unit (Pacific). “The worstpart is that it can happen to any corpsor squadron, no matter how success-ful or large. I know of a unit that lostits headquarters when the local com-

munity hall burned down, and anoth-er that was told to vacate for a yearwhile their armory was renovated.”

It would appear that homelessnesscan happen to anyone. We spoke toofficers from the small towns ofSquamish, B.C., and Grimsby, Ont.,as well as from the cities of Oakville,Ottawa and Halifax. They repre-sented three air cadet squadrons,two army cadet corps and one seacadet corps—some long establishedand one barely two years old.

The reasons for their homelessnesswere equally varied, everything fromforced evacuations from buildingswith asbestos and mould problems to

Capt Dave Timms, CO of 835 Squadron,left, and OCdt Ryan Pedersen work outof the bins that serve as their offices.

(Photo by Jane Bateman)

There are corps and squadrons across Canada that are virtually ‘homeless’—having no permanent headquarters and moving from location to location toparade in temporary spaces and operate without suitable classrooms, office or storage space. Officers literally run their units from the trunks of their cars.Lt Will Cahill, training officer with 292 Air Cadet Squadron in Halifax, is one ofthese. He ran his training section for four months out of the trunk of his Echohatchback! Other officers have worked out of their trunks for much longer.

Ken Brady, commanding officer(CO). Right now, the corps paradesout of a local high school that is too small to practise in for eventssuch as annual inspection, a changeof command, or for that matter“basic marching”.

Years ago, the corps had to leave itshome in a post office basementbecause of asbestos in the walls. Theasbestos was removed, but PublicWorks and Government ServicesCanada did not give the corps thego-ahead to return.

Storage is extremely difficult. Notonly is there no on-site storage, butclothing and other stores are locatedin Beamsville, 10 kilometres away.The problem, says Capt Brady, isthat Grimsby is a small community,and rentable space is at a premium.There are not many places eitheravailable, or affordable.

835 Air Cadet Squadron,Squamish, B.C. This is also the problem inSquamish. After being inactive for15 years, 835 Squadron was resur-rected in 2000 to much fanfare in thesmall community and paraded outof a local building owned by B. C.Rail (a Crown Corporation).However, after only one year, thebuilding was leased to a commercialenterprise and the squadron wasforced to move to a building belong-ing to the local Rod and Gun Club.The space was inadequate.

The town’s army cadet corps, alsoevicted from the B.C. Rail building,looked for alternate space as well,but eventually folded.

835 Squadron was luckier andfound space at the local junior highschool for $3500 a year. “The school

board is the only possibility foraccommodation around here,” saysLt Whale. “Forestry has collapsed asan industry in our town, and eventag days typically result in less than$1000 for an entire weekend. All cor-porate donations taken together sel-dom exceed $1000 a year.”

Every Tuesday night, 835 Squadronuses the school gym floor for threehours and one classroom for twohours. A multi-purpose room may, ormay not, be available (depending onwhether another group has bookedthe room.) If it is available, it’s usedas a combined office, meeting room,canteen, impromptu supply roomand sponsoring committee office.

Storage is also an issue. An 18.5square-metre storage space at a localbusiness is packed to bursting withfurniture from former accommoda-tion. Ready-use equipment is stored ina $3000 per year u-lock storage facili-ty downtown and in officers’ homes.

a lack of rentable space and exorbi-tant costs. Many times, homelessnesswas chronic.

What is remarkable about each ofthese stories is the officers’ dedica-tion and hope that one day, thecorps/squadrons they lead will havea place to call home.

62 Air Cadet Squadron,Grimsby, Ont.Shelves full of ‘cadet stuff’ line onewall of Capt Cory Chapman’s bed-room. He is the training officer with62 Squadron, and there’s no otherspace to store the training andadministration supplies that he andhis wife Chris, the squadron’sadministration officer, need to helprun the squadron. The squadron ishomeless, without a permanentheadquarters and storage facility.

Cadets from 62 Squadron parade inan elementary school gym and bysome standards, they are pretty welloff because they also have access tothree classrooms and a staff room—all for free.

Storage is a little more complicated.In addition to the Chapman’s shelv-ing, the squadron’s supply room(storing uniforms, boots, accessories,audio-visual equipment and field-training equipment) is actually in thebasement of another officer. “He’s awonderful man who built the supplyroom himself because we were wor-ried about moisture in the outdoorstorage facility we used last year,”says Capt Chapman.

Even though the Chapmans—and all62 Squadron staff—work out of thetrunk of their car, they are optimisticbecause their squadron is barely twoyears old.

1626 Army Cadet Corps,Grimsby, Ont. 1626 Corps, also in Grimsby, is 38 years old and still doesn’t have a permanent home! It has moved so many times that its nickname is “The Gypsy Corps”, says Capt

Shelves full of ‘cadetstuff’ line one wall ofCapt Cory Chapman’s

bedroom.


The space this ‘supply section’ occupies in the home of Lt David Leonard, chief instructor with 62 Air Cadet

Squadron in Grimsby, was originally intended to become awashroom in his basement living area.

FEATURE178 Sea Cadet Corps,Oakville, Ont.“Try to outfit a new cadet with a uni-form in February in a facility with-out heat,” says Lt(N) BryanMcIntyre, CO of 178 Sea CadetCorps. Storage of everything theOakville corps owns is off site in arented unheated storage facility.This has been the situation since thecorps stood up seven years ago.

In seven years, the corps has parad-ed out of three locations, includingtwo rent-free years in a Legion hall(which has since been sold), threerent-free years in a regional building,and now a union hall, for which 178Corps pays rent. The union hall isused for classes, but because of spacelimitations, drill is held mostly out-doors, and team practices occur inprivate homes or not at all.

3018 Army Cadet Corps,Orleans, Ont. This 19-year-old corps has movedthree times in the last five yearsbecause there is little rentable spacein the east end of Ottawa, says COCapt Sandra Heidel. Historically, thecorps has paid as much as $10 000 ayear for rent.

“We moved from an RCMP facility toan old school taken over by a churchgroup and from there, to another oldschool bought by a senior’s group,”she says. “Then we had to move fromthere last June because the senior’sgroup was becoming too large.”

The corps currently parades out of apublic school gym. Office supplies arebrought in every week from blue stor-age boxes. The cadets sit on the floorin a hall for classes and have noequipment to train with because sincethe corps’ moved last August, every-thing it owns, except for ‘vitals’, waspacked and stored in an off-site stor-age facility that is difficult to access.

292 Air CadetSquadron, Halifax“We are lucky to have finally found apermanent home this training year,”says Lt Will Cahill, training officer

with the 63-year-old squadron. Butthe squadron hasn’t always been solucky. In the late 1990s, because ofcutbacks and the disbandment of itssponsor, the squadron moved fromschool to school until it found achurch hall to parade in.

In May of 2005, the church flooded.The squadron had to postpone itsannual review, but continued to trainin the church hall. Three weeks intothe 2005-2006 training year, howev-er, an eviction notice on the churchhall door stated that due to potentialmould, the squadron could nolonger stay there. It was given threedays to remove its equipment andjoin the ranks of the homeless. Thesquadron cancelled training.

The squadron found another churchto parade in, but it was soon evidentthat the temporary accommodationcouldn’t work.

The squadron CO, the Nova Scotiacadet detachment and the squadronsponsor worked together to find thesquadron’s current home at a sea-manship school at Canadian ForcesBase Windsor Park in Halifax. Theleague had concerns about thesquadron locating too close to othersin downtown Halifax, but with littlechoice, the squadron moved in. Ithas access to a drill floor and threeclassrooms, and staff sets up a tem-porary office each week in thelounge. Squadron supply is run fromone small room in a different build-ing on the base.

With homelessness hopefully behind292 Squadron, Lt Cahill can lookback on the experience as positive insome ways. “Although the ‘home-less’ situation looked grave for sev-eral months, being able to overcomethose challenges has instilled a senseof accomplishment in both the staffand senior cadets,” he says. “I thinkthere is a real notion that we havebeen through some hard times andhave emerged stronger and moreable to adapt to any situation.”

Three weeks into the 2005-2006 training year...an evictionnotice on the church hall doorstated that due to potential

mould, [292 Air CadetSquadron in Halifax] could

no longer stay there.



Challenges of ‘homelessness’

“We literally carry in and out everything we require for a paradenight,” says Lt(N) Bryan McIntyre,178 Corps.

Every officer we spoke to does thesame.

A typical parade night for officers of835 Squadron in Squamish beginswell before 6:30, with officers loadingequipment from their homes into theircars, driving and loading up additionalequipment from the u-lock storagefacility downtown, driving to theschool and setting things up. Eachnight, everything from office files andcomputer equipment to bulletinboards, training manuals, trainingaids, flags, drill rifles, uniforms andcanteen supplies are brought in.When training is over at 9:30, theentire process is reversed.

“There’s no doubt that a lot of timeis taken up in travelling back andforth, as well as in setting up and‘tearing down’ for nightly training,”adds Capt Ken Brady, 1626 Corps.

Fitting cadets for uniforms

Whether uniforms are packedaway in inaccessible

unhea t ed

Using gymnasiums can often mean alack of power outlets for trainingaids such as overhead projectors,laptops and televisions.

No office space“Because we have to track allrequired files and equipment in andout of our location every paradenight, finding corps documentswhen we need them is often diffi-cult,” says Lt(N) McIntyre. “If wehaven’t predicted the need for a spe-cific file, then chances are it has beenleft at home.”

Lt Will Cahill says that even though292 Squadron finally has a ‘perma-nent’ headquarters to parade in, thelack of permanent office spacemakes the day-to-day running of hissquadron very hard.

Computer/Internet access Cory and Chris Chapman share aDND laptop, but have computerproblems. The laptop user name hasn’t worked. Officers from thesquadron gain access to CadetNetfrom the school on Friday nights; how-ever, Grimsby has no high-speedInternet access at all. “Molasses arefaster than what we have,” says CaptChapman. “It’s very time-consuming.”

Imagine the monotony (and work) of setting up a temporary headquarters week after week.

835 Squadron cadets use the schoolgymnasium for classes and drill,often concurrently, making learningdifficult. Another class can be seenagainst the far wall.

storage spaces, or the space isn’tavailable for cadets to try on uni-forms, it’s a challenge to kit cadets.“This is our biggest issue,” says CaptSandra Heidel, 3018 Corps. “Thereis no feeling of belonging if one cadetcannot look like the other. In addi-tion, our senior cadets keep growingand their uniforms don’t fit. It createsa problem when the leaders aren’teasily recognizable.”

Capt Brady adds, “At our corps,anytime a cadet needs to exchangeuniform items, or have initial issue,the supply officer and cadet have toarrange to meet at our stores 10 kilo-metres away.”

No/limited classroomsHaving no proper classrooms makesit difficult for cadets to learn.

The one classroom used by 835Squadron cadets is reserved for tech-nical subjects, says Lt Harry Whale.The remaining classes take place inthe gym, along the sidelines. Theseclasses run at the same time as drill,or drill instruction on the gym floor.“Distractions and interruptions arethe order of the day. The noise isannoying and it’s hard for cadets toconcentrate when they can see andhear everything going on around

them,” he says.

<

If 62 Air Cadet Squadron contin-ues to grow, Capt Chapmanhopes it will be able to find a larg-er rent-free school to parade in.

Capt Brady has asked his localMember of Parliament to lookinto the possibility of returning

Eternal hope

FEATURE“Given the fact that much of theCadet Program has become comput-er based, our current lack of Internetaccess has limited the amount ofwork our staff can accomplish dur-ing parade nights,” says Lt Cahill.

In Squamish, 835 Squadron had noInternet access at the school until lastfall. “With the increasing reliance onFortress for administration informa-tion, Internet access became urgent,”says Lt Whale. “By sweet-talking theinformation technology department atthe local school board, we finally gotan Internet port in the multi-purposeroom—when the room is available.”

Capt Heidel says she has two lap-tops, but no Internet. Lt Cahill says292 Corps finally got a phone line in

the temporary office in January foruse on training nights with access todial-up Internet.

Limited training“We cannot offer our cadets the ‘full’range of optional training because ofspace limitations at our local headquar-ters,” says Lt(N) McIntyre. Offeringmore training would require rentingadditional space and even if available,the cost would be prohibitive.

Range and ground school are theonly extra-curricular activities thattake place regularly at 835 Squadronbecause the local Rod and Gun Cluband flying school donate facilities.The squadron cannot afford to rentfacilities for such things as drill team,model club and band. Rifle drillpractice for Remembrance Day 2006was held in a truck garage.

Cadet morale It’s difficult to make a temporaryheadquarters look like ‘home’. “Wecannot make our local headquarterslook more ship-like,” says Lt(N)McIntyre. “We cannot hang any-thing on the walls or make otherchanges within the facility. We can’tmake our environment more invit-ing to raise corps morale.”

“We can’t put up posters, or displayour annual trophies,” adds CaptBrady. “The only time the cadets seethem is at annual. The cadets spendall day at school, and then comeback to school at night. Just makingthe environment more invitingwould add a lot to corps morale.”

Cadet retention andcorps/squadron successAll the officers agreed that not hav-ing a permanent home has affectedto some extent the success of theircorps/squadrons, or cadet retention.

“We would have fewer retentionproblems with a permanent home,”says Lt(N) McIntyre. PO2 VictoriaReed, with 178 Corps, says “Wedon’t have enough cadets to make itworthwhile to hold weekly band,range and seamanship team activi-ties, so the interested cadets miss out.And new cadets don’t stick around.”

Lt Whale says the numbers of cadets,staff and volunteers at nearby unitsthat have permanent facilities reflectthe link to a successful squadron.

292 Squadron in Halifax had tochange its parade night three timeslast year because it didn’t have a

835 training officerLt Greg Smithtransports every-thing he needs back and forthevery week in theback of his van.(Photo by Jane Bateman)

<


permanentfacility. “This had amajor effect on cadet retention,”says Lt Cahill. “Our cadet numbersdropped substantially from about 90to 55 cadets. Being forced to forgooptional training for more than halfof one training year made it difficultto retain cadets who may have beenon the fence about joining and stay-ing in the program.”

Retaining cadets has also been diffi-cult for 3018 Corps in Orleans. “Ourcadets get frustrated when they haveto sit on the floor in a hall for class-es,” says Capt Heidel. “Our numbershave been up and down, and retain-ing senior cadets is difficult. In June

1626 Corps to the post officebasement, as well as bringing 62Squadron into the facility.

A distant, but small hope, says LtWhale, is that Squamish will builda ‘youth leadership’ building—aninitiative backed by the mayor.The building would house cadets,Scouts and Guides for example.

League support for 178 Sea CadetCorps is now excellent, says Lt(N)McIntyre. “We hope the leaguewill work with the municipality torent space that is more adequateand affordable so the corps doesnot have to continue moving.”

The affiliated unit of 3018 ArmyCadet Corps has agreed to share

15Professional Development for Leaders of the Cadet Program

of 2006, the corps finished with 65cadets. Now, an average of about 40cadets parade. There’s definitely adecline in numbers overall.”

Lack of privacy for meeting

Lack of adequate space also means alack of privacy for meetings withstaff, or cadets.

At 835 Squadron, meetings requir-ing privacy are held during classbreaks, or sometimes, in the janitori-al supply room off the hallway, saysLt Whale.

leased space with the cadets. Thecorps hoped to enter its new homeby March, says Capt Heidel, butrenovations have forced a delay.Because weapons and equipmentwill be stored there, Public Worksand Government Services Canadaand military police must ultimately‘clear’ the space before the cadetscan move in.

835 Air Cadet Squadron’sLevel One cadets improvise‘desks’ from a bench so they can take notes during a class.

The leagues could offer expert guidance to corps/squadrons with accommodation problems. Theleagues (perhaps at the Provincial/Division level)could put together a team of people who know all thetricks of the trade in terms of facilities, suggests LtWhale. The team could help negotiate with schoolboards, city governments, businesses and landlordsand assist negotiations with ready-to-use presenta-tions and materials. The team could also promotethe benefits of hosting cadets in communities.

We could all help to educate communities aboutthe Cadet Program. “Many communities believethat the cadet movement is fully funded by theCanadian government and that we are able to payrent from that source,” says Capt Heidel. “This mis-conception needs to be corrected.”

The leagues could harvest information on organ-izations that have space for rent, or that are ‘corps/squadron-friendly’, says Capt Heidel. Speakingpractically, local sponsoring committees would bethe best source for this kind of information.

Efforts could be made to get no-cost or lower-cost facilities. “Parading on a base that is free ofcharge has allowed us to free up some budget toensure our cadets get even better training,” says Lt Cahill.

Tax credits or other initiatives could be offeredto owners of vacant businesses who allow cadetsto use their facilities, says Capt Brady. It may notbe common knowledge that landlords who donatespace to corps/squadrons may (under some cir-cumstances) qualify for a charitable donation taxreceipt. Also some cities and communities will givea landlord a tax credit on realty/business/schooltaxes, in some cases up to 40 percent.

Suggested solutions?

16

When the weatherco-operates, cadetsfrom 178 SeaCadet Corps inOakville, Ont.,train outdoors. In seven years, the corps hasparaded out ofthree locations.

How they do it

Using rolling tubs and toolboxes to carry their ‘offices’ in and out of their temporary headquarters. “Portability has become 835 Squadron’s mantra,” says Lt Harry Whale.

Planning ahead to ensure that officers have all the training aids and files they need for each parade night.

Counting on goodwill and hard work from everyone, including league representatives, officers, civilian instructors and senior cadets.

Dedicated staff. “Luckily, we had a dedicated staff who didn’t seem to mind giving up a lot of their evenings at hometo ensure 292 Squadron remained on top of paperwork and training,” says Lt Will Cahill. “I am 26 years old,” saysCapt Cory Chapman. “I was blessed and fortunate to go through the Cadet Program. I will give back whatever I can.”

Working at home. “We have two parade nights, but on the other five days, we work at home,” says CaptChapman. A lot of computer work, in particular, is done at home.

“Making do” and focussing on what they can do, instead of what they can’t.

Moving teaching around—outdoors when the weather is good.

Fostering a good relationship with other corps and squadrons so facilities can be shared. “We often use thelocal headquarters of 304 CHAUDIERE Sea Cadet Corps for winter weekend exercises,” says Lt(N) KenMcIntyre. Capt Brady has invited cadets from Capt Chapman’s corps to join their Tuesday night rifle practiceat the Legion. The downside, however, to having lots of activities with other corps, says Capt Sandra Heidel,3018 Corps, is that you sometimes lose your cadets to corps with permanent facilities.

Fostering a good relationship with municipal and business leaders in the community who may be able tohelp. “The mayor’s influence has helped get our youth leadership building project off the ground,” says Lt Whale.

Fostering a good relationship with parent support committees. According to Capt Chapman, “We put ourheads together and said, ‘We can do this. We’ll take it all on!’”

Using corps/squadron websites and CadetNet. Lt Cahill says that to combat 292 Squadron’s problems withmultiple moves, he developed a regularly updated squadron website to take the place of a system of phone calls.835 Squadron staff also use their squadron website and CadetNet extensively.

Committing to minimizing the effects of homelessness on the cadets. At 292 Squadron, this required staffwho could deal with challenges as they arose, adapt and overcome them, says Lt Cahill. Capt Chapman adds,“What cadets don’t see is great. They can still benefit from the training.”

FEATURE

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Finding accommodationAn Air Cadet League perspectiveThe Department of National Defencewill provide space in military facilitiesto cadet corps/squadrons whereverpossible. However, the reality is thatmany corps/squadrons do not haveeasy access to military facilities. Thatmeans that they have to find suitableaccommodations within their owncommunity. This is clearly theresponsibility of the leagues.

In most cases, the squadron spon-soring committee (SSC) must makearrangements for suitable quartersfor an air cadet squadron.

Finding suitable quarters can be achallenge at the best of times. First,the SSC needs to have a clear idea ofwhat type of quarters is required.For this, they will need input fromsquadron staff. What are the ‘musthaves’ that the commanding officer(CO) and staff require? What arethe ‘should haves’ and the ‘nice-to-haves’ that can be included? Howmuch can the SSC afford to pay forquarters? All of these factors need to

be discussed openly among SSCmembers and the CO.

Once the partners have agreed onthe parameters, the next big problemis one of availability. Are facilitiesreadily available in the community?Can all of the facilities be located atone site, or will the squadron have tooperate from multiple sites? Whenlooking for suitable facilities it isimportant for all partners to lookactively. In fact, I would suggest thatthe more eyes looking in the com-munity, the better the chances arethat the SSC will find a suitable loca-tion. It might be worthwhile to letparents know that the squadron issearching for suitable quarters.

Once a suitable location has beenfound, it is clearly the duty andresponsibility of the SSC to negotiate areasonable lease for the facilities.However, this may require additionalconsultation with the CO. If the

lease/rental price is within the ballparkestablished in earlier discussions, thenthat is well and good. If the rental priceis a bit higher, how will the additionalfunds be raised? Do you plan an addi-tional fund raising activity? Do you goback to the sponsors for a largergrant? Do you apply to the municipal-ity for a grant, or to the provincial lot-tery corporation for additional funds?All of these points should be decidedin consultation with the CO and staff.

In an ideal world, all squadronswould have their drill hall, offices,classrooms and stores located in thesame building. Those who haveaccess to armories are the lucky ones.

Most squadrons, however, will haveto look for creative solutions to theiraccommodation needs. This willrequire active consultation and col-laboration between the partners.

Then, it is up to the squadronsponsoring committee to doits duty.

Mr. Hawkins is the national president of the Air Cadet League

Craig Hawkins

Who is responsible?

17

Both DND and its three league partners—through sponsoring committees in local communities—provide accommodation for corps and squadrons in more than 1000 communities in Canada. However, the leagues are ultimately responsible for providing “appropriate training and stores accommodation” for local programs where DND is unable to provide it.

Responsibilities are clearly outlined in QR (Cadets) 2.31 (c) and 2.32 (f) and the Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) signed by representatives of the three leagues and the DND/CF on Dec. 1, 2005. The MOU further clarifies the leagues’ role in consulting with corps/squadron commanding officers to provide the space and identify insurance requirements. It also states that regional DND staffs will apply their “best efforts” to providefacilities for local programs and advance concerns with the leagues.

DND will provide space in military facilities to cadetcorps/squadrons wherever possible. 2784 Army Cadet Corps parades out of this armory in Ottawa. >

Quebec—55 percent paid rent, withan average of $3455.

British Columbia—56 percent paidrent, with an average of $3967.

Saskatchewan—46 percent paidrent, with an average of $3430.

Newfound land -Labrador—no sponsoring committee paid rent.

Nova Scotia—15 percent paid rent,with an average of $3100.

Mr. Robert adds that additionalcosts apply in many locations forheat, power, taxes, maintenance,expansion, and so on. Twenty-ninepercent of squadron sponsoringcommittees pay these additionalaccommodation costs, which aver-age $1609 a year.

Army cadet corps

Terry Whitty, executive director ofthe Army Cadet League, says anec-dotal information shows the aver-age yearly cost of accommodationfor a corps parading out of a schoolor community centre is about$8000 to $10 000. The league doesnot, however, track costs formally.

For army cadet corps, Newfound -land-Labrador is the province to bein, at least cost-wise. Of 33 corps

there, four parade in a DND facility,one parades in a church and 28parade in secondary schools—all atno cost. Some schools do charge acustodial fee.

The tide can turn quickly for accom-modation costs though. The Legionsponsor for 2685 Army Cadet Corpsin Whitehorse, Yukon, has providedparade, office and storage space forfree, year round. The ‘going rate’ forrental of that space would be asmuch as $32 400 a year. (One armycadet corps in British Columbia actu-ally does pay close to that for annualaccommodation.) Unfortunately forthe Whitehorse corps, the Legionhas sold the building. The newowner is allowing the corps to stay—until it finds a new home.

Sea cadet corpsAlthough the Navy League hasinsurance records for league-ownedproperty, it has no statistics on thecost of rentals/leases or DND prop-erty use. The league hopes, however,to capture those costs by January of2008 through its new branchreports, according to JerrodRiley, the league’s nationaldeputy director.

Accommodation costs

Statistics show that 123 of the 248squadrons paid no rent at all foraccommodation. These squadrons areaccommodated in a variety of build-ings, including DND-owned facili-ties, municipal buildings, schools,service club buildings and so on. “Inmost cases, the squadron sponsoringcommittees were responsible forsecuring free non-DND accommo-dation,” says Mr. Robert.

The other squadrons paid for theirtraining, administration and storagefacilities. The costs ranged frompractically nothing to upwards of$20 000 for facilities owned by thesquadron sponsoring committee.

The average accommodation costfor those who paid rent was $3842 ayear, but according to Mr. Robert,“there are interesting provincial com-mittee differences”.

Ontario—60 percent paid rent, withan annual average of $4348—the

highest of all provinces.

[In] Ontario, 60 percent [of squadrons] paid rent, withan annual average of $4348—the highest of all provinces.

FEATURE

The Air Cadet League had captured accommodation costs for the 2005-2006 training year for 248 of 454squadrons across Canada, based on financial statements submitted by the end of January. Statistically, saysBob Robert, chair of the league’s finance committee, these costs are representative of the bigger picture.


Terence Whitty


Enthusiastic officers anxious to solvetheir accommodation problemsshould be aware of the caution withwhich sponsoring committees mustproceed when signing leases.

At the start this may appear to be afriendly situation where well-mean-ing local folks are trying to help agroup of teenagers in their commu-nity. But it is serious business, andany agreement will be legally bind-ing on all parties.

Under normal circumstances spon-soring committees should consult alawyer in such a matter, but this isnot always possible or financiallyfeasible. At the very least though,they should consult someone withexperience in commercial leases toreview the lease document. A localbusiness person or a real estate agentmay be able to help here.

Following are a few general rules forlocal sponsoring committees whennegotiating a lease.

If you have to sign a preliminary“Offer to Lease”, always add a clausethat says “conditional upon obtainingfunding” or “conditional uponauthorization from the provincialBranch or Committee”, just in caseyou have to withdraw for any reason.

Never sign a lease in your own name.Use the name of the corps/squadronor the name of the sponsoring com-mittee. Always sign— “for:” yourorganization. The provincial Branchor Committee should be able to giveyou advice on this.

Never give a landlord a personal guar-antee. This clause is usually addedinto the body of a lease under theheading “Guarantors”. When you dothis, you are guaranteeing the wholeterm and conditions of the lease. On afive-year lease at $1000 per month,that would add up to $60 000 if thelandlord calls in the guarantee early,and you could be held additionallyresponsible for damages to property.

Beware of onerous or confusing word-ing regarding repairs and mainte-

Signing leases can be dangerous

Proceed with caution

nance. Your corps/squadron is notresponsible to rebuild an old structure.

Before you start lease negotiations,always contact the league provincialBranch or Division to let them knowwhat is going on and to obtain anexplanation of the insurance cover-age the league provides.

And finally, to practise what wepreach, let me add here that “Thisadvice is offered as suggested guidelinesonly and is not to be construed as legal orbusiness advice”. Don’t laugh: leasesare serious contracts with serious con-sequences if a situation turns sour.

Mr. Whitty is the executive director of theArmy Cadet League.

Enthusiastic officers anxiousto solve their accommodation

problems should be aware of the caution with which

sponsoring committees mustproceed when signing leases.

One of the bigger quandaries facing local corps and squadron sponsoring committees is when they are‘stuck’ for quarters for their cadets, and a helpful landlord asks them to sign a lease in good faith.


OFFICER TRAINING

The new ships replace the YardAuxiliary General (YAG) 300 wood-en-hulled tenders that have servedthe Canadian Navy in a training rolefor more than 50 years.

The new ships’ main users will bethe Naval Officers Training Centre(NOTC) VENTURE in Esquimalt,B.C.; Naval Reserve Divisions; andthe Royal Canadian Sea Cadets.While all three groups will haveaccess to the new ships, NOTC haspriority to meet its training schedule.

In the early months of this year, thefirst PCT ship—named Orca—com-pleted her sea readiness inspectionand conducted local area operationsout of Esquimalt, B.C.

From March 12 to 18, Orca—alongwith three YAGs and Maple Leaf(British Columbia’s oldest tall ship)—participated in the annual seaman-

ship concentration. Sea cadets fromevery region made up her crew.Alternating as Orca’s second-in-com-mand were Lt(N) Rex Ford, a formercommanding officer (CO) of 82 SeaCadet Corps in Bonavista, N. L., andLt(N) Pat Cardinell, CO of 109 SeaCadet Corps in Port Alberni, B.C.,the first two CIC officers to receiveinitial cadre training (ICT) from theship’s contractor. Two other CICofficers filled the deck officer andship’s training officer positions.

On April 1, Orca became available fortraining operations. The second newship, Raven, is expected to be availablefor training operations by May 14.

This article will hopefully answermany questions about the new shipsand explain how Maritime OperationsGroup Four (MOG4) intends to qual-ify personnel to operate them, as wellas how the ships will be employed.

Delivery scheduleVictoria Shipyards recently acceler-ated the production of the ships, andthe Navy may have all eight by thesummer of 2008. If all goes well, theremaining ships will be deliveredand available as follows:

Vessel 3 (Caribou 57): Delivery endof May; available in July.

Vessel 4 (Renard 58): Delivery inAugust/September; available inOctober.

Vessel 5 (Wolf 59): Delivery inOctober/November; available inJanuary 2008.

The delivery and availability dates of Vessel 6 (Grizzly 60), Vessel 7 (Cougar61) and Vessel 8 (Moose 62) are still tobe confirmed.

CrewThe minimum crew size in a PCT isfive. Of these, three must be PCT qual-ified/endorsed—the officer-in-charge(OIC), engineer and chief boatswain’smate (buffer). All must complete PCTfamiliarization training (ICT or steady-state) and be endorsed by MOG4/Canadian Fleet Pacific engineering staff,as applicable. The remaining two mem-bers of the crew must have completedthe basic Maritime Surface (MARS)training course, as a minimum.

Naval Tender Section will supply aqualified engineer and a qualifiedchief boatswain’s mate for all seacadet trips. The engineer will beresponsible to the OIC for all techni-cal matters. Sea cadet engineers willwork under the supervision of theNTS engineer. The chief boatswain

Victoria Shipyards recentlyaccelerated the produc-

tion of the ships, and theNavy may have all eightby the summer of 2008.

Sea cadets to use new training ships

Lt(N) Ford andLt(N) Cardinellaboard Orca.They were thefirst two CICofficers to receiveinitial cadretraining for thenew Patrol CraftTraining ships.

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The delivery in recent months of the first two of eight new Patrol Craft Training (PCT) ships to the Canadian Navy is generating a lot of buzz among CIC naval officers and sea cadets who will be among their primary users.


mate will be responsible to the OICfor the safety of all seamanship evo-lutions, including crane operation.

CIC officers who are tender com-mand/charge-qualified are eligiblefor PCT familiarization training asOIC. PCT qualification will begranted once the candidate passesthe MOG4 practical assessment, aswell as a formal Tender CommandBoard (for those who have notalready done so for YAGs). CIC offi-cers who are non-tender com-mand/charge-qualified may gainPCT endorsement as OIC aftercompleting the Tender OIC courseand 42 days at sea in a Tender (14 ofthem as second-in-charge), as well asthe same PCT familiarization train-ing, practical assessment and board.

Initial trainingThe first three ships, Orca, Raven andCaribou, come with an ICT packagetaught by the ship’s contractor.

The first ICT—a “train the trainer”opportunity involving personnelfrom MOG4 Naval Tender Section(NTS), NOTC and Canadian ForcesFleet School Esquimalt (CFFSE)—occurred last fall and included aweek of classroom and onboardfamiliarization, followed by a weekof day sails. Representatives fromNOTC and the fleet school continueto fine-tune the ICT documents anddevelop material for a steady-stateclass training package.

Lt(N) Ford and Lt(N) Cardinell attend-ed the second ICT session in Februaryonboard Raven. Both are now TenderOIC course training officers at NOTCVENTURE until the end of June; thissummer Lt(N) Ford will return to hisposition as sea operations officer at

HMCS ACADIA and Lt(N)Cardinell will return as sea operationsofficer at HMCS QUADRA.

“I am thrilled to be involved at thisstage and teaching this course withRex,” says Lt(N) Cardinell. “Thetraining we have received obviouslystands us in good stead to instructpeople who will go on to work inOrca and other vessels of her class.”Adds Lt(N) Ford, “I would highlyrecommend the Tender OIC courseto any CIC officer who would thriveon the daily challenges of workingand instructing cadets at sea.”

The Directorate of Maritime Trainingand Education solicited nominationsfrom Naval Reserve Divisions for thenext course, tentatively scheduled forApril 25 to June 22. Naval ReserveHeadquarters co-ordinated the selec-tion for these positions based on nom-ination messages from individualunits. CIC officers will be amongthose attending the course.

Steady-state class trainingIt is expected that the Navy’s steady-state class training package forOICs, engineers and boatswains willcommence this fall, or early in 2008.

CIC officers may request training oneither the Tender OIC Course, orPCT familiarization and qualificationboards through their regular chain ofcommand. CIC members who areinterested in the Tender OIC must firstapply to their respective regional cadetsupport units to receive a pre-instruc-tional package (PIP). Upon successfulcompletion of the PIP, their names willbe priority listed and forwarded toDirectorate Cadets for course loading.

CIC officers will train at NOTCVENTURE, which will promulgatecourse-nomination and loading mes-sages based on operational priorities.

Wider area of operationsThe additional speed, range andonboard facilities of the PCT allowfor a wider area of operations thanYAGs. With accommodation for 20personnel and excellent onboardfacilities, the PCTs are well equippedfor their primary training role. Theships have an Integrated ControlPlatform System for ship control andmonitoring and a sophisticated inte-grated navigation and electronicchart display and information sys-tem that is consistent with the sys-tem already in service in theKingston- and Halifax-Class ships.

In the future, a hydrodynamic modelof the PCT will be incorporated intothe bridge simulator at NOTC VEN-TURE. That will allow OIC candi-dates to practise ship handling priorto the OIC practical assessment,should they wish to do so.

The Patrol Craft Training ships areexciting, capable and technologicallyadvanced. They represent a significantinvestment in navigation and seaman-ship training for both the CanadianNavy and the sea cadet program.

CIC officers may requesttraining on either the

Tender Officer-in-Chargecourse, or Patrol Craft

Training familiarization andqualification boards.

Sea cadets ‘manthe side’ of Orca,the first of eightnew Patrol CraftTraining ships.(Photo by GaryWebster, Navy

League).>

SHARING IDEAS

happy

OCdt Eric Coomber

Running a

supplyshop

Keeping track of every shirtand tie in your corps/squadronsupply room is no easy job. It takes time, effort and help from others to keepthings moving efficiently. The Fortress supply modulehas made keeping track of a cadet’s measurements andthe initial date of issue easi-er, but if you are a new sup-ply officer, you may also findthe pointers below helpful.

Keeping tabs on inventoryChallenge: Telling at a glance whichsizes you have in stock. This is a big-ger problem when you have limitedspace to work in.

Solution: Create a spreadsheet forevery possible size of each item. Thisis easier than it sounds. I copied andpasted the tables from the LogistikUnicorp website showing all the sizesand NATO stock numbers for eachitem. I use separate pages for pants,shirts and so on, so I can find themquickly. If you store this informationon a floppy disk or portable drive,you can update it on any computer.

OCdt Coomber skips the paper forms and enters information directly on his laptop when he updatesuniform information for Cpl Daniel Vorwerck. However, the supply officer finds it’s faster to usepaper forms and update his spreadsheets and Fortress later when swamped with new cadets.

OCdt Coomber fits Cpl Jared Mellow with a wedge in his small, but well-organized supply room.

>

>

22 CADENCE Issue 22, Spring/Summer 2007


And you can easily tell when you’rerunning low just by looking on theshelf. It takes a lot more time, how-ever, to determine that you need toorder Cpl Bloggins’ new pantsbecause his size is not in stock.

While it is important to keep track ofsmaller things, your time is betterspent keeping track of pants, boots,and tunics. The bigger, more impor-tant items should be the things youwatch like a hawk. Do a monthlyaudit of the small things to determineif you need to order more.

Administrative efficiencyChallenge: Filling out paperworkcan be time consuming.

Solution: Use Fortress! When youissue kit to a new cadet, use theFortress supply module to automati-cally generate the clothing card. Thiswill save you time because it auto-matically includes the cadet’s nameand contact information on the print-out. With Fortress, there is no moretrying to squeeze giant words intotiny spaces! The PDF form includeseverything you issue to each cadetwhen they join. All you need to do istype in the quantity and date (copyand paste works well here too) andprint. You can easily type in addi-tional items (that are not part of theregular issue) that your unit issues.

If you don’t have the luxury of hav-ing a computer in supply, print theform in advance. Be sure to updateyour clothing cards when cadetsmove. Luckily you can access all ofthis information on Fortress.

Challenge: Making sure cadets returneverything they have borrowed.

Solution: Keeping all records in thesame place is important. If you haveissued items on temporary loan, makesure you maintain this paperwork.Make sure your DND 638 forms are

in alphabetical order and easily acces-sible, or stored with CF 892A clothingcards. When you are expecting areturn, pull the cadet’s records andpaperclip them together. After closinga supply account, be sure to updateFortress with the changes.

Keeping supply running smoothlyChallenge: A messy supply room.

Solution: If your supply room lookslike it was hit by a tornado, makesure you take the time to clean it up.The supply room is one of the firstimpressions new cadets will have ofyour corps/squadron. You want tomake sure you appear organized andprofessional, especially if their par-ents are with them.

Challenge: Not having enough timein one training night to do everything.

Solution: Ask for cadet volunteers tohelp. I find that when I need help,there is always someone looking forsomething to do. I think the key hereis to ask cadets in the ‘middle’ of thetraining program—corporals oftenhave a genuine interest in helping out.Assign small tasks, like alphabetizingloan cards and sorting wedges by size,and eventually explain how pantsand tunics are arranged on the racks.By the time they move to the higherranks, they will know the sizing sys-tem and can help you kit new cadets.

OCdt Coomber is the supply officer with 535 Air Cadet Squadron inLeamington, Ont.

With Fortress, there is no more trying tosqueeze giant words

into tiny spaces!

This is especially important if youdon’t have a computer in your supplyroom or don’t have a permanent office.To audit your stock, simply print eachspreadsheet and check the count.

When I first started in supply, a cadetgave me the idea to record boot andshoe sizes in a grid-like table. Label therows by the numerical size and thecolumns by width so that you can keepa tally in the intersecting box. This gridmakes it easy to read at a glance.

Challenge: Keeping track of inven-tory when you are busy with uni-form exchanges, equipment sign-outs, and initial uniform issue.

Solution: Keep track of every sizecoming and going. I’ve created aform that lists each item a cadetreceives on initial issue. Just fill in thesizes issued and set it aside to updateyour spreadsheet later and add themeasurements to Fortress. Keeptrack of exchanges on another sheetof paper or form.

Be sure to discard these temporary‘inventory sheets’ after updating yourspreadsheet so you don’t accidentallychange your totals again. If you arelucky enough to have a computer insupply, make the changes directly onyour computer and skip the paper.Make sure you save your changes!

Don’t sweat the small stuffChallenge: Keeping track of oddsand ends.

Solution: Don’t worry about know-ing the exact number of belts or tieson the shelf. Cadets regularly ask toborrow a tie or slip-ons from supplybecause they forgot theirs at home.

Do a monthly auditof the small thingsto determine if youneed to order more.


Initial intakePreparation for summer trainingshould begin the day a cadet signs upat a corps/squadron. Local trainingstaff should try to learn what thecadet’s interests are and by the firstquarter, have a good grasp of whatcourse and CSTC best fits each cadet.

If a cadet requests a specific course orCSTC, then that’s just what it is—arequest. You are not bound to rec-ommend the cadet for that course ifyou feel that another cadet deservesit more, the cadet is not suitable for aspecific course, or the corps/squadron would be better served ifthe cadet attended another course.

Local officers have a great deal ofinfluence in deciding what courseand CSTC a cadet will attend. Thisis as it should be because that cadet’straining—or lack of it—will have adirect impact on the future resourcesand training available to the corps/squadron. Training staff should act as‘guidance counsellors’ to assist cadetsin selecting courses and CSTCs.

TrainingAt the very least, local cadet trainingshould be at a comparable level toCSTC training. This will allow for a

smooth transition from local to sum-mer training. If a cadet has to spendtime adjusting to higher CSTC train-ing standards, he/she will have a hard-er time grasping material. The cadetmay become easily frustrated and dis-enchanted, leading to an RTU.

Special emphasis should be placed onkey training points when preparingcadets for camp. Preparation shouldinclude not only new cadets but cadetsat all levels and ranks. (Experiencedcadets sometimes get too comfortableand complacent, making them morelikely to ignore or circumvent camprules and regulations.)

Key training points should includethe following:

• Dress and deportment

• Respect for time

• Responsibility for one’s own and issued kit

• Addressing an officer

• Paying attention to detail

• Teamwork

• Obeying orders

• Good personal hygiene

• Respect for property

• Physical fitness

MindsetIf cadets do not express an explicitdesire to attend camp, they shouldnot attend. They should not attendjust because their parents are keen tosend them or out of fear that theywon’t get promoted if they don’t go.(A commanding officer can use somediscretion in this area.) Training staffshould, however, explore any cadet’slack of interest in summer trainingand disseminate proper informationto ensure they are well informed

AttitudeIf a cadet does not exhibit the correctattitude to function effectively at aCSTC, then an attitude adjustment iswarranted before allowing the cadetto attend. The misconception thatcamp will ‘fix’ the cadet is totallyunreasonable and unfair to CSTCstaff. They have hundreds of cadets

Summer training can be pleasurable or miserable for cadets. Every year, many cadets are returned tounit (RTU), cutting short their cadet summer training centre (CSTC) experience. Local officers may be ableto drastically reduce these numbers if they adequately prepare cadets and their parents beforehand.

Cadet Abbie Ootova,3058 Army CadetCorps, arrives at the cadet summertraining centre inWhitehorse for summer training.(Photo: Capt ElisabethMills, CSTC Whitehorsepublic affairs.)

>

Preparing cadets for summer training

Local officers may beable to drastically

reduce [RTU] numbers ifthey adequately preparecadets and their parents

beforehand.

Capt Calvin Facey


often rush to pick up their child atthe first call with a hard-luck storywithout calling the CSTC first.Inform parents that they must con-tact the camp’s duty desk (the num-ber the cadets send home after theyarrive at camp) before heading out.

Homesick cadetsMost young cadets will get homesickin the first few days at a CSTC. Thisin itself is generally a good sign thatthe cadet is coming from a support-ive environment.

New cadets, in particular, have prob-lems adjusting to the rigors of campregime. Everything about camp canbecome a problem, including wake-up and bed times, regimented mealtimes, the food, the lack of privacyand the requirement to share televi-sion, videogame and phone access.Inform cadets beforehand that if theybecome homesick, they should visitthe CSTC counselling departmentbefore calling home.

Before it gets to that point, however,local officers can be on the lookout forcadets with adjustment problems.During corps/squadron exercises, lookfor cadets who are having troublesleeping or adapting to schedules. Youmay be able to help them resolve theseissues before they leave for camp.

Cadet abilityWhen considering a cadet for sum-mer courses, the cadet’s ability tocomplete the course should be theprimary consideration. Some simplis-tic examples are, don’t send a cadetwith foot problems on a Drill andCeremonial Course or a cadet that isafraid of heights on a ParachutistCourse. Local training staff mustensure that the cadet’s mental, physi-cal, intellectual and emotional statesare appropriate for the selectedcourse. Anything less could set thecadet up for failure.

The send-off Cadets should be advised whenpacking for the CSTC to leave the‘shiny stuff’— personal property that

could catch someone’s eye and bestolen—at home.

When cadets leave for camp, it’simportant that a prominent memberof the corps/squadron be present atthe pick-up point to tend to last-minute issues and help putparents/guardians at ease by provid-ing reassurance and answering ques-tions. Show parents that local respon-sibility does not end with the com-pletion of a CF 51.

Local officers may sometimes be ableto visit the camp their cadets areattending. This will give the cadetssome level of reassurance and achance to ask about something thatthey may not feel comfortable askingCSTC staff. This can also re-assureparents that someone familiar is look-ing out for their child.

Capt Facey is the CO of 2881 ArmyCadet Corps in Scarborough, Ont. He hasbeen a social worker for 16 years and issupervisor of a youth shelter in downtownToronto. He has recently completed hismaster’s degree in environmental studies,with a focus on youth violence containmentand urban development.

When cadets arriveat a CSTC, theirchances of having apleasurable experi-ence are very high if they and theirparents have been

adequately prepared.(CSTC Valcartier photo)>

Returned to unitIn 2006, 898 cadets were returned tounit from CSTCs across the country.That represented 4.2 percent of thecadets taken on strength and ajump from the previous summer’sRTU rate of 3.7 percent.

There can be many reasons why acadet is returned to unit, includingmedical problems, course failure, dis-cipline problems and parent requests.However, cadets are doomed to fail-ure if they arrive at camp ill-preparedfor a specific course.

“When the cadet arrives at camp,paperwork may say that the cadetmeets all of the requirements for a course, but sometimes the cadet doesn’t,” says LCol ChristianBergeron, responsible for programdelivery at Directorate Cadets. “It isimportant to carefully consider thesuitability of cadets for specific cours-es. The selection process starts withlocal corps and squadrons.”

LCol Bergeron adds that corps/squadrons should inform their cadetsas soon as possible that they havebeen selected for a course. “Do notwait until their final parade,” he says.

to deal with and will not have timefor individual ‘cadet-fixing’.

ParentsParents’ motives for sending theirchildren for summer training shouldnot influence a CIC officer’s decision.

Ensuring parents are well-informedabout the courses their children areenrolled in will help alleviate ‘momand pop’ anxiety. The more informedparents are about CSTCs, the betterequipped they are to help prepare theirchildren. This approach will also helpparents become less dependent on thedetachment for information when thecorps/squadron is at stand-down.

Parents must be informed aboutrules and regulations concerningcadet pick-up from camp. They will

The misconceptionthat camp will ‘fix’the cadet is totallyunreasonable and

unfair to CSTC staff.


We understand how you feel. We toowere chomping at the bit to imple-ment the updated corps/squadronprogram by September 2007. Wewere initially disappointed that theDepartment of National Defence sec-tion that is financing and overseeingthe translation, printing and distribu-tion of our training documentationneeds more time because of CF oper-ational demands. Now, however, wecan see the ‘up’ side to waiting untilSeptember 2008.

When we first began to work withpeople across the organization toupdate cadet training, they told us,“Take as long as you need becausewe want quality. Take your time anddo it well.” They knew they wouldbe living with the changes for a longtime and believed their patiencewould pay off.

We listened and have been takingthe time to do it well. At the sametime, we were so excited about theupdated program that we createdaggressive deadlines for implement-ing it. We had hoped to deliver newfirst-year training publications toyou by January of this year; instead,

you will receive them this fall. Thisis well ahead of the new implemen-tation date.

The advantage of this is that nowyou will have more time to fullyreview your new training publica-tions before you implement updatedtraining. This is no small thing forinstructors who have a tougher timeadjusting to change.

You will now have time to fully absorbdocumentation and get answers fromdetachment and area staff to yourquestions before you start.

You will have more time to adjust tochanges like the more concentratedand detailed approach to physical fit-ness and healthy living, or the shiftto more specific streams of citizen-ship training. You will have moretime to plan.

Stakeholders involved in the updateprocess have been very positiveabout the quality of training contentand documentation developed so far,and the creation of documentationremains on schedule.

Your new documents will look andfeel slightly different. You will have aqualification standard and plan(describing course content andadministrative details), as well as acomplete instructional guide (helpingyou plan periods or evening/week-end activities) in each completelybilingual package.

We have developed this strong docu-mentation, knowing that you may beworking with it for the next 12 to 15years until the next significant pro-gram overhaul.

Even though you will not implementthe new first-year training programat your corps/squadron untilSeptember 2008, you can get a headstart by experimenting (in your cur-rent program) with some of the ideasin the training publications you willreceive this fall.

Rather than delivering your usualstand-up classroom lecture, you maywant to follow up on suggestions fordelivering material in more hands-on,practical ways. Your new instructionalguide for map and compass, forinstance, suggests all sorts of newactivities and games to assist teaching.

The great news is that you don’thave to wait until September 2008 totry them!

Maj Francis is the officer responsible for cadet program development atDirectorate Cadets.

Updated training delayed, but worth the wait

Maj Russ Francis

The new instruc-tional guide formap and compasssuggests all sorts of new activitiesand games to assist teaching.(CSTC Trenton photo)

>

We had hoped to delivernew first-year trainingpublications to you byJanuary of this year;

instead you will receivethem this fall.

You should be aware by now of the delay in rolling out theupdated first-year local and summer training programs. Someof you are probably disappointed; others may be relieved.

CADET PROGRAM UPDATE

27

Common look and feelto training framework“We are standardizing course lengths,training days per week, periods in aday and minutes in a period across thecountry,” says Capt Rick Butson,army cadet program developmentofficer at Directorate Cadets (D Cdts).

The General Training (GT) coursefor all first-year cadets will continueto be two weeks long, but a trainingweek will consist of six days; a train-ing day will consist of eight periods;and a training period will consist of40 minutes—regardless of element.

“This creates a common look andfeel across the CSTCs, and Ithink the summer program isgoing to be smoother andcleaner because of it,” saysCapt Butson. “It’s going tobe a lot easier to exchangebest practices.”

As air cadet summer training isalready based on the model ofeight 40-minute periods dailyand a five-and-a-half to six-daytraining week, standardizationaffects army cadet and seacadet training more. Currently,army cadet summer trainingcan extend up to 11 periods a dayand up to seven days a week,depending on the course, says CaptButson. “This shift is going to bedramatic in reducing the amount oftime and pressure on the cadets. It’smuch more reasonable now. Ourcadets will now have more time in aless-structured environment.”

“It’s also a positive change from thecurrent 10 periods a day we spend onsea cadet training,” says Lt(N)Shayne Hall, sea cadet programdevelopment officer at D Cdts. “Wehave tried to do too much ‘hardtraining’ in the past. Now the cadetswon’t be sick of hearing about thesame subject 10 hours a day.”

More extra-curricular timeThe shift to more extracurriculartime during summer training appliesto cadets of all ages and elements.

“There’s increasing recognition that acadet is not only at camp for the train-ing, but for the socialization withother young people within the cadetcommunity,” says Capt Butson.“We are trying to make thecadet summer training experi-ence more holistic.”

There will be a balancebetween the formal learn-ing environment (led

by an instructor during the day) andthe informal learning environment,says Capt Andrea Onchulenko, aircadet program development officer atD Cdts. “We will provide a morerelaxed environment for the cadets atthe end of each day, allowing them tojust be themselves in a social environ-ment—to make friends, relax andhang out.”

“It may require a little bit of a mindshift for instructors,” adds Lt(N) Hall.Some extracurricular activities, suchas an intramural sports program, willbe more structured than others (likecards or board games) and willrequire organization and supervisionfrom senior cadets and officers.

“It’s not about trying to occupy thecadets all day long to guaranteethey will stay out of trouble,”says Capt Onchulenko. “It’sabout just giving them time tobe 12- and 13-year-olds in a

summer setting.”

Summer training more holistic


Cadets are not only atcamp for the training,but for the socializa-tion with other young

people within thecadet community.

<

The shift to moreextracurricular time

during summer trainingapplies to cadets of all

ages and elements.

Cadet training will look different to instructors at cadet summer training centres (CSTCs) across Canada in the summer of 2009—the kick-off date for updated summer training for first-year cadets.



Summer training—sea “The updated summer training program for seacadets will open the door toinstructors who want to bemore creative in presentingand conducting activities,”says Lt(N) Shayne Hall, seacadet program developmentofficer at Directorate Cadets.

When the updated first-year pro-gram is introduced in the summerof 2009, summer camp staff—par-ticularly senior cadets and juniorofficers—will have fun showing thecadets the “cool stuff they can do”,says Lt(N) Hall. The instructors’goal will be to give first-yearcadets a taste of the excitementthey will experience when theytoo gain advanced knowledge andspecialized skills.

Future summer training activitiesfor sea cadets will be much the sameas activities in the current program,but cadets will see more choice andvariety in the courses they can takeafter first year.

The updated general training (GT)course will introduce cadets to all ofthe activity areas—sail, drill and cere-monial, seamanship, marksmanship,fitness and sports and music.

The main change will not be somuch the specific activities, as thefocus. Currently, the focus in first-year training is on teaching cadets acouple of basic skills in each streamand giving them a presentation onwhat they can learn in the future ifthey pursue that stream. The newfocus will be on fun.

Lt(N) Hall offers this example: Incurrent GT sail training, sea cadetsspend half their time on land learn-ing the basics of sailing. Then theyare put into a boat by themselves tostart their sailing lessons.

In the updated training program,first-year cadets will sail with some-one who knows how to sail well—athigher wind speeds, for example.They will experience the excitementof sailing with experienced sailorswho can explain things to them anddemonstrate expert sailing skills

right in the boat. The cadets will alsotake part in a regatta with theirpeers, once again with an experi-enced sailor at their side.

“Essentially the same approach willbe taken to every activity area on theGT course,” says Lt(N) Hall. “Wewill show them what is possible—what they will learn by goingthrough our program.”

Some instructors may be disappoint-ed that outdoor adventure traininghas been removed from sea cadetsummer training. “They may feelthat they are losing a valuable activ-ity that allowed cadets to show theirleadership qualities in a peer envi-ronment where they interacted allthe time; however, the sea cadet program can achieve those things tothe same degree through more sea-related activities,” assures Lt(N) Hall.

In current GT sail training, sea cadets

spend half their time on land learning the

basics of sailing.


The ultimate expedition challengefor army cadets is the annualInternationalArmy Cadet

Expedition. Thisphoto is from the2006 expeditionto Mont Blanc.

(Photo by Capt HopeCarr, regional publicaffairs (Atlantic))

All army cadets aged 12 to 13 will betaking the same first-year course—theGeneral Training (GT) qualification(currently known as the Basic ArmyCadet qualification). But after that,there is now an expedition series ofcourses starting with Basic Expeditionfor 13- or 14-year-olds, progressing toExpedition Instructor for 14- to 16-year-olds, Leadership and Challengefor 15- to 17-year-olds and finally toSenior Expeditions to the UnitedKingdom for our senior cadets.

While Leadership and Challenge andour Senior Expeditions will be familiarto many, the Basic Expedition andExpedition Instructor are more thanan updated cover on the Army CadetLeader Instructor Adventure package.The Basic Expedition course willserve as a vehicle to develop hard skillsin wilderness travel and base camping,while the Expedition Instructor coursewill develop expedition specialistscapable of combining their hard skillswith the ‘softer’ leadership, manage-ment and instructional skills.

The configuration of music courseshas also changed in the updatedCSTC program. Every GT cadetwill receive a teaser of a half-daymusic introduction. Dedicated musiccourses will be available starting inyear two and the prerequisite forparticipation on the three availablecourses will be based on music lev-els, not the year of training.

There is also recognition that sometraining is common among all threeelements, specifically music, air riflemarksmanship and fitness and sports,so we are developing common docu-

mentation for all three elements.Regions can then decide if they wantto run the summer training as an ele-mental course or a tri-service course,based on regional resources and whatmakes the most sense.

The GT course will be the firstupdated course to be introduced inthe summer of 2009.

For army cadets, as for sea and aircadets, the main aim of this first qual-ification is to introduce cadets to thecadet summer training centre (CSTC)environment and future CSTC spe-cialty training qualifications.

Course content will be similar to thecurrent basic army cadet qualificationcourse, with an overnight expedition,summer biathlon, marksmanship,recreational sports, CSTC familiariza-tion, navigation and communica-tions. Some staffing flexibility hasbeen introduced to harmonize thearmy course with the other elements,but overall, the course is similar towhat we currently have. In mostcases, the changes we are making areto capture best practices currentlytaking place to make our courseseven better than they are today.

Capt Butson is the army cadet trainingdevelopment officer at Directorate Cadets.

Summer training—army

Capt Rick Butson

Finally, expedition isfully integrated into

summer training!

<

When you first see the new summer training course configuration for army cadets you are goingto be pleasantly surprised. Finally, expedition is fully integrated into summer training!



Summer training—air

What is really exciting about the updat-ed General Training (GT) course, shesays, is the broad range of activities thecadets will be exposed in just twoweeks. “They will see a little bit ofeverything the air cadet program has tooffer and hopefully, find their niche.The more they see, the more things toexcite them about being a cadet, andthe greater the odds are that they willstay with the Cadet Program.”

Here’s a sneak peak at just a few ofthe activities designed to tweak theinterest of first-year cadets.

Music

Beginning in the summer of 2009, aircadets in the GT course will take partin a music familiarization activity.

“Music is not part of our mandatoryprogram because we just don’t havethe resources to engage all cadets inmusic; however, it is available inoptional and summer training,” saysCapt Onchulenko. “We know that alot of good things come out of cadetsengaged in music, so we want to whetthe appetites of our first-year cadets

for more in this program area.” To dothis, cadets will spend an afternoontouring a band facility. They will seeinstruments, talk to cadet staff aboutmusic, learn a drum-line routine andperform for their peers.

Aviation The future GT course will also havemore aviation activities. In additionto making and flying paper gliders,for instance, the cadets will makeand fly paper helicopters. They willstill take familiarization flights in aglider, airbus or powered aircraft.

AerospaceFirst-year cadets will now make bottlerockets instead of film canister rockets.It’s a more complex rocket activity,requiring more skill to make the rock-et fly further and faster. Also new aresome activities related to appreciationof how to live and travel in space.

Aerodrome operationsThis subject area is brand new, famil-iarizing first-year cadets with ground-based trades in support of aviation.

They will learn about marshallingaircraft, build and operate their ownwind vane and anemometer (tools tomeasure wind direction and speed)and tour an airport or flight school.

“The kids will be going non-stop,”says Capt Onchulenko.

Impact on training staffsStaff will have plenty of time to absorbnew top-notch instructional materials.“Everything is so well laid out in ourinstructional guides,” she says.

For instructors, the updated programwill mean creating a learning envi-ronment that is more fun. “You won’tbe delivering text-book lectures somuch as helping the cadets explore,”adds Capt Onchulenko. “Overall, itwill be a more refreshing way tointeract with first-year cadets.”

For local squadrons,music is optional.However, all first-year air cadets willbe introduced tomusic during sum-mer training in2009. Among otherthings, they willlearn a drum-lineroutine. (Photo from 713 AirCadet Squadron, StoneyCreek, Ont.)

<

What is really excitingabout the updated

General Training courseis the broad range ofactivities the cadets will be exposed to

over the two weeks.

“When our air cadets get together with their friends after taking updated first-year summer training in 2009, they willhave done more in two weeks than a lot of their friends havedone over the whole summer,” says Capt Andrea Onchulenko,air cadet program development officer at Directorate Cadets.


OFFICER DEVELOPMENT

The new Leadership in theCanadian Forces: Doctrine,issued in early 2005, providesthe basis for all leadershiptraining in the CF. This docu-ment will also form the coreof new CIC leadership trainingcurrently under development.

How has leadership changed? Thisarticle describes the CF’s new defini-tion of leadership and new leader-ship philosophy.

What is leadership?The new definition of CF leadershipevokes the concepts of duty and hon-our: “directing, motivating, andenabling others to accomplish the mis-sion professionally and ethically, whiledeveloping or improving capabilitiesthat contribute to mission success.”

While this definition emphasizes mis-sion success in the context of thebroader CF, it can also apply to us.For CIC officers, mission success maymean our success in the professional

supervision, administration and train-ing of cadets from 12 to 18 years ofage. Further, mission success may beour success in imparting in Canadianyouth a sense of community involve-ment, promoting life skills and moralcharacter, and enabling young peopleto develop social values and ethicalstandards.

The Cadet Program Update (CPU)has produced a clear mission, visionand aim, as detailed in CATO 11-03.It describes the Cadet Program mis-sion as developing and preparingyouth for the transition to adult-hood—enabling them to meet thechallenges of modern society.

Cornerstones to CIC officers accom-plishing that mission are teamwork,professionalism, ethics and motivat-ing others, all strongly emphasized inthe new CF definition of leadership.

CF leadership philosophyThe CF’s leadership philosophy isrooted in two spheres of leadership—distributed leadership and value-based leadership.

Distributed leadership means sharingthe essential functions of leadershipto varying degrees with peer and sub-ordinate leaders to help develop anduse their leadership potential. Thismeans sharing leadership responsibil-ities (where appropriate) verticallyand horizontally within teams, units,

or the CF as a whole. However, distributed leadership does not equateto a co-command arrangement. In theend, a leader must make decisions.As a CIC officer, you can see easilyhow this philosophy can apply toyour leadership of other CIC officers,non-commissioned members servingthe Cadet Program and cadets.

Values-based leadership means beingguided in your decisions and actionsby institutional values that define ourethos. Military ethos reflects how mil-itary professionals view themselves(identity), how they fulfill their func-tion (expertise) and how they relateto their government and society(responsibility). The institutional val-ues that define our military ethos arethe civic values of liberal democracy,values based in the rule of law, ethicalvalues governing our treatment ofothers and the core military values ofduty, loyalty, integrity and courage.Can you see how values-based lead-ership might apply to CIC officers?

If you would like to learn more aboutthe new CF leadership doctrine, visitwww.cda.forces.gc.ca/CFLI/engraph/leadership/leadership_e.asp.

A follow-up article in the Fall issuewill discuss leading people, theimportance of trust and leadershipcharacteristics.

Lt(N) McRae is a CIC courseware devel-opment officer at Directorate Cadets.

Lt(N) Darin McRae

The new CF leadership doctrine and you

For CIC officers, missionsuccess may mean oursuccess in the profes-

sional supervision,administration and

training of cadets from12 to 18 years of age.

The CICleadership

philosophy willhelp determineour success in trainingCanadianyouth to

become leaders.(Photo by WOEileen Redding,Regional GlidingSchool (Pacific)public affairs)

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Nathalie Richard

“Negligence” and“standard of care” The legal notion of negligence is onethat frequently arises in civil lawsuitsagainst adults who supervise youth.

For an injured person (the plaintiff) tobe successful in a negligence lawsuit,he must prove the existence of aduty of care, a breach of the stan-dard of care, a sufficient causal linkbetween the alleged wrong and thedamage, as well as proof that dam-ages were suffered.

At the outset, the person being sued(the defendant) must owe the plaintiff aduty of care. This is an obligation to exer-cise reasonable care in favour of others.

The law has clearly established thata duty of care exists in the case ofadults who supervise minors. CICofficers therefore owe a duty of caretowards cadets. They may also owea duty of care to other individualswho may be affected by theiractions. Whether such a duty existswould have to be assessed in light ofspecific circumstances.

In addition to proving that a duty ofcare exists, a plaintiff must alsoshow that the defendant failed tomeet the expected standard of care.Generally the standard is that of areasonably careful person placed inthe circumstances of the defendant.Perfection is not expected; reason-able care is. This means that a per-son can make a mistake or an errorand no liability may result. The courtwill look at whether a reasonableperson would have foreseen andguarded against the risk of injury to

Meeting the legal “standard of care”

The legal notion of negligence is onethat frequently arises in civil lawsuitsagainst adults who supervise youth.

The law of negligence does not apply to Quebec, which has a dif-ferent legal system called civil law. The concept of extracontractu-al responsibility, Quebec’s equivalent to negligence, is not coveredin this article. Although the two notions are different, the out-come on whether a person is liable often leads to the same result.

Quebec’s equivalent to “negligence”

As legal advisor to the Directorate Cadets and Junior Canadian Rangers, I am frequentlyasked about whether new policies or practices are legally sound. As part of this analysis Imust ask the question, “What is the legal standard of care and has it been met?” As CICofficers working with youth, you may be asking yourself similar questions and wonderingwhat you can do to manage legal risks and avoid potential legal responsibility.

OFFICER DEVELOPMENT


others. The likelihood and severityof damage is also considered, as areasonable person is expected to actmore cautiously if there is a strongprobability that something will hap-pen or if the impact will be veryharmful.

The determination of the standardof care may also be influenced byestablished practices or norms fol-lowed by other individuals or organ-izations carrying out similar activi-ties. In the case of the CadetProgram, proof of compliance withthe safe practices of other youthorganizations may help to establishthat due care was exercised.

A higher standard of care than thatof the reasonable person may beexpected where an individual hasspecialized abilities. For example, inthe case of CIC officers, a courtwould impose a standard that isbased on the reasonably prudent andcompetent youth instructor or youthspecialist. Further, the standard is ele-vated in all instances involving thecare of children, to that of a carefulparent or guardian. The amount ofsupervision and control that isexpected will depend on the age andability of the child, and will generallydiminish the older the child is.

“Standard of care”examplesA couple of court decisions provide ahelpful illustration of the standard ofcare principle. In one case, an art

teacher was found negligent for hav-ing inadequate safety precautionswhile students were working on anart project. A student’s eye waspunctured by a wire and this couldhave been prevented by wearing pro-tective eyewear. The court conclud-ed that the teacher was under a legalobligation to ensure appropriatesafety equipment was being used.

In another case, a gym teacher wasfound legally liable when a studentwas rendered quadriplegic as a resultof a failed jump from a box horse.The court ruled that the activity wasinappropriate for a high school gym-nastics class and that the teacher didnot provide adequate supervision.The standard of care principlerequired that the level of difficulty beappropriate for the participants andthat proper guidance and supervi-sion be provided.

The remaining elements of negli-gence are the causal link and damages.A plaintiff must be able to prove thatthe action of the defendant con-tributed to the damage and that theresulting injury could be reasonablyforeseen. Lastly, the plaintiff mustdemonstrate that he has sufferedsome form of damage due to thedefendant’s failure to act properly.

A finding of negligence can have far-reaching consequences that extendbeyond the individual who is foundnegligent. Employers can be heldlegally responsible for the actions of

their subordinates, even if theemployer did nothing wrong. Underthis notion of vicarious liability theDND/CF could be held liable for theactions of its CIC officers if there is asufficient connection to their duties.

What if a CIC officer gets sued?CIC officers who are sued can applyfor DND/CF coverage. To be consid-ered for legal assistance funding, aCIC officer must have acted honestlyand without malice within the scopeof CIC duties and have met reason-able departmental expectations. Ifyou are sued or notified about apotential claim, you should immedi-ately advise your chain of command,as well as the Office of the DND/CFLegal Advisor or the closest office ofthe Assistant Judge Advocate General(located on CF bases).

Nathalie Richard is Counsel with theOffice of the DND/CF Legal Advisor.

In the case of the CadetProgram, proof of compliance

with the safe practices of other youth organizations may help to establish that due care was exercised.


Nathalie Richard

• Identify issues ahead of time, andmake risk management part ofyour planning. Consider the fol-lowing questions:

– What is the likelihood a problem will take place?

– If it does, what would be the potential impact?

• Reflect on whether the activitycan be modified to reduce or elim-inate the risk. Consider whetherthe chain of command should beconsulted, particularly wherethere is a strong chance that a riskwill materialize or that the result-ing impact would be high.

• Ensure a proper safety check iscarried out prior to conductingcadet training. For example, makesure adequate first aid supplies areon hand. Also verify whether allDND/CF norms are met, as wellas Cadet Program policies.

• Avoid supervising large groups ofcadets without proper assistance.

• Make sure that you have therequired qualifications to proceedwith an activity. If you feel youare not properly trained or expe-rienced, raise the concern withyour chain of command.

• Keep an eye on what similar youthorganizations are doing withrespect to safe practices. For exam-ple, try some online research to

find out whether other groups orassociations have developed guide-lines or tools that are relevant tothe activity you’re organizing.

• Respect everyone’s right to priva-cy and avoid physical contact thatmay be misunderstood. Prior tobeing alone with a cadet considerthe risks. If a private meeting isnecessary, it should take place in alocation with visual access andaway from isolated areas.

• If you’re aware of activities thatdo not meet the standard of care,ask that they be brought to theattention of the chain of com-mand so that any pertinent poli-cies can be changed.

• If an incident occurs, record thedetails. If an incident is likely toresult in a legal claim, the proce-dures set out in DAOD 7004-1“Claims and Ex gratia proce-dures” must be followed.

• Because laws are constantlyevolving and legalities will varybased on the situation, make sureto seek the opinion of a legalexpert if you have outstandingconcerns. A request can be madethrough your chain of commandto seek advice from DirectorateCadets and Junior CanadianRangers legal counsel, or the clos-est office of the Assistant JudgeAdvocate General.

The DND/CF strategy on managing risks

Check out the DND/CF LegalAdvisor’s online Legal RiskManagement course and try outsome case studies. To register forthis online course you must contactthe Defence Learning NetworkHelpdesk at 1-888-486-4743.

Funding for CF Members who Get Sued

The procedures to follow are setout in the Treasury Board Policy on the Indemnification of and LegalAssistance for Crown Servants. This policy can be consulted at:www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/hrpubs/TB_851/pila_e.asp

The law generally

The Department of Justice websiteis a good starting point and pro-vides links to sources of informa-tion regarding various legal topicsand Canada’s court system. Go to:http://justice.gc.ca/en/

Can you manage risk better?Following are some tips which may help you manage legal risks:

Interested in learningmore?

OFFICER DEVELOPMENT


Capt Chantal Durepos and Capt Sonia Nadeau

In recent months, the CanadianForces (CF) has embarked on a mas-sive recruiting campaign to increaseits strength. The aim of the campaignis to show that the CF can appeal toyou, no matter where your interestslie. You can serve either full-time as amember of the Regular Force, orpart-time—with the Primary Reserve,or, if you are interested in youth, theCadet Instructors Cadre (CIC).

Canadian Forces Recruiting Group(CFRG) launched Operation CON-NECTION to forge a ‘connection’between citizens and the CF.Realizing that the CIC representedanother area of potential ‘job’ oppor-tunities, CFRG invited the CIC to setup a kiosk at the Canadian NationalExhibition (CNE) in Toronto lastsummer, alongside our Regular andPrimary Reserve colleagues.

More than 640 000 visitors passedthrough the turnstiles at the CNEbetween Aug. 8 and Sept. 4. Most of

them visited the Canadian ForcesPavilion, and many of them stoppedat our kiosk. Twenty CIC officerstook turns staffing the kiosk over 18days. The experience of meetingwith the general public at an exhibi-tion of this calibre was incredible!

It is important for us to make themost of every possible opportunityto promote the CIC. For example,Pacific Region CIC officers tookpart in a job fair staged by theCanadian Forces Personnel SupportAgency in February and shortlyafter, attended a Second CareerAssistance Network (SCAN) semi-nar to encourage people leaving theRegular Force or Primary Reserve tothink about joining the CIC.According to LCdr Gerry Pash,regional public affairs officer(Pacific), “The Cadet InstructorsCadre is stimulating a lot of interestamong non-commissioned membersof the CF—particularly those whospent part of their careers either

training or mentoring recruits oryoung military members.”

To further boost CIC recruitingefforts, a new CIC recruiting video, aCIC monograph (job description) andnew recruiting pamphlets are beingproduced for CFRG and the leagues.

No matter what the forum, weshould take advantage of opportuni-ties to promote the CIC and theCadet Program. We already knowwhat the CIC offers. Now is thetime to let the rest of the countryknow. The CIC officers whoworked at the CNE can attest to thefact that most Canadians are open toour message. We just have to makean effort to find and talk to them.

Capt Durepos is the human resources offi-cer with Directorate Cadets. Capt Nadeauis a public affairs officer with DirectorGeneral Reserves and Cadets.

CF recruiting campaignincludes CIC officers

Capt Cheryl Major,training officer at848 Air CadetSquadron inVictoria, B.C. and LCdr Pash set out new CICrecruiting materialat the MaritimeForces PacificEmploymentExposition on

Feb. 6. The twoencouraged retiring

members of theRegular Force to

consider continuingin the CF as

cadet instructors.

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It is important for us tomake the most of everypossible opportunity to

promote the CIC.


Will this throw the entire CadetProgram on its ear? No.

“The whole Cadet Program hasalways been based around a certainexpectation of voluntary service,”says Maj Al Memess, senior person-nel policy officer at DirectorateCadets (D Cdts). “Instructors havealways done more, even at corps andsquadrons that do a minimum num-ber of activities.”

He says it’s important to understandthat this change does not mean thatinstructors are being asked to do anymore than they are currently doing.“They are simply being asked tochange the way they allocate paiddays,” he says. “At first, it looks likea big administrative headache, buteventually all of the pieces of thepuzzle will fall into place.”

Below are the major impacts of thischange on corps and squadrons andattempts to make the transition easier.

Impact 1The biggest impact is on command-ing officers (COs) who must ensurethat at least one paid instructor is“on service” for all approved cadetactivities. This includes weekendexercises, cultural visits, year-end

trips and every training activity theregions have approved. COs mustensure that paid days are distributedso there will be enough to cover thewhole year.

While Maj Memess concedes thatthe initial reaction will be, ‘Wow—how are we going to do this?” hesays it can be done.

Below is an example of a month'straining schedule for a typical corpswith a staff of five officers (includingthe CO) and a medium-to-hightraining load. “It’s somewhat sim-plistic, but shows what can be done,”says Maj Memess. “With more than1100 cadet corps and squadrons,there’s no doubt that there could bemany different scenarios.”

“Deemed on duty” policy changeParagraphs 20-22 of CFAO 49-6, allowing Reserve Force members to be “deemed on duty”when providing support to the Canadian Cadet Organizations (CCO) without pay, were cancelled April 1 to align CCO regulations with regulations that have been in force for other reservists for some time.

COs must ensure that at least one paid instructor is “on service” for

all approved cadet activities.


“Deemed on duty” policy changeThe challenge will be planning wellahead of time. “COs are going tohave to sit down as far ahead as theycan to look at their schedules andallot specific people to specific activi-ties,” says Maj Memess.

There’s no set formula for doing it,but D Cdts is working on providingtools that will help COs with theirplanning, so that a paid instructor isresponsible and physically participat-ing in each authorized cadet activity.

HelpAccess to specialist days has beenincreased. In the past, these dayscould be used only for civilian instruc-tors. Now, they can be used to hireany active member of the ReserveForce, regardless of sub-component—as long as that person is trained in aspecialty. The only restrictions arethat the specialist duties must be per-formed for another corps/squadron,and a specialist cannot be hired to doadministrative or general tasks.

Here’s an example of how this couldwork. One CO, who has a trainedfirst-aid instructor or range safetyofficer on staff, might considerallowing his specialist to work withother corps and squadrons. Theseinstructors would be paid over andabove their corps/squadron alloca-tion for this service.

Impact 2CIC officers (and other Class “A”Reserve Force members supportingthe Cadet Program) can still volun-tarily perform duties without pay;however they will no longer receiveClass “A” Reserve Service benefits ifan injury is determined to be due to“military duty”. Those benefitsinclude emergency medical and den-tal care and possible Veterans AffairsCanada benefits.

HelpAll Class “A” Reserve Force mem-bers who are unpaid when they sup-

port the Cadet Program will be cov-ered under a commercial SpecialRisk Accident Policy for accidentaldeath, dismemberment and medicalbenefits. CIC members will be eligi-ble for liability coverage underTreasury Board’s Policy on theIndemnification of and LegalAssistance for Crown Servants, provided that they have acted hon-estly, without malice, within thescope of their duties and have metreasonable departmental expecta-tions. Coverage for members ofother Reserve Force sub-componentsis still being investigated.

“The details of the available benefitswill be published in the CATO thatwill explain the procedures to fileclaims,” says Maj Memess. “Theywill be ‘bridge benefits’, similar to

what DND provides, where themember would go to hospital, betreated under their provincial healthcare plan and be reimbursed for aportion of any additional coststhrough their insurance plan.

“The Standard Insurance plan forvolunteers is a good one,” heassures, “but like any insurance, wehope they never have to use it.”

What stays the same?Unpaid civilian instructors (CIs) areconsidered as volunteers and comeunder the provisions of CATO 23-07.

Paid CIs will be covered under theterms of their employment contracts.

Paid Reserve Force members workingin support of the Cadet Program willcontinue to be covered under regula-tions that govern Reserve Personnelon Class “A” Reserve Service.

CMP Instruction 20/04 allows mem-bers on Class “B” or Class “C” serv-ice to voluntarily continue servingwith corps/squadrons, provided theymeet the administrative require-ments set out in A-PM-245-001/FP-001 Chapter 19.

"COs are going tohave to sit down as far ahead as they

can to look at theirschedules and allotspecific people to specific activities."

38

What leads me to this conclusion?

In 2004 I offered my services to a seacadet corps in need. This corps hadan outstanding past and having beenwith the Cadet Program for such along time and known most of thecadets in the corps, I could not seeher ‘sink’.

Along with one other officer (whomthe cadets knew from camp), I started

the long process ofgetting this corpsback on its feet.We live inCorner Brook,

N. L., and the corps is a one-hourdrive away. I work in management inmy civilian career which is usually a50 plus hours-a-week job. The otherofficer was in university full-time,working on a post-secondary degree.

Administration desperately neededto be done. Personnel and trainingrecords were not up to date.Training was in a shambles. Thecadets didn’t seem to have a clueabout the courses, competitions andactivities available to them. Thesponsor and parent committee had

not had a good relationshipwith former staff. Webasically had tostart from scratch.

When we first arrived, we were a littletaken aback that only 13 cadetsturned out. We spoke to the cadetsand told them that we would workwith them to bring the corps back towhere it once was. We got the wordout and ended up the next weekwith 43 cadets coming back to startthe year.

Our task was challenging. The lackof training among the cadets wasevident. Another officer, also work-ing on a post-secondary degree,came to help us later in the year.

Sailing to successWe planned, charted and sailed ourway into success with the corps.

We formed a new parent committee and pursued a healthy relationshipwith our main sponsor. We took thecadets on outdoor adventure train-ing. We trained them well and tookthe corps from a 100 percent failurerate on national exams (petty officer,first-class) to a 100 percent pass rateover a couple of years. In the fall of2005, our corps received the NavalWeapon Technicians’ Associationaward for a corps that has risen fromthe ashes and turned itself around.

We need to recruit more CIC officers

VIEWPOINT Lt(N) Wendy Butt

We trained them welland took the corps froma 100 percent failure rateon national exams (petty

officer, first-class) to a100 percent pass rateover a couple of years.

We need a better recruiting strategy for CIC officers. We need to show people who have not been associated with the Canadian Cadet Movement or Cadet Instructors Cadre (CIC) that the Cadet Program is worth becoming involved in.

SLt Holly Lewis, training officer, range safety officer and band officer,refreshes PO1 Shawn White, a cadet instructor, on the back splice.



We need to recruit more CIC officers

It’s taken a lot of blood, sweat and tears.

Our biggest challenge is getting peo-ple from the local community tobecome CIC officers to keep thiscorps running. I have begged, plead-ed and sometimes cried because noone wants to help. It is a kick in theteeth to the cadets who want more. Iwant to give more and so do my offi-cers but we are only human and can-not keep going this way. It was sup-posed to be only for a couple ofyears; now it’s approaching three.Every moment I am not at my civil-ian job I am working at cadet ‘stuff’.I sometimes work from my homewith the cadets because I cannotdrive back and forth all the time.

We have one of the greatest youthorganizations that Canada has tooffer, yet corps and squadrons con-tinue to fold.

We need to let the people in our com-munities know that there is training,possible summer employment andsatisfaction in making the kids intheir communities better people.

Like Capt Valda Styles (see Letterson page 5), I have no children of myown. When someone asks me howmany kids I have, I tell them 48! I

love this ‘job’ and look forward toseeing the cadets and planningthings for them, but I do not knowhow much longer I will be able to doit. It is totally frustrating not havingthe support of the community andmore adults coming out to help.

Last September, two more adultsfrom the community stepped forwardto enrol, but that’s still not enough.Maybe, as Capt Styles says, a full-time Class “B” position assigned toevery corps and squadron would be agood thing.

Lt(N) Butt is the commanding officer of194 Sea Cadet Corps in St. George's, N. L. She joined the Cadet Program as a cadet in 1982, became a civilianinstructor in 1988 and enrolled as a CIC officer in 1995 with another corps.

Tips for rescuing a

‘sinking ship’Let the cadets know you are there for themand not for yourself. Let them know you willwork for them.

Get to know your cadets. Compliment them ontheir successes and help them through theirfailures.

Keep parents informed of cadet activities andtheir kids’ development—good or bad. Taketime for the parents. They are the ones whotake their kids to Cadets.

Make sure your relationship with your sponsoris on an even keel. Although there may havebeen past issues, make sure you explain whatyou need from your sponsor.

If there is a parent committee in place, makesure you set guidelines regarding what theycan and cannot do. They are there to help withfundraising and other volunteer activities, butnot to run the corps.

Ensure you know what activities are availableto your cadets. Don't be afraid to ask. That iswhat other commanding officers (COs) andarea cadet officers are for.

Make sure you have a staff that is willing towork through challenges and limitations andnot give up on your cadets.

Get to know the community you are workingin especially if you are an ‘outsider’. Let thecommunity know as well that you are there forthe cadets—not yourself.

Have patience, patience, patience. The timeand effort you dedicate to your corps/squadronwill one day pay off.

Our biggest challengeis getting people

from the local com-munity to become

CIC officers to keepthis corps running.

Lt(N) Butt promotes CPO2Melanie Goode to the rank ofchief petty officer, first class.


Created by the directing staff at Regional Cadet Instructors School (Central)

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

You are a corps/squadron CO with an upcoming unitsports day. At the last minute, your sports officercalls and informs you that she has to work and can-not attend the sports day. You have no other femaleofficer/civilian instructor/screened civilian volunteeravailable for the day of your activity. Can you stillconduct the sports day?

a) No. Without a female staff member to satisfy the gender supervision requirements, the activity must be cancelled.

b) Yes. A female parent can temporarily act as a supervisor for this activity.

c) Yes, but only if a female senior cadet is in attendance to assist in supervising this activity.

d) Yes. You have three male officers—more than enough to supervise.

1

2

3

4

Can corps/squadrons with a qualified small-borerange safety officer and possessing .22-calibre rifles accept an invitation from their affiliated unitcommanding officer (CO) to conduct range trainingon the indoor small-bore rifle range in the armoriesin which they parade?

a) Yes, as long as the range has not been previously used for indoor large-bore weapons training.

b)No, as no training of any type can be conducted by cadets/CIC officers/civilian instructors on any small-bore or large-bore indoor range.

c) Yes, if your detachment commander authorizes it in writing to the affiliated unit CO.

d)No, as cadets are only permitted to fire Daisy air rifles at the corps/squadron level.

You are an officer at a corps/squadron and you haverecently married a fellow officer on staff. You willtake over as CO in September and your spouse will be in your chain of command. What do you do?

a) Nothing. Your personal life is your own and doesn’t affect your CIC career.

b) Notify the next highest level in your chain of command.

c) Explain the situation and its implications to your spouse and trust that all concerned will just ‘get over it’ in time.

d) Convince your spouse to transfer to another local corps/squadron or to the Supplementary Reserve.

A local flea market operator (a former cadet) hasmade a bulk purchase of various types of vessel/aircraft/vehicle gauges and wants to donate them to local corps/squadrons for use as training aids. He separates the gauges into elemental boxes and drops them off at various training locations. Can corps/squadron COs accept the donations and begin using them immediately?

a) No. They can never be used because corps/squadrons are prohibited from accepting training aids of any type that are not brand new and in their original packaging.

b)No, because of concerns regarding lead contamination in the paint on the housings of the gauges.

c) No, because of concerns regarding radiation contamination from the luminous dials.

d)No, until they have been inspected by the appropriate area cadet officer as being in accordance with the learning outcomes of the Cadet Program.

ANSWERS1. (b) Reference: VCDS letter 1085-25-8 (D Cdts 4-2-2) sent to all regional cadet support units, dated July 31, 2003. This applies to all indoor small-bore and large-bore ranges—military or civilian.

2. (b) Reference: CATO 25-05 Personal Relationships, paragraphs 8-9, and DAOD 5019-1 Personal Relationships andFraternization.

3. (c) Reference: CATO 14-20, Ionizing Radiation Sources in the Canadian Cadet Organizations, paragraph 9.

4. (c) Reference: CATO 13-12, Supervising Cadets, paragraph 7.

cadence vol 22

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