Cadence Vol 23

Issue 23

Fall 2007

IN THIS ISSUE

13 Prevent volunteer burnout 14 Volunteer training — Army League, Navy League and Air Cadet League Terrence Whitty, Jerrod Riley and Sarah Putinski 20 Cadet retention The power of competition to increase retention Attracting teenagers is easy. Keeping them interested is not. Young cadets are not obligated to stick around if you do not deliver excitement. Competition may help. Maj Guy Peterson

18 Humility and a can-do attitude Cadence pays tribute to LCdr Peter Morin, the new commanding officer of 40 Sea Cadet Corps FALKLAND in Ottawa and invites future nominations for Tribute.

22 Competition—good or bad? There are two sides to the argument when it comes to youth. Our challenge is to create the right environment for healthy competition. 24 Six degrees of separation Between you and your cadets As a leader, it’s good to keep some degree of separation between you and your cadets. Capt Kevin Vieneer 27 Meal planning for exercises A local officer shares her ideas for taking the guesswork (and stress) out of preparing food for exercises. Capt Nancy Marshall 30 CIC to celebrate 100th anniversary Learn more about plans for 2009 and how to become involved. LCol Tom McGrath 31 Joining the new Reserve Force pension plan Have you earned enough over the past two years to become a member of the new Reserve Force Pension plan? Maj Al Memess

16 Good morale starts with leaders Time to take stock? Do you stack up as a morale-builder in your corps or squadron? High morale starts with Cadet Program leaders and is reflected in happy cadets who will win friends within the community for your corps or squadron. Maj Bob MacKay

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32 Support to cadet activities, with or without pay Policy has been amended to allow Cadet Instructors to supervise optional cadet activities, paid or not. Maj Al Memess 33 More on the new CF Leadership Doctrine and you Lt(N) Darin McRae 34 Cadet Program Update Answers to commonly asked questions Capt Catherine Griffin

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UPCOMING Drug and alcohol use is a problem among youth everywhere. Canadian youth are no exception. As a cross-section of Canadian youth, some cadets will try drugs and alcohol and some may use them on ‘cadet time’.

10 FRONT COVER Volunteers: Keep the lifeblood flowing The Royal Canadian Sea Cadet National Regatta is just one of thousands of events each year supported by volunteers. Here, volunteer Gary Garnett (former DND/CF vice-chief of the defence staff and a vice-president of the Navy League) chats with the national champions at this year’s regatta in Kingston, Ont.—PO2 James Bone, left, from 201 Sea Cadet Corps GRILSE in Port Moody, B.C., and PO2 Nicholas Kiefer, 81 Sea Cadet Corps HAMPTON GRAY, VC, in Nelson, B.C. (Photo by Jerrod Riley)

What can we do about it? Can we spot cadets who have a problem? How can we promote a drug-free environment in our corps and squadrons? Are there legal limitations? We will discuss the subject in our Winter issue. Other articles in our next issue will include one on what New Zealand does to develop its New Zealand Cadet Force officers and another on the new CIC Learning Centre website, designed to make learning easier for corps and squadron leaders. As well, a civilian volunteer describes the anti-bullying and mentoring program she has created that is receiving rave reviews from the air cadet squadron she volunteers with. Copy deadlines for the Winter and Spring/ Summer issues are October 12 and January 31, 2008 respectively. If you are interested in writing for an upcoming issue, or have a story idea, please contact the editor in advance at [email protected], [email protected] or 905-468-9371.

IN EVERY ISSUE

26 Freedom’s Wings Teaching disabled cadets to fly

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Opening notes

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Letters

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News and Notes

36 Viewpoint 38 Test your knowledge

An international non-profit program provides glider flight training to young people with disabilities—including cadets who cannot be accommodated by the Cadet Program’s gliding centres. Peter Musters

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OPENING NOTES

Col Craig Fletcher

It is important to note, however, that there is increasing competition among organizations for a dwindling number of volunteers. With this in mind, we must value our volunteers and ensure that the Cadet Program supports and encourages community participation and engagement. We hope that the articles inside give you some insight into nurturing and retaining your volunteers.

Proud to join the team < Col Fletcher is the new Director Cadets and Junior Canadian Rangers

t gives me great pride to join the team of partners who devote themselves heart and soul to such a large, diverse and challenging program. Although I may be a newcomer to Directorate Cadets and Junior Canadian Rangers, what is not new to me is the knowledge that, like so many organizations in Canada, the Cadet Program depends on volunteers to make it thrive and grow.

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The Statistics Canada 2004 Canada Survey on Giving, Volunteering and Participating (the most recent survey of its kind) says that 11.8 million Canadians (45 percent of the population aged 15 and older) volunteer their time to charities and other nonprofit organizations. Certainly, the Cadet Program benefits greatly from tens of thousands of these volunteers.

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Two other articles in this issue that caught my eye are “idea-sharing” articles—articles by your peers who want to share practices that have worked in their corps and squadrons. Capt Nancy Marshall shares her ‘secrets’ on meal planning for exercises, and Maj Guy Peterson shares his thoughts on the value of broad-based competition to retain cadets. Sharing ideas and best practices like this is fundamental to any good organization’s evolution. I was equally caught up in the enthusiasm of Capt Jacqueline Zweng, who writes this issue’s Viewpoint on being a commanding officer. “It’s not as scary as it seems,” she says, encouraging all CIC officers to take the plunge. These attitudes towards continuous learning and growth, as well as the enthusiasm I have encountered to date, are reflective of a Cadet Program that is healthy and thriving. It is fantastic to see so much of your input in your professional development magazine. You have really taken Cadence under your wing and made it your own. Continue to send your feedback, articles and comments!

Issue 23 Fall 2007 Cadence is a professional development tool for officers of the Cadet Instructors Cadre (CIC) and civilian instructors of the Cadet Program. Secondary audiences include others involved with 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 issues of Cadence are available online at http://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 information Editor, Cadence Directorate Cadets and Junior Canadian Rangers National Defence Headquarters 101 Colonel By Drive Ottawa ON, K1A 0K2

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

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

Distribution Cadence is distributed by the Directorate Technical Information 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 selected league members. Cadet corps and squadrons not receiving Cadence or wanting to update their distribution information should contact their Area Cadet Officer/Cadet Adviser.

Translation: Translation Bureau Public Works and Government Services Canada

Art direction: ADM(PA) Director Public Affairs Products and Services CS07-0250 A-CR-007-000/JP-001

Your dedication to deliver the Cadet Program is an inspiration, and I look forward to my tenure with you and the best youth organization in the country.

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LETTERS LEASING LOCAL HEADQUARTERS

MORE SOLUTIONS TO ‘HOMELESSNESS’?

Your timely article on the possible dangers of leasing unit quarters (Proceed with caution: signing leases can be dangerous, Spring/ Summer 2007) needs some clarification.

The feature regarding "homelessness" of cadet corps (Spring/Summer 2007) will probably come as a surprise to many across the country. It is an unfortunate reality, but thankfully these corps/squadrons have not given up. Through the hard work of the staff and cadets they continue to deliver their program while coping with uncertainty and hardship.

As pointed out, sponsoring committee members should never sign leases in their own names; however, corps/squadrons are not legal entities in their own right, and using the name of the corps/squadron might very well result in liability to the committee members who sign the lease. To limit this personal liability,

any leases or rental agreements should be in the name of the sponsoring committee, which must be an incorporated society. Obtaining competent legal advice is crucial in these circumstances: sponsoring committees simply cannot afford NOT to! Geoffrey Johnston, President, British Columbia Provincial Committee Air Cadet League of Canada Richmond, BC

With the article focussing mainly on what types of problems these corps/squadrons are having, I think the next steps could be figuring out how to address them. Rather than trying to print all the suggestions that people probably have, perhaps this problem could be addressed in a forum on CadetNet. Capt Edison McLean Program Delivery Officer Junior Canadian Rangers Ottawa

FORMER CADET SAYS “THANKS” Today is my 19th birthday which effectively ends my seven-year cadet career. In this seven years I achieved more then I had ever thought possible.

Cadet Program takes youth seriously and provides them with constructive activities and opportunities they would otherwise never receive.

Years of hard work and unrivaled passion paid off in what has been the most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life. My experience will continue to provide me with fond memories and many more rewards.

So thank you for doing what you do, and keep up the good work! Jeffrey Scott 534 Air Cadet Squadron Peterborough, ON

Everyone involved in the Cadet Program is, in my mind, involved in the production of Canada's future leaders. In Canada, it seems the youth are not taken as seriously as they should be by politicians and other influential adults. But the

SAME ‘HOME’ FOR 95 YEARS After reading the article ‘Homeless’, I realize how fortunate our cadet corps is. We have been in our local armory since 1912—one year after our formation. Although it is a small armory compared to many, we have all we really need: a parade square for drill and ranges, three classrooms, an administration/training office and a supply room. I have great respect and admiration for those CIC officers that have to work out of their vehicles, and have to constantly change locations. It takes a great deal of dedication to work with cadets and those “homeless” corps/ squadrons are lucky to have the commitment and resourcefulness of these officers. Capt Diane Scott 318 Army Cadet Corps Woodstock, NB

CORRECTION I recently read the article entitled “Cadet Selections and awards: A year-long, transparent process” (Spring/Summer 2006). I believe there was some misinterpretation when the article was submitted. It indicates the author as Lt(N) Tom

Edwards, when in fact it was an article I wrote and submitted to Lt(N) Edwards to forward to you. Further, the article states, “This is a dilemma for many corps/squadron officers and staff faced with making these

choices every year. In 1996, as commanding officer (CO) of 237 TRUXTON Sea Cadet Corps in Lawn, N.L., I saw that there had to be a better system for selecting cadets for awards and various positions.” In 1996, I was commanding

officer and this evaluation process was one I designed and implemented to deal with cadet selections. Lt(N) Maurice Tarrant Marksmanship program officer 237 Sea Cadet Corps Lawn, NL

Cadence reserves the right to edit for length and clarity. Please restrict your letters to 250 words. Professional Development for Leaders of the Cadet Program

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NEWS AND NOTES

< LCdr Marcotte completes his 7115kilometre journey on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

Gen Hillier accepts a cheque from LCdr Marcotte for the CDS Military Family Fund.

CF officer cycles across Canada for military families For some officers working with the Cadet Program, cycling is a hobby. For LCdr Jean Marcotte, public affairs co-ordinator for Chief Reserves and Cadets, cycling is a passion. His passion helped him raise more than $2000 this past summer for the CDS Military Family Fund.

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Using his annual military leave, LCdr Marcotte cycled 7115 kilometres across Canada in 52 days.

The CDS Military Family Fund was created last April to allow CF base commanders, partnered with Military Family Resource Centres across the country, to assist military families in need. On June 2, LCdr Marcotte left Ottawa/Gatineau to cycle to Newfoundland, dip his bike into the Atlantic and then fly to Victoria to do the same in the Pacific Ocean. From there, he cycled east to arrive back home in Gatineau, Que., on July 24. The next day, he cycled from his home to Parliament Hill, where Chief of the Defence Staff General Rick Hillier welcomed him home and accepted his donation. Suffering mosquito bites, a succession of flat tires, severe wear and tear on his bike and the elements along the way, LCdr Marcotte often cycled alone on his journey. Intermittently, he was

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joined by friends. He often camped and occasionally stayed with friends and family. Sometimes, he splurged on a motel, but later admitted to sleeping better in his tent. As he passed through villages and cities along the route, he was often buoyed by the reception he received from fellow Canadians. Some allowed him to camp in their yards; others offered meals. Certainly, in sometimes gruelling circumstances, meals were the high point of the day. During his journey he enjoyed “the best hamburger in the world”, a couple of five-pound lobsters and to his delight, an omelette with maple syrup, wrapped in a pancake. To make a donation to the Military Family Fund in LCdr Marcotte’s name, call 1-877-4456444 or visit the website at www.cfpsa.com/en/index.asp and click on “donations”.

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Air Cadet League’s officer of the year Maj David Kerr of Penticton, B.C., is the Air Cadet League’s “officer of the year” for 2006. He received his citation at the Albert Head Cadet Summer Training Centre in Victoria in June, where he was working as wing training officer. He received the citation for “making a significant difference to the youth of Canada and for exemplifying the virtues of loyalty, integrity, leadership and mentorship” in support of the air cadet program.

Under his leadership as commanding officer, 259 Air Cadet Squadron in Penticton became the top squadron in British Columbia in 2002. In addition to his duties as an ACICO, Maj Kerr

Maj Kerr’s previous awards include a provincial presidential citation in 2003 and a certificate of honour in 2006, both from the B. C. Committee of the Air Cadet League. In civilian life, Maj Kerr is Penticton area site supervisor for the B. C. Corps of Commissionaires. In 2002, he was recognized as Penticton’s “Man of the Year”.

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As Area CIC Officer (ACICO) for the Okanagan Region of British Columbia, Maj Kerr has provided administrative assistance to the region’s eight squadrons since 2003. However, his service has gone far beyond that since he first enrolled as a CIC officer in 1988.

acted as interim commanding officer for 902 Air Cadet Squadron in Summerland in 2004/2005 and for 243 Air Cadet Squadron in Kelowna in 2005/2006. In that same training year, he mentored a young designated commanding officer for 223 Squadron in Vernon, Capt Chris Shewchuk. “Maj Kerr always made time to answer questions and provide guidance,” says Capt Shewchuk. “He was instrumental in my rapid and unexpected development as an officer and has been a source of inspiration since I was a cadet.”

Maj Kerr accepts his CIC Officer of the Year citation from Col (ret’d) Len Jenks, past national president of the Air Cadet League. (DND/CF photo)

Long service recognized

The CD is awarded after 12 years of service. A clasp is awarded for every subsequent 10 years of qualifying service.

Few people have achieved four clasps, and only two people have ever received five clasps—the Queen Mother and Air Commodore Leonard Birchall, Canada's longestserving air force officer with 62 years of service. Requests for CDs or CD clasps must be made by a CIC member’s commanding officer (CO) directly to the Directorate of Honours and Recognition. The medal is then sent directly to the CO for presentation. Submitted by LCdr Gerry Pash, regional public affairs officer (Pacific).

Professional Development for Leaders of the Cadet Program

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Did you know that about half of the third clasps to the Canadian Forces Decoration (CD) are awarded to members of the Cadet Instructors Cadre? A total of 58 third clasps were awarded in 2006. Although the breakdown for CIC officers was not yet available for 2006, 22 out of 42, 24 out of 51 and 14 of 25 went to CIC members in 2005, 2004 and 2003 respectively.

Maj Yvon Savoie, CO of Regional Cadet Instructors School (Pacific) since 1991, receives his third clasp to the CD in April from Cdr Rick Mountford, commander, Regional Cadet Support Unit (Pacific). Maj Savoie’s service includes 22 years in direct support of the Cadet Program.

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NEWS AND NOTES

Prestigious award for CIC officers

One current CIC officer and one former CIC officer have been invested as Members of the Order of Merit (MOM) of the Police Forces. They are LCol Wayne Kopan of Abbotsford, B. C., currently regional advisor (Pacific) with the CIC Branch Advisory Council and an RCMP inspector; and Capt (ret’d) Joseph Browne, formerly commanding officer (CO) of 2515 Army Cadet Corps in St. John’s, N. L., and the chief of police for The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary. The Order was created in October 2000 to recognize conspicuous merit and exceptional service by members and employees of the Canadian police forces whose contributions extend beyond community protection. The three levels of membership—Commander, Officer and Member—reflect long-term, outstanding service in varying degrees of responsibility. Governor General Michaelle Jean also invested 40 other Canadians with their MOM insignia last May; one Canadian as Commander of the Order and another 10 as officers. LCol Kopan has served in several local corps in British Columbia since he was commissioned as a CIC officer in 1981. He has also served as deputy CO and CO of Vernon Cadet Summer Training Centre. In 1996, he was appointed Area CIC Officer (Land) for the Lower Mainland/Fraser Valley region of the province. In addition to assisting and coaching COs of 15 army cadet corps in the region, he was CO of 72 Army Cadet Corps in Vancouver in 1998/1999 and 2812 Army Cadet Corps in Surrey in 1999/2000. He also served as liaison officer to the B.C. branch of the Army Cadet League. LCol Kopan was a catalyst for influencing national policy changes with the RCMP and the CF, which resulted in RCMP members being permitted to serve concurrently as CF Reserve officers in the CIC. Further information on Capt (ret’d) Brown was not available at press time.

< LCol Kopan is invested as a Member of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces last May by Governor General Jean.

New Rank for Air Cadets As of Sept. 1, air cadets added the new rank of flight corporal (FCpl) to their rank structure. FCpls Courtney Shields and Eric Beauregard, both from 632 Air Cadet Squadron in Orleans, Ont., became the first cadets to be promoted to the new rank during a rank introduction ceremony in Ottawa last June.

Michel Cataford, president of the Air Cadet League, and LCol Francois Gaboury, senior staff officer for air cadets at Directorate Cadets, with FCpls Shields and Beauregard. (Photo by Myriam Bower)

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To be promoted to flight corporal, a cadet must have completed at least six months of satisfactory service at the substantive rank of corporal,

proficiency level two of the local training program and preferably, a familiarization summer course. To help squadron commanding officers reach a proper ratio between sergeants and flight sergeants during the new rank’s introductory year, COs will have the discretion—for 2007-2008 only—to waive the proficiency level four requirement for promotion to flight sergeant to help fill their flight sergeant vacancies.

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CIC officer takes part in CF Recognition Day Capt Steve Stephenson, commanding officer (CO) of 2918 Army Cadet Corps in Kingsville, Ont., was among 12 CF members honoured during this year’s CF Recognition Day in the House of Commons in June. Each year, the 12-member CF contingent consists of deserving junior and senior non-commissioned members, as well as junior officers from the Navy, Army, Air Force and Reserve Forces.

In addition to appearing in the House of Commons, Capt Stephenson and his wife, Leslie, took part in a number of events over five days, including the Chief of Defence Staff Ball.

Capt Stephenson was still flying high when he went this summer to supervise cadets on the power pilot scholarship in London, Ont. CF Recognition Day in the House of Commons is the centrepiece of the CF Recognition Program. Regular and Reserve Force personnel across Canada can apply or be considered for participation. If you would like to nominate a CIC member to take part in CF Recognition Day 2008, June 1 to 3, submit your nomination through your chain of command to your Environmental Command, or to the Assistant Deputy Minister (Human Resources-Military). Commands determine their own selection and scoring criteria and are responsible

Marketing through

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“Nominations can come from anywhere—your corps/squadron, or even your detachment, as was the case with me,” says Capt Stephenson. “About 1000 nominations were put forward for the day and I was lucky enough to be chosen. It was an inspiring and humbling experience.”

In keeping with this year’s theme of “Supporting those who support us”, Leslie received a Distinguished Service Medallion for the personal sacrifices she has made over the years to help Capt Stephenson serve the Cadet Program.

for picking up event costs for their candidates. Further information is available in CANFORGEN 132/07 CF Recognition P{rogram 2007-08. The deadline for 2008 applications is April 15, 2008.

Capt Stephenson and wife Leslie at Rideau Hall for the Chief of the Defence Staff Ball.

You Tube

Today’s youths demand customization in very aspect of their lives, says a November 2006 article on Media Innovation Awards in Marketing magazine. The article says that when seeking Alberta teens to work for the company, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada abandoned traditional media for a mixture of specific teen vehicles that had a personal “voice” and relevance to their chosen target. Among other things, McDonald’s drove teens to the Web. Directorate of Cadets is also using the Web to customize its marketing for teens. It has placed videos, designed to draw teens to the Cadet Program, on YouTube. YouTube is a popular video-sharing website—particularly among teens—where users can upload, view, and share video clips. Site content includes movie and television clips and music videos, as well as amateur content such as video-blogging and short original videos. If you are interested in checking out one of the promotional Cadet Program videos, you can access the following links: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxYeaGzEceM www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpVlwFw6LPO Professional Development for Leaders of the Cadet Program

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FEATURE

Volunteers:

Retired MGen Lionel Bourgeois, a former national president with the Air Cadet League, is one of many retired military personnel who volunteer with the Cadet Program. Here, he acts as reviewing officer at the 2006 graduation of cadets from the cadet summer training centre in Trenton, Ont.

Keep the lifeblood flowing Volunteers are the lifeblood of the Cadet Program. The above description is perhaps a little closer to your heart than the definition of “volunteer” in the Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of National Defence and the leagues concerning roles and responsibilities regarding the delivery of the Cadet Program in Canada. The MOU states that a “volunteer” is: “A person who provides services directly to or on behalf of DND or the CF, without compensation or any other thing of value in lieu of compensation in support of activities defined as cadet duty, and who has been screened and approved in accordance with the common league and DND process.”

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This dry, legalistic definition is necessary in a document like the MOU, signed in December of 2005. But for those of you who depend on volunteers to make the Cadet Program work in your community, volunteers are living, breathing entities with skills, interests and talents that can greatly benefit your local program. How volunteer efforts can help meet local program needs is obvious. Perhaps less obvious, however, is how you can meet the needs of your volunteers. Believe it or not, achieving that ‘fit’ between the needs of

“...volunteers are living, breathing entities with skills, interests and talents that can greatly benefit your local program.”

your local program and the needs of your volunteers is crucial to the success of retaining them. Of course, volunteers have different reasons for volunteering. According to the Statistics Canada 2004 Canada Survey on Giving, Volunteering and Participating, the top three reasons for volunteering were: to make a contribution to the community, to use one’s skills and experiences, and being affected by the cause supported by the organization. The most common volunteers in the Cadet Program are parents (family members) of cadets participating in the program. Other volunteers have a multitude of reasons for helping out. Knowing those reasons will help you inspire—and keep—your volunteers.

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“Achieving that ‘fit’ between the needs of your local program and the needs of your volunteers is crucial to the success of retaining them.” Responsibility for volunteers Under the MOU, both local officers and local league representatives are responsible for ensuring the authorized use of volunteers in accordance with national policies. Additional responsibilities are set out below. Local officers are responsible for: • Identifying requirements for volunteers to sponsoring committees/Branches • Identifying and delivering DNDrequired training Local league representatives are responsible for: • Identifying and screening potential volunteers • Submitting screening results to the Provincial League • Providing corps/squadron commanding officers with lists of approved volunteers • Identifying and delivering leaguerequired training Currently, there is no DND-required training for volunteers.

Each league delivers its own leaguerequired training, which includes orientation. Workshops and seminars—national, provincial/Division or local—are the preferred vehicles for delivery. The Army Cadet League in particular is placing new emphasis on creating a coherent strategy to support its volunteer training. (See “Volunteer training” on page 14.) In co-operation with the leagues, Directorate Cadets has developed volunteer screening policies. It has also developed Cadet Administration and Training Order (CATO) 23-07 to give direction to commanding officers on how they can involve volunteers in corps and squadron activities. According to this CATO, COs must monitor the performance of all civilian volunteers on an ongoing basis, are authorized to suspend a volunteer’s participation, or request that a volunteer complete a new application and reliability screening. Ultimately, CIC officers are responsible for the day-to-day, hands-on supervision and direction of all volunteers and can, perhaps, make the greatest contribution to keeping the

Former cadet Wade Hofman, right, helps OCdt Shaun Simpson set up a navigation course last May for cadets from 2512 Army Cadet Corps in Cochrane, Alta. He volunteers for field exercises, special events and an occasional parade night, even though it is a 440-kilometre round trip from his home to the corps. (Photo by Kat Hofman)

lifeblood flowing. Certainly, the goal of officers and the leagues should be a thriving list of satisfied, happy volunteers who clearly benefit the Cadet Program. To help, articles on the next few pages discuss a holistic approach to working with volunteers, preventing volunteer burnout and the importance of volunteer recognition.

Volunteering in Canada in 2004 • 11.8 million Canadians (45 percent of the population aged 15 and older) volunteered their time to charities and other non-profit organizations. • Volunteers contributed almost 2 billion volunteer hours to organizations—the equivalent of 1 million full-time jobs. • Canadian volunteers contributed an average of 168 hours in 2004. • 11 percent of Canadians (the 25 percent of volunteers who contributed 180 hours or more) accounted for 77 percent of volunteer hours. • Canadians volunteered most often with sports and recreation, social

services, education and research, and religious organizations. • Volunteer rates were highest among youth, those with university degrees, those with household incomes over $100 000, and those who attended religious services weekly. • The average hours volunteered was highest among seniors, those with lower levels of household income, and those who attended religious services weekly. • The rate of volunteering varied from a high of 54 percent in Saskatchewan to a low of 34 percent in Quebec.

Professional Development for Leaders of the Cadet Program

• The average hours volunteered varied from a high of 199 hours in British Columbia to a low of 132 hours in Nunavut. • The top three reasons for volunteering were: to make a contribution to the community, to use one’s skills and experiences, and being affected by the cause supported by the organization. • 83 percent of the population, aged 15 and older, helped others directly, without going through a charitable or other non-profit organization. Source: Statistics Canada: 2004 Canada Survey on Giving, Volunteering and Participating

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FEATURE

Volunteer recognition includes planning, recruitment, orientation and training, as well as supervision and evaluation.

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Each year, Volunteer Canada launches National Volunteer Week—scheduled for April 27 to May 3 in 2008. If you are looking for a more formal way to pay tribute to your volunteers, the website gives you all sorts of ideas for organizing local events during that week.

The sister of a cadet, Mielsa Hirsh-Pearson, centre, volunteers on Friday nights and during competitions to coach the volleyball team of 690 Air Cadet Squadron in Beaconsfield, Que. (Photo by Capt Dave Wakely)

A good resource for anyone working with volunteers is Volunteer Canada’s website at www.volunteer.ca. Volunteer Canada, funded in part by the Department of Canadian Heritage, offers information on promoting volunteerism, volunteer management, volunteer recognition and more. Recognition is one important link in the volunteer management cycle that

The National Volunteer Week website (http://new.volunteer.ca/en/ volcan/nvw/sitemap) can help you kick-start your own corps/ squadron volunteer recognition campaign. Take a look at what others have done. You can also click on “campaign in a kit” for event ideas, promotional tips and more. The material to support your event, including postcards, posters and templates for the

promotion of your event are all free. They can help you promote volunteerism with your corps and squadron, and celebrate. Volunteer recognition events can be creative and inexpensive, anything from a cake and coffee night to creating a thank-you slide show featuring photos from the past year of your volunteers in action. A token might be as simple as a framed photo of your staff holding a sign that says “thank you”. Or a framed group photo of your current volunteers. Remember that even though National Volunteer Week is the time in which most volunteers are formally recognized, informal recognition is just as important. We encourage you to recognize your volunteers throughout the year.

A holistic approach to working with volunteers The most effective volunteer programs take a holistic approach to working with volunteers as human beings and provide places that welcome, support and encourage community participation and engagement. Answer these questions to assess whether your corps/squadron has a human-centred approach to volunteers. • Are your volunteers involved in the core purpose and roles of your local program? • Does your staff recognize the importance of your volunteers?

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• Is volunteering at your corps/ squadron a two-way process? Do you meet the needs of your volunteers—give them opportunities to contribute, to have social contact and to gain skills? • Do you ask your volunteers for suggestions and take those suggestions seriously? • Do leaders at all levels of your local corps/squadron value and recognize volunteer contributions? • Do you provide your volunteers with adequate resources to do their jobs? • Do you recognize your volunteers informally as well as formally?

• Do you support your volunteers; can they access support when they need it? • Do you provide a range of projects to give your volunteers opportunities to think and use their initiative? • Are the boundaries between paid and unpaid staff clear and defined, without creating conflict? In effective programs, volunteers recognize that they play different but equally important roles to the paid staff. Adapted from “Working with Volunteers: a Human Centred Approach” by Mark Creyton, Deb Olive and Stephen McGarrigle, Volunteering Queensland Inc.

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Prevent volunteer burnout Manage volunteer time efficiently. According to Statistics Canada, Canadians cite lack of time as the greatest barrier to volunteering. Did you know that in the Statistics Canada: 2004 Canada Survey on Giving, Volunteering and Participating, more than one-quarter of volunteers said they did not volunteer more because no one had asked them! The other side of this coin, however, is that some volunteers are asked too much. In 2004, the top one-quarter of volunteers who contributed 180 hours or more accounted for 77 percent of total volunteer hours. The top 10 percent contributed 52 percent of all hours! Active and committed volunteers are key. Experienced volunteers are especially valuable because they already ‘know the ropes’. They are familiar with the work to be done and can inspire and lead new volunteers. However, with volunteers juggling priorities and the many demands on their time, volunteers are susceptible to burnout.

The following tips may help you keep your volunteers motivated: • Ensure goals are realistic, relevant and achievable. Don’t make your volunteers reach for an impossible target. Encourage your volunteers to communicate concerns, so you can deal with them as soon as possible. • Keep the workload manageable. Expand timelines and re-evaluate the size of the job where possible. Don’t overwork volunteers. Spread the work around as much as possible and if necessary, identify the need for more volunteers. Don’t let one person take on too much. Encourage volunteers to delegate. • Give volunteers the opportunity to say no, or take a break. It’s better to have a volunteer temporarily step away or take a lesser role than to lose them altogether. Invite a hard-working volunteer to take a break

to do something else, or rest. They may appreciate the change and return more energized and inspired. • Promote a sense of accomplishment. Ask your volunteers to help set priorities so the most important tasks get done first. • Manage volunteer time efficiently. According to Statistics Canada, Canadians cite lack of time as the greatest barrier to volunteering. Be prepared so that you don’t waste people’s time. Plan well to make efficient use of your volunteers. Ensure your volunteers know exactly what is expected of them. Tailor your volunteer jobs so that they can be accomplished in one, two or three hours at the most. Most volunteers contribute less than five hours a week. Scheduling in advance allows volunteers to manage their time commitment. Source: Adapted from Hands for Nature: A Volunteer Management Handbook, created for Evergreen—a national nonprofit environmental organization with a mandate to bring nature to our cities through naturalization projects. (www.evergreen.ca/en/resources/resources/ hands/hands-04.html)

Experienced volunteers are especially valuable because they already ‘know the ropes’. Here, Ron Cleminson, an Air Cadet League volunteer and a former air cadet who participated in the first ever international air cadet exchange, speaks to foreign cadets visiting Canada at the Aviation Museum in Ottawa

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It is normal to lose volunteers as they move to new places or on to new interests. However, if you are losing key volunteers after they have contributed a great deal of time and effort, you may have a burnout situation.

Can you recognize burnout? Do your volunteers suffer from a persistent lack of energy and satisfaction? Are they short on enthusiasm and motivation? Is their interest flagging? Do they lack a sense of humour and suffer from decreased self-confidence?

Professional Development for Leaders of the Cadet Program

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VOLUNTEER TRAINING

Terrence Whitty

Army Cadet League Orientation and training are crucial to good volunteer management.

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Although Doug Smith’s children graduated from Cadets years ago, he stayed on as a volunteer with 2824 Army Cadet Corps in Mississauga, Ont. Here, he supports the qualified abseil instructor by checking a cadet’s harness prior to abseiling.

Only since the completion of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and the formalization of league responsibilities have we in the leagues found it necessary to come to grips with training. Cadet Program volunteers across Canada are looking to us for more structured leadership and guidance than in the past. The Army Cadet League is moving in that direction, but we do not expect it to be easy. In the past, training was delivered exclusively by provincial and territorial branches. A large or well-funded branch could afford to deliver a wide range of seminars to orient and train volunteers. Other branches had a more difficult time, and with the turnover in the volunteer pool, we always seemed to be behind the curve. The league is aware that the best part of being a volunteer is being

free to do what you want, when you want and if you want. If we deliver training in a setting that is more like work than fun, our volunteers are going to exercise their prerogative not to take part. Adequate funding to the provincial/territorial branches is necessary so that training can be professionally delivered in an attractive setting by knowledgeable facilitators. Here lies our biggest challenge—money, space and people. The Army Cadet League is starting to tap every resource it has to develop a solid volunteer training program. Only now—after one year of formally identifying and organizing volunteers at corps—are we starting to get a handle on what league training entails.

Cadet Program volunteers across Canada are looking to us for more structured leadership and guidance than in the past. The larger provinces have been orienting and training their sponsoring committee volunteers for years. British Columbia, for instance, successfully orients everyone involved in the army cadet program in that province during a single “Pillars Conference”, explaining in clear terms the issues and opportunities for DND/Army Cadet League partnership. Alberta, Ontario and Quebec have delivered sponsoring committee (support committee in Ontario) training for years and have led the way in developing seminar materials for volunteers. Other provinces are picking up this task slowly, but smaller provinces (and

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especially Northern Canada) conduct little or no training, mostly due to cost and travel issues. We recognize that this lack of coherent ongoing training, and its cousin ‘no communication’, create all sorts of spin-off issues and inefficiencies. How to attack this from the national level has been a big question. The Army Cadet League’s executive has been discussing with some urgency what scope or format of training support the national level can successfully deliver to provincial and territorial branches. The subjects being considered are: • League orientation (The structure and the parameters of work) • The partnership (interaction with DND) • Fundraising (the law and the opportunities) • Standard first aid (a course for all corps volunteers and instructors) • Wilderness first aid (a specialist course) • Public relations (a hands-on practical seminar) • Managing your volunteers (and why it differs from the workplace) Taking these seemingly serious subjects and rendering them into fun and formative conferences and seminars that volunteers will enjoy and remember is one way we can help (and retain) our volunteers in an increasingly professional and wellrun organization. Terrence Whitty is the executive director of the Army Cadet League.

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Navy League

VOLUNTEER TRAINING

Jerrod Riley

Each of the three leagues has similar challenges when it comes to volunteer training. While many of our training initiatives are developed independently, our national offices do collaborate on common issues (like the MOU) and share best practices. Volunteer training is one of eight national strategic objectives for the Navy League, and we have adapted the experience we have gained from training Navy League Cadet Officers to training all our volunteers to support our programs effectively.

Jerrod Riley is the national deputy director of the Navy League.

LCdr Marie Bourinot, Regional Cadet Sea Training Officer (Atlantic) with Navy League volunteer Gary Garnett at the national Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Regatta in Kingston, Ont., in August. (Photo by Jerrod Riley)

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Interpersonal connections through workshops allow us to collect

At this year’s annual general meeting, we provided workshops on strategic planning, governance and financial management. The financial management workshop proved particularly popular. Our treasurer, Peter Martin, has also been crisscrossing the nation to share his wisdom (and humour). When he has not been available, we have provided copies of his presentation and support materials to the Divisions.

However, workshops will remain the key ingredient in our training mix.

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While technology has made the process easier with distance learning packages, instructional guides and improved communication, the workshop format has proven to be the most popular and effective method of developing our volunteer pool.

information as well as provide it. Feedback from workshops at our national and Division annual general meetings allows us to continually adapt our material—addressing the needs of our volunteers as they see them, not as we in Ottawa think they might be.

Parent volunteers help staff and cadets from 52 Air Cadet Squadron in Calgary, sort bottles following a fund-raising bottle drive.

In the coming year, we will release a series of updated guides for our members, and expand distance learning material on our website.

Air Cadet League Sarah Putinski The Air Cadet League attempts to provide its volunteers with the basic skills they need to work at the provincial and local levels, as this has proven most effective. Information for volunteers is delivered through a series of seminars and presentations aimed at developing knowledge of the league and providing the tools essential to maintaining a squadron sponsoring committee and effective volunteers. The league has limited self-directed learning tools available at the moment. It has, however, developed a compilation of handbooks (on subjects such as public relations, volunteer screening, how to start an effective speaking competition and fill

out financial statements) and frequently asked questions to assist provincial and sponsoring committee chairpersons in performing league duties. These are all available on the league’s website. With a more user-friendly policy and procedures manual in production (among other things), the goal is to keep volunteers informed no matter what their level of technological comprehension and to make them feel that they are not alone and are in fact backed by an efficient support system. Sarah Putinski is the administration officer, communications and media, for the Air Cadet League.

Professional Development for Leaders of the Cadet Program

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OFFICER DEVELOPMENT

Maj Bob MacKay

Good morale starts with leaders Time to take stock?

High morale starts with Cadet Program leaders and is reflected in happy cadets, who will spread their contentment throughout the community and win friends for the corps/squadron. (Photo by Lt(N) Paul Simas) >

Morale is the “mental condition or attitude with regard to courage, confidence, enthusiasm etc.”, says the Canadian Gage Dictionary. Basically, morale applies to the attitude of a group of people who share common goals. A group has good morale if it is willing to plan enthusiastically and work efficiently and harmoniously as a team to attain its purpose. In the Cadet Program, as elsewhere, good morale starts with leaders. Is it time to take your personal moralebuilding inventory? (See sidebar)

High or low morale? No one will deny the emotional benefits of being in a group that has high morale, but there is more to it than emotional pleasure. High morale generates thinking and planning, stimulates initiative and enterprise and is the most important ingredient of efficiency. It is only in this atmosphere that people are inspired to seek the best. High morale pays off in recruitment, job satisfaction and the effective operation of corps/squadrons.

High morale spreads outward from corps/squadron leaders. Cadets who are happy in their roles, have confidence and have co-operative relations with their officers will spread their contentment throughout the community and win friends for the corps/squadron. What cadets say about their corps/squadron is a potent force in public relations. Consider, now, the situation when morale is low. Cadets feel no great responsibility for the success of their corps/squadron. There is significant turnover and excessive absenteeism. The corps/squadron can be plagued by disobedience, slow-downs and an unconcern about quality. There can be friction, abuse of privileges and an all-around tension that is bad for the health of everyone.

High morale pays off in recruitment, job satisfaction and the effective operation of corps/squadrons.

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Officers’ responsibility Senior CIC officers get to the top because of their ability as leaders, and building morale is first of all a leadership problem and job. Successful leaders take pride in the teams they are in charge of. Morale and team spirit are the products of consistently high character displayed over a period of years. Loyalty and efficiency are not created overnight by some code, appeal, promise or hand-out. They arise out of a leader’s personality. The character of leadership includes forethought in the interest of cadets, fairness and impartiality, willingness to listen to complaints and suggestions, giving credit where due and being honest in living up to promises. But in addition to these necessary qualities, officers who are most successful in building morale are those who are considerate of their people in minor matters. Great leaders are careful in dealing with people. They know that it is only possible for them to progress through other people. They do not

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Officers who are most successful in building morale are those who are considerate of their people in minor matters. boast only an open door policy; rather, they go through that open door to reach their team. The joy of leadership—and thrill of being in charge of staff and cadets— is in spending the last ounce of your management talent to see that the people under you fulfil their greatest abilities in their roles.

Co-operation Co-operation—integral to good morale—is one of the misused words of our time. Some people ‘demand’ co-operation. They say, "Your cooperation will be appreciated" when they really mean, "Do it, or else." Don’t let this happen if you want to build good morale. Co-operation must be practised by everyone— those who are supervising and those who are supervised. Co-operation is voluntary, a two-way street, a way of living in which people work together to get something done. A fair index of a person's efficiency in management is the degree of working together that exists.

What are the facts? Cadets is a social unit. When everyone is contributing what he or she has to give, ‘going to Cadets’ becomes a social activity, yielding individuals respect and approval, as well as a feeling of fellowship in making a contribution to society. Within this social unit there will be smaller groups. We should not condemn cliques out-of-hand. Be angry, if you wish, about plotting cliques, rumour-mongering cliques, catty cliques, subversive cliques and those sorts of cliques. At the same time, be aware that there are certain normal groupings that arise in organizations. The foursome that always sits at the same table is most likely there because it is made up of congenial spirits with similar interests.

Go on record A significant part of morale-building is keeping team members informed of matters that directly or indirectly

concern them. The destructive grapevine works hardest in organizations where management fails to provide necessary information to the people involved. It is a childish and often damaging characteristic of people in every supervisory rank to hold back information to feed their ego with the thought that "I know something you don't know." Once upon a time, management's maxim was, "Don't tell employees anything unless you have to." Enlightened management of today says, "Don't hold anything back unless there's a good reason." Finally, dare to take the “Start building morale” exercise in the sidebar below. It will blow away the cobwebs from your thinking about moralebuilding. Maj MacKay is the Area CIC Officer for New Brunswick and assists Regional Cadet Instructors School (Atlantic) as a course commander. He has been a commanding officer and has held several positions within local corps and squadrons. He is also aide-de-camp to the lieutenant governor of New Brunswick. In his civilian life, he has filled several management positions with the Royal Bank and is currently operations adviser for Atlantic Canada.

Your personal inventory If you are in charge of others, you may be interested in making a personal inventory along these lines: • Am I developing good human relations with my people, or am I content with casual daily contact? • Do I have some guiding principles in dealing with cadets, or am I going along from day to day, doing the best I can according to how things look? • Do I always seek the positive in a problem or a situation, or is my negative attitude putting a wet blanket on morale? • Have I given thought to the fact that cadets have the human instincts and emotions that I have, perhaps differently emphasized, or do I look upon them as ‘hands’ to help make the machinery run?

Start building morale Whether or not you have a staff morale problem, you will gain something from this exercise. Brain-storm the proposition: I can contribute something toward improving morale among my people. Take an hour in solitude, a pen and a supply of paper. Write down as quickly as possible all the questions you can think of that you would like to have answered about your staff and cadets. Don't worry if the questions seem to be trivial or irrelevant. Then imagine that you are a junior officer or a cadet, and write down all the questions you would like to have answered about the corps/squadron and about the commanding officer. This is a great start toward solving the problem of building morale. Now you know what you need to learn about your people to understand their wants, and what you have to tell them so they will become aware of the sort of corps/squadron they work for and the sort of person you are.

Professional Development for Leaders of the Cadet Program

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TRIBUTE

Humility

and a can-do attitude LCdr Peter Morin says he’s “a little nervous” about finally stepping up to the “big plate” this year to take over command of 40 Sea Cadet Corps FALKLAND in Ottawa. “I never felt that I was good with the ‘political’ side of things,” he says. “But hopefully, I’ll grow from it.” This rare blend of humility with a can-do attitude will surely stand LCdr Morin in good stead as a commanding officer.

“I think I’ve learned to be much more diplomatic and not as quick to judge. I think I assess things more carefully now.” ...LCdr Peter Morin LCdr Morin finds the idea of command daunting primarily because he’s a hands-on kind of guy. Those hands-on abilities have earned him high praise both inside and outside the Cadet Program. In 1999, he received a commendation from the Ottawa-Carleton Region for rescuing a mentally challenged person who wandered from a group home in a snow storm. In 2002, he received the Navy League Meritorious Service Award. In 2004, he received the Navy League National President’s Commendation and a Department of National Defence commendation for providing life-saving care to an injured cadet. The new CO is also concerned that he will no longer have as much time to devote to his passion for scuba diving. Back in 1987, when scuba diving was virtually unheard of as a local cadet activity, he initiated a scuba diving program at FALKLAND.

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“When I was a cadet, I got turned down for a scuba course at a cadet summer training centre,” says LCdr Morin. “From that time, I wanted to become a certified diver and get diving going in Cadets. I wanted it so much that I sold my motorcycle to get the $1000 to pay for my scuba instructor’s course.” To date, he has certified more than 200 cadets in scuba diving—20 of them currently with the corps. Last June, he was training four cadets, with several more on a waiting list. He can train only four cadets at a time because he trains them mostly in his swimming pool at home. “Cadets love scuba diving,” he says. “It teaches them a skill they can carry on with outside of Cadets. It teaches them a bit of physics and it’s good for physical fitness.” He says one of his biggest thrills was coming out of a dive with several cadets and being greeted on shore by a “huge guy saying ‘hello sir’”. “I had no clue who he was, but I’d trained him years before and he was still diving.”

wearing only pyjamas and slippers— was wandering down the snow-covered road ahead. The man could not speak and about half an inch of ice had accumulated on his head. As a trained emergency medical care assistant, LCdr Morin knew exactly what to do, just as he did in 2004 when he provided emergency first aid on Cadet Sebastien Rioux during a scuba training weekend in a remote part of Quebec. Cadet Rioux severed an artery in his right arm when he accidentally put his arm through a window. He lost a massive amount of blood, but LCdr Morin’s emergency care saved him. Mrs. Beth Jefferson, the cadet’s mother, later wrote, “Your medical training and professionalism got us through what could have been a tragedy were you not there for him.”

LCdr Morin has also instructed one CIC officer to the dive master level so the officer can supervise diving. He has heard of only two other CIC officers who are qualified scuba instructors. On ‘civvie street’, LCdr Morin works for the City of Ottawa. In the winter, he drives a snow plow. That’s what he was doing when he rescued the mentally challenged person, who—

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Cadets love scuba diving. It teaches them a skill they can carry on with outside of Cadets. At FALKLAND, LCdr Morin has been a supply officer, boats officer, training officer and executive officer. He’s taken courses in rappelling, winter indoctrination, range safety, small bore and air rifle, and basic canoe instructor. Instructing seems to come naturally to him. He also trains City of Ottawa employees on heavy equipment. His civilian job has taught him to be flexible and optimistic. He used to have a higher position with the city, but he came to work one morning to find his desk cleared. The city had

amalgamated and he’d lost his job as road inspector; however, he’s determined to “get up there again.” That same determination was evident in 1976, when, as a young cadet, he received the highest mark in Ontario on his petty officer’s exam. LCdr Morin has always loved Cadets. “I enjoy it as much as the cadets do. It’s been part of my life since I was 16 years old and I can’t see myself not doing it,” he says. Since becoming a CIC officer in 1982, he admits he’s learned a thing or two. “I think I’ve learned to be much more diplomatic and not as quick to judge,” he says. “I think I assess things more carefully now.” He’s also learned to always give staff challenges. “I don’t want to see them stuck, but everyone likes to be challenged,” he says. “When they learn something, the next step is to teach it to someone else.”

Professional Development for Leaders of the Cadet Program

If his history is any indicator, LCdr Morin will do just fine as CO of 40 Sea Cadet Corps. If he needs any help, he can always call on the assistance of his wife Connie, a Scout leader, or his 17-year-old son (one of two), a cadet who seems determined to follow in his dad’s footsteps. That is perhaps the biggest tribute of all.

LCdr Morin, with his son in the background, prepares for a dive.

Cadence would like to continue Tribute as a regular feature. If you believe someone is deserving of this tribute, please email your nomination to [email protected] or [email protected]. Or call 905-468-9371.

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SHARING IDEAS

Maj Guy Peterson

Cadet retention The power of competition to increase retention

Every year around December, the Cadet Program parades nearly 70 000 cadets. On average, 15 000 of them will leave before June. Some explain this loss by saying that “The training programs are boring and cadets do not like the school-like environment.”

I have found that nothing brings teenagers closer and gets them more excited than the prospect of showing what they are made of. Teenagers thrive on competition.

It is that blunt and simple: they register and quickly fall into a routine that fails to excite them. Attracting teenagers is easy; keeping them interested means putting yourself in their shoes and understanding that they are not obligated to stick around if you do not deliver on your promise to deliver excitement. Is what you offer too much like school? If so, your problem is likely not so much with the program itself, but rather with your delivery strategy. Here is one strategy you may want to consider that has worked for many corps.

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Cpl Valérie Vachon, foreground, practises with other 2920 Corps band members in preparation for competition

Involve your cadets in broad competition Competition—in both drill and band—has proved to be a great retention strategy in the army cadet corps I work with. Until a few years ago, we did not have a drill team. Our band had difficulty retaining 10 cadets per year. Our only two competitive teams were biathlon and shooting teams.

What does competition do for our corps? Membership has never been higher, with 115 cadets at our annual parade last May.

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According to statistics, however, only 1.9 percent of cadets say they are leaving because what we offer is too much like school. The main reason, cadets say, is that the local experience “is not challenging enough”.

We were very good at biathlon and shooting, but there was room for only 15 cadets in these two activities combined. We had 57 cadets. Then we made the conscious decision to compete on a broader scale. Now we have 24 cadets on our competitive drill team, and our band may have to turn down musicians next year because we have instruments for only 40 people! Our band had eight members in 2003. Our current band has been the provincial concert champion for the past two years. In addition, our corps is involved in volleyball, curling, bowling, swimming, physical fitness, kinball, marksmanship and adventure training competition with other corps in our zone. Overall, nearly 85 different cadets from our corps participated in at least one competition during the last training year.

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I have found that nothing brings teenagers closer and gets them more excited than the prospect of showing what they are made of. Teenagers thrive on competition. They will endure the most gruelling training and frustration if they feel that they are moving towards a significant goal.

Competitive versus participative event The kind of competition I am talking about is the kind that cadets train for over weeks and months. This allows them to develop friendships through hard work and rely on each other. A one-day participative event where all cadets freely participate without training does not have the same powerful effect on retention. Participative events have a short-term effect on the winning teams and barely any effect on the others. The difference between participative events and competitive events is the level of commitment required from your cadets to develop and hone skills. Why do teenagers spend hours every week training as members of a drill team instead of doing something else? Because it is fun for them, it is challenging, they know that being members of an élite team gives them special status and they know that the ‘10-minute show’ they are preparing will allow them to compete with

other teams and maybe, win. Why do cadets participate in a band, the shooting team, the biathlon team, competitive sports teams and so on? For the same reasons.

Statistically, roughly one third of the cadets that leave your corps/squadron will leave for reasons that are out of your control. The challenge you face is to keep the others. This starts with the strategies you choose to deliver your local program.

Cadets who leave your corps/ squadron because they are bored are rarely members of the élite teams. Teams that work hard together have fun together and within these teams, cadets develop ties and friendships that go beyond the corps/squadron.

The pay-off What does competition do for our corps? Membership has never been higher, with 115 cadets at our annual parade last May. Weekly presence throughout the year was more than 90 percent. And our cadets have developed enormous pride in their corps.

Our job is not to blindly deliver training programs, but rather to develop in our cadets qualities that will make them better citizens. This includes learning to work hard, learning to be a valuable team member, showing chivalry in success and defeat and more.

Of course, competition alone does not explain this. The corps also has a dynamic set of principles that guide a highly energetic adult staff. But competition is definitely a factor.

Statistically, roughly one third of the cadets that leave your corps/ squadron will leave for reasons that are out of your control. The challenge you face is to keep the others. This starts with the strategies you choose to deliver your local program.

Can other corps and squadrons do the same? Why not? It is a matter of committing to the idea and putting in place the right strategies. Broad-scale competition may be one strategy for you.

Maj Peterson is a volunteer with 2920 Army Cadet Corps in Gatineau, Que. He is the founder and director of the Excalibur Championship. The zone competition includes 12 events (volleyball, biathlon, decathlon and music, to name a few) and runs over the entire training year. For more information, go to www.cadets.ca/est/detmtl/excalibur. Maj Peterson is also the founder and director of the Provincial Cadet Music Festival in Eastern Region. He received a Command citation this year for his innovative ideas, huge involvement and volunteer work in creating and implementing both competitions. He is currently the national army cadet co-ordinator at Directorate Cadets.

> Professional Development for Leaders of the Cadet Program

The band from 2920 Army Cadet Corps performs during the Excalibur Championship in 2006. The band has won the provincial championship three years in a row

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SHARING IDEAS

Marsha Scott

Competition — good or bad? claims that “competition generates a great deal of excitement and many people thrive on it.”

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At the same time, the article warns of the danger of focussing on winning when competing. “From a motivational point of view, competition can be quite controlling and has been found to decrease intrinsic motivation for sport, especially among girls,” it says. “Failing to win is likely to be a highly negative experience because it so easily conveys feelings of incompetence.”

Competition—such as this regional orienteering competition in Central Region last spring—can engage youth and generate excitement.

Over the years, human development experts have debated the role of competition in youth’s lives—whether it is good or bad for their development. Convincing arguments have been presented on both sides. Dr. David Andrews, now Dean of the College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University, points out in his online article “Competition: The good, the bad and the ugly”, that competition is part of human nature and prevalent to some degree in most cultures. Furthermore, an element of scorekeeping is evident in the most innocent of children’s games. He adds that the number of young people participating in competitive events in the United States certainly demonstrates how competition engages youth.

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He also states, however, that it is much less clear exactly how competition motivates young people.

Good and bad Dr. Andrews acknowledges that social comparison appears to help young people find their niches and once done, they can move on to refine and specialize their skills. However, he cautions that research has shown that repeatedly exposing children younger than the age of nine years of age to highly competitive situations may negatively affect the development of their self-worth and identity. Fortunately, cadets are further along in their development. The good and bad aspects of competition are also discussed in another online article in The Research File (Information from the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute) entitled, “Motivating children to be active”. This article states that children generally take part in physical activity for reasons of challenge, skill and competition. It also

The main argument against competition seems to be that it is linked to extrinsic (external) motivation (reward-driven, playing only to win and ego-oriented), as opposed to cooperation, which is linked to intrinsic motivation (mastery-driven, selfdetermined and task-oriented). Many believe that intrinsic motivation creates a stronger foundation for young people who are still developing their self-worth and identity. The good news is that there can be a happy medium between competition and co-operation, and we, as leaders, can promote it.

Good (healthy) competition Dr. Christopher Thurber, a clinical psychologist from Exeter, New Hampshire, who works with summer camps across the United States, calls this happy medium “co-operative competition”. In his online article “Healthy Competition — It’s not an oxymoron”, he concedes that this may seem like a contradiction in terms, but when competition creates just a little anxiety, demands fair play and emphasizes fun, children’s performance can be enhanced and they learn to make moral decisions independent of adults.

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He offers some advice for healthy competition (see sidebar) and concludes, “It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how adults frame the game.” This seemingly simplistic philosophy is evident in other online discussions of competition.

Creating the right environment Dr. Andrews seems to agree with Dr. Thurber that adults can provide a framework for healthier competition. “Create an environment in which our children can compete healthily,” he says. “A balance of competitive and co-operative experiences may reduce the bad and the ugly side of competition.” The “ugly” side, of course, is out-of-control competition, when parents, adults and young people lose their perspectives, and the stakes of competition are high. In an online article called “Designing competitive programs that enhance youth development”, Dr. Kathryn Cox, another youth development specialist with Ohio State, says, “When planned and conducted

appropriately, competitive experiences can enhance positive youth development and prepare young people to become successful adults.” She adds that competitive experiences should be appropriate for the cognitive, psychological-emotional, social-moral and physical developmental levels of the youth. Dr. Cox also suggests that any advance publicity regarding competitive events should clearly outline expectations for conduct, fairness, honesty, the nature of the competition (it will result in both winners and losers), courtesy and accepting results gracefully. She also offers advice for adults conducting competitive events. (See sidebar) Be aware that young people respond differently to competition. A cadet who loses interest in an activity, reports high anxiety related to competition, or shows signs of dishonesty when competing likely has trouble coping with competition’s demands. Watch for these signs. For cadets who thrive on competition, stress sportsmanship, particularly in the heat of competition. Ensure they treat their teammates, officials and other competitors with

“When planned and conducted appropriately, competitive experiences can enhance positive youth development and prepare young people to become successful adults.” ...Dr. Kathryn Cox respect. Good competitors respect, play by the rules, take turns, share and don’t blame others. If you are aware of the good and bad in competition and heed the experts’ advice, your experience may be similar to that of Maj Guy Peterson (the author of the previous article), who says, “My job as a motivator has never been easier than over the past few years when my cadets started competing. You get cadets hooked on music, drill, marksmanship, biathlon, flying, sports or whatever and provide the path through which they can progress and prove themselves over the long run. Bingo! Motivating them is much easier and you have given them a reason to stick with the program for the long run.”

Healthy competition Dr. Christopher Thurber offers this advice on creating healthy competition: • Praise effort, not outcomes. Pointing out incremental accomplishments builds self-esteem. • Focus on strengths. Don’t compare an individual to his or her teammates. • Have fun, but not at the expense of others. The joy of any game should not be in the winning or losing, but in the playing of the game and cultivation of relationships. Co-operative competition emphasizes cheers, not jeers, and handshakes. • Emphasize teamwork. Every individual’s behaviour affects others. Pointing this out as it happens builds strong teams and communities.

Conducting a competitive event Here’s some advice from Dr. Kathryn Cox to adults conducting competitive events: • Never play favourites. • Keep emotions under control and set a positive example of friendliness, maturity and professionalism. • Accept and support all program policies and procedures. (The time for making changes is before and after, not during). • Have a logical, sequential, matter-of-fact plan for handling infractions and behaviour problems. • Encourage youths to enjoy themselves. • Help the youths learn from their experiences. Discuss what they did well, areas they can improve on and ideas to try in the future. • Provide positive feedback.

Professional Development for Leaders of the Cadet Program

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OFFICER DEVELOPMENT

Capt Kevin Vieneer

Six degrees of separation — between you and your cadets is something that must be handled with caution at all times. Two things to keep in mind are the situation you are in, as well as how well you know the cadet in question. Tapping your regimental sergeant major on the shoulder to initiate a discussion would not be an issue, but physically grabbing someone’s arm during a drill class—without permission—to correct a fault may create a situation you don’t want. Either way, erring on the side of caution is always the best approach regardless of circumstances.

As leaders of the Canadian Cadet Movement (CCM) we are faced every day with an important challenge—bringing people closer together in pursuit of a common goal, while practising some degree of separation. How separate should we be? So far away that we are out of touch with the needs of our cadets and others around us? Or, so closely woven into their lives that we lose sight of what’s really important and the example we are here to provide? The key is balance. My experience is that balance is achievable if we maintain six degrees of separation (physical, virtual, emotional, economical, personal and social) between ourselves and our cadets.

1st degree— physical The expression “it goes without saying” doesn’t apply here. It needs to be said. Touching cadets in any way

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Body language and the realm of personal space is also a key consideration. I had an experience where a first-year female cadet paid me an inappropriate compliment. I considered letting it pass, but I counselled immediately with a female officer present. Situations like this have to be dealt with as they occur, because silence, in many cases, implies acceptance.

2nd degree— virtual Each day, technology becomes a bigger part of our lives. While technological resources provided within the Cadet Program (CadetNet for example) have rules of use attached to them, others do not…yet! Internet applications like Windows Live Messenger and Facebook have benefits, but they should be used as little as possible. If we do use them, we must set an example to everyone by ensuring that everything is as professional as if it were a regular memo, a face-to-face conversation, or an order given on our corps/squadron training night.

My personal policy has been this: a few senior cadets have my CadetNet email address only. Even fewer have my cell number. None of them are contacts on my Windows Messenger and I will never add any of them as friends to my Facebook profile. I’ve rejected one person five times. Why? For many, protocol does not really apply online. We must teach our cadets that it should apply! Email subject matter must also be noted. Ask yourself, “Would I honestly print that picture or joke and physically show it to someone in the program at an event? Would I show it to a cadet, to a parent, or a sponsor?” If you physically wouldn’t do it, why do it virtually?

3rd degree— emotional Every CCM stakeholder is connected by the belief that we have the power to fundamentally change the course of a young person’s life. That is a very emotional thing. However, we must remember to be consistent in separating our feelings from the objective day-to-day decisions we make with regard to cadets.

Officers may frequent a specific social venue after a night’s training is completed. They may discuss various topics, but they should not discuss these topics around cadets.

CADENCE

Issue 23, Fall 2007

For example, deciding to promote someone who is not the best candidate just because you think they will feel bad and quit is a flawed point of view. Not only do you possibly set that person up to fail, but you also send the underlying message that it is better to be liked than respected. Is that what we are here to do? Am I am saying, “Stop being human”? No. Acting with emotion can be beneficial at times in exercising effective leadership. Acting by emotion rarely is.

can become so deep that we make the wrong choice when a tough decision presents itself. Personal relationships are inevitable, but the key is appropriate boundaries. (See chart below)

Relationship

Examples

Possible pitfalls

Adult with cadet

Officer is older brother of a flight sergeant

Perceived favouritism

Former senior cadet returns as a Civilian Instructor and is still dating one of the cadets

Opportunity to fraternize during corps/squadron training

Senior cadet’s younger brother joins the squadron/corps

Discipline problems with younger cadet

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4 degree— economical The subject of money is always a delicate one. As a certified management accountant in civilian life, I believe we must be doubly vigilant in this area. CIC officers are entrusted with the use of resources paid for by public funds (uniforms and training equipment from the Department of National Defence, for example), as well as non-public funds (fundraising proceeds from tagging, for example). These must remain separate. This is different from using both types of resources in support of an approved cadet activity, as that is the nature of the partnership. The danger here is when we, deliberately or otherwise, mix our personal finances with corps/squadron finances. This is inappropriate and would set a bad example for our cadets. An example of economical separation from your cadets is avoiding— except under extreme circumstances—lending money to or borrowing money from a cadet. In the end, it is just as much about transparency as it is about integrity.

5th degree— personal A great thing about the Cadet Program is that it gives us the ability to make friends—sometimes life-long friends. Unfortunately, friendships

Cadet with cadet

Sudden change in behaviour in older cadet

At the end of the day, the most important thing to remember is that the professional relationship must always take precedence over the personal relationship. To do otherwise could create an atmosphere of mistrust and send the dangerous message that the needs of the corps/squadron come after the needs of cadets closest to you.

We must remember to be consistent in separating our feelings from the objective day-to-day decisions we make with regard to cadets.

Professional Development for Leaders of the Cadet Program

6th degree—social Social circles are exactly that: circles. What is said or done within those circles should remain within them. Officers may frequent a specific social venue after a night’s training is completed. They may discuss various topics, but they should not discuss these topics around cadets. On the other side, it is inappropriate for officers to attend a social function where cadets are gathered, unless it is an approved activity requiring adult supervision. We cannot control what cadets do outside of approved training. Our presence would imply that the cadets are ‘protected’ by the Cadet Program during these occasions when, in reality, they are not. Capt Vieneer is the former human rights advisor and deputy commanding officer with 876 Air Cadet Squadron in Scarborough, Ont.

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CADET TRAINING

Peter Musters

A disabled student receives gliding training through Freedom’s Wings. The program also trains disabled air cadets to fly gliders.

Freedom’s Wings Teaching disabled cadets to fly! After flying with her squadron on an air cadet flight line, Sgt Melanie MacPherson of 99 Air Cadet Squadron in Orillia, Ont., knew what she wanted. “I wanted those gold wings that sat proudly on the uniforms of my friends,” she says. “Those were my goal. I had tasted flight in its purest form and I wasn’t going back. Even with all the confidence that I had that I could indeed get my wings, one thought stayed deep in the back of my head. I am disabled. I had never heard of any disabled pilots before, and I wondered just how hard it might be for me to convince the world that I could in fact accomplish this feat.” With some help, Sgt MacPherson found her way to Freedom’s Wings— an international non-profit program that provides glider flight training to students with disabilities. She soon discovered that the list of pilots with physical disabilities was significant and growing. Some famous examples include amputee LCol Andrew Lourake of the United States Air Force, currently flying C-20s, and double amputee Wing Leader Douglas Bader, an ace Spitfire pilot with Royal Air Force Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain. A scholarship through Youth Flight Education Canada is funding Sgt MacPherson’s glider training. Now she and others are confronting their disabilities and the way we look at flying ability. Dedication, tenacity,

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work the rudders in the standard Schweitzer 2-33 trainer used at Regional Gliding School (Central) in Trenton, Ont.,” says Freedom’s Wings Canada chairman, Charles Petersen. “But, in our recently imported Twin Astir with a hand-controlled rudder system, she’s training right alongside many other cadets at York Soaring [Canada’s largest gliding club located about 100 kilometres northwest of Toronto]. We may not be able to solo or licence everyone, but we’ll let them fly to their fullest ability.”

initiative and courage have helped them all persevere against the odds and became a foundation on which to make other major strides in their personal lives. With examples like these, hundreds of people with disabilities across North America are taking up aviation.

The Twin Astir is the current glider for the Freedom’s Wings program that has licensed and soloed people with a wide range of physical disabilities. Freedom’s Wings has also minted Canada’s first paraplegic glider instructor and started a second chapter in Vancouver.

“Because of her cerebral palsy, Sgt MacPherson didn’t have quite enough strength in her left foot to

The program is open to all people with physical disabilities, including cadets who cannot be accommodated by the Cadet Program’s gliding centres. The costs are managed by corporate and private donors to give people with disabilities the chance to fly a glider.

The [Freedom’s Wings] program is open to all people with physical disabilities, including cadets who cannot be accommodated by the Cadet Program’s gliding centres.

More information is available at www.freedomswings.ca, or contact [email protected] Mr. Musters is the executive director of Youth Flight Education Canada. CADENCE

Issue 23, Fall 2007

SHARING IDEAS

Capt Nancy Marshall

< A cadet from 878 Squadron warms up with hot chocolate.

Meal planning for exercises Advance planning

When you are planning an exercise, what do you dread most? For me, it was planning what we were going to eat and how much food to buy!

Well before the exercise, cadets are told to bring a letter from home if they require a special diet (vegetarian, allergies and so on) so we can make provisions for them. Otherwise, they eat what is prepared.

Menus

Through trial and error over the years, however, I have worked out a system that has taken the guesswork (and stress) out of preparing food for exercises. Maybe it will work for you.

You can’t make everyone happy all of the time, but I have tried my best to design a menu that caters to all tastes. It seems to work well for our squadron and I am confident that it will work for other corps and squadrons too.

When you go to the store, know your budget. Have your list and a calculator handy to keep track of what you are spending.

I have developed a couple of different Saturday dinner menus, but for the most part I keep the rest of the meals the same for simplicity I try to cook food that I know the cadets will enjoy. But, I also remember that they are busy all weekend.

Sample weekend menu

They need not only lots of food, but also lots of good food to keep them going. I always buy peanut butter and jam for picky eaters. We all have at least one. My biggest fear used to be running out of food, but I’m proud to say that no-one has ever gone hungry.

Grocery list My ‘grocery list’ is actually divided into four categories: the menu, a general quantities list, the shopping list and the meal planner. The meal planner actually breaks down portions for each meal (based on the number of people) and I find this useful during the actual weekend.

Budget It is challenging in this day and age to feed a bunch of hungry teenagers on a limited budget, but if you take your time it can be easy. Watch for deals. Non-perishable and frozen items on sale can be purchased a few weeks ahead.

FRIDAY EVENING

SATURDAY BREAKFAST

SATURDAY LUNCH

SATURDAY DINNER

SATURDAY EVENING

SUNDAY BREAKFAST

SUNDAY LUNCH

Mug Up Hot chocolate Hotdogs

Pancakes Bacon Hot chocolate Milk Fruit

Hamburgers Vegetable tray and dip Fruit Juice

Chicken breasts Mashed potatoes Vegetables Salad Pudding Milk

Mug Up Hot chocolate Cookies

French toast Cereal Hot chocolate Milk Fruit

Sandwiches Leftover vegetable tray and dip Leftover salad Juice Leftover milk

Continued on page 28

Professional Development for Leaders of the Cadet Program

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SHARING IDEAS

Grocery Shopping List

>

Meat

Lt(N) Neil Tannyan, commanding officer of 55 Sea Cadet Corps IRON DUKE in Burlington, Ont., and PO1 Melanie Dittmer barbecue burgers for cadets during an Outdoor Adventure Training weekend.

Grocery shopping and storage Of course, you can only buy your fresh food the night before the exercise. Luckily, our exercises almost always take place on weekends, so I shop for groceries on Thursday evenings. I always try to take two other people with me to make it go faster. When you go to the store, know your budget. Have your list and a calculator handy to keep track of what you are spending. In all the years of doing this I have never gone over my dollar allotment.

Watch for deals. Non-perishable and frozen items on sale can be purchased a few weeks ahead. > 28

Lt Nancy Marshall (since promoted) has taken the guesswork and stress out of preparing food for 878 Squadron weekend exercises.

When we finish our shopping, we store the food in the grocery store’s coolers until we pick it up the next day. Our grocery store is kind enough to do this, and it is a great help. Perhaps, before your next exercise, you can make the same arrangement with your local grocery store.

Kitchen equipment Fortunately, over the years our squadron has acquired what we feel is the proper kitchen equipment. In addition to utensils, a large griddle, two large gas stovetops (a threeburner and a two-burner), a steam table and an assortment of pots, pans and stainless steel serving dishes round out the kit. Especially nice is the fact that our squadron has a 14-foot utility trailer to store the equipment year-round. Don’t forget the coffee pot to help get you through the weekend. Hopefully, this will make food planning for your next exercise a little less stressful and give you more time to have fun with your cadets! Capt Marshall is the new commanding officer of 878 Air Cadet Squadron in Banff/Canmore, Alta.

72 10 11 56 4-6

hamburger patties dozen wieners pounds of bacon chicken breasts pounds of assorted lunchmeat (Purchase a whole Black Forest ham, salami and pepperoni sticks and ask the store to slice them for you)

Fruits 10 5 5 15 2 3 8-10 2 5 20

and vegetables pounds of apples pounds of bananas pounds of oranges pounds of carrots bunches of celery heads of lettuce large tomatoes large onions cucumbers pounds of potatoes

Dairy 1 large tub of margarine 7 dozen eggs 8 4-litre packages of milk (2%) 2 packages of 64 cheese slices 2 containers (500 ml) of sour cream Canned goods 4 large cans of juice crystals 12 20-ounce cans of hot chocolate (A&W) 12 cans of evaporated milk 10 cans of kernel corn Breads 10 dozen hotdog buns 20 loaves of bread 6 dozen hamburger buns Miscellaneous 3 bags of pancake mix 45 small boxes of cereal 1 large jar of peanut butter 1 large jar of jam 3 bottles of pancake syrup 3 bottles of ketchup 2 large jars of mustard 2 jars of relish 1 large jar of Miracle Whip 2 packages (double) Uncle Dan's southern dip 3 bottles of salad dressing (assorted) 45 puddings (buy bulk boxes) 4 large bags of cookies 1 bag of gravy mix (Costco) flour, assorted spices, oil, coffee, tea and sugar (keep these staples for other exercises)

CADENCE

Issue 23, Fall 2007

>

Meal planner (for 45 people) Friday evening Mug Up 2-3 cans of hot chocolate 2-3 cans of evaporated milk 10 dozen wieners 10 dozen hotdog buns 1 chopped onion 1 relish 1 mustard 1 ketchup Saturday breakfast 3 bags of pancake mix 1 dozen eggs (4 eggs per bag of mix) 11 pounds of bacon 2-3 cans of hot chocolate 2-3 cans of evaporated milk milk for cadets milk for pancakes 1 ketchup 1½ bottles of syrup margarine ½ of oranges, cut up; ½ of bananas, cut up Saturday lunch 72 hamburger patties 6 dozen hamburger buns 64 cheese slices 10 pounds of carrots, cut into sticks 2 bunches of celery, cut into sticks 3 cucumbers, cut into sticks 3 tomatoes, sliced for hamburgers

Cadets need lots of food to give them energy for strenuous activities during an exercise. Here, cadets from 55 Sea Cadet Corps recharge their batteries during an Outdoor Adventure Training weekend last May.

1 onion, chopped for hamburgers 2 cans juice crystals, mixed according to package directions 1 ketchup 1 mustard 1 relish 1 Miracle Whip 1 sour cream Uncle Dan’s dip mix (made with some of the Miracle Whip and sour cream above) Apples Saturday dinner 56 chicken breasts Flour, oil and spices (I use pepper, seasoning salt and chili powder) to coat chicken. Cook chicken in a bit of oil on a stovetop/grill. Gravy mix, made according to package directions 20 pounds of potatoes for mashed potatoes with margarine and milk 12 cans of kernel corn Salad items: 2 heads of lettuce, 3 tomatoes and 2 cucumbers Salad dressing 45 puddings Milk for cadets Saturday evening Mug Up 2-3 cans of hot chocolate 2-3 cans of evaporated milk Cookies

Sunday morning breakfast 8 loaves of bread for French toast 6 dozen eggs for French toast 45 small boxes of cereal 2-3 cans hot chocolate 2-3 cans of evaporated milk Milk for cadets Milk for cereal and eggs 1 ketchup 1½ bottles of syrup Margarine Leftover oranges, apples and bananas Sunday lunch 10 loaves of bread 4-5 pounds of lunch meat 64 cheese slices 4 tomatoes 1 head of lettuce Leftover salad and vegetables Leftover vegetable dip and salad dressing Leftover juice crystals Margarine Leftover Miracle Whip Leftover mustard Leftover fruit Peanut butter and jam on bread for cadets who won’t eat properly.

General quantities Meat Bacon Hamburgers Hot dogs Lunch meat Chicken breasts Sausages

¼ pound/person 1½ hamburgers/person 2½ hotdogs/person 1 ounce/sandwich 1¼ breasts/person 2 ½ /person (Sausages may be substituted for bacon)

Miscellaneous Hot chocolate Small milk Pancake mix French toast Eggs for French toast Eggs for pancakes Scrambled eggs

Sandwiches Bread

Professional Development for Leaders of the Cadet Program

1 20 ounce can = 20 people 1/person/meal 1 bag = 14 people 2½ pieces/person 1½ dozen for every 2 loaves of bread 4 eggs/bag of pancake mix 2 eggs/person (Scrambled eggs may be substituted for pancakes) 2 sandwiches/person 4 slices of bread/person 18 slices/loaf

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100th ANNIVERSARY

LCol Tom McGrath

CIC to celebrate 100th anniversary in 2009 In co-operation with the Directorate Cadets and Junior Canadian Rangers, the CIC Branch Advisory Council (BAC) will organize 100th anniversary celebrations for our 7500 branch members. May 1, 2009 will mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the group of officers who administer, supervise and train cadets in Canada. The corps was authorized on May 1, 1909 as a “Corps of School Cadet Instructors (Militia).” It was composed of qualified male school teachers from Canada’s public schools. On May 1, 1921, the corps was disbanded and reorganized. On Jan. 1, 1924, the designation was changed to “The Cadet Services of Canada (NonPermanent).” It was later changed to the Cadet Services of Canada which ceased to exist in 1968 with unification. Sea and air officers then joined with army officers to form the Cadet Instructors List. The name was changed in 1994 to the Cadet Instructors Cadre. In co-operation with the Directorate Cadets and Junior Canadian Rangers, the CIC Branch Advisory Council (BAC) will organize 100th anniversary celebrations for our 7500 branch members. The council will act as the steering committee for national planning, with each region forming and operating its own committee. Each BAC regional adviser will chair the regional committee and report to the national committee. Under the auspices of the regional committees, provincial and territorial committees will be struck to plan local events. We are calling on CIC officers nation-

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wide to volunteer to populate these committees. Committee work is voluntary.

CIC motto. We have launched a competition to find a motto for our branch.

Below are some planned highlights.

We want to encourage you to volunteer to help with planning for your region by contacting your regional BAC adviser below:

Logo and commemorative pin. A 100th anniversary logo is being designed for use during the year. We are also requesting authorization to wear an anniversary pin on our Canadian Forces uniform. Issuance of a stamp. With support

from the three leagues and civilians across Canada, we are requesting that Canada Post produce a stamp to depict our contribution to youth development in Canada over the last 100 years. 100th anniversary challenge coin. We

are seeking corporate sponsorship for the production of a coin to mark our anniversary. Coins would be distributed free of charge to members. 100th anniversary pictorial history.

We are approaching a national sponsor for the production of a national pictorial history capturing our 100year history. Premiere national event. We will

hold a national event in 2009, likely in Ottawa. Proclamation signings. We anticipate

the signing of a national proclamation for 2009, with a national figure declaring the year of celebration.

National chairman – LCol Tom McGrath at [email protected] “Class B’ representative – LCdr Neil Martin at [email protected] Atlantic Region – Maj Paul Westcott at [email protected] Eastern Region – Maj Francois Dornier at [email protected] Central Region – Maj Harry McCabe at [email protected] Prairie Region – Maj James Barnes at [email protected] Pacific Region – LCol Terry Kopan at [email protected] Northern Region – Capt Jeff Barkley at [email protected]

CADENCE

Issue 23, Fall 2007

Maj Al Memess

POLICY

Joining the new Reserve Force pension plan What does the new Reserve Force pension plan mean to CIC officers on part-time Reserve service? To figure out if you are close to joining the pension plan, you first have to determine if you are close to 10 percent of YMPE. For example the YMPE for 2006 is $42 100, while the amount for 2007 will be $43 200. If you perform enough Reserve service to make at least $4210 in 2006 and $4320 in 2007, you will become a member of the plan. Your service may be Class ‘A’ or ‘B’. So long as it is paid service and you meet the minimums, you qualify. At today’s pay rates, an officer cadet would have to serve at least 46 days, while a lieutenant would have to serve only 33 days to reach YPME.

Since March 1, all members of the Reserve Force, including the Cadet Instructors Cadre, are eligible to join the new Reserve Force pension plan. If you are a CIC officer and have earned 10 percent of what the pension plan calls “the year’s maximum pensionable earnings (YMPE)” during two consecutive 12-month periods of Reserve service, you automatically become a member of the plan. This applies to all CIC officers—fulltime or part-time. Pensionable earnings since April 1999 count. CIC officers on full-time service will move from the Reserve Force pension plan to the Regular Force pension plan when they have served 1674 days in a 60-month period. Those who had already done so by March, when the pension came into force, moved directly to the Regular Force pension plan. To give you some idea of how many officers that affects, records show that in 20052006, 290 CIC officers were on fulltime Reserve service.

When you meet the required minimums, you will receive a letter from the Directorate Accounts Processing, Pay and Pensions informing you that you are part of the plan and what percent of your monthly taxable income will be deducted as your contribution.

Pensionable earnings since April 1999 count. Will you be able to retire on your Reserve pension? Realistically, someone who works only short-term part-time Reserve service cannot expect to draw a pension that will ensure a comfortable retirement. As with any plan, what you get out of it will be proportional to what you contribute. It is important to understand, however, that you cannot lose by contributing to the plan. Should you leave the service before becoming eligible for a pension, your contributions will be returned with interest.

Professional Development for Leaders of the Cadet Program

When you meet the required minimums, you will receive a letter... informing you that you are part of the plan and what percent of your monthly taxable income will be deducted as your contribution. The pension plan is a subject that solicits a number of questions, most of which should be referred to the experts at the Canadian Forces Pension Modernization Project (CFPMP). Visit the project website at www.forces.gc.ca/hr/dgcb/cfpmp/ to see how the new pension plan will affect you. Should you have further questions once you have consulted the online information, you are encouraged to call toll free 1-800267-0325 and speak to an expert from CFPMP. You can also reach CFPMP by email at the following addresses: • For questions regarding purchasing prior service, email PriorPensionableServiceArrears@ forces.gc.ca • For Reserve Force questions regarding eligibility and joining the pension plan, email [email protected] • For other policy questions, email [email protected] Maj Memess is the staff officer responsible for personnel policy at Directorate Cadets.

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POLICY

Maj Al Memess

Support to cadet activities, with or without pay

>

The changes made to the “deemed on duty” policy last April led to questions and discussions across the cadet world. One major concern was the requirement to have a paid Cadet Instructor or Civilian Instructor at each authorized cadet activity.

A paid Cadet Instructor or Civilian Instructor must supervise all mandatory cadet activities

Since then, in consultation with our legal advisor, we have found a way to ease the burden placed on corps and squadrons—particularly those with a heavy activity schedule. The Department of National Defence has been authorized to selfinsure CF Reserve Force members (who provide support to cadet activities without pay) for liability and legal indemnification. The coverage will be based on the Treasury Board’s policy on the indemnification of and legal assistance for Crown servants. This recognizes that a Cadet Instructor—an officer of the Cadet Instructors Cadre or a member of another sub-component of the Reserve Force while he or she is instructing cadets—has received the training, is fully qualified to supervise cadet activities and will perform the same duties whether being paid or not.

Amended CATO 13-12 With this coverage, we were able to amend the policy that requires a paid Cadet Instructor or Civilian Instructor to supervise each cadet activity. CATO 13-12 has been amended to allow Cadet Instructors to supervise optional activities when providing support without pay. Why only optional activities? The reason is simple: paid days are allocated to cover the mandatory program, and we want to ensure that there are sufficient resources to cover it.

New CATO 23-11 We have also clarified the differences in coverage for Cadet Instructors when providing support without pay. These Cadet Instructors are not eligible for the benefits associated with Reserve Service. To be eligible for those benefits, the member must be “on service” and to be “on service”, the member must be paid. CATO 23-11 has been developed to explain the differences in coverage and to ensure that Cadet Instructors are making an informed choice when they agree to provide support without pay. In future all Cadet

Instructors who provide support without pay must complete a form acknowledging that they are aware of the differences in coverage.

Benefits more clearly defined Some Cadet Instructors may perceive a loss or reduction of benefits as a consequence of the repeal of the “deemed on duty” provisions. However, you do have clearly defined benefits and entitlements that can be relied upon when needed. There is no change in the policy for Civilian Instructors. To supervise authorized cadet activities, Civilian Instructors must be paid. When providing support without pay, they become civilian volunteers with the same status as other civilian volunteers and must adhere to the policies set out in CATO 23-07.

CATO 13-12 has been amended to allow Cadet Instructors to supervise optional activities, when providing support without pay.

Main policy changes • A paid Cadet Instructor or Civilian Instructor shall supervise all mandatory activities. • Optional activities can be supervised by a paid Civilian Instructor or by a Cadet Instructor who can either be paid or provide support without pay. • The differences in coverage between paid Reserve Service and benefits allowed a Cadet Instructor providing support without pay are clearly set out in CATO 23-11. • Cadet Instructors who agree to provide support without pay must acknowledge in writing that they are aware of the differences in coverage.

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CADENCE

Issue 23, Fall 2007

LEADERSHIP

Lt(N) Darin McRae

More on the new CF Leadership Doctrine and you

Leadership characteristics There is neither a definitive list of essential leadership qualities nor any guarantee that the possession of all or most of the commonly identified attributes will result in effective leadership. Nevertheless, CIC officers can improve their capacity to be effective leaders by acquiring and developing competencies in the following areas. • Knowledge and skills. A high level of proficiency in technical skills is mandatory for officers in direct command and leadership positions. • Cognitive ability. Analytical skills and creative thinking are essential abilities for all leaders. • Social capacities. At all levels of leadership, interpersonal skills such as communication, persuasion and conflict management are critical to working with others. • Personality traits. Effective leaders exemplify personal integrity in their decisions and actions. They

also demonstrate a number of personal characteristics that relate to adaptability: openness to experience, flexibility of thought and behaviour, and self-assurance. • Professional motivation and values. Professionalism reflects a strong commitment to the social responsibilities of the profession, a high valuation of professional competence, and a personal identification with the values of the Canadian military ethos. A leader’s effectiveness will have a major, everlasting impact on group, team and corps/squadron effectiveness. Trust provides the critical bond for leadership to be effective.

Importance of trust Trust may be based on demonstrated leadership competence (the care and consideration for others displayed by a leader) or on perceptions of a leader’s character (integrity, dependability, and fairness).

Regardless, an important part of the leader’s job is to build and maintain healthy trust relationships with subordinates, peers and superiors. Leaders build and maintain trust through their decisions, actions and interactions. They must exercise good judgment; show trust and confidence in their subordinates; ensure subordinates are supported by the organization; show consideration for others; have honest and open communications; lead by example; keep their word; and be counted on to honour their obligations. Trust is developed and earned, and can be easily lost.

Leading people Several principles cover important aspects of leadership responsibilities.

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In the last issue of Cadence, we discussed the new Canadian Forces Leadership doctrine and its impact on the Cadet Instructors Cadre (CIC). Leadership is about leading people—cadets and other CIC officers in our case. The new doctrine provides great insight into positive leadership characteristics, the importance of trust and leading people.

At all levels of leadership, interpersonal skills such as communication are critical. Here, CIC officers Maj Louise Lagarde and Capt Lyne Prud’Homme chat with Quebec’s Minister of Education, Leisure and Sport Michelle Courchêsne at the Eastern Region Gliding School in StJean. Que

Leader competence is critical to mission accomplishment. Very early in their CIC experience, junior leaders must master the technical and tactical skills of their military specialty and improve proficiency through self-study, experiential learning, formal training, and education. This is Continued on page 34

Professional Development for Leaders of the Cadet Program

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Continued from page 33

reflected in the CIC Military Occupation Structure Change Management Project and in the new CIC training program, which will provide enhanced training early in an officer’s career. Leaders must communicate a clear picture of the outcomes they wish to achieve. Where time and circumstances allow, leaders should involve others who possess relevant experience in the decision-making process. Leaders have to know when to direct and when to motivate. Training and other formative activities that reinforce mutual depend-

ence and support will pay off in enhanced performance and greater resistance to stress. Leaders must train and develop subordinates to master the unit’s operational functions, provide depth and strength to the unit through the number of qualified people below them and ensure a broadly distributed leadership capability. Leaders have moral and practical obligations to know their subordinates’ needs, take care of them and treat them fairly. Leaders must be on top of what is happening around them. In both training and operations, leaders must constantly review performance critically to determine if there is a better way.

Learning from personal experience and the experience of others is critical to ensuring high reliability performance and maintaining a competitive edge. When all is said and done, leaders must ensure that their personal conduct and the conduct of their subordinates reflect the best of Canadian military professionalism and the Canadian Cadet Movement at all times. Further information about the new leadership doctrine may be found at www.cda.forces.gc.ca/CFLI. Lt(N) McRae is a CIC courseware development officer at Directorate Cadets.

CADET TRAINING

Capt Catherine Griffin

Cadet Program Update Answers to commonly asked questions For some time now, leaders at all levels of the Cadet Program have tried to keep CIC officers informed about the progress of the Cadet Program Update. Venues have included cadet summer training centres, commanding officers’ (COs) meetings and league events. If you have not heard any of these updates, you may be interested in these answers to some of the most commonly asked questions. Q: Is it true that sea cadets will no longer participate in Outdoor Adventure Training (OAT) activities in the updated program? Participating in OAT will be left to the discretion of each corps commanding officer, who may choose to offer it as an optional activity supported by local funding. It is true that OAT will no longer be part of phase or summer camp training.

Funding has been re-allocated to a second on-water weekend activity instead. This change is related to a shift towards providing sea cadets with more on-water experiences and expanding the scope of activities beyond sail to include other small and minor vessels. Q: Will music training be supported in the updated program? Music training will continue as an optional activity, supported much the same as it is now. Music courses offered at the cadet summer training centres (CSTCs) will be updated to enhance and support music training. Regions will continue to have the option to support music training through regionally directed and funded activities, such as training seminars and music competitions.

< Regions will continue to have the option to support music training through regionally directed and funded training seminars such as this music workshop in Vernon, B.C. Here, OCdt Anders Udsen, from Kamloops, guides CPO Chris Charbonneau of Vernon through a finger exercise on his chanter. (Photo by Wayne Emde)

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CADENCE

Issue 23, Fall 2007

Although not directly related to the program update, there have been changes to the band grant allocation. Monies are still available to COs for band support within their corps and squadrons; however, monies are no longer specifically targeted to band purchases. As outlined on the national cadet website at www.cadets.forces.gc.ca/_docs/Key MsgGrantsVetted_e.pdf, all grant funding (scholarship, contingency and band grants) has been reallocated to one fund. COs will be reimbursed from this fund for approved expenditures in support of cadet activities (including band) up to their budget entitlement. Q: Will cadet handbooks, as we know them, be produced as part of the update? When you receive updated first-year corps and squadron training documentation this fall (for implementation in the fall of 2008), you can expect to receive two documents: an Instructional Guide (IG) and a

Participating in OAT will be left to the discretion of each [sea cadet] corps commanding officer, who may choose to offer it as an optional activity supported by local funding.

Qualification Standard and Plan (QSP). The IG includes specific training content as well as recommendations on how to deliver training using a variety of instructional methods. Instructors should use the IG, in conjunction with lesson specifications found in the QSP, to help with lesson planning and preparation. The QSP is a combination of the training standard and plan that you are familiar with. Although varying in content, the QSPs will have the same look and feel across the three elemental programs and at the CSTCs. Cadet handbooks have not been developed to date. We are continuing to research and examine possibilities for a cadet-friendly learning tool. We want to be sure that if any tool is developed, it is useful to cadets to support their learning. Q: Where can I find current information on program updates? Leaders at all levels will continue to give CPU updates whenever possible. You can also turn to the following sources for program update information: • CadetNet – CPU folder located in each elemental forum • www.cadets.ca • Cadence (current and past issues on the national cadet website) • Regional websites Capt Griffin is the staff officer cadet program education development at Directorate Cadets.

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Where can I direct CPU questions/feedback? Questions and feedback may be emailed to [email protected]. A link to this address is also provided on CadetNet in the CPU folder located in each elemental forum. We will not be able to respond to individual queries. However, your questions will be considered when we prepare future CPU-related information.

Professional Development for Leaders of the Cadet Program

Updated training for sea cadets will aim to provide sea cadets with more on-water experiences. (Photo by Lt(N) Paul Simas)

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Capt Jacqueline Zweng

VIEWPOINT

Being CO Not as scary as it seems

< Capt Zweng practises what she preaches, getting out of her office onto the floor to talk to her cadets

When I first took the job as commanding officer (CO) of 89 Air Cadet Squadron in Victoria, a number of people (including past COs, other CIC officers, volunteers, parents, and cadets) approached me saying things like, “Wow, you really want to do this?”

I couldn’t help but think that it is too bad about the perception that being a CO is too big a challenge or more pain than gain. I began my term as CO wondering what was so bad about the job and how long it would take me to find out. Now that I have been a CO for two years, however, my message to everyone is that being a CO is amazing!

“Um, have fun,” in a sarcastic tone.

CIC officers out there need to realize that being a CO is the ultimate goal for us. It is not as scary as it seems!

“Three years is going to feel like forever.” “The first thing you do as a CO is start looking for your replacement.”

Yes there are challenges and situations to work through on a regular basis, but that is the part that is so rewarding. We would all be kidding ourselves to think that being a CIC officer in any job would not be difficult. The same goes for being a CO.

As CO, I get to see things from a whole new perspective and really see what this program is about from all angles. Prior to being CO, I spent most of my time in the training department (which offered a certain view of how a squadron should be), but the bigger picture is so much more dynamic than that. Each person supporting the program, including officers, parents, sponsors, affiliated units, volunteers, friends and family, has a unique and valuable role to play. The CO’s primary responsibility is keeping the balance among them and recognizing that even the smallest hands are helping hands and need to fit in.

There are no regulations out there that say that as a CO you should know how to do everything perfectly. It is a learning process.

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CADENCE

Issue 23, Fall 2007

Each time my squadron meets, I see someone smile and learn something new! That is all most of us need to be satisfied with what we are doing. At the end of the day I always leave Cadets with a sense of accomplishment and pride in my squadron. Once you become a CO, you have all the tools you need to take on all aspects of the program and mentor and guide the younger officers to achieve their goals. There are no regulations out there that say that as a CO you should know how to do everything perfectly. It is a learning process. I often receive emails from my regional cadet support unit telling me I filled out a form incorrectly or that I filled out the wrong form. But each time I learn from it and smile that this is one less thing that I will do wrong next time. By the time any of you become lieutenants or captains (depending on the size of your corps/squadron), you are ready— with the required courses—to be a CO.

If you are a CO and feel removed from your cadets, then get out of the office onto the floor and talk to them. and said her CO was looking forward to stepping down and being able to work closely with the cadets again. I was puzzled because as a CO, I am very close to my cadets. I don’t feel that I have had to distance myself because of my new title. I strive to know each cadet’s name, their personality and interests. What is so difficult about that? If you are a CO and feel removed from your cadets, then get out of the office onto the floor and talk to them. You’re the CO: you can do whatever you want.

experience I could have asked for and is worth every minute. I am looking forward to one more year and what will develop in that time. My message to you is that you are all capable of this job. Formed in 1942, 89 Air Cadet Squadron has approximately 90 cadets, nine CIC officers, four civilian instructors and a number of volunteers. In 2005, Capt Zweng became the squadron’s first female— and its youngest—CO. She was 27 at the time.

This is a wonderful time in my CIC career. Being a CO is the best

At the same time, staff members of every corps/squadron need to be supportive of their CO. Running a corps/squadron is not a one-person show. COs are ultimately responsible, but that does not mean they are able to do it on their own. I have learned that a CO does a lot of ‘hidden’ tasks daily, so when you meet for parade nights, work a little harder for him or her because the experience of the staff combined—not just the CO’s experience—is what makes it all work. You should also treat one another with the same respect that you treat your CO. A member of another unit talked to me recently at an area competition

Running a corps/squadron is not a one-person show. COs are ultimately responsible, but that does not mean they are able to do it on their own.

Professional Development for Leaders of the Cadet Program

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Created by Regional Cadet Instructors School (Atlantic)

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE 1 CIC officers may be authorized to take other Canadian Forces/civilian training in the following circumstances: a) If there is a need within the Canadian Cadet Organization/Cadet Instructors Cadre;

b) If it is not available through the organization and is cost effective; c) If the regional cadet support unit commanding officer authorizes the training; or d) All of the above.

2

The training progression of an officer is the responsibility of: a) the officer; b) the officer’s commanding officer; c) the regional cadet instructors school; or d) Directorate Cadets

a) Civilian Instructors are not permitted to attend training as they are hired for their pre-existing skills and expertise. b) Civilian Instructors may attend training and be paid in the same way as CIC officers. c) Civilian Instructors may attend training but cannot be paid. d) Civilian Instructors attend different courses than CIC officers and are paid to do so.

5

What was the first new CIC training course to be delivered as a trial? a) Basic Officer Qualification Course b) CIC Orientation Course c) Basic Officer Training Course d) Cadet Instructor Initial Training Course

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ANSWERS

4

Which of the following is true of Civilian Instructor training?

1. (d). Reference CATO 24-01, paragraph 12 g

d) Cold Weather Instructor, Biathlon Coach, Unit Administration Officer, Unit Human Rights Advisor and Unit Supply Officer

2. (b). Reference CATO 24-01 paragraph 7

c) Military Occupational courses, Lieutenant Qualification, Captain Qualification and the Commanding Officer Course; or

3. (d). Reference CATO 24-01, Annex A

b) First Aid, Small Craft Operator Permit Modules, Abseil Instructor, Basic Canoe Instructor, Green Star Instructor and Tow Pilot Qualification;

4. (c). Reference CATO 23-05, paragraph 12

a) Band Officer, Marksmanship Coach, Biathlon Coach, Unit Administration Officer, Unit Human Rights Advisor and Unit Supply Officer;

5. (c). Reference DCdts 1085-16-5 Trial Directive

3

The following is a list of specialized courses offered regularly through regional cadet instructors schools for local headquarters:

EVENTS

March 9–15, 2008: National Cadet Biathlon Championship in Quebec City

May 1, 2009: 100th anniversary of the CIC

Co-ordinator is Capt Normand Gonthier at: [email protected]. Check with your region regarding team applications.

February 12–28, 2010: Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver–Whistler.

May 4–10, 2008: National Cadet Marksmanship Championship in British Columbia

See more on this on page 30.

For more information visit www.vancouver2010.com. Recruitment for Games-time volunteers will begin in 2008. 2010 Canadian Naval Centennial

(Exact location to be determined). Co-ordinator is Capt Doug Salmon at [email protected]. Check with your region regarding team applications.

Visit www.navy.forces.gc/ca/centennial for the most up-to-date news.

CADENCE

Issue 23, Fall 2007