Do you here there, calling all old and bolds.....

While I have you hear quick question. At CTCRM the batches get an old and bold Bootneck long retired as a Mentor. Outside the CoC but loyal to the Corps who acts as the Sea Grandad to the batch. He visits, talks to and keeps in touch with the Troop as they progress through. He shows them the past, tells them what it was like, is there to offer advice or just someone to talk to. He in turn learns about the new breed and passes on his thoughts to other Bootnecks via the word of mouth. Keeping the Corps family ticking along.

Would a similar scheme work for the Navy? Would people on here be prepared to act as a Sea Grandaddy to New Entrants, visit them at Raleigh a few times but be available at the end of an email/phone to talk to them.

See the Globe and Laural for a very good article on this. Interested to hear peoples thoughts

 

Good idea make it so Guns.

 

I certainly used to work, there were a fair number of 'pensioners' at BRNC in my day and they were very instrumental in carrying forward the traditions of the service. I am pretty sure the same applied at all the new entry training establishements. I think part of the trouble these days is that with the privatisation of training the concept of that continuity is going and perhaps there is goiing to be a greater need for sea grandads.

 

It would never work…I have recently retired and I though I hate to admit it towards the end I was completely and utterly useless…the youngsters could outthink and outpace me every time…
It might work for places like B&Q and of course it used to work at Pompey Detention Quarters where all the staff were retired….But unless the navy brings back whirlwind helicopters and Y100 boilers I don`t think it will ever happen..


…

 

I don't think you are needed to gallop around the country Uncle Albert, I think its just impart some of your wordly wealth of knowledge.

Its OK being a New Entry smart arse but unless a New Entry has come from another part of the RN he knows diddley squat about how the RN works. I think thats what Guns is on about, I may be wrong!!

 

Well from what I see from quite a few(by no means all) on this site, what the old hands have to say is neither sort or required.
The ones who have made so bold as to make any comparisons between old and new navy have been in the main told to shut the fcuk up.
Stick to dits and leave the well decorated " Our Navy" to themselves or run the risk of being told to FRO.
I listen to some on here ranting and keep out of it, stick to Lil's or the Gash barge. :wink:

 

Well from what I see from quite a few(by no means all) on this site, what the old hands have to say is neither sort or required.
The ones who have made so bold as to make any comparisons between old and new navy have been in t

Hear hear rumrat,i second that,cant be bothered to get into slanging matches about old navy new navy,Lils is best, :lol:

 

I know nothing of the scheme running at CTC, or of it's success, so I'm not going to say it's a bad idea. But isn't that what the Phase 1 instructors are sort of for?

It might work, and you say it's working for the corps, but I believe that an indoctrination into the the history and traditions of the RN needs to come from within. When the young lads/lasses arrive at Raleigh/BRNC they should meet serving sailors who can inspire them. Before we think about bringing in old salts to tell them how good it is, we should start replacing Flagship/Civilian instructors with serving Matelots.

I realise that's not practical, we have enough trouble filling the billets at sea let alone creating more ashore, but maybe that's where the rot started to set in and so that's where we should start to correct it.

 

A lot of these guys are ex-matelots. Plenty of the civvy instructors I had on various PJTs had been in the mob.

When I first joined up the younger lads in the mess would listen to the 3 badge ABs and killicks, and you would naturally end up with a sea-dad. Some years later, I guess around the mid to late 90s I started to notice a distinct lack of respect from the younger lads towards the older-and-bolder, they just didn't much give a fcuk and certainly weren't interested in having a sea-dad. Times had changed and that's when I first realised that I had left the old navy. Fast forward to now and, as an example, look at the number of posts made by newbies, when they have been clearly told what they can and can't take to Raleigh by the AFCO, they come on here and ask if they can take something different to what they've been told, as if the rules don't apply to them.

So, to the point in question, would a civvy sea-dad at Raleigh be a good idea? I doubt it when the sprogs already think they know better and won't listen to what they've been told.

 

OK I'm really stepping into range of all the "you old git, what do you know about the modern RN" types but humour me for a while.

When a young lad steps off the train at Guzz station now is he/she still met by a Killick Reg and a Pussers tilley?

When they arrive at HMS Raleigh are they not immediatly segregated and taken under the wing of a Petty Officer to instruct them in the ways of the Navy, who to salute, who to call PO and Chief and to watch out for the buggers with the leather wrist band.

Am I really to believe that now we have something akin to a Navy boarding school for Part 1 trainees?

 

I couldnt agree more,this is one of the reasons why i left in 1990

 

:twisted: I'll tell 'em about Gobblers Gulch , life before I pods[whatever the fcuk they are] how to make sure no bastard pinches your pint of Tiger by dangling your dick in it. And to always use the Straits Times for the dance of the flaming ********* :geek: What more do they need to know? :x

 

In theory, a good idea, in practice, a non-starter. The Navy of "us old and bolds" bears no resemblance to the one of today, so we'd just be telling sea stories nobody would understand. Can anyone remember how many computers there were aboard ships/boats in the 60s/70s, compared with today ? And the terminology ? No boys, lets stay out here with our memories and let today's Mob carry on - we've had our day, let them have theirs.

 

So is it you are all saying that them that join the RN today couldn't give a big rats 'arris for those that served before or the Navy they were in?
Really!! I find that a little hard to believe. There must be some reason for these people to join the RN, yea OK a lot of it is to do with wanting a job a career etc etc but some of it must be to do with pride and wanting to serve Queen and country in a worthwhile organisation (uhmm is that the right thing to say?) and to be as good as some of the great sailors that have gone before surely or have I completely lost as a result of becoming old and bold. I hope not.

Weren't we all like that when we joined up? Well I did, I thought whats this old phart know about anything, he's a two badge man all of 26 he's ancient. I was to soon realise that it might be possible that this bloke might be trying to help me but...................

 

In a number of cases that's exactly what I'm saying. Clearly it's not true of everyone, in fact the majority are not like that, but I did see enough to notice it.

NO

That'd be about right. :thumbleft:

 

Sadly I must agree with you. In the main ALL youngsters, nowadays, think that they know it all and are loathe to listen to advice. I can use my Grandchildren as an example. Any reminiscences I have are all met with 'We're back to the WAR again!'. Advice can only be productive if asked for, and the youth of today won't ask.

 

I'm OK with the Grandchildren. Ten of them are now over 21 and they've all, at various times, had a few late night sessions with Grandad over a few beers or a couple of bottles of wine, and been interested in the details of my misguided youth, the war, runs ashore and all sorts. They also appear to be rather well adjusted young people, I'm proud to say.
It's the Kids who come the "silly old fart" routine, and the two girls are over 50! My eldest son, a WO1 army pensioner, is the worst of the lot!

2BM

 

When I joined the RN --long time ago---as a junior they had lads as junior
instructors with each entry as part of the course divisional structure.
The junior instructors filled in the gaps that the PO's and Chief didn't get around to. Also helped the new entries to adjust by talking to someone their own age .

As mentioned the old and bold guys --like me- have been lost in the
march of time .Our Grandchildren are totally different and possibly regard us as ''old'' .
I am glad I am my generation !!

G

 

Uncle Albert retired???!!! Never.

I regard UA as my cyber sea dad on RR and Nutty off RR :worship: so you see, you would be sea-dads are still needed