Take my daughter, please?

What does this mob have to offer in the way of adding to the home dicipline of my 13 year old daughter?

Do you beat em for us?

 

no but i believe they can take her of your hands for about a week a year.

 

Two nights a week and the occasional Weekend and then national courses and annual camps... if you are prepared to back your ward then they can be away every week of the holidays with one course and another.

I have a cadet who last year booked 3 courses back to back and went away for 3 weeks solid. his parents took him out on a saturday and gave him clean clothes etc... came back with 3 new quals and 9 points.

Plus its good for the unit and the RNI.

What we do is encourage and teach skills to lead them to responsible adulthood using a system based on a nautical theme. that said, we use the rules and regulations and Divisional System to mentor and guide your offspring and try to turn them into useful citizens.

Rincewind

 

sounds like a good deal to me. what's the time commitement of the parents in your unit like and what could me and the better half be doing to prep the little one?

 

Ah good question.

Some units have the parents rallying around behind the scene.. these units do well financially and can offer more to the cadets.

Other units (our for example) have complete apathey and are seen as a cheap baby sitting service. they dissapear when we ask for fund raising help (held a social evening and in the middle of the night asked for help - one by one they all remembered other engagements and forked off without so much as buying a raffle ticket - and having ate the free food)

We ask you keep the uniforms clean, we ask that your ward is punctual, and keeps coming both nights. you can help by buying them the Sea Cadet Pocket guide (£1-£2) and helping them learn simple things like the Sea Cadet Promise and the such. If you have time on your hands, you could get involved in the Parents and Supporters Associsation.. (we havent got one because no one can be bothered) and help raise the profile of the unit. or take the next step and join as staff, in return you will make life long friends and learn interesting and fun skills, as well as recieve full rates of Royal Navy Pay when on Area and National Activities.

Other than the basics the comitment from parents is as little or as much as you want to give.

for more information on the Sea Cadet Corps visit....

http://www.sea-cadets.org/

Rincewind

 

These parents who don't ante up, civvy types?

 

I fear that it is not so much they are 'civvy types' rather that many parents look on all types of youth organisation as a means of getting their offspring 'looked after' for some of the time. For some it may be the only time they get 'quality time' together. (Whatever happened to green smarties) We have exactly the same problem at my sailing club, you can collect cash of them in return for the services provided, but get any of them actually helping, never. Our annual Youth Week is always over subscribed, but you rarely see the parents, and often you don't see the kids again either, they are off on the next keep them amused plan purchased by the parents.

Peter

 

Same the world over. I have just resigned after 35 yrs as a Scout Leader and am currently a volunteer instructor with the local Navy Cadet Unit. and over the years have seen the gradual fall-off of parent participation in fund raising activities. Most, as you say, treat it as a cheap child minding service

 

I also see a tendency for parents to collect such activities for their children some what like cub badges, for use for 'black catting' at dinner parties later.

Mind you there are still a good number who do take an interest, my wifes grandson plays football for a club that was set up by parents and is run by a substantial group of parent coaches. Social events are a sell out and they get good fundraising support. All is not lost.

Peter

 

Got to thinking lastnight, this babysitting idea. why cant you charge the parents an annual fee for sending their kids along?

£25 you'll make some cash and i'm sure the attendence would be better.

well?

 

am willing to bet money that our parents would "thin out"

its hard enough to retain cadets now, what with cheap cider and play stations.

Rincewind

 

When my son's Beaver scout colony was struggling for funds, I went along to a parents meeting and suggested an immediate 100% increase in subs. I think the other parents only agreed in order to avod looking Pikey! My argument was that the increase was still less than the cost of the pints that some of us here drinking while our kids where at Beavers.

 

We did that recently - well a 25% increase from £1.50 a week to £2.00 a week. (although we only charge juniors 50p)

The problem we are having currently is not with the parents, its the chuffing committee.

Rincewind

 

For you lot to carry on with all I have just read makes me wonder what we have become. It says it all about today’s society, image self self self. How you carry on I just don’t know. You must be made of some pretty stern stuff; you have my greatest respect and admiration. :evil:

 

Right she's in.

She loves it.

We've saw in improvement in school and home.

What I don't get is the committee seems to work against the unit!

They sit back and watch the instructors doing their job as well and don't move up a gear!

WTF is that all about then?

 

Committees vary very greatly in standards and their willingness to help a unit.

I was a cadet up until February when I turned 18 and I am now on my unit's committee. Very fortunately the unit staff and UMC get on very well indeed and I intend to keep it that way.

 

you the tea boy then?

 

The curse of the Sea Cadet Corps.

Some Units have excellent committees who raise funds work tirelessly be hind the scenes and don't interfere with how the CO and staff run the Unit .....

..... other Units have a committee who don't see it as their job to raise money but that of the staff some chairmen can be over bearing and interfere

What can be done about it .......... as a District Officer if I had the solution I would be a happy and contented DO

The main thing is to support you daughter in the Unit and help the Units as much as you feel you can

The SCC is a great organisation with lots of opportunities

 

the UMC's main job is to provide a safe unit for staff and cadets, and to raise funds for the running of the unit. (rent,gas electric,water,phone etc)

you cant be on the UMC if you have a son/daughter in the cadets.

the UMC have the power to hire and fire staff, but we are pretty powerless when it comes to problems with a UMC.

a sea cadet unit can not run without a UMC in place (unless very special circumstances, and at that point, area may allow it)

the parents and supporters association generally raise funds for cadet use. the unit minibus, or cadets who find it difficult to afford courses, buying unit equipment etc.

each sea cadet unit is a seperate registered charity.

we to have problems with our UMC.

and we have been homeless for just shy of 2 years now, but we are still afloat.lol.

stern stuff, no we all have mush for brains, lol but we all love it.

 

So exactly what is the job of the UMC and of the staff?