formations

[dwb]

Some questions for the group...

Do you have opening and closing formations at your meetings?  If so, why?  If not, why not?

Do you promote cadets during formation, or is it done in a separate ceremony?  What about announcements (reminders about weekend activities, etc.)?  During formation, or at another time?

We're considering some changes to our formations, and I'm just looking for some input.

[Lancer]

Yes.

As a cadet squadron we like to use opening and closing formation to help maintain a certain level of formality. Helps to reinforce and maintain everyone's military bearing. Allows for the squadron CC (and other staff) to make any immediate announcements before the meeting starts. We usually save reminders about weekly activities, etc. for just after when cadets first take their seats and have writing materials handy.

Closing formation on our fourth week is when we run through any promotions, certificate presentations, etc.

Also, as is standard practice in our unit, I don't know about anyone else, our cadets, once released by the squadron CC are led by the cadet commander in 'Heel's, TOGETHER!, Toe's, APART!, Stomach, IN! Chest, OUT!...' and then are promptly dismissed. The cadets really dig it, and the parents waiting to pick up their cadets do too.

[capchiro]

We have opening and closing formations.  We pass out information at both.  Usually we promote on Moral Leadership night at closing formation, which is the week after testing and PT.  We (the staff) usually meet 1/2 hour prior to the meeting to have our staff meeting and make final plans for the meeting and discuss upcoming activities and get coordinated.  After opening formation (inside the building), the cadets usually fall out and fall in outside for D&C for 15 minutes or so, which may or may not include inspections.

[Pylon]

Opening formation and closing formation: we do both.  In my opinion, it adds structure to the meeting time.  There is a definite starting time and ending time, not just a "see y'all next week" or "okay, i guess we'll start our first class now..."   It also offers opportunities for inspections, allows me to easily see who is in attendance and how many we have there on a given night at a quick glance, and even assess their overall appearance.

We promote cadets at closing formations.  The cadet gets called forward, and one of the CP Senior Members reads aloud a pre-formatted script.   "Attention to Orders, In accordance with CAPR 52-16, Cadet Program Management, Section 2-4, Cadet Paul Revere has completed all requirements for the Arnold achievement.  By authority of the Squadron Commander, Cadet Revere is hereby promoted to the grade of Cadet Airman First Class, effective 1 June 1772."    The cadet is pinned.  Photos get taken during the pinning and afterwards (posed).

Announcements used to be done during closing formation.  But they were getting lengthy - very lengthy.   In fact, so lengthy that cadets were getting dismissed 10 - 12 minutes later than they should have. Plus, if you're giving important dates, locations, times, etc. and everybody is in formation - who's writing it down to remember it?

So we commuted announcements to just after the mid-meeting break.  The cadets come back from their break and we take care of reminders for paperwork and sign-up deadlines, upcoming activities, next week's meeting and uniform, and other administrative announcements.  We can pass out forms (like CAPF 31s or Form 60s, etc) and calendars, and cadets can write down important things to remember, etc.  Oh, and we can let their get to the waiting rides on time, too.  Works out much better than trying to dissemenate that while everyone is at attention a couple dozen paces from you.

[MIKE]

My unit does announcements/promotions separate from the opening and closing formations.  IMO this is both good and bad.  The good was already mentioned above... We aren't standing around while the CC rattles off announcements, and you can actually write stuff down if you do announcements inside with everyone seated at a desk.

The bad part of it all was that the formations devolved into get to meeting and go outside and form up for three minutes, take reports... Go back inside... Go outside and form up for three minutes, take reports... Dismissed/go home.

[IceNine]

we do opening formation but not a formal closing.  At the end of the evening we say the safety oath and then the cadets say the cadet oath.  The safety oath used to be required and the cadets must know the Cadet oath for promotion so it works out really well.  We do announcements in the last 15 minutes of the meeting when a good majority of the parents have shown up so they can listen in as well.  And promotions are done on the 4th Tuesday in blues as a formal ceremony and we open this time to the "public"

[A1Steaksauce]

At our meetings, the cadets sing in when they come in the door. Then we head them outside for formation, there we post colors, do inspection, and give instructions on what the next task is. At the end of the meeting we have our debrief and review. Annoucments are made, promotions given, and awards recieved. At the end of this the CC calls the room to attention, the Comander dismisses senior members, and the CC dismisses the cadets......and thats that.

[RiverAux]

cadet meetings at my unit have formations.  Senior meet on a different night and do not have formations. 

[ZigZag911]

At our meetings, the cadets sing in when they come in the door.

When they "sing in" I trust it's The Air Force Song!

[SARMedTech]

I was picturing them using cadence chants. At least the ones suitable for cadets in front of parents.

[Capt M. Sherrod]

At our meetings, the cadets sing in when they come in the door.

When they "sing in" I trust it's The Air Force Song!

I think he meant "sign" in...  Not something spell check is going to find...

[Stonewall]

Formations, as far as I'm concerned, are a must for cadet and composite squadrons.  Lots and lots of seniors disagree, but at my two squadrons between 1995 and 2005, seniors stood in formation in their own flight along with the cadets at the evening's closing formation.  Seniors were excluded at opening formation since most of them strolled in late due to work and family commitments.

This accomplished two things:

1.  squadron unity.
2.  squadron uniformity.

It gave me as either the DCC or CC a chance to address the entire squadron without any members' being distracted.  I had their total attention.  It also encouraged the seniors to wear the uniform of the day.  After about 6 months of doing this, seniors started making the effort to get the two primary uniforms, blues and BDUs.  Somewhere I've got a picture of our squadron with a flight of about 15 seniors, 2 flights of airman and above, and a training flight of new cadets.  Everyone was in uniform except fo T-Flight wearing blue jeans and black t-shirts. 

Lots of people disagree, but then again lots of people disagreed with a lot of things I did as a deputy or commander.  Ironically, our squadrons always thrived.  YMMV.

[jimmydeanno]

^ I agree.  All of the squadrons that I have been a part of in the last 10 years that had formations that included both sides were more prosporous.  The ones that didn't tended to not have as dedicated members and people didn't feel as though they were part of the squadron - show up when you want, leave when you want kinda thing.

Also, I noticed a large improvement in Officer uniforms when they were to stand shoulder to shoulder with one another (added bonus).

[Stonewall]

Here's a couple of pics from where seniors formed up along with cadets.  I just scanned them and the color version was terrible so I went with grayscale.

8 seniors in formation all wearing the UOD, BDUs.  2 other seniors were not present in the photo because they were up at the front of the squadron formation.  That was the CC and DCC.


Here are the cadets of A Flight.  Just to the right and outside of the picture was T-Flight during their graduation ceremony...

[Pylon]

8 seniors in formation all wearing the UOD, BDUs.

What's your secret?   

[Stonewall]

8 seniors in formation all wearing the UOD, BDUs.

What's your secret?   

It really wasn't that hard.  First, all of our senior members met weight and grooming standards.  I think we may have had one guy with a beard but he wore the white aviator shirt with badges, rank, and gray pants.  He was the AE guy and only showed up for AE anyway.

Second, we really didn't give them an option.  While in the regs its an option, in person and on the schedule we didn't mention the option, we simply said the "the UOD will be this".

In the picture you'll only see 8 seniors in formation.  We'd have as many as 20 all in the UOD.  At the same time, we'd often have our aircrews wear flight suits since we met where the two wing aircraft were located, Davison Army Air Field and they'd fly or do training out at the A/C.  We were a very ES focused squadron, but never once did we neglect any part of CAP's misison.  From model rocketry to a very strong moral leadership program with a Chaplain (Lt Col) that was a retired Army Chaplain (Colonel).  Even he wore the UOD with his chaplains badge and command pilot wings.

This went on for years, until I left to take command of another squadron.  From what I understand, that squadron doesn't resemble what it looked like or how it operated just 5 years ago.  Probably don't even have formations and ES has pretty much gone by the wayside for cadets up there.  Very sad.

In short, if you make people believe its the right thing to do and that there are no other options, they'll do it.  And once they do it, they realize its the righ thing to do. 

One other small thing.  We had at least 50 seniors and all were either aircrew, ground or qualified in both.  And I'd say 90% were prior, retired, current or military reserves.  The atmosphere screamed military and we were very successful in retention with both seniors and cadets.  Often winning squadron of the year, merit, or whatever.  Having ES activities where we'd be at least 50% of the wing's participation.  It truly was the best time I spent in CAP, from 1996 to about 2001.

[0]

We start our meetings in a formation where the cadets will recite the cadet oath, the unit recites the Safety Pledge, and we do some announcements.  These are announcements pertinent to the unit that have occured since our last meeting.  There have been some occasions where we do promotions at this time or some awards or recognitions have been made known.

At the end we come together in the classroom for upcoming announcements and anything that we didn't cover at the start of the meeting that we felt we would need more time at the end.  This is when we do most of our promotions especially if it is a CPFT night or a testing night and that was all a cadt needed to get their next premotion.

[Stonewall]

...to a very strong moral leadership program with a Chaplain (Lt Col) that was a retired Army Chaplain (Colonel).  Even he wore the UOD with his chaplains badge and command pilot wings.

See, here's our Chaplain in the field with us performing non-denominational services while we were in the field one Sunday morning.  How high speed is that?