Squadron Meeting Questions

[NC Hokie]

That's a vague title but it was the best I could come up with.  Sue me. 

The deal is that the cadets and seniors in my squadron currently meet on separate nights.  We have had some discussion about changing that but need some "hard" info from those who have been there and done that to help in the decision-making process.  I'm specifically looking for information about the benefits, drawbacks, challenges, and practical aspects of such a move.  With that in mind, please share your experiences, advice, etc.  Thanks!

[Maj Daniel Sauerwein]

Lt Hess,

I assume that you are asking about the benefits and drawbacks to everyone meeting on the same night, so I will offer my observations about that. My squadron is a composite squadron, where cadets meet every week and senior members meet on the second and fourth weeks of the month, but on the same night. As the Deputy Commander for Cadets, I can tell you that having everyone in your squadron meeting on the same nights has its good side and bad.

The good side is that the cadets get some interaction with the senior members during safety briefings and announcement times before they split off to do their CP activities. This can foster greater unit cohesion as well as inform both sides of the house about the other. It also makes conducting any classes that both cadets and senior members are taking, like ES, a bit smoother. One benefit for you, as a fellow DCC, is that you can tap new members to be on your CP staff.

Now for the negative side of such an arrangement. Unless you set up your meetings to where cadets and seniors are meeting every week, instead of every other week, you can potentially fall into a trap where most senior members only show up on nights when seniors meet. In addition, your CP staff are also senior members and may get lost in the mix, as while they may want to sit in on senior member activities at the meeting, they are elsewhere working with the cadets.

The key to avoiding this problem is to structure your meetings in such a way so that your squadron can spend time at each meeting together as a unit. By this I do not mean just during a small block of time. If your squadron meets for two hours, try to set up activities where both senior and cadets can interact that fulfill the goals of the cadet program. Good examples of this would be have seniors testing when cadets are testing, ES classes, encouraging your seniors to participate in Leadership Lessons, AE lessons, and Character Development forums, when appropriate. Use half of the meeting for the necessary business that needs to be done for both sides of the squadron and then have an activity, class, or presentation that engages the whole squadron.

Based on the situation as you present it, it sounds like your composite squadron is more of a senior squadron and cadet squadron in an unofficial capacity. I would encourage you to have one night a week designated for your squadron's meeting, where both seniors and cadets meet together. Dedicate a meeting or two to explain the transition and what changes will need to be made to make this happen. Be prepared for some grumbling on both sides, as you will now have to potentially share time to get things accomplished. Also, do not let your seniors and cadets get disconnected. You are one unit, not two, and should have activities that bring both groups together. If you find that the meeting time is not allowing ample time, ask your SQ/CC if the meeting length can be extended, with the extra time devoted to strictly unit-wide items, or senior only items that pertain to your CP staff, so that you can continue to progress in your PD.

I hope that this helps you in your situation and wish you and your squadron the best in your transition.

[RiverAux]

A unit I used to belong to had separate cadet and senior meeting nights.  Cadets would meet weekly on one night and seniors would meet twice a month on a different night.  They switched a while back so that they're both meeting on the same day of the week, but they're only together twice a month.  The reason for the switch was primarily to get the two more familiar with each and hopefully get more seniors involved with the cadets. 

Results -- really no difference.  Maybe the cadets can recognize the faces of the seniors in their squadron now, but none of the seniors have been inspired to help out with the cadets, even on the nights that both are there at the same time.  Frankly, I'm not sure how much the current senior leaders of cadets really tried to figure out ways to integrate them more. 

I think the implementation may have been a drawback for the cadets since they now spend part of the meeting with the seniors hearing general announcements which don't seem to affect them much at all.  So, some waste of their time.   

[EMT-83]

Our cadets and senior members meet on the same night; the schedule is published well in advance. If a senior member isn't involved with the scheduled topic, they're not required to attend. There is one senior-only meeting every month, on a different night, where attendance is expected. We've been doing this for about a year, and it's worked out pretty well. Senior member attendance at the weekly meetings has remained high, and the pace is more relaxed.

The monthly senior meetings are used for planning and the "business" side of running a squadron. It's normally the week after the Wing CC's commanders call, so information gets passed along in a timely manner. Meetings are informal (civilian clothes, no uniforms allowed), and last about 90 minutes.

With this format, AE has been more consistant and better planned. PD has improved, because there are fewer pressing matters that always seemed to take priority. The squadron chaplain is more involved with the senior members, where previously he really only dealt with the cadets. We just seem less pressed for time at the weekly meetings.