Flight Positons

[Anonymouscadet]

I am a staff member at my local squadron, which is fairly small at the moment. We have a senior member who is changing everything within our squadron without consulting the staff first. They are promoting their child faster than any of the other cadets. They just recently promoted their child to flight sergeant, without talking with the cadet staff, even though, I believe that there were better options. They also changed all of the elements around, and basically the whole entire flight around, again without consulting staff first. We had three elements in our flight which consisted of 3-4 cadets each who regularily attend meetings. Now we only have two elements with 5-6 cadets in each element, and an extra staff member.We have enough cadets for 3 full elements. I do not agree with these changes. Is this even considered a proper flight formation? Once a senior member promotes a cadet to a staff position, without consulting cadet staff first, can you move that cadet back into the flight where they were before?

[a2capt]

Nothing is permanent.
No one  is irreplaceable.
Nepotism can cause friction.
There's almost always is more to the story.
Anonymous on the Internet? Hah!

That said, the best place to figure out the problem is the root of the problem.

There's only one senior member? You make it sound like that. There has to be more.
Other staff have issues with it too?
Everyone needs to arrive at the meeting early, or on an alternate day, and lay it all on the table.

Perhaps seeking advice from the next in the chain if that doesn't appear to work, or is met with resistance.

Note. Things not going your desired way does not mean nothing is changing.

[Extremepredjudice]

Welcome to my squadron.

[Anonymouscadet]

Anonymous on the internet? yes, I know Let's just say Im not the most creative when It come to usernames.

There are more senior members but a few of them are very sick, had to leave immediately to due family emegencies out of state, or due to their work schedule, cannot always make it to the mettings, or are not very involved with the cadet side of the squadron. I cannot contact my squadron caommander at the moment.
I know I should be more open to all of the changes, it just seems overwhelming with all of them at one time.
I have talked with other cadets, and if they are having any problems with this new person, and some are so severe, that they have threatened to quit CAP until this person is gone, which bothers me, becuase they are outstanding cadets, and I would hate to see them go becuase of one person.
I am going to talk with my other staff members before the next meeting, and see what we can do, becuase it all took us by surprise.
Thank you for your input.

[abdsp51]

Dependant on what position this SM is holding then yes they can rearrange things without consulting cadet staff first, however this is not the wisest course of action.  Promoting their child faster than other cadets?  Do you have proof of said deed or is it speculation?  Sounds to me like the bulk of this is a huge personality conflict or cadets in the good ol boy club not happy that their system which may or may not be working got upturned.  Talk to your DCC if you are in a composite squadron or the squadron commander if other options have failed.  However dependent upon your position best to let your cadet cc handle the issue.

[Anonymouscadet]

This cadet is getting promoted every month, even though they are not in any program which allows them to promote faster. Not only are they getting promoted faster, but a few cadets have witnessed that this cadet along with some of the newer cadets are receiving help/answers on their tests, including their milestones from this senior member during the squadron meetings.

[Extremepredjudice]

Contact an IG.

[Anonymouscadet]

Thank You for your help

[Cool Mace]

Contact an IG.

If you do this. You better have proof to back this up.

Write down every event that happens that is against the regs.Time, place, who was involved. Have members that will back you up (with the truth) of what has happened.

Be very weary of this route though, it can just make things worse if this didn't really happen (the testing part).

Talk with you C/CC about it, and let him help deal with it. If he sees that cadets are wanting to quit due to unfairness, then he's going to do whatever he can to keep those cadets in the squadron.

[Anonymouscadet]

If it gets to the point, where contacting an IG is necessary, then I will let my C/CC deal with it, but hopefully the problem will quickly be resolved, so that we do not have to take this action.
Thank You

[jimmydeanno]

A few of the squadrons that I helped rebuild involved me making some drastic changes without the "consent" of the cadet staff.  The way they were running things was driving people away.  Often it got to the point that the existing cadet staff thought they were all that and wouldn't go along with the changes.  Often, I ended up having to fire them, and some of them never came back.  The resulting changes ended up growing the units nearly 10X, and improving the rest of the program to the way things "should be."

Theoretically, your boss doesn't need you permission to change things, and sometimes they do [change things].  The purpose of leadership is to drive changes that need to be done.  In cases where the changes are made for the sake of change, or because someone is being dishonest, there is little that you can do except have a discussion with the squadron commander.

It might be the case where the squadron commander knows about the changes and approved them.  in that case, you're probably out of luck.

[abdsp51]

If it gets to the point, where contacting an IG is necessary, then I will let my C/CC deal with it, but hopefully the problem will quickly be resolved, so that we do not have to take this action.
Thank You

Wrong, wrong, wrong!  Your cadet cc needs to be the one dealing with it.  Do not goto the IG without attempting to absolve it at the lowest level.  Also if you are making the allegation of test compromise you best have hard evidence of it.  Do not even consider the IG unless all your ducks are in a row, t's croseed and i's dotted.  Use your chain of command, as another posted said these changes may be a result of your cadet staff if you are the cadet cc or your fellow staff members dropping the ball if you are part of staff.  Your cadet cc, then CP officers, then DCC if you have one, and so on.  You do not want to backdoor or blindside your squadron commander or blindside them.

[LGM30GMCC]

Something a lot of cadet staffs forget is that they have very limited authority/power. The Unit Commander appoints staff. The Cadet Commander doesn't even get to do it without the consent (explicit or implied) of the Unit Commander.

The unit commander isn't required to have any cadet staff at all if they don't want to. If they delegate that authority to the deputy commander for cadets now the CDC gets to make the call.

As to your assertion that 3-4 cadets per element and now are down to 2 elements and have enough for '3 full elements' is a shakey one at best. Organizationally, the smallest unit in CAP is the 'flight' meaning smaller than a squadron. Elements are a drill unit only, they don't have a designated size for a 'squad leader' Additionally, in drill, an element consists of 2-12 people. So to have '3 full elements' you would need 36 people. Just food for thought.

The test/promotion issues could be serious, but that is something you really need ducks in a row before trying to take on.

[a2capt]

Secondly, if they are using eServices todo the promotions, eServices does not normally allow it to happen without the JROTC waiver. If they tick that box, and that cadet is not elligible for that, then .. there goes the core values out the window.

If they're not using eServices .. well .. then.. 

What about the Core Values of the organization?

[luv2fly97]

this sounds like the exact problem my squadron is facing. we have had almost all our members quit or take a break till hes gone right now that cadet is gone for a month and all our members are coming back till he comes back. the problem is being resolved me and a few other cadets talked to a few seniors explaining our concerns. and in a few weeks they are redoing the staff positions try talking to other seniors in the squadron it worked for me im the cadet commander have the cadet commander with you

[Pylon]

Bottom line: the squadron commander can appoint any cadet to any of the cadet staff positions as he or she sees fit, remove them at any time he or she sees fit, or leave any and all staff positions vacant as he or she sees fit.  There is no requirement to consult cadet staff or even other senior members. 

If a program is being poorly run, you could vote with your feet.  Is there another unit nearby?  A squadron with no more members in it ceases to be a squadron.

[abdsp51]

I am curious as to what the outcome of this situation was or if it is still ongoing.