NEWS
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 WEDNESDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER 20206:00pm-8:00pm For the month of September, 608 Duke of Edinburgh Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron will be hosting virtual parade nights through Zoom Video Communications. Our first night back will be open to cadets, adult staff, SSC members, and parents/guardians. This will be an information session going over CO's intent, virtual/in-person training for 2020-2021, checking up on all the cadets, and providing information with a question period. According to Task Order 002: Limited, in-person trg activities may resume no earlier than 1 Oct 20. Virtual engagement activities involving cadets will be encouraged during the month of Sep 2020. Please RSVP with your intent to participate and an email link will be sent out prior to the date. We look forward to seeing everyone there! Dress: Staff: 3B Cadet: C2B (summer dress - short sleeve shirt button-up shirt, wedge, etc.) Civilian: Casual or Business Casual Note: If uniform parts do not fit, cadets may wear C4A (dark navy blue t-shirt to replace short sleeve button-up shirt) or PT gear with sqn issued t-shirt or equivalent. 1. Task Order 002 has been released and outlines updated requirements as we prepare to deliver safe, fun and engaging training in a COVID 19 environment throughout the coming training year. As we plan for the resumption of limited in-person trg, there are two main priorities that I ask that you to keep foremost in your mind:
a. Our first priority is the health and safety of cadets and staff. Where necessary, we will err on the side of caution to safeguard the health and safety of cadets and staff as nothing is more important than that; and b. Our second priority is attracting and retaining cadets in the program and to that end, where necessary, we will prioritize the activities of first and second year cadets over other activities if necessary. We will of course engage more senior cadets in the leadership of those activities so that we also retain their interest. To succeed, it is imperative that our cadet activities be fun, practical and engaging. We must remain flexible and innovative in thought and action as we consider our existing curriculum design. 2. While it is imperative that you fully read the Task Order to ensure the health and safety of our cadets and full understanding of the parameters within which you must operate, I will highlight the following important points related to Task Order 002 and the resumption of limited in-person trg activities: a. Limited, in-person trg activities may resume no earlier than 1 Oct 20 and then, only on the order / approval of CO RCSU Central for each Corps / Sqn. It is understood that resumption in limited in-person trg activities will be based on the ability to safely access and use local trg facilities and the local COVID 19 conditions, which may change over time. This means that some Corps / Sqns may be able to start earlier than others and some that do start, may need to later regress back to virtual trg as local conditions change. We need to be alert to local conditions, flexible in our approach and keep the health and safety imperative foremost in our minds; b. RCSU Central staff, Area OICs and Corps / Sqns will use the month period 1 – 30 Sep 20 to prepare for the resumption of limited in-person trg at each unit by completing the actions detailed in Task Order 002. Virtual engagement activities involving cadets will be encouraged during the month of Sep 2020; c. Trg will continue to utilize a mix of virtual and in-person activities, with in-person activities focused on safe, fun and engaging practical trg; d. The moratorium on in-person cadet and staff participation in fundraising activities remains in effect until further notice. That said, our League partners will likely continue their efforts to generate funds using their volunteers through innovative means that they are devising. It is understood that in the course of fundraising, our League partners may need to identify the purpose of the fundraising effort, including the Corps / Sqn that may benefit from the funds raised; e. The suspension of overnight activities remains in effect until further notice. Most of our activities will be local to the Corps / Sqn community, thus facilitating parental pick up and drop off; and f. Re-useable Non-Medical Masks (NMM) are being procured centrally for all Class A staff, Civilian Instructors and cadets (one each in Sep) and will be distributed to Corps / Sqns through the Cadet and JCR supply network. In-person activities cannot resume prior to the distribution of NMM to all personnel; and 3. Plans are underway to also offer limited CFS, CNS and CES training as well as RDA and NDAs in a modified format. While this training year will undoubtedly look different, these changes are necessary to ensure the health and safety of our cadets and staff. It is incumbent on all of us to support the Commander’s message and explain this to our cadets in a positive manner, conveying that health and safety is paramount as we strive to deliver the challenging and fun experiences that have always been the hallmark of the cadet program. 4. CO RCSU Central, the Regional CWO and I have been very impressed with the outstanding leadership of our Corps / Sqn COs and staff members throughout the Spring and Summer. This has been a trying time for many of our cadets, staff members, volunteers and other stakeholders. We have all been personally affected to some degree, with some of us impacted in a tragic way. We have been inspired by your resilience as you supported your cadets and each other at the community level throughout the Spring and Summer. Our cadets are looking forward to returning to an engaging training environment. We know that we can count on your leadership and diligence to ensure full compliance with Task Order 002, thus ensuring a safe trg environment for the cadets as facilities become available locally. Task Order 002 is available on the CCO SharePoint at the following link: Directive - Directive : Campaign Plan - Plan de campagne Supporting documents to Task Order 002 are also located on the CCO SharePoint at the following link: Library - Natl CJCR Sp Gp 2020-2021 Training Resources The COVID-19 course has been made available on the Extranet for external stakeholders (cadets, Leagues, Volunteers). The course and test can be found under the Civilian Volunteer tab on the Extranet.
A helpful resources has been added to Facebook that will aid members in accessing the content on the Extranet. If you are having difficulty creating an account and requiring assistance accessing the content on the Extranet, please review this resource before contacting the Natl CJCR Sp Gp IT Service Desk. The link to the aid is: https://www.facebook.com/notes/cadet-learning-apprentissage-des-cadets/accessing-the-extranet-acc%C3%A9der-%C3%A0-lextranet/695853664293353 THIS COURSE IS REQUIRED IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM IN SEPTEMBER. |
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