Cadets vs Boy Scouts (role, "child soldiers", etc.)

[AirCanuck]

Pshhh. I don't know about you guys, but flying gliders and going camping sure turned *me* into a mindless drone.  :

This guy clearly doesn't know what he's talking about, and is trying to take cadets and pretzel it into his overtly biased opinion. Just more talking points for someone with an agenda.

agreed.  Cadets set me up with a glider license, an instructor rating, and a private pilot license, about... 20000 worth of training in all.  not to mention it opened up the doors for me to get into my aviation program at university - the fact that I ended up in the Air Force had nothing to do with cadets, it was something I always wanted to do.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Aircanuck PM inbound

 

[rmc_wannabe]

I volunteer with a cadet corps as an adult staff and I have to tell ya, mindless drones are not the words i'd use! I haven't heard the words "but why?" used in so many contexts in my entire life.  :

 

[Jarnhamar]

I volunteer with a cadet corps as an adult staff and I have to tell ya, mindless drones are not the words i'd use! I haven't heard the words "but why?" used in so many contexts in my entire life.  :

How does it feel to be more mature than a 12 year old?

 

[rmc_wannabe]

How does it feel to be more mature than a 12 year old?

I'm sorry i think my post was taken a little out of context. I'm not condemning these kids for lacking the maturity of adults. Nor am I faulting them for asking questions, especially why questions (hell I encourage them, you never understand what you're doing until you understand the why). I was mainly using my experiences to demonstrate how misinformed this writer is. Probably should have used a different smilie or none at all... :threat: :warstory: 8)

 

[NL_engineer]

I volunteer with a cadet corps as an adult staff and I have to tell ya, mindless drones are not the words i'd use! I haven't heard the words "but why?" used in so many contexts in my entire life.  :

From my experience working with that age group; tell them to ask a proper question, "but why is not acceptable", I found it worked, as most of them couldn't formulate a proper question  :  speaks wonders of our school system  :

 

[catalyst]

Next target will be boy scouts.......

Teaching kids how to start a fire = creating a generation of arsonists

Teaching kids to tie knots = encouraging bondage fantasies

Think about it

Girl Guides - all female.

Must be encouraging lesbian-ism.

 

[GIJoes doll]

I was in cadets for 2 years, My Parents were weathy but they knew I wanted to do it.(so its not for the "poor" lol)  They simply let me. Those 2 years stand out for me in my childhood years. I had never been gliding before. I loved it everytime I went. I learned alot of first aid, survival etc. when we went on weekend camps etc. It helped make me who I am today.  My sister, brother and 2 cousins joined too. We all had a blast. I still remember most of my instructors names! I will certainly never forget those years and I WILL let my kids join when its time if they ask to do so. It is kind of sweet though when your 11 year old son comes up to you and says "MOM how do you know that?" lol and you get to say ... MOM KNOW EVERYTHING lol.( knowing darn well you learned the skill in cadets lol)
SOO to all those who have a hand in Cadets...  Thank you!

 

[The Bread Guy]

Call me loony, but let's look at how UNICEF defines a "child soldier":

"A 'child soldier' is defined as any child - boy or girl - under 18 years of age, who is part of any kind of regular or irregular armed force or armed group in any capacity, including, but not limited to: cooks, porters, messengers, and anyone accompanying such groups other than family members. It includes girls and boys recruited for sexual purposes and/or forced marriage. The definition, therefore, does not only refer to a child who is carrying, or has carried weapons"

I have no LLB, but I think there's a pretty strong case to be made that Cadets are NOT "regular or irregular armed force or armed group". 

During my Air Cadet service in the early-mid 1980's, we were spending too much time teaching drill, theory of flight, weather and leadership (to pick a few areas) to be too busy getting to the "armed group" PO's (although we did have a range team - I quake at the thought of facing people with bolt action 22's after all that time in lead-smelling indoor ranges).  Nice try, though  :

( If you have more legal beagle proclivities than I do, here's some more detailed material on child soldiers from UNICEF. )

- edited for spelling -

 

[Jarnhamar]

Only two countries didn't sign that child soldier rule about not deploying children under 18 to combat zones. South Africa and the USA, always thought that was interesting.

 

[Fastjack]

Here is the actual source of the article: http://www.lautjournal.info/default.aspx?page=3&NewsId=691

 

[AirCanuck]

During my Air Cadet service in the early-mid 1980's, we were spending too much time teaching drill, theory of flight, weather and leadership (to pick a few areas) to be too busy getting to the "armed group" PO's (although we did have a range team - I quake at the thought of facing people with bolt action 22's after all that time in lead-smelling indoor ranges).  Nice try, though

best thing is this - I was in it about... 5 years ago?

since the eighties, it has become even more mickey-mouse.  My first year, we still used the bolt action lee-enfield 22's, after that we used an air rifle called the DAISY.  I mean, it's a nice target rifle, but it's a bloody pellet gun!
if you learn any kind of battlecraft when on a field exercise, they have to call it fieldcraft so it doesn't seem too military.  We weren't even allowed to go paintballing as an official event because it was too warlike.

I HARDLY think that these sorts of rules are made for the brainwashing and churning out of child soldiers.

 

[Yrys]

slight tangent

I wonder if that means that Canadian children would perform better then their American counterpart...



The Onion: US Schools Trail World In Child Soldier Aptitude

 

[AirCanuck]

hahaha

ranked far behind in mine clearing and accuracy with a machete. 

I DO seem to remember some training with those items during cadets...  ;D

 

[LordOsborne]

Back when I was in cadets, the "child soldier" argument popped up, apparently from some 'concerned citizens / parents' who saw us marching in the May Day parades, and saw the two Drill Purpose Lee Enfields we kept in the flag party. Ever since then, we were told we couldn't parade in public with rifles.

 

[OldSolduer]

Like I said before...it only takes one loon to start this ball rolling. A few more people with this same train of thought see this article and start it up in another province...watch out, they do have an ear in certain political parties.

 

[Panzer Grenadier]

watch out, they do have an ear in certain political parties.

Parties that will never attain government - just simply take my hard earned dollars.

 

[OldSolduer]

You are correct in that assessement PanzerGrenadier.....however there are enough of them, with friends in the media who will help propogate their view.
The majority of Canadians may not be aware that we have a Cadet Corps, therefore would be shocked to learn that these children are taking drill classes etc....and with the journalists eager to sell a story....
The best way to fight this is with the truth.

 

[Niteshade]

I was a cadet from 93-98. In those years 4 cadets went to the reserves, 1 went to the regs. Of those 5 people 3 have left the military, I am unsure of the one who went to the regs, and I CT'd to the regs. This was out of a core of almost 100 kids annually. I was in during the time they changed from a Armed perspective (firing FN's) to a boy scout type of approach (Adventure training). 

I was a member of an air cadet corp from 88-93, and of a strength of aproximately 60, (and that I know of)
3 are CF pilots (One driving hornets, One driving a C-130, and another in Moose Jaw. 2 More went to RMC and I don't know what fields they are in now, 1 more applied but was declined, and myself who is in "PEHP" (Pre Enrollment holding platoon) Heh heh.
More became cops, firefighters, did CIC duties and the like. all in all most people i knew in cadets came out quite well aducated, well adjusted people who knew their manners

I wouldn't say it is a recruiting centre, but there was certainly the indirect influence to follow through with your cadet training to join the armed forces.

I should also note that the CF acknowledges Cadet training in enrollment pay benefits: IE: you are "given" 180 days" towards your first pay rateincentive (I am verbalizing this poorly), for 3 years of Cadet Service (within 5 year of your enrollment to the CF). This however does not mean the CF is pushing the Cadet's to join by no means.

Nites

 

[midgetcop]

Well, I agree it would be dishonest to say that it has absolutely NO influence on youths who are involved. Those who have been exposed to the organization might take more of an interest in the military, depending on how much they enjoyed their cadet experience. But the article seems to imply that these youths are being aggressively sought after by the CF...and that they are somehow being conditioned against their will. Of course this is obviously not true, as these youths are still mature and intelligent enough to make their own decisions in regards to their future profession. As a former member of the CIC, there was never any hidden agenda to encourage the kids to join the military. Then again, I suppose I'm preaching to the choir right now, as any of you who are former cadets already knows this.

Edited for spelling mistakes.