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Donation for Short Leave

I did the unit rep thing one year and have had nothing to do with this before or since. Didn't make sense to me that I as trying to get others to donate to something I didn't. Donating direct is our family way. Old enough with enough years in to not care what anyone thinks when I say no.

Targets are usually there so the CofC at some level can include it on their brag sheet.
 
I'm long out of the idiocy that generates schemes such as 'time off for donations', but have seen some really stupid things undertaken to meet targets. In the old days, there were two targets that COs often got wrapped up in meeting, or actually gave as secondary duties to a junior officer - United Way and Canada Savings Bonds. I've been dinged with both at various times. The CSB campaign I didn't mind too much, because it did serve some useful purpose for some of the young soldiers and while charitable giving is a good thing, I object(ed) to the sometimes coercive nature of a workplace campaign. There wasn't a lot I could do besides objecting while serving in the Reg Force, but during my brief time as CO of a militia unit, my contrarian nature came forth when I received a missive from brigade inquiring what my unit plan was concerning the United Way campaign (it might have been identified by whatever replacement acronym). My response was to minute the correspondence back to the staff officer responsible with the note "I'll put up a poster to see if anyone is interested, but this is all I'll guarantee" and glued a looney to the letter. I never heard back from brigade.
 
My response was to minute the correspondence back to the staff officer responsible with the note "I'll put up a poster to see if anyone is interested, but this is all I'll guarantee" and glued a looney to the letter. I never heard back from brigade.

OK, that's awesome ;)
 
If you never sent a pointless payment to a HHQ in exact change in coin taped to a copy of their letter (where time, let alone postage, was worth more than the amount desired) you haven't really lived.

You need to tell this story lol
 
And in other CAF charity news . . .

Gander air force base ends relationships with faith-based charities, including Salvation Army​

9 Wing base commander cites LGBTQ members' concerns

With Gander's air force base deciding to review the list of charities it's raising money for this year, 9 Wing will no longer support faith-based charities, including the Happy Tree, organized by the Salvation Army.

According to base commander Lt.-Col. Lydia Evequoz, the review is a step toward aligning the actions of Royal Canadian Air Force members with their core values.

"We need to be an organization that is inclusive, that is welcoming to all and that we take action internally," said Evequoz. "Our involvement with charities is just one of the many policies that we've been looking at."

The policy review came as a result of concerns from RCAF members, said Evequoz, including families, volunteers and civilian military, over associations with charities that don't support LGBTQ and marginalized communities.

The Salvation Army has faced criticism, both within the province and across Canada and the U.S. for its history with the LGBTQ community. In May, Grand Falls-Windsor Pride said the Salvation Army asked that the group be uninvited from an event on church property.

Evequoz said the concerns aren't necessarily directed at charity work of the local community.

"It's more the bigger picture of how, for example, our LGBTQ members and their family, how they're feeling toward faith-based organizations in general," said Evequoz.

"We're putting them in an awkward situation if we're telling them, 'Hey, I know you're not comfortable with interacting with them.' I don't think it's it's fair for us to do that."

Evequoz adds the departure from faith-based charities will allow RCAF members to decide for themselves which charities they support.

"The view that we've taken is the fact that faith is an individual choice," said Evequoz. "What I want to make sure is that me as a representative of my organization of 9 Wing, I'm not imposing those choices on everybody because not everybody's going to be impacted by it the same way."

As for RCAF members in Gander who choose to continue to raise money or volunteer for charities like the Happy Tree, Evequoz says they will be fully supported.

"One hundred per cent in uniform, outside of uniform, as an individual, I want them to be very comfortable doing that," said Evequoz. "It is not only supported, but it's encouraged for them to stay true to their own value."

While the change of policy at 9 Wing Gander means the base will not be collecting toys for the Happy Tree, Evequoz stressed the decision is not aimed specifically at the Salvation Army.

"It's not an 'us versus them' at all. I think they do incredible work in the community. The Salvation Army, just like the Wing, is composed of individuals. So everybody has different views and I don't want to put them all in one basket," she said.

"I want to make sure I'm not telling volunteers and members of the church that they are bad people. That is absolutely not the case and and if anything they're doing amazing things for the right reason. So you know I want to make sure that that's very, very clear."

Evequoz says reaction to the policy change from the RCAF community has been positive but she has not heard from the Salvation Army itself, adding that she welcomes any dialogue and opportunity to explain her decision.

The Salvation Army declined an interview request from CBC News but in an emailed statement the organization thanked 9 Wing and all other community partners for their support.

"The Salvation Army strives to provide safe and supportive environments for all who come to us seeking assistance. Beyond meeting practical needs such as food, clothing and Christmas assistance," says the statement. "The Salvation Army provides supportive and transitional housing as well as programs that help people struggling with addictions."

Evequoz says 9 Wing Gander is looking forward to continuing its support of community-based charities, with a particular eye on food insecurity this year. Those charities include the Gander and Area Food Bank and the Kids Eat Smart Program. RCAF members in Gander will also help deliver toys to children at the Janeway Children's Health and Rehabilitation Centre in St. John's.

I would be remiss in posting this story if I didn't make reference to the Sally Ann's connection to the CAF during past wars both hot and cold.

"For us, the Salvation Army symbol has always stood for a little piece of Canada and a place of peace"
- Brigadier-General C.D. Thibeault Commander, Canadian Forces Europe, 1992
 
And in other CAF charity news . . .



I would be remiss in posting this story if I didn't make reference to the Sally Ann's connection to the CAF during past wars both hot and cold.


It helped the CAF when we were a Christian centric, hetero-cis military. When Sally Ann uses some of the money collected to fund conversion therapy and other Anti-LGBTQ2IA+ initiatives; it runs counter to our Ethos.

Much like we decry the RCL for no longer supporting the bulk of Veterans in Canada, I personally feel that it's a step in the right direction to distance ourselves from SA for that reason.
 
I give them money in case I end up drunk and homeless one day (thanks RCN), but don't think they turn anyone away in practice. And similarly most soup kitchens etc are usually some kind of church/temple based thing as part of their faith requirements.

Off the top of my head can think of a fairly impressive turnout by one of the Sihk temples during some of hte local flooding/hurricane where they did a huge amount of feeding and provided shelter.

Is a non-religious organization going to step in instead? Giving money to an imperfect organization to help someone in need still has more impact than no one doing it.
 
I give them money in case I end up drunk and homeless one day (thanks RCN), but don't think they turn anyone away in practice. And similarly most soup kitchens etc are usually some kind of church/temple based thing as part of their faith requirements.

One person's personal charity is one thing. An organization, claiming inclusivity as part of its core values making a massive, corporate donation to a group that actively promotes hatred against one of those inclusive groups? Definitely doesn't pass the smell check.

Off the top of my head can think of a fairly impressive turnout by one of the Sihk temples during some of hte local flooding/hurricane where they did a huge amount of feeding and provided shelter.

Is a non-religious organization going to step in instead?

Yes. They do step up. Frequently.

My main grief isn't with religious vs. non-secular charities helping people. My main issue is people donating to groups that then take that charity money and fund initiatives that harm people I love dearly. Same reason I don't donate to Hezbollah or the 12 Tribes. [/quote]

Giving money to an imperfect organization to help someone in need still has more impact than no one doing it.

I will agree with that. I will however state, that my need to find out where that money goes often makes me wary about domating to most charities.

It's why I will never give a dime to United Way if I can help it.
 
I hope you are being sarcastic.

I have a big problem with asking our people to essentially buy leave. Especially leave that has a well defined criteria for use.

I hope to god the unit chief or RSM equivalent advised against this.

It must be because these guys are not actually in charge that they're able to escape scrutiny. I will never understand why anybody still believes our CWOs are some kind of last hold for common sense. In my experience they often drive these kind of stupid ideas (our RSM wanted to charge everyone $5/day for not growing a mustache during Movember) just as much as an overzealous/dumbass CO and they're definitely the ones that turn "canvass the troops to donate" into "you will donate."

We were not kidding in our HQ where we talked about having a "common sense Corporal" assigned to Commanders and its not because the CWOs can be relied upon for common sense.

This whole donating to take a day off is as old as time and everybody's been in on it. You were a heretic if you spoke out against it.
 
It must be because these guys are not actually in charge that they're able to escape scrutiny. I will never understand why anybody still believes our CWOs are some kind of last hold for common sense. In my experience they often drive these kind of stupid ideas (our RSM wanted to charge everyone $5/day for not growing a mustache during Movember) just as much as an overzealous/dumbass CO and they're definitely the ones that turn "canvass the troops to donate" into "you will donate."

We were not kidding in our HQ where we talked about having a "common sense Corporal" assigned to Commanders and its not because the CWOs can be relied upon for common sense.

This whole donating to take a day off is as old as time and everybody's been in on it. You were a heretic if you spoke out against it.

This would only work if the Common Sense Corporal was given a taser and authority to use it. On the CO and RSM. As necessary.
 
It must be because these guys are not actually in charge that they're able to escape scrutiny. I will never understand why anybody still believes our CWOs are some kind of last hold for common sense. In my experience they often drive these kind of stupid ideas (our RSM wanted to charge everyone $5/day for not growing a mustache during Movember) just as much as an overzealous/dumbass CO and they're definitely the ones that turn "canvass the troops to donate" into "you will donate."

We were not kidding in our HQ where we talked about having a "common sense Corporal" assigned to Commanders and its not because the CWOs can be relied upon for common sense.

This whole donating to take a day off is as old as time and everybody's been in on it. You were a heretic if you spoke out against it.

Memories of the Officers being ordered by the CO to line up and sign a half day's paysheet, then hand over the amount to the RSM to pay for the (gigantic dog) Regimental Mascot's food.

But it was a Christmas tradition ;)
 
It must be because these guys are not actually in charge that they're able to escape scrutiny. I will never understand why anybody still believes our CWOs are some kind of last hold for common sense. In my experience they often drive these kind of stupid ideas (our RSM wanted to charge everyone $5/day for not growing a mustache during Movember) just as much as an overzealous/dumbass CO and they're definitely the ones that turn "canvass the troops to donate" into "you will donate."

We were not kidding in our HQ where we talked about having a "common sense Corporal" assigned to Commanders and its not because the CWOs can be relied upon for common sense.

This whole donating to take a day off is as old as time and everybody's been in on it. You were a heretic if you spoke out against it.

Maybe I'm expecting too much...
 
I was having this discussion with my wife the other night and her response floored me:

"It seems as though they think you all are a bunch of miserly Scrooge characters, when actually, the bulk of you are more akin to Bob Cratchet. Charity is a kindness from those that can spare it, not something coerced through punishment"

She volunteers a bunch with the MFRC and other organizations in the area and she says the amount of military families having a hard time this year are surprisingly higher than any other year.

It's not 100K truck payments that people need a COL adjustment for; it's the COL having shot up 60 percent over a year.
 
We were not kidding in our HQ where we talked about having a "common sense Corporal" assigned to Commanders and its not because the CWOs can be relied upon for common sense.

The RCN has created the position of Command Master Sailor. And we've had Formation Master Sailors for sometime.

I expressed my disgust that we, Chiefs and POs, have fallen so far that our sailors don't trust us to represent them accurately anymore.
 
I don’t even get the whole racket? What is the repercussions of not making our target? We say “sorry, our folks haven’t received a cost of living adjustment either”? Maybe it’s embarrassing for the base commander?
Given how rabid the campaign can be in various areas of government, I'm going to guess (and stand to be corrected) that someone in the food chain may have a bonus linked at least in part to this. Or maybe I'm too cynical ....
 
I was having this discussion with my wife the other night and her response floored me:

"It seems as though they think you all are a bunch of miserly Scrooge characters, when actually, the bulk of you are more akin to Bob Cratchet. Charity is a kindness from those that can spare it, not something coerced through punishment"

She volunteers a bunch with the MFRC and other organizations in the area and she says the amount of military families having a hard time this year are surprisingly higher than any other year.

It's not 100K truck payments that people need a COL adjustment for; it's the COL having shot up 60 percent over a year.
I love that, need more people like your wife on the GCWCC.

One thing I only ever saw once about 8 years ago where charities asked for people to help them do things. Was pretty random; things like helping them fix something up in their office, help set up a community garden, or other general labour tasks where they just needed a bunch of hands. I wish we did more of that.

@The Bread Guy In my personal experience the civilians in the CoC are much more reasonable (and they are all volunteers as well), but it's strictly a brownie points thing. I think it's a mix of ass kissers going for brownie points to get promoted and then others that just get stuck on a KPI for a dollar value. Really starts from the top though at what the L1 goal is; where I'm at it's been 100% canvassing for about a decade. Last time I was in the fleet it was still some kind of dollar value.

Changing the goal to canvassing vice a money target made the whole focus very different (but they can still pound sand).

It's too bad, because if sociopaths didn't turn it into a competition it would probably actually raise more money or have folks looking for those kind of community support things where they could show up as a work party and help people in the community.
 
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