Corps attendance

[joe_2701]

I know that at my corps, our numbers have gone from mid 50's to low 60's (back when I first joined) and now we're lucky to have 20 some cadets on a good night! I know some of the problems, but they're not always that easy to fix. ie: Kids dont like drill. To all us seniors, when a youlng one quits because they're tired, I know i think "Wow, tired after 2 months, I've been in 3 1/2 years, and i still LOVE it".

So my question is, are all corps having this problem? and also, what are some good recruiting ideas? other than simply going to schools and saying "Cadets is fun".

 

[Excolis]

have your officers talk to your afilliated unit, and try to get in on a recruit drive when they run one.  you an always run a recruit drive on your own aas well.  one unit from where i am located, ran a recruiting drive, and managed to bring it 100 kids.  they set up at a parking lot (with the approval of the stores owners) and had the unit they are affiliated with come in with trucks and equipment.  it worked great.  just a few ideas.    hope all works out for you.

 

[tabernac]

I know that at my corps, our numbers have gone from mid 50's to low 60's (back when I first joined) and now we're lucky to have 20 some cadets on a good night! I know some of the problems, but they're not always that easy to fix. ie: Kids dont like drill. To all us seniors, when a youlng one quits because they're tired, I know i think "Wow, tired after 2 months, I've been in 3 1/2 years, and i still LOVE it".

So my question is, are all corps having this problem? and also, what are some good recruiting ideas? other than simply going to schools and saying "Cadets is fun".

Attendance at my corps is much the same, with high 50's/ low 60's, but usually at least 40 cadets show up for parade(on a not so good night, on a good night usually 45-50 people). I think of the only difference is the calibre of the Officers. One of the main reasons I always make it to parade night is that fact that all of our officers are very accepting people(to a point). But it probably also helps that most of the officers have a) been through the corps as a cadet or b) have been with the corps for a very long time. In September our CO suggested that the cadet who brings in the most recruits gets $100 for a reward.
Besides this I can't really help you out with recruiting other than to repeat what airborne suggested.

Edit: Grammar

 

[condor888000]

One thing, empahsise the more enjoyable portions. Drill is still importent but it is not the be-all-end-all of cadets. Make sure they understand that and your numbers should stop dropping from dislike of drill alone. But make sure they know of all the camps, the bush weekends, the exchanges that they can experience.

 

[Zedic_1913]

A majority of corps are facing lower numbers then they were a few years ago (at least this is my observation).  My corps goes out to our local malls for recruiting efforts, and fundraising (we're out there this weekend actually).  We did a big recruiting effort last year, had cadets in the mall with field radios ... we had a jeep brought in and set up an improvised shelter.  We also had cadets in dress uniform and our seniors in ceremonial dress giving out information and answering questions.  It seemed to work very well.  As whats already been said, teach them some of the fun aspects ... like what experiances they can get from being a cadet, what they do on field exercises, etc.

 

[cursedhighlander]

I know exactly what your talking about. My former R.S.M (CWO Escobar) said that when he first joined he had seen 80 cadets usually but through the years he saw our numbers dwindle to say 29. Since I've been here (which has been about 11 months) I think our numbers are really small. However my training officer (Lt.Campell) said we are the biggest cadet corps on Vancouver Island. This made me disappointed in the lack of enthusiasm that cadets show by not showing up. Some give exuses such as school and homework. British Columbia has a new graduation system which includes grade 10's for graduation requirments and we need 80 credits instead of 52. I am in grade 10 and my grade 10 class is the first to ever have this new system used on us. When I tell my fellow cadets about it they give other exuses that involves their social life and I say "I don't want to get into that." The school im in is full of jerks and has a very non-intersupportive environment. I don't know about any other corps but I think that some reasons my corps doesn't have that many cadets is that kid's think they are "too cool" or "hate the army because they don't want to go to war when they grow up" They don't understand that cadets is a youth group to develop maturity and leadership skills etc. Even my grade 9 english teacher asked my air cadet friend what it's like to be in the army when we were studying the American revolution. Once again these are just some reasons for my corps not all corps in general. By the way our CO has given a 50$ reward to the cadet who has brought in the msot recruits.

 

[tabernac]

I know exactly what your talking about. My former R.S.M (CWO Escobar) said that when he first joined he had seen 80 cadets usually but through the years he saw our numbers dwindle to say 29.

One of the CI's at my corps, used to be a cadet in the late 70's early 80's. He said that on a good day you could have up to 250 - 275 cadets show up for a mandatory events (Battle of the Atlantic, Rememberance Day) and camps. But he said that on a normal parade night there was usually at least 130 cadets. Any one else have stories of HUGE corps? (Compared to todays numbers, where your lucky to get 60-70 cadets on parade)

 

[q_1966]

(Compared to todays numbers, where your lucky to get 60-70 cadets on parade)

that sounds like a dream number to me...but I remember when our corps had 2 platoons, and thats dwindled down to one

 

[tabernac]

that sounds like a dream number to me...but I remember when our corps had 2 platoons, and thats dwindled down to one

This is for all the Army cadets on this Forum(including Air), in Sea cadets Corps you have HQ(compsed of QPO1s and above), the Guard, the Band(for the larger corps), A company, and B company(not sure if there are corps with a 3rd). In each company you'll have x number of divisions (i.e. in B company we have Magnifacent Division and Bonaventure Division). Each division at my corps(including the band and guard) is about 8-14 people.

 

[cursedhighlander]

that sounds like a dream number to me...but I remember when our corps had 2 platoons, and thats dwindled down to one

My corps had 3 platoons but just this year our corps made a new platoon which is for the band. So we have 4 slightly smaller platoons. Anyone else changed from normal platoons to a band platoon just this year?

 

[tabernac]

that sounds like a dream number to me...but I remember when our corps had 2 platoons, and thats dwindled down to one

My corps had 3 platoons but just this year our corps made a new platoon which is for the band. So we have 4 slightly smaller platoons. Anyone else changed from normal platoons to a band platoon just this year?

So when you had march past the band was split up, and the band members were all in different platoons?

 

[cursedhighlander]

I'm saying for regular training nights and PT nights. However, on CO's parades the band had their ow

 

[cursedhighlander]

I'm saying for regular training nights and PT nights. However, on CO's parades the band had their own platoon during the whole parade. (The last post was accidental)

 

[Chang]

yea our corps is pretty small too. 25-30 on a usual night and 30-35 on a good night

 

[Docherty]

Last time I visted it was pretty low like 20 at most, and it was about the same before.  How did you guys pick up so many new recruits?

 

[Jonny Boy]

in my corp we do not have much of a problem with numbers i think we have 100 on paper. what we do is the most basic and easier thing you can do. we spend like a 1 month period at the beginning and end of the training year and we go to schools and give demonstrations of drill diffrent uniforms and tell the cadets about camps that they can got to. we also tell them of the good experiences that we have had.

we usually get about 30 - 40 sign up and out of that we will have like 15 show up. we have had a steady recruit platoon the whole year of about 10 -15 cadets. after they complete there 5 week recruit training course they will get there uniform and they will move on to green star.

 

[Cpl.Banks]

Lately my corps has been having the same problems, on a good night we can get roughly 30-40 cadets(including the recruit troop) but last week only about 21 cadet's showed up. I can attest I wasnt there either :-[, But my Corp has a problem, at then end of this year and the beginging of next year we will have lost all of our senior NCO's, Sergents and above, either they have aged out or are going to the nearest reserve unit. This I am sure will either lead to a complete reorganisation of my corp or even Disbandment...our numbers are low enough though we are performing very well (Zone shoot 3rd, ACC 4th...we're going to do better this year! and a decent drill/VMC team). I was wondering if there was anything I a jr NCO could do to help my corp be as great as it used to be. I.e. recruiting and talking to the officers to try and organise acctivity's. Thanks alot for any help

UBIQUE!!!

 

[Chang]

yea, almost all sgts and above in my corps (including myself) are aging out/off to university next year...thats why we're training alot of junoir ncos (mbdrs) to fill up leadership positions

 

[Zedic_1913]

In June my corps is tentatively losing the RSM, all but 1 MWO, and a WO.   We will be left with one person with NSCE (who right now is a MCpl).   We have started discussing ways to restructure the corps to accommodate this.  Every corps has their ups and downs, it's simply a matter of being able to prepare for it effectively and for the corps to adapt and overcome.

 

[tabernac]

Lately my corps has been having the same problems, on a good night we can get roughly 30-40 cadets(including the recruit troop) but last week only about 21 cadet's showed up.

I thought that was a big drop until I want to C of F's(Ceremony of the Flags) practice yesterday. Usually we have most of the corps (50-60 cadets), but we had 19 people show up. Not a good sign.