Cadence Vol

CADENCE Issue 17, Fall 20052

IN THIS ISSUE

18 Professionalism when dealing with parentsAdvice from the field onhow to deal effectivelywith parents who areangry, overzealous,uninvolved, unrealistic,or questioning the rules.

26 Future training aimed at professionalismProfessionalism is “theskill or qualities requiredor expected of membersof a profession.”By Maj Serge Dubé

27 Local smoking ‘policy’ teaches damaging lessonsIf we teach cadets that arule can be ignored, theywill start ignoring rules.By Maj Stephen Case

33 Clarification on fees, dues and other assessmentsNo child will be turnedaway from the CadetProgram—or otherwisebe disadvantaged—because their family isnot able or is unwillingto pay a league or spon-sor-initiated assessment.By Col Robert Perron

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10 A specialized application of the CF professionCanadian Defence Academy head explains how ‘military professionalism’ applies to CIC officers.

11 Where does CIC professionalism start?

12 Making your ‘work’ relationships run smoothlyTraining specialist Mary Bartlett of New York explains how to respondappropriately to difficult behaviours to create better working relationships.

14 Point your moral compass in an ethical direction“Moral ambiguity is fine if you are cooking hamburgers, but not if youare leading youths,” says London, Ont., lawyer and university instructorPhilip King.

16 Remaining competitiveAdapting to the needs of our cadet ‘clientele’.By LCol Pierre Labelle

17 Communicate more effectivelyMilitary-style discipline lends itself to a one-way form of communication;however, when used exclusively, it becomes redundant and ineffective.By Maj Paul Tambeau

22 Conflict resolution skills enhance professionalismThe escalation of conflict is like a tornado—the stronger it gets, the moredamage it can cause. Your success in helping cadets handle conflictmore efficiently will depend on your inherent leadership skills. By Denise Moore

24 Learning from mistakes

28 Online trials of first new coursesUnit administration officer and supply officer course trials underway.By Lt(N) Paul Fraser

29 Officers to benefit from new training organization

30 Communicating with cadetsRecent work in the field of neuropsychology shows youths and adultsuse different parts of their brain to take in and process information.By Capt Catherine Griffin

31 Cadet Program Update ProjectJanuary 2007 target for updated first-year training activities for corpsand squadrons.By Maj Russ Francis

32 Joint recruiting reaps rewardsCorps and squadrons in Thunder Bay, Ont., enjoy cadet recruiting ben-efits from tri-service promotion of the Cadet Program. By Capt Daniel Guay

34 Retrospective—schools for CIC officersTwo CIC officers look back more than 30 years.

It is becoming more difficult each year to find quali-fied gliding instructors to train cadets. In our nextissue, regional cadet air operations officers give rea-sons why and advise on how local officers can help.Also, a variety of cadet summer training centre com-manding officers discuss their staffing problems andpotential solutions.

By the time our Winter issue is published, a year willhave passed since CIC officers were included in thenational computerized pay system for Reserve offi-cers. Our next issue will look at the transition.

The Winter issue will also provide a forum for CICofficers from across the country to express their viewson our awards and recognition program. Are wedoing enough or could we do more?

Don't miss these articles and more—including an article on the value of competitive shooting for young people—in our next issue of Cadence.

Copy deadlines are Nov. 30 for the Winter issue,published in January 2006 and Jan. 21 for theSpring/Summer issue, published next April.Please advise the editor in advance at (905)468-9371,or [email protected], if you wish to contributean article.

In the 1970s, Jonathan Livingstone Seagull became asymbol of the quest for perfection. As we strive forprofessionalism as leaders of youth, we—likeJonathan—“can learn to fly excellently.”

Professional Development for Leaders of the Cadet Program 3

UPCOMING

FRONT COVER

IN EVERY ISSUE4 Opening notes 5 Letters 6 News and Notes 36 Viewpoint

4

Professionalism is‘hot’ these days, par-

ticularly as it relates tohealth-care providers,lawyers, teachers, themilitary and othercareers of public interest.Professions everywhere,

including the Canadian military, arestriving to define and foster profes-sionalism within their ranks. Someare even teaching and measuringprofessionalism.

Can professionalism apply to theCadet Instructors Cadre, when, formost CIC officers, their work withthe Cadet Program is a “calling”,rather than the full-time career thatearns their living?

The seagull on this issue’s cover rep-resents Jonathan LivingstoneSeagull—the main character in a bookof that same name by Richard Bach,first published in 1973. Jonathanquickly became an icon for the tire-less pursuit of an ideal. For Jonathan,that ideal was his perfection of flight.For CIC officers, an ideal worthy ofpursuit is professionalism, leading toever higher standards and higher lev-els of performance in a program thatprovides an important service toCanada and its youth.

This issue examines professionalismin the CIC—how it applies to offi-cers, where it starts, its values andbehaviours, including willing com-pliance with the highest ethical stan-dards. It discusses professionalism incommunications, conflict resolutionand interactions with parents. In onearticle, seven CIC officers who arealso educators share their expertise

on dealing effectively with parents ina variety of common local situations.

In addition, a civilian specialist dis-cusses how we can work on fourbehaviours in particular to improvethe professionalism of our ‘work’relationships. For all Cadet Programleaders, an understanding of properprofessional behaviour is essential tofostering respect and trust amongcadets, parents and society.

In another take on professionalism,an officer from Eastern Region talksabout enhancing our professional-ism by taking a client-serviceapproach to our cadets.

One article, entitled “Local smoking‘policy’ teaches damaging lessons”invites us to think closely about whatwe might be teaching our cadets andjunior officers; others provideupdates on new online courses andthe new CIC training organization.

For those readers who also like tolook back, we carry a retrospectiveon schools for CIC officers—toldfrom the perspective of two CICofficers who witnessed the beginningof the Cadet Instructor TrainingSystem in 1974.

When researching professionalism,we found that it is common to con-sider the concept of altruism or “call-ing” as core to it. Certainly, in thatcontext, professionalism in the CICcannot be questioned.

In that same context, we ask you toview each issue of Cadence as an addi-tional call to develop the frame of mindthat whatever you do in the CadetProgram, do it as a professional.

Whatever you do,do it as a professional

By Marsha ScottOPENING NOTES


Issue 17 Fall 2005Cadence is a professional development tool forofficers of the Cadet Instructors Cadre (CIC)and civilian instructors of the Cadet Program.Secondary audiences include: senior cadets;sponsoring, parent and civilian committees;members of the leagues; and CF members,including CIC officers working at the regionaland national levels.

The magazine is published three times a year.We welcome submissions of not more than1000 words and in line with the editorial policy.We reserve the right to edit all submissions forlength and style. We encourage the submissionof photos that relate to articles submitted or thatrepresent the leaders of the Cadet Program.

Views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect official opinion or policy.

The editorial policy and back issues of Cadence in electronic version are available online at www.cadets.forces.gc.ca/support.

Contact informationRegular mail:Editor, CadenceDirectorate CadetsNational Defence Headquarters101 Colonel By DriveOttawa ON, K1A 0K2

Email:[email protected], or [email protected]

Phone: Tel: 1-800-627-0828Fax: 613-996-1618

DistributionCadence is distributed by the Directorate TechnicalInformation and Codification Services (DTICS)Publications Depot to cadet corps and squadrons,regional cadet support units and their sub-units,senior National Defence/CF officials and selectedmembers of the leagues.

Cadet corps and squadrons not receivingCadence or wanting to update their distributioninformation should contact their Area CadetOfficer/Cadet Adviser.

Editorial staff Editor: Marsha Scott

Managing editor: Capt Ian LambertChief Reserves and Cadets—Public Affairs

Published by:Chief Reserves and Cadets—Public Affairs, on behalf of Director Cadets

Translation: Translation BureauPublic Works and Government Services Canada

Art direction: ADM (PA) Directorate Marketing and Creative Services CS05-0234

A-CR-007-000/JP-001

When someone enrols as a CIC offi-cer, it’s because they want to getinvolved or continue working withyoung people in the cadet move-ment. This is equally true of pilots,who want to continue flying as well.And there’s no better way to do thisthan by getting involved at variousflying locations during the year andteaching at the gliding schools acrossCanada during the summer.

When it comes time for summercamp, most officers holding pilot’swings get involved in the glidingschools. For them, it’s a bit like com-ing back home, since it was at campthat they earned their pilot’s licenceas cadets.

The flying instructor has one of themost interesting and demanding jobsthere is. On occasion, a beginningflying instructor will be a civilianwho is still in the process ofenrolling. And not that long before,

PROUD OF CIC CAP BADGE


I have always been proud of my capbadge. I believe that the maple leaf isan excellent symbol that bestdescribes what is best about the CICand our proud heritage.

Our cap badge is the only cap badgein the entire CF that is distinctivelyCanadian; however, I am alwaysslightly disappointed to see thatsome of the senior officers appointedto work, direct or command the CICand the cadet movement do notwear our proud cap badge.

Although I understand that thesesenior officers may not be CIC bytrade, I think that wearing our proudcap badge would allow for betterrecognition as our branch represen-

Cadence reserves the right to edit for length and clarity. Please restrict your letters to 250 words.

ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING JOBS IN THE CADET MOVEMENT

LETTERS

that same instructor was himselfworking towards a pilot’s licence.At the start, he knows the flyingmanœuvres but still hasn’t gainedthe necessary experience to teachthem. He takes his GliderInstructor Course and acquiresthe skills he needs to effectivelyteach the cadets who will be ourfuture pilots. So a lot of prepara-tion is needed before an instruc-tor can do the job properly.

I find this work commendablebecause in addition to teaching inthe air and on the ground, theseflying instructors must constantlybe aware of the activities going onaround them. After a few lessons,the cadet will pilot the aircraft,but the instructor must maintainvigilance concerning air trafficand manœuvres, properly correct-ing and guiding the cadet. Theinstructor must also display goodjudgment; in other words, he

tatives, directors and command-ing officers at National DefenceHeadquarters. It would enhanceour pride and branch recognition.

SLt Paul Simas Executive officer139 Sea Cadet Corps ILLUSTRIOUSBrampton, ON.

Maj Roman Ciecwiercz, CICBranch Adviser, responds:

Pride is a great thing—the cornerstoneof the CIC and the whole CadetProgram. The thing to remember isthat the cap badge is representative ofone's branch and many of our seniorofficers are Regular or PrimaryReserve officers, not CIC officers.

As such, they are not entitled to wearthe CIC cap badge. Having these offi-cers as guiding partners in our organi-zation lends great strength and credibil-ity to all that we do. Every individualwho works in support of cadets, at anylevel, brings their own expertise andpassion to the table.

I have seen many Regular Force retireesre-badge as CIC officers when they cometo the Cadet Program. However, pride,recognition and credibility go far beyondwhat we wear on our hats, and it isclear to me that if these didn't exist inthe extremes that they do at all levels,the Cadet Program would not have survived all these years.

must know the right moment to takeover the controls. And I’m not refer-ring only to safety here but also tomaturity and responsibility. No mat-ter what their experience and yearsof seniority, flying instructors musthave quick minds that will enablethem to intervene at the proper time.This is a major responsibility.Having seen them at work at variousflying sites, I can confirm that theyare passionate about their jobs andalways work as a team. They knowthat their mission is important, sincethey are moulding the next genera-tion of pilots!

The work of the flight instructor is,in my opinion, one of the most inter-esting jobs offered by the cadetmovement.

Capt Evelyne LemirePublic affairs Regional Gliding School (Eastern)St-Jean, QC.

REAL LIFE REINFORCES TEACHING POINTS

There’s nothing likea practical demon-stration to reinforcea teaching point. Butthe practical demon-stration that 12 CICofficers receivedwhile taking wilder-ness first-aid train-ing at the CadetSummer TrainingCentre (CSTC) inCold Lake, Alta., inJune was completely‘accidental’.

The 12 CSTC staffmembers and FredTyrell, a wildernessfirst-aid instructor

for the province of Alberta, wereactually on their way to lunch whenthey received the first-aid demonstra-tion—just metres away from wherethey had been training.

Jean Jeoffrion had been out riding hisdirt bike on the recreation trails of 4 Wing Cold Lake when he lost con-trol and flew off his bike. A passingjogger saw the accident and stoppedto help. Immediately after, so did theCIC officers and their instructor.

“The jogger was already assisting thevictim when I arrived, so I helpedassess the injuries and apply first aid,says OCdt Jamie Blois, one of the‘students’ and the summer camp’ssports officer. “He had an injuredshoulder and some minor abrasionsacross his chest. The military policeresponded shortly after we arrivedand took over from there.”

According to Mr. Tyrell, his studentsexperienced first-hand what shouldhappen upon arrival at an accidentscene.

Submitted by Capt Judy Undiks, CSTC Cold Lake public affairs

A mock accident scenario ended the officers’ wilderness first-aid training on July 2. Here, from left, Capt Luke Persaud,SLt Gene Slager, Lt Laura George and 2Lt Ron Arnoldapply first aid to 2Lt Matt Paslawski—a ‘hiker’ with ‘possiblya broken leg’. (Photo by Capt Undiks)


language squadron that would allowthe many unilingual French andFrench immersion youths there toreceive their training entirely inFrench. There were not enough cadetsat the time to create a separatesquadron, so a francophone flight wascreated within an already existingsquadron—27 Air Cadet Squadron.

When the flight grew from 12 cadetsto 42, it was decided to create a sepa-rate squadron—599 Air CadetSquadron. Mr. Arpin was on the spon-soring committee for 27 Squadron fortwo years and will now chair the newsquadron’s sponsoring committee.

The new squadron is named afterastronaut Dr. Marc Garneau, cur-rently president of the CanadianSpace Agency.

Capt Al Szawara, Area Cadet Officer(Air) with Regional Cadet SupportUnit (Central), Detachment London—

NEW FRENCH-LANGUAGE SQUADRON IN ONTARIO

Retired CWO Gilles Arpin, a mem-ber of the French Language SchoolBoard in London, Ont., was thedriving force behind the stand up inSeptember of a new French-languageair cadet squadron in Ontario.

As far back as 2000, Mr. Arpin saw aneed in the London area for a French-

NEWS AND NOTES

Sgt Jake Clark and LAC Bobby Genest brief new recruits tothe new 599 Squadron. (Photo by L'Action London)

and a course-mate of Dr. Garneau at the CF Command and StaffCollege in Toronto in 1982—asked Dr. Garneau if he would consent to the squadron’s use of his name. Dr. Garneau said he was honoured bythe request.

According to Mr. Arpin, Londonreceived bilingual status in 2001. In2003, a statistical profile of the fran-cophone population in the Londonarea showed that 7095 youths between10 and 19 could carry on a conversa-tion in either English or French.

Canadian Parents for French, anorganization dedicated to havingchildren learn two languages, is thesquadron’s official sponsor. “Withtheir assistance, we recruited quite afew cadets from the French immer-sion system,” says Mr. Arpin. “Theparents are excited that their chil-dren will have an additional oppor-tunity to use their French.”

The new army cadet history website covers 126 years of history. Here, the 323(Provencher School) Army Cadet Corps rifle team in 1950 after winning the EarlRoberts Imperial Cadet Trophy competition. (Photo courtesy Army Cadet League)

NEW ARMY CADET HISTORY WEBSITE

After 10 years of research, the ArmyCadet League has an army cadet his-tory website. The website covers 126years of history, says league histori-an Francois Arseneault in Calgary.

Mr. Arseneault invites leaders andcadets to visit www.armycadethisto-ry.com for a wealth of information.At the end of August, the siteincluded histories of 227 corps andphotos from 34 corps. It alsoincludes information on summercamps, shoulder flashes and hatbadges—including many rare pre-First World War and Second WorldWar badges—biographies of keyindividuals, trophies, medals,archived news stories, expeditions,exchanges and much more.

Cadets from 514 Squadron's CAP team build life skills andraise funds during a performance of "Murder Most Fowl".

Lt Ken Holden, training officer with514 Air Cadet Squadron in St.John’s, Nfld., believes his squadronhas developed an innovative way tobuild life skills among cadets andraise funds at the same time.

For the past three years, thesquadron’s Cadets Acting andPerforming (CAP) team has organ-ized and produced plays for the pub-lic. This year’s performances of twoplays, entitled Murder Most Fowl andSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs Local412 involved 24 cadets in the rolesof director, cast and backstage sup-port. “What’s amazing is that about

‘FOWL PLAY’—NOT!


half of the CAP team are juniorcadets,” says Lt Holden.

Maj Bob Nolan, Area CIC Officer(Air), described the activity as aninnovative, fun optional activity toteach cadets communication, teambuilding, problem solving, timemanagement and a host of other lifeskills, as well as build their confi-dence and self-esteem.

The inspiration for the CAP teamgrew from the creative minds of twosquadron cadets—the team’s creativedirector WO2 Teresita Tucker andDanielle Price.

Capt Roger Miller, squadron CO,says the successful program will con-tinue as it “just keeps getting betterand better as each year passes.”

LCol Marcel Chevarie, commanderof Regional Cadet Support Unit(Eastern), recently met with theregion’s corps/squadron COs. Hismain message was on the need toimprove cadet retention.

In particular, he highlighted the following objectives for the region:

• Adequate CIC officer training:

training should deal with the con-cepts of flexibility and adaptabilityas they relate to the Cadet Programand the concept of risk manage-ment relative to the challenges andenjoyment we offer cadets.

• An ongoing information campaign:throughout the year, send out info-rmation, ideas on initiatives andsuggestions to improve the program

REGION FOCUSSES ON CADET RETENTION

and activities offered in corps/squadrons. The RCSU(E) website,www.cadets.net/est, will become amajor communications tool.

• Tailor-made support and advice:Headquarters personnel anddetachments will offer custom-designed support and guidanceaimed at meeting the specificneeds of each corps/squadron.

The Navy League has introduced anew volunteer screening programthat will greatly enhance cadet safe-ty. The key new feature is a photoidentification (ID) card, whichleague volunteers must display atlocal corps. This empowers corpsofficers and cadets to ensure that anyNavy League member working withthe corps has been approved by theleague and is cleared to work withcadets. If a league volunteer does nothave an ID card, then they will have

to be supervised by a corps officer orby another screened league volun-teer, just like any other corps guest.

Further enhancing their program,the Navy League has teamed upwith the Army Cadet League, and isnegotiating with the Air CadetLeague, to develop a commonapproach and establish information-sharing for volunteer screening.This will prevent individuals thathave been dismissed by one organi-zation from joining another leagueor sponsoring committee anywherein the country.

The new program is being rolled outnationwide. Formerly screenedmembers are required to renew their screening status. More detailed information is available at www.navyleague.ca.

8

NEW WAVE IN COMMUNICATIONS

The Navy League has launched a new electronic newsletter called @ the helm. Its intent is to reachmore members for less money withnational, branch and division news.Printed copies of the newsletter willstill be available by calling thenational Navy League office at 1-800-375-NAVY.

Although the newsletter’s primaryaudience is Navy League membersacross the country, CIC officers, seacadets and their parents are alsoencouraged to subscribe and send in their story ideas. To subscribe,visit the Navy League website atwww.navyleague.ca.

If you want to help your cadets pursuehigh school credits for their cadet expe-rience, visit www.aircadetleague.com,click your language of choice andthen click on Cadets, followed byEducation Credits.

For the first time, says Grant Fabes,chair of the Air Cadet League’snational education and high schoolcredits committee, this one-stopresource provides an overview of thehigh school credit situation acrossCanada, a summary of the currentstatus in each province/territory anda summary of web-based resourcesfor further information.

The site lists the number of creditscadets can obtain and applicationprocedures. An email contact is alsoprovided for each province/territory.

NEWS AND NOTES

IMPROVED VOLUNTEER SCREENING PROGRAM HIGH SCHOOL CREDITSFOR CADETS

GUIDE TO MANAGING A CADET MUSIC ENSEMBLE


Proper management of both humanand material resources atcorps/squadrons will improve notonly the operation of the ensemble,but more importantly, will greatlybenefit the musicians.

One doesn’t have to be a music spe-cialist to administer and run a band.Assigning key positions and dutieswill assist any band officer. Someregions have developed musicensemble management guides—avail-able from regional cadet music advis-ers, through the appropriate confer-ences on CadetNet, or throughregional cadet websites.

LOOKING FOR CADET STORIES

Stephanie Williams, a civilian instruc-tor (CI) with 2051 Army Cadet Corpsin Edmonton is collecting cadet storiesfor a book she hopes to publish.

“I recently read a book titled Stand byYour Beds, written by a former cadet,”

says CI Williams. “At the end of thebook, the author commented onhow it would be wonderful if therewas a collection of cadet storiesavailable for others to read. I wouldlike to take this task on.”

She asks that other Cadet Programleaders not only submit their owncadet stories, but also encouragetheir cadets to send stories to her [email protected].

STAFF CADET PAY

Cadet Program leaders who werenot involved in summer training thisyear may be interested to know thatstaff cadet pay rates are now tied tothe basic pay rate of Reserve Forceofficer cadets.

Staff cadet pay rates were once tied tothe pay rates of Reserve Force pri-vates and corporals; then, whenincentives disappeared and staff cadetpay adjustments became more diffi-cult, they were tied to the average payof students taking part in the govern-ment’s student employment program.

This past summer, staff cadet dailyrates of pay varied from $60 to $81.Those rates were based on a fixed per-centage of a Reserve Force officercadet’s basic pay. For instance, a pettyofficer, 1st class (warrant officer/flightsergeant) received a daily pay of $71,while a chief petty officer, 1st class

(chief warrant officer/warrantofficer, class one) received adaily pay of $81, based on ahigher percentage of the ReserveForce officer cadet’s pay.

According to Maj PaulDionne, staff officer cadet poli-cies at Directorate Cadets, thenew system is administrativelyeasier. By no longer being tiedto the student summer employ-ment program, cadet staff payadjustments will occur auto-matically in line with Reserveofficer cadet basic pay changes,rather than requiring yearlyTreasury Board approval.

Current pay rates can be accessed by visitingwww.forces.gc.ca/hr/engraph/pay_e.asp and following theappropriate links.


CIC BRANCH ADVISORY COUNCIL NEWS

Maj John Torneby LCdr Nairn McQueen

Two members of the CIC BranchAdvisory Council (BAC) havereceived Chief Reserves and Cadetscertificates of appreciation for theirefforts and contributions on behalfof the branch. Recipients are MajJohn Torneby, former Prairie Regionadviser, and LCdr Nairn McQueen,former Central Region adviser.

The new regional advisers are Maj James Barnes, Prairie, and Maj Harry McCabe, Central.

Other current BAC members are LCdr Ben Douglas, Pacific; Maj Steve Daniels, Northern; Maj Hratch Adjemian, Eastern; and LCol Tom McGrath, Atlantic.

Staff cadet summer pay rates are now a fixed percentage of the basic pay rate of Reserve Force officer cadets. Here, a staff cadet gives a knotslesson to a cadet at Vernon CSTC. (Photo by CI Wayne Emde, public affairs)

EVENTS

CIC Branch Adviser Maj RomanCiecwiercz has met with theCanadian Forces Liaison Council(CFLC) chair to clarify its supportto the CIC.

The council has agreed to acceptCIC officer requests for employersupport. According to MajCiecwiercz, the CFLC website atwww.cflc.forces.gc.ca should be aCIC officer’s point of reference whenlooking for employer support infor-mation. The CFLC will provide basicadvice and send out informationpackages, if requested. The advisory

OTHER BAC NEWS

council intends to review these pack-ages and recommend the inclusion ofCIC-specific components into them.

The BAC is reviewing ongoing poli-cy issues and providing guidelinesfor future promotion policy and suchissues as universality of service, fit-ness, medical and educational stan-dards related to the MilitaryOccupational Specification ChangeManagement Project. By sitting as amember of the new training man-agement board, it is also offeringadvice on the new CIC trainingstructure.

50th anniversary reunion HMCSACADIA: In Cornwallis, N.S., fromAug. 4 to 6, 2006. Registration willbegin in January 2006. Anyone inter-ested can go to www.acadiareunion.cafor further information.

18th annual tri-service Cadet Ball:This approved cadet activity, spon-sored by 706 Air Cadet Squadron inOttawa, is usually attended by cadetsfrom across Canada, according toCapt Jake Banaszkiewicz, squadronCO. This year’s event will be heldon Dec. 29 at the Congress Centrein Ottawa. For more information,visit www.cadets.net/est/706aviation.

Residents of Vernon, B.C., would likely see CIC officerCapt Graham Brunskill in the same light as any CFmember. (Photo by CI Wayne Emde, public affairs, Vernon CSTC)


PROFESSIONALISM IN THE CIC >

Can military professionalism apply to the Cadet Instructors Cadre?

MGen Hussey says there was logic inmaking the CF responsible for theCanadian Cadet Movement. The CFis responsible for remaining closelyconnected with Canadian society andis linked to communities in manyways. Because the CF didn’t have allthe local infrastructure it needed torun a national youth organization,however, it counted on the help of itspartners—the leagues. CIC officersare the military representatives in thatpartnership and in their contact withthe many local sponsors and commu-nity organizations that support cadetcorps and squadrons.

In many cases, CIC officers are theonly CF presence in a communityand must therefore demonstrate thestandards of professionalism requiredof CF members.

“CIC officers wear the same ranksand the same uniform, says MGenHussey. “To the public, a different hatbadge means nothing.” He adds thatCIC officers use some military train-ing methodology—drill, for instance—to develop in youth such life skills asteamwork and self-discipline. CICofficers also represent and try to teachyouth many of the CF values (partic-ularly those grounded in the Defenceethics framework) to make them goodcitizens. “There’s nothing wrong withthat, especially since CF members arestriving to be model citizens, as well asmodel soldiers,” says MGen Hussey.“But this affects the public perceptionof the CIC. The public says, ‘Theydress the same, they must be thesame’. And you can imagine whatexpectations and perceptions that gen-erates, however incorrectly.”

Continued on page 15

A specialized application of the CF profession

“ Yes,” says MGen Paul Hussey,commander for the past year of

the Canadian Defence Academy(CDA) in Kingston, Ont. The CDAchampions professional developmentand lifelong learning in the CF andamong other things, oversees theCanadian Forces Leadership Institute(CFLI), charged with strengtheningthe foundations of CF leadership andmilitary professionalism.

But how can the ‘profession of arms’and ‘military professionalism’ applyto CIC officers when they don’t beararms? For CIC officers, the unwrittencontract of unlimited liability doesnot apply as it does to the RegularForce and Primary Reserve andaccording to MGen Hussey, CICofficers are not developed with thesame kind of discipline and fightingspirit required for military operations.Instead, they are developed to train,administer and supervise cadets.

This may pose a quandary to some,but from MGen Hussey’s unique per-spective—not only in his current posi-tion but also in his former position asDirector General Reserves andCadets—‘military professionalism’does apply to CIC officers in a some-what limited but very important way.

“The CIC is a very specialized appli-cation of the CF profession,” saysMGen Hussey. “The government ofCanada has handed the CF the jobof running its only federally spon-sored youth organization. The CFdoes that through its CIC officers—the key functionaries of the federalyouth movement in this country.And I would expect—as would anyparent in the country—a degree ofprofessionalism within the CIC.”

“


In recent years, many CadetProgram changes—particularly

those related to training CIC offi-cers—have aimed at enhancing theprofessionalism of the CIC. Butwhere does professionalism start?

For CIC officers, professionalismstarts with adhering to both theCanadian military ethos and theCIC ethos.

Ethos is described in the new CICbasic officer training course (BOTC)as, “The character, disposition, orbasic values peculiar to a specific peo-ple, culture or movement. It derivesfrom a sense of belonging and reflectsthe principles in which a groupbelieves. Ethos is also defined as a setof convictions, which guide and dic-tate the behaviour of a group and indi-viduals which make up the group.”

Military ethosDuring the new BOTC, candidatesare familiarized with the CF militaryethos—beliefs and expectationsabout military service; Canadianvalues, which distinguish us as apeople; and the Canadian militaryvalues of duty, loyalty, integrity andcourage. As CF officers, CIC offi-cers must be mindful of the militaryethos and aware that they are part ofthe larger CF community.

CIC ethosThe CIC ethos ispart of the CIC’sraison d’etre andcontains severalguiding principles for CIC officersstriving for high standards of profes-sionalism. Though not yet approved,the new CIC occupational trainingcourse gives us some insight intowhat a description of CIC ethosmight look like:

CIC officers are members of an occu-pation that renders a service toCanadian society. As leaders of sea,army and air cadets, they ensuretheir safety and well-being anddevelop in them leadership, citizen-ship and physical fitness, while stim-ulating an interest in the CF. CICofficers impart in Canadian youth asense of community involvement,promote life skills and moral charac-ter and enable them to developsocial values and ethical standards.

CIC officers are the military repre-sentatives in the partnership betweenthe CF, the leagues and the manylocal sponsors and community organ-izations that support cadet corps andsquadrons. They assist leagues andlocal sponsors in recruiting cadetsand adult leaders. They also assist inpromoting corps, squadrons and theCadet Program as a whole.

CIC officers promote acceptance andrespect for others, both within themovement and within society in gen-eral, as the Cadet Program recruitsfrom and reflects the broad diversity

of Canadian society, without regardto cultural, ethnic, religious or socio-economic background.

CIC officers are youth developmentpractitioners with high standards ofprofessionalism. They satisfy the highsocietal expectations that are natural-ly imposed on an individual responsi-ble for the well-being, support, pro-tection, administration, training anddevelopment of our nation’s mostprecious resource: Canada’s youth.

In many cases CIC officers are theonly CF presence in communitiesand therefore demonstrate the stan-dards of professionalism required ofmembers of the CF, reflecting crediton the CF and the Cadet Program.

CIC officers bring to the CadetProgram varied backgrounds in termsof education, skills and experience.CIC officers undergo formal occupa-tional training and ongoing profes-sional development, which providesthe structure for their employment.

Adhering to these guiding principleswill go a long way towards ensuringhigh standards of professionalism inthe CIC.

Where does CIC professionalism start?The CIC ethos states that “CICofficers are youth developmentpractitioners with high standardsof professionalism.”

For CIC officers, profession-alism starts with adhering toboth the Canadian militaryethos and the CIC ethos.

CIC officers impart in Canadian youth a sense of community involvement duringlocal and summer training. Cadets at Blackdown CSTC this past summer built awalking bridge span for the Ganaraska Hiking Trail—used by more than 4000 hikers and families in the area.


By Mary Bartlett

Make your ‘work’ relationships run smoothlyIn his book, The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz gives usdirection about what we can do to respond appropriately to difficult behaviours and make our work relationships run smoothly.

He advises us to adopt four essential codes of conduct, which

appear simple, but are rather difficult. However, with mindful anddiligent practice, they are utterlyeffective.

Be impeccable with your word Nothing brings out the ‘gators’ moreat work than someone who says onething and does another. So yes, ofcourse, you’re not going to lie, cheat,steal, gossip, backstab, or rummagethrough someone’s desk—are you?

But, this agreement goes deeper thanthat. It also means honour yourword literally. Being mindful of thewords you speak means makingstatements in the positive, being whoyou say you are and letting go of anyfake persona you may be presentingto the world.

When your colleagues know you areon the ‘up and up’, that you’re willingto own up to your mistakes, ask

questions and be who you say youare, they are more willing to hearyou out and work through any realor imagined slight or conflict. You’resomeone who people want to stay inrelationship with, and they're willingto do the work to do so when it getsa little rough.

Don’t take anythingpersonallyWhile none of us likes to admit it,most of us think we’re the centre ofthe universe. When something nega-tive happens, our first thoughtsrelate to something we said or didn’tsay, did or didn’t do that caused thenegativity or conflict. We replay themental ‘tape’ to find out if we’re toblame. In the process, we forget ourlearning from Psychology 101,which says that when someonereacts negatively to us, or to a situa-tion, it is a mirror of some unre-solved issue that person is dealingwith themselves.

But what if a colleague’s negativebehaviour is meant as a personalassault? All the more reason to nottake it personally!

A case in point: A newly hired trainerI once worked with worked formonths with a colleague who dideverything possible to make his lifemiserable. The colleague gaveunhelpful feedback, underminedhim in front of trainees and shotdown all his ideas. But the new train-er just smiled and focussed on thepositive. He didn’t react because he

knew his colleague was angry andthreatened that he had been hired.And the colleague was a good train-er with mastery of the content thatthe new trainer was learning.

Did it resolve the conflict? Well, theynever became friends, but they wereable to work together productivelyafter about six months. By not react-ing, the new trainer made the most ofa difficult situation. Even more to thepoint, he didn’t make it worse. Andtoday, that trainer is able to rest con-fident that he behaved well, ratherthan doing something he regrets.

Make no assumptionsWe usually assume the worst, andbecause our thoughts create ourmoment-to-moment reality, we act asthough our assumptions are thetruth. We all know not to, but do weever consciously try to catch our-selves making assumptions and cor-rect them?

To understand the impact ofassumptions on conflict, we have toask ourselves where assumptionscome from and why we make them.When we assume, we’re workingonly with the data we have in ourown mind, and quite frequently thatdata is incomplete—if not flat out

Nothing brings out the‘gators’ more at work than

someone who says onething and does another.

You can use mindfulness(our capacity to be aware of

our behaviour) to watchyourself and catch yourself

in the act of makingassumptions, taking things

personally, stretching the truth, putting forth

a half-baked effort.



wrong. And because that data leadsus to assume a conflict, we imaginea conversation directed at clarifyingthat data as one leading to a conflict.So, we avoid the conversation, andbehave as if our incomplete andunverified data is reality. This isanother case of ‘thought creatingreality’, even when that reality couldbe radically altered by a different(more complete) data set.

How simple this could be, but howrisky to admit to and initiate the con-versation. You might be surprised athow receptive people can be to some-one who—from a genuine place of"here’s what I was thinking"—is will-ing to admit to their assumptionsand be willing to move on.

I once worked with an organizationwhere a managing leader was mak-ing some rather negative and wrongassumptions about the staff. Duringa staff debriefing—when theseassumptions came to light and thestaff had a safe place to discuss it—the manager was able to apologizeand gained new respect from herstaff. Will it always turn out thisway? Probably not, but who are weto assume? Why not just ask?

Always do your bestWhen we put forward our best effort,and our colleagues know they canrely on us, they are much more likelyto hear us out. When we’re doing ourbest, we are fully engaged in our task,we have passion for the work andbest of all, it doesn’t even really feel

like work! Doing our best brings outthe best in others and that’s a sure-firerecipe for innovation.

How to get therefrom here

If you have roadblocks lurkingaround every corner you may thinkit’s impossible or even naïve to prac-tise these four behaviours. And itmay be true that all four—all atonce—is a pretty big stretch. So howabout taking it one at a time?

You can use mindfulness (our capac-ity to be aware of our behaviour) tocatch yourself in the act of makingassumptions, taking things personally,stretching the truth and putting fortha half-baked effort.

Focus on one behaviour for one day.When you catch yourself—and youwill—take a mental step back andthink, "In what ways might I remedythis situation?" Sometimes, it’s a relatively simple thing to adjust your behaviour.

As you become more proficient inyour behaviour change, you mightbe amazed to notice all those diffi-cult, conflict-filled time wastersbecoming fewer and fewer and yourproductive, innovative, idea-generat-ing sessions becoming greater andgreater. Better yet, it gives you some-thing productive to do: rather thantrying to change the other person(good luck!), you’re able to make animpact on something you can reallychange. You.

When something negative happens, wereplay the ‘mental tape’ to find out ifwe’re to blame. We take it personally, butchances are, it has nothing to do with us.

And to that we say a genuine “good luck!”

Mary Bartlett is an independent trainerand consultant in training design, facilita-tion and program development. She hasstudied extensively in the areas of groupprocess, stress management, communicationskills and conflict management and resolu-tion. She lives in rural central New York.

You wouldn’t lie, cheat, steal, gossip,backstab or rummage through someone’s

desk while they are away, would you?

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Ethics are important in any kind ofprofessional leadership situation,

be it Cadets, business, or even withina family or group of friends, saysPhilip King, a London, Ont. lawyerand instructor in business law at theUniversity of Western Ontario. “Inany organization, members look tothe top for moral cues,” says King,“and there is a certain pride in adher-ing to a set of well-enshrined values.”

The Cadet Program has a clear state-ment of values, and all CF members,Regular and Reserve, are subject tothe Canadian Defence Code of Ethics.Ethics is discussed in current basic offi-cer training and in even more detail,on the future basic officer course.

The Canadian Defence Ethics pock-et card outlines our ethics principles,obligations (such as integrity, loyalty,courage, honesty, fairness and responsibility), how to deal with ethical dilemmas and so on. “I am a proponent of setting out yourbeliefs and values in writing,” saysMr. King. “It gives more certainty,more predictability and better con-sistency, and this, in turn, makesbeliefs and values more accessibleand easier to embrace.”

Organizations benefit tremendouslyfrom having shared beliefs and values,he says, and the stronger they areshared, the stronger the organization’s

“In any organization,members look to the top

for moral cues and there is a certain pride in adhering to a set of well-enshrined

values.”…Philip King

Point your moral compassin an ethicaldirection

Point your moral compassin an ethicaldirection‘Professionalism’ in the Cadet InstructorsCadre requires officers at every level to pointtheir moral compasses in an ethical direction.Morality and ethics are inextricably linked toprofessionalism—which, along with loyalty,mutual respect and integrity, is one of theCadet Program’s core values.



culture. “I think that people—beingsocial by nature—gravitate towardsorganizations with strong culture.And they are happier when theyknow the rules and what is expectedof them.”

This being said, carrying theDefence ethics card in your pocketwill not ensure you behave ethically;it is simply a reminder that you havea choice regarding the kind of orga-nizational behaviour you spawn.

King cautions that leaders must notjust talk ethics. “They must also walkethics. You must be seen by yourpeople embracing ethical values asintrinsic to your organizational val-ues and you must have lots of time toobserve,” he says. “If all you do istalk about it (posting codes of ethicalconduct, giving workshops on ethics,scolding people for unethical behav-iour), the people you lead will figureout that these are not real shared val-ues, but rather values which areexpected of some and not others.”

King adds that you can’t lead if youdon’t embrace your organization’sbeliefs and values. People will spotit—maybe not immediately andmaybe not everyone, but enoughpeople will spot it over time. “Thatwill weaken your integrity as aleader and the integrity of the Cadet Program,” he says. “Moralambiguity is fine if you are cookinghamburgers, but not if you are leading youths.”

Moral ambiguity is fine if you are cooking

hamburgers, but not if you are leading youth.

Dealing with ethical dilemmas

An ethical dilemma is a situation in which:• the right thing to do is not

clear from the circumstances;• two or more values compete

or are in conflict; or• or, some harm will result, no

matter what you do.

When faced with an ethicaldilemma, use this guide:• Ethics is about right and wrong

and doing what is right.• Consider your obligation to act.• Ask yourself, “What are the

issues? What are the facts?”• Weigh the options, including

ethical principles and obligations.

• Choose the best option withdue consideration for rules,consequences, values and care for others.

• If unsure, talk to others—thoseyou trust: friends, superiors, orauthorities. Someone is pre-pared to listen and help.

• Accept responsibility for youractions.

How can we all improve ethical behaviour?• Ensure that decisions and

actions are ethically acceptable.• Speak out when you recognize

manifestly unlawful or inappro-priate orders, since you are notrequired to obey them.

• Speak out and act when youare a witness to, or being vic-timized by, unethical behaviour.

How do leaders foster an ethi-cal environment?• Make expectations very clear.• Provide opportunities to discuss

ethical concerns.• Do what is necessary to deal

with ethical risks.• Ensure confidentiality and a

reprisal-free environment.

Adapted from the Canadian DefenceEthics pocket card.

A specialized application of the CF profession

…Continued from page 10

Clearly CIC officers are not thesame. Although they share a numberof values and beliefs in commonwith full-time military professionalsand are expected to perform theirduty honourably, this does notextend to a 24/7 commitment andfull awareness that they are subjectto being ordered into harm’s wayanywhere in the world.

Still MGen Hussey believes CICofficers are an important part of theCF team with a specialized role thatmust be communicated and carriedout with professionalism. “By doingthings to add to their own individualprofessionalism, CIC officers willadd to the collective professionalismof the CIC,” he says.

In his words, “Professionalism is acomponent of running any efficientand effective organization and theCanadian Cadet Movement is noexception as it strives for excellence.”


The Cadet Program is not the onlyprogram to offer activities, chal-

lenges and adventures for youngpeople between the ages of 12 and18. Competition is fierce and thisclient group now has free access to allsorts of new activities and experi-ences designed to give them a goodshot of adrenaline.

We also know that our customer basehas changed substantially over thepast few years. One could, in fact, callit a total transformation. Young peoplehave both the capacity and the desireto do a number of things at the sametime. When they are very young, theyare exposed to an array of stimulatingchallenges. So just “being a cadet” isno longer sufficient. We see this samephenomenon among candidates whowant to become CIC officers, civilianinstructors and volunteers.

Values relating to motivation, results,independence and balance betweenwork/home force us to ask the ques-tion: How can we remain competitiveto attract the interest of young peopleand keep them in the program?

The response to this challenge can befound in a single action: adaptation.

We can no longer base our manage-ment of the program and its relatedactivities on tradition. We must imme-diately give corps/squadrons the toolsthey need to select and implementstimulating activities that pose

Remaining competitive Adapting to the needs of our cadet ‘clientele’These days, young consumers are seeking products and services tailored to their needs.Every day, it is brought home to us through advertising that the choices open to us areincreasingly varied and accessible.

challenges adapted to specific agegroups and community values. Andwe must put greater or lesser stress oncertain activities depending on wherethey take place—the city or the country.

Adapting to our clientele also meansunderstanding and accepting the pos-sibility that a young person may beinterested in the Cadet Programwhile participating in other activitiesor working at the same time.Consequently, we should avoid over-loading our cadets’ schedules andinstead introduce a healthy dose offlexibility. It is becoming increasinglyimportant for us to give cadets(particularly those 15 andolder) enough time to doother things.

Adapting to our clientele alsomeans listening to the cadets’primary caregivers. For par-ents, we offer training, activi-ties and development services.If we want to gain their confi-dence and support, we willhave to consult them regu-larly concerning their expec-tations. We should never for-get that they constitute a keyelement in retention.

We must also improve the waywe serve our service-providers—officers, civilian instructors andvolunteers. This means adequateand continuous training, an effec-tive and fully accessible internalcommunications network, andsupport and coaching based onindividual corps/squadron needs.In short, this means promoting afeeling of belonging and showingour concern and ability to adapt.

To produce results, the client-centredapproach should value the conceptsof adaptation, flexibility and continu-ous information. We must pay closeheed to our target audiences and beable to fulfill their needs; mostimportantly, however, we must hon-our our promises. By adapting thisapproach, the Cadet Program will becapable of meeting the needs of itsyoung people while at the same timepreserving its aims and objectives.

LCol Labelle is the chief of staff, RegionalCadet Support Unit (Eastern).

We must also improve theway we serve our service-

providers—officers, civilianinstructors and volunteers.

By LCol Pierre Labelle

We should avoid overloading our cadets’schedules to give them (particularly those15 and older) enough time to do otherthings—other youth activities, part-timejobs and schoolwork.



By Maj Paul Tambeau

Communicatemore

effectivelyTo be effective communicators,we need to develop a broadrepertoire of communicationbehaviours appropriate to thetype of discussion at hand.

The interactions between staff, par-ents, cadets, sponsors, and the

many other movement stakeholdersdemand a much more flexibleapproach. Just as one style of leader-ship does not serve every task, neitherdoes one style of communication. Wecan increase our professionalism bychoosing the appropriate style.

Behavioural scientists have studiedcommunication for the past severaldecades, and countless articles andbooks have been published in anattempt to provide us with a betterunderstanding of what constituteseffective versus ineffective communica-tion. Nonetheless, many of us continueto regard communication as a processof ‘I speak, you listen’ or vice versa,with little regard for the ‘interpersonal’aspect of the interaction and what isgoing on against the backdrop ofwords, body language, and emotions.

The military-style discipline of thecadet world lends itself to this ‘one-way’ form of communication; how-ever, when used exclusively itbecomes redundant and ineffective.

When individuals speak to oneanother they are acting on an interper-sonal level, so as the term suggests,interpersonal communication is communi-cation between people. In one sense,all communication happens betweenpeople, yet many interactions don’tinvolve us personally. Sometimes wedon’t acknowledge others as people at

all, but treat them as objects; they bagour groceries, direct us around high-way construction, and so forth. So it isthe desire to enrich our communica-tion beyond merely speaking and lis-tening that sets interpersonal commu-nication apart from merely exchang-ing or acting upon information.

Some of the key principles thatshould guide our communicationwith others include:

• Maintaining or enhancing self-esteem. Through all life’s stages,our self-esteem is shaped by howothers communicate with us. Wewant others to respect us, and wewant to respect ourselves. Self-esteem can be fragile, especially inmany young people, and since wecan’t take back what we say, ourgoal in communicating shouldalways be to consider the impactour words may have on the listener.

• Engaging in a dual perspective.This requires the ability to under-stand both our own and another

person’s perspective, beliefs,thoughts, or feelings. To meetanother person in genuine dia-logue, we must be able to realizehow that person views himself orherself, the situation, and his or herthoughts and feelings. Put anotherway it means keeping our ownbiases and perceptions in check.

• Self-monitoring. This capacity toobserve and regulate our owncommunication is important. Lowself-monitors use inner beliefs andvalues in deciding how to com-municate, likely reverting to thecommunication style they aremost comfortable with; on theother hand, high self-monitorstend to monitor their surround-ings and choose the communica-tion style that is most appropriatefor the situation at hand.

Keeping these principles in mind willenhance the professionalism of anyof our communications.

Maj Tambeau is the CO of 27 Air CadetSquadron in London, Ont. He is a formerRegional Cadet Adviser in CentralRegion and recently retired from teachingin the management studies program atConestoga College in Kitchener, Ont.

Through all life's stages, ourself-esteem is shaped by howothers communicate with us.

Self-esteem can befragile, especiallyin many youngpeople. We shouldalways considerthe impact ourwords may haveon the listener.

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Professionalism when dealing with parents

Demonstrating professionalism when interacting with parents is vital to the credibility of CIC officers entrusted with developing their children.

We approached seven CIC officerswho, as educators, have devel-

oped expertise in parent interactions.The officers include Maj Don Duthie ofTrenton, Ont., Capt Kel Smith ofVirden, Man., Capt Natalie Hull ofWaterloo, Ont., Rob Vanderlee ofCanmore, Alta., Paul Dowling ofOromocto, N. B., Lt(N) Arnold Wickof Prince Rupert, B.C., and Lt(N) RyanGraham of Dryden, Ont. All have localand summer CIC experience.

We asked these instructors how theywould deal effectively with:

• the parent who approaches you inanger;

• the overzealous parent who wantsto talk to you every parade night;

• the parent who doesn’t getinvolved;

• the parent who thinks his/herchild can do not wrong; and

• the parent who questions theenforcement of regulations.

The parent whoapproaches you in angerThis is potentially one of the most ofthe most stressful situations at localcorps and squadrons, says Lt(N)Graham. It may come out of nowhere,or it may relate to a commanding offi-cer’s decision. In the latter case, headds, irrefutable documentation is keyto justifying why decisions were made.

Most of all, he says, parents want tovoice their concerns and know thatsomeone is willing to listen to theirproblem. “The barrage of questionsthat parents can ask sometimes isquite numbing and intimidating,

especially when they are agitated. Thechallenge is not to get caught up in theemotion of the moment. Answerquestions honestly, understandingthat parents want what is best for theirchild and more often than not, proofof equitable treatment.”

On initial contact with an angry par-ent, Maj Duthie recommends lower-ing your voice and staying calmwhen you speak—this usually helpsdefuse the anger.

He also offers the following advice:

Reassure the parent that you too areconcerned and that you fully want tounderstand what has transpired tomake the parent angry.

If there is an audience, explain thatthe place and time to discuss the mat-ter might not be appropriate. Offer togo to a more private location, or setup a convenient time and place to sitdown and calmly discuss the matter.

The challenge is not to get caught up in the

emotion of the moment.



Suggest that to give the matter fullcredence, you would like moredetails and an opportunity to investi-gate. Suggest that you would like tosit down together when you have asmany facts as possible.

Let the parent talk. If they become agi-tated again, speak softly, let the parentknow that you really do want to listen.However, if the parent continues toshout or be abusive, terminate the dis-cussion. Be firm, but not challenging.

Do not patronize the parent. Tothem, this is very important andinvolves their child.

Do not make rash/hasty decisions orpromises—you have to live withthese after.

Make sure you respond to the parentafter you investigate. If you find theparent was justified in being upset,apologize for the upset and let theparent know you are taking steps to

Maj Don Duthie: 35 years as an elementary and high schoolteacher; 25 years as a CIC officer; currently CO designate of123 Air Cadet Squadron in Bowmanville, Ont.; and RegionalCadet Adviser, Central Region, for four years.

Capt Natalie Hull: a teacher for eight years and currently teaching special education in Kitchener, Ont.; 13 years as aCIC officer; an instructor with Regional Cadet InstructorsSchool (Central); and a volunteer instructor with 1596 ArmyCadet Corps in Kitchener, Ont.

Capt Paul Dowling: Retired after 32 years as a teacher and principal in Oromocto, N.B.; CIC officer for 26 years; AreaCadet Officer (Air) New Brunswick, Prince Edward IslandDetachment, Atlantic Region.

Maj Rob Vanderlee: A teacher for nine years and currentlyteaching Grades 7 and 8 in Canmore, Alta.; training officer with878 Air Cadet Squadron in Canmore; 19 years as a CIC officer;and selected by the Air Cadet League in 2004 as the top CICofficer (air) in Canada.

Capt Kel Smith: 35 years as an educator in Virden, Man.; 34 years as a CIC officer; currently supply officer, unit information officer and sports officer with 2528 Army Cadet Corps in Virden.

Lt(N) Arnold Wick: 34 years as an elementary school teacherin Prince Rupert, B. C.; 26 years as a CIC officer. CurrentlyCO of 7 Sea Cadet Corps in Prince Rupert.

Lt(N) Ryan Graham, fourth year as a highschool teacher inDryden, Ont.; 14 years as a CIC officer; CO of the Kenora Sail Centre; and after two years with 2072 Army Cadet Corps,he’s trying to restart a sea cadet corps in Dryden.

Our Advisers


ensure this particular situation doesnot occur again. Thank the parentfor bringing it to your attention.

Even if your investigation shows thatthe parent was totally out of line andmisinformed, you must still speak to theparent and explain why the situationoccurred and was correct. This shouldcome across in a win/win manner.

Capt Hull adds, “Remember that mostparents are passionate about their chil-dren and they get angry because theycare about them. They also tend to getonly one side of the story, and if youhad heard what they had heard, youprobably would be angry too.”

The parent who doesn’t get involved

If Maj Vanderlee sees a parent whoisn’t getting involved, the first ques-tion he asks is “Why?”

“I find that a parent who doesn’t getinvolved usually has some prettydecent reasons for it. Find out whatyou can about the parent,” he says.“Perhaps they don’t want to getinvolved because they don’t want toleave their other children at home, orfeel they can’t bring them along toactivities. Or, maybe you just need toadjust how you or the corps/squadron is perceived. Many parentsjust don’t understand. Communicatewith them.”

As a teacher, Maj Vanderlee tends toknow more about families and cansometimes better explain their situa-tion to the commanding officer orsponsor, clarifying that these are not‘deadbeat’ parents and that theyreally just don’t have the time, orwhatever, to help.

What about the parents who justdon’t seem to want to get involved?

In these cases, Maj Vanderlee spendsa little more personal time withthem, calling them more often andinforming them of the many optionsfor getting involved. “Calling or vis-iting them gives me the opportunityto apply subtle persuasion,” he says.“When I have done this, I havefound that once they get involved,they stay involved.”

Lt(N) Wick’s proactive strategy forparental involvement works well—particularly for fundraising. He callson his Navy League partners earlyeach summer to go over the program

for the upcoming year. At that time,they identify together what activitiesneed outside funding and parentinvolvement in one way or another.

He invites league representatives tohis first two major events inSeptember—the introductory nightfor former cadets and parents; and acouple of days later, registrationnight for new cadets where parentattendance is mandatory. This way,the league has full access to everyparent to ask for help and specificparent commitments, while provid-ing all options and timeframes avail-able. The league asks parents out-right, “Which activities would youlike to sign up for?”

“It’s seldom that a parent refuses,”says Lt(N) Wick. “Perhaps becauseit’s a public commitment, it has a cas-cading effect.”

Also, the league calls every parentbefore an event to remind them oftheir commitment. If the parent saysduring the call that they cannot fulfillthe commitment, they are asked toexchange places with another parentat a later date.

The parent who thinks his/her childcan do no wrong. Being confronted by unrealistic parentsis difficult and requires a great deal ofskill to handle, says Capt Dowling.

He advises not to “break their bub-ble” in the opening minutes of themeeting. If you do, you could ruinany chance you might have at arriv-ing at a successful conclusion.

He explains that these parents are usu-ally very defensive and will tell youright up front that their child did notdo something. “You have to be carefulnot to get into a verbal battle withthem over the issues, making it a“you” versus “them” situation. Theimportant thing to keep in mind is thatwhatever the accusations are, the par-ent will more than likely look at it as apersonal attack on their parenting.

The overzealous parentwho wants to talk toyou every parade night

Capt Hull believes these parents areoften in need of involvement. Theymay want to learn more about whattheir child is doing and increaseinvolvement in their child’s life.

Parents showing this level of inter-est—even though it may be misdirect-ed interest that is taking your timeaway from tasks—can help the unitand at the same time, answer manyof their own questions.

When a parent is noted as repeatedlyneeding to talk to you, suggest theywatch opening parade or help withsupervision of the canteen at breaktimes so they can see for themselveswhat is going on. In this way, theywill have less need to talk to you.


Ombudsman: Try to resolve disputes locallySince the Department of National Defence/CFombudsman’s office was created sevenyears ago, it has received 19 complaintsfrom cadets or their family members.

The majority of the disputes have beenbetween parents and CIC officers regardingdecisions that officers have made, says theoffice. Complaints vary from abuse of powerto training (including the selection processfor summer camps) and harassment.

“CIC officers have the power to resolve dis-putes at the earliest stages,” says Yves Côté,the new ombudsman appointed in August.“Carefully listening to parents and respond-ing to their concerns in a clear and completemanner will enable CIC officers to effectivelyexplain the reasons behind their decisions.”

He believes that through their leadership,officers can do a lot to resolve issues locallyand defuse situations before they escalateto his office. He adds, “However, if issuesare brought to us, I assure you that we will deal with them fairly and diligently.”

Mr. Côté brings almost 30 years of publicservice experience to the ombudsman’soffice. He began his career as a militarylegal officer in 1977 and until he left themilitary in 1981, he provided opinions andadvice on a wide range of issues concerningmilitary law and discipline. Before acceptingthis new position, he was counsel to theClerk of the Privy Council.

For more on the ombudsman’s office visit www.ombudsman.forces.gc.ca,or call 1-888-828-3626 toll free.

on paper so I can be specific. Theface-to-face meeting would takeplace at my request.”

If a parent questions regulations,says Capt Smith, inform the parentthat the cadet has been warned twicethat their dress was not part of acadet’s regular dress. Then advisethat if the cadet wants to belong tothe unit, he/she must follow CadetProgram rules and regulations.

“Explain the importance of these tothe operation of a corps/squadronand that letting the cadet wear whathe/she wants could lead to a break-down of corps/squadron discipline,”he adds. “Rules cannot apply tosome cadets and not to others.”

Perhaps more importantly, however,explain that the Cadet Program usesdiscipline as a teaching process.Rules, limits and realistic conse-quences help young people developthe self-discipline they need to copewith the challenges they will face inlife and to persevere until their goalsare accomplished. Self-discipline isimportant in everything from study-ing for an exam to doing a good job.

It may help to add that choosing tofollow regulations will allow the cadetto continue to enjoy cadet activities.

Understanding this bigger-picture per-spective can help a parent convincetheir child of the value of followingrules and regulations, he points out.

Keep strictly to the facts, he says,avoid innuendos and unsubstantiatedaccusations. “Your goal is to bring theparent around to recognizing thatboth of you are on the same side andthat they, as parents, are not toblame.” Guide them through the factsso that they conclude that your evi-dence does indeed prove that theirchild did whatever. The operativeword here is “they”. They must cometo the conclusion themselves; youcannot impose this decision on them.

Finally, ensure the parents that theirchild is not a bad individual, but hasjust made a bad decision and that youunderstand it is natural for them tostick up for their child. Then add thatsupporting our children can require“tough love”—teaching them to takeresponsibility for their actions.

“In my experience, even the mostdefensive parent will eventually comearound when you take this approach,”says Capt Dowling. “By treating theparent with respect and keeping inmind that parents cherish their chil-dren, you can reach a successful con-clusion to a difficult situation.

The parent who questions theenforcement of (dress) regulations

This interaction would take placeafter the cadet has had two verbalwarnings not to wear chains, rings,excess makeup or a specific hairdo to Cadets, says Capt Smith. “Theverbal warnings would be recorded

Being confronted by unrealistic parents is difficultand requires a great deal ofskill to handle. Don’t “breaktheir bubble” in the opening

minutes of the meeting.


Conflict resolution skillsProfessionalism requires CIC officers to use variousinterpersonal skills—amongthem, conflict resolution skills.

In the past, the Cadet Program hastaken a reactive approach to conflict

—dealing with conflict case by case.Now, the program is taking a systemicapproach—using a model that incor-porates all possible approaches toconflict resolution. It’s a more practi-cal tool that will help cadets handleconflict more efficiently. The successof this system will depend on theinherent leadership skills of CICofficers, who will be responsible forsupporting the cadets to ensure thesystem is working the way it is sup-posed to. More on this will be dis-cussed in future issues of Cadence.

The conflict resolution spectrumranges from formal to informalapproaches. The Department ofNational Defence/CF approach is to

try and deal with conflicts at the low-est and earliest possible level if possi-ble. Alternative dispute resolution(ADR) techniques are best used atthis more informal level. ADRrequires dialogue about the conflictsituation, with the parties workingtogether to understand each other’sconcerns before working towards acommon solution.

Nature of conflictUnderstanding the nature and causesof conflict can help officers identify,assess and determine the bestapproach to resolving it. It is impor-tant to understand how conflict arises,escalates and influences our percep-tions of other people.

How conflict arises

Sources of conflict within the workenvironment include unprofessionalbehaviour; gossip/rumours/officepolitics; the lack of acceptance of‘differences’ in culture, gender, race,

age, language and workplace ethics;a lack of respect; poor planning orineffective management; and break-downs in communication.

Escalation

The escalation of conflict is like atornado—the stronger it gets, themore damage it can cause.

Characteristics such as relationships,values, structures, facts (information)

By Denise Moore

Hurt before being hurt

‘Group think’ and scapegoat

Beliefs feed observation

Assume deliberate action from the ‘other’

Draw pre-conceived conclusions

Make assumptions

Shift to competitive environment

Co-operation

The escalation of conflict is like a tornado—the stronger it gets, themore damage it can cause.

Sources of conflict…includeunprofessional behaviour;

gossip/rumours/office politics;the lack of acceptance of ‘dif-ferences’ in culture, gender,

race, age, language and work-place ethics; a lack of respect,poor planning or ineffective

management; and break-downs in communication.



enhance professionalismand interests (what motivates you)can contribute to the shift from a co-operative to a competitive work envi-ronment. People are quicker to makeassumptions and draw pre-conceivedconclusions. At this point, actionsfrom the ‘other’ are viewed as delib-erate. Our belief system feeds ourobservations, and we begin to devel-op ‘group think’ or even identifyscapegoats. At this point the conflictis out of hand as we focus on hurtingbefore being hurt.

Perceptions of others

Although we observe through ourfive senses, not everyone has accessto the same information. As a result,we interpret through our ‘filters’–ourpersonal experiences, our culture,religion, gender and so on. The con-clusions we draw about others haveimpacts on us. We evaluate themwithout reliable data. We blamethem rather than consider their con-tributions and our own.

Development of ADRcommunication skillsRole-playing is a great way to learnwhat ADR techniques work well foryou. It also helps to identify areasyou need to spend more time work-ing on. You can hone your ADRskills, knowledge and mindsetthrough dialogues with your peers,chain of command or even staff atDispute Resolution Centres.

By developing a working knowledgeof conflict theory and interest-basedcommunications, you could acquirethe necessary confidence to solveconflicts at the lowest level possiblein a win-win manner. Look for anapproach encouraging honesty ofparticipants and avoiding confronta-tions that could potentially woundthe dignity of those involved.

Some tips

• Try to see both sides of conflict,the positive—the opportunity forpositive change, as well as thenegative—unpleasantness, disrup-tion and so on.

• View conflict as a potential oppor-tunity for collaboration, ratherthan as a call to adversarial strug-gle or avoidance.

• Recognize signs of conflict beforeit reaches an unmanageable orescalated stage.

• Develop skills to handle a varietyof conflict styles.

• Acquire a measure of comfort andconfidence in dealing with conflict.

• Acquire a genuine curiosity andenthusiasm about turning conflictaround. It’s an opportunity forcreativity!

Take the initiative—it’syour responsibilityDevelop the skills, knowledge andconfidence to help those around yousolve their conflicts in an interest-based fashion.

It is the responsibility of officers todeal with conflicts when they arise.Demonstrate professionalism by tak-ing ownership of a situation andhandling it to the best of your ability.

Ask for assistanceOften, a conflict situation has manycomponents to it. You may be able tohelp resolve some of these compo-nents but not all. Another skill is deter-mining when to ask for help and whenit is appropriate to refer the conflict sit-uation up the chain of command.

ADR is the preferred approach toresolving conflict; however, it isimportant to understand how ADRcomplements other more formal res-olution mechanisms, such as theDND/CF grievance process or theharassment policy.

For more information about the conflict management program, see http://www.forces.gc.ca/hr/adr-marc/

Denise Moore, a senior mediator withDirector Cadets, represents the conflictmanagement program for DirectorGeneral Reserves and Cadets.

Understanding the natureand causes of conflict can

help officers identify, assessand determine the bestapproach to resolving it.


Learning from

mistakesDo you consider

mistakes aslearning

opportunities

failures

Leadership experts agree that ourown mistakes (and the mistakes of

others) can provide significant learningopportunities if we know how to dealwith them. One way is to avoid “learn-ing traps” that can prevent us fromlearning from mistakes. Another is toknow what we should and should notdo when mistakes are made.

The Canada School of PublicService website at www.myschool-monecole.gc.ca/research/publica-tions/html lists these learning traps:

• Mistakes are not discussible. Whensomeone makes a mistake, we justassume they learn from it and donot discuss it openly. When theteam makes a mistake, we some-times have a post-mortem meeting,but that is about all. And when thesupervisor makes a mistake, no

one acknowledges it—including thesupervisor. People are more wor-ried about creating unproductivetension and resentment.

• People avoid blame for mistakes.Team members express dissatis-faction when mistakes are made.There is a lot of pressure not tomake errors. Everyone recognizeswhen mistakes are made, but thetendency is to avoid blame andcriticize others for erring.

• Mistakes are buried. There is a fearthat mistakes will hurt a person’scareer or the team’s reputation.Mistakes tend to be covered up,or treated as unimportant. Thesemistakes sometimes build up andcreate a crisis later on. Or theysurface and become an irritant.

• Mistakes are discussed, but no onegets to the root cause. Mistakes are

discussed, but they seem to hap-pen again. This makes everyonefrustrated. There is a tendencynot to see when mistakes are justsymptoms of deeper problems.No one wants to take the time todelve deeper and discover theroot causes of mistakes.

Avoiding these traps may be easier ifyou follow these useful do’s anddon’t’s in dealing with mistakes, as setout in “Leadership Passages: The Personaland Professional Transitions That Make orBreak a Leader”, by David Dotlich,James Noel and Norman Walker.

Everyone recognizes whenmistakes are made, but thetendency is to avoid blame

and criticize others for erring.

or ?


the mistake. You may even convinceyourself that you had nothing to dowith it. Blaming others discouragesself-examination and the acceptanceof responsibility—two critical leader-ship traits. Avoid this blaming reflexand absorb the blame. Admit whatyou did wrong, explain the contextfor the mistake and make a commit-ment not to let it happen again.

3. Don’t limit your thinking to theevent itself. Even though it’s impor-tant to learn from what went wrongand act differently if the same circumstances present themselves inthe future (external learning), it’salso important for internal learning.Ask yourself what it says about youas a leader that you did X instead of Y. Consider how your approachor values may have caused you tocontribute to the mistake. Did yourarrogance, or mercurial nature con-tribute to making it?

Four do’s in dealingwith mistakes1. Examine your decisions thatcatalyzed the mistake. More specif-ically, look at your attitudes, as wellas your actions, that may havecaused, or influenced it. Ask your-self why you decided what youdecided. Were you afraid of taking arisk? Were you taking too much ofone? Were you too stubborn anddidn’t listen to your team’s advice?

2. Talk to a coach, mentor, ortrusted adviser about the incident.Many people cannot discuss theirmistakes. This type of swagger is notleadership; it is denial. Discussinghow things went wrong is painfuland it requires courage to exposeyour vulnerabilities. You don’t wantsomeone to think less of you.However, these conversations allowyou to obtain feedback, examineyour assumptions and come to termswith yourself and your role. You


Three don’t’s in dealing with mistakes1. Don’t let your mistake define youas a person. Separate the event fromwho you are. Even if you made a stupid mistake, you aren’t stupid. Theworst thing you can do is dwell on themistake and beat yourself up forwhatever mistake you made (or thinkyou made). After you acknowledgeyour mistake and accept responsibility,let go of it and move on. Making amistake is natural and predictable.Refuse to allow your mistake todominate how you lead.

2. Don’t seek scapegoats. Realisticallyand naturally, most leaders reactdefensively to mistakes. However, ifyou respond defensively, you’re like-ly to waste this teachable moment. Ifyou blame someone else, you’re notlikely to examine your own role in

need the benefit of an outside per-spective—it can offer insight aboutwho you are as a leader, and howyou need to develop.

3. Reflect on what you might dodifferently in the future. After youanalyze why you did what you didand talk about it, reflect on how youmight respond in a more effectiveway when facing a similar situationin the future. Consider what youhave learned from the mistake thatmight serve you well in other posi-tions and when you are faced withother decisions. To help you reflecton what you’ve learned, ask your-self the following questions: If youencountered exactly the same situa-tion in the future, what would youdo differently? What would have tochange inside you to do it different-ly? Would you have to adopt newvalues, become more flexible,change your traditional approach?

4. Summon the energy to perse-vere. Mistakes can leave you feelingdefeated, but great leaders obtain thepsychological resiliency that comeswith this passage. There’s no secret toacquiring this resiliency—it’s simply amatter of digging deep inside yourselfand deciding you’re not going to bedefeated. Focus on the job that needsto be done. Discipline your thinkingto avoid dwelling on your mistakes orthe mistakes of others. Give yourselfa pep talk.

By avoiding learning traps andapplying these do’s and don’t’s, youcan learn from your mistakes andbecome a more successful leader.

The worst thing you can is dwell on themistake and beat yourself up for whatevermistake you made (or think you made).

If you respond defensively(to a mistake), you’re

likely to waste this teachable moment.


By Maj Serge Dubé

Future training aimed at professionalism As defined by the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, professionalism is “the skill or qualitiesrequired or expected of members of a profession.”

The occupational specification forthe CIC states that “CIC officers

are youth development practitionerswith high standards of professional-ism. They satisfy the high societalexpectations that are naturallyimposed on an individual responsi-ble for the well-being, support, pro-tection, administration, training anddevelopment of our nation’s mostprecious resource: Canada’s youth.”

The CIC training being developed aspart of the CIC Military OccupationalSpecification Change ManagementProject is integral to high standards ofprofessionalism within the CIC.When CIC officers from the field andheadquarters were asked during theproject what they did in their jobs,their answers varied depending on thejob they were performing at the time.

But a common theme of theirresponses was the need for moretraining in the areas of youth devel-opment and leadership.

Based on these responses, officersfrom all levels of the organizationwrote job descriptions, and trainingwas created to prepare CIC officersfor these jobs. Care was taken toensure that entry-level officers willreceive the tools they need to prop-erly lead and understand youth(cadets) early in their careers, asopposed to receiving them over athree- to four-year period. This isexpected to help them lead moreprofessionally.

Here are some of the subjects incor-porated into future entry-level train-ing: adolescent development, the

CIC officer’s responsibility for cadetsupervision and leadership develop-ment, mentoring and coaching, devel-oping cadets through coaching, iden-tifying barriers to learning, addressingcadets’ personal concerns and aidingin the resolution of rudimentary inter-and intra-personal conflicts.

In addition to the training officers willreceive when they join the CIC, anoth-er course is currently being developedto prepare them for the increasedresponsibilities they will have on pro-motion to captain or lieutenant (navy)and entry into Developmental Period(DP) 2. This training will take theskills and knowledge gained duringDP 1 to an even higher level.

Job-specific training to be deliveredwhen personnel require it is alsobeing developed. For instance, whenyou are appointed training officeryou will take your training officercourse, or when you are appointedplatoon commander at a cadet sum-mer training centre, you will takeyour platoon commander course.This method of qualifying officerswhen they actually require it—notyears before—will ensure they receivethe most up-to-date information.This in itself will make them moreprofessional members of the branch.

Keep your eyes open and your earsto the ground for updates on the newCIC training program.

Maj Dubé is the staff officer responsiblefor CIC professional development atDirectorate Cadets

(Officers from the fieldhave identified) the need formore training in the areas

of youth development and leadership.

Officers, such as SLt David Lang who instructed at Regional Gliding School(Eastern) this past summer, will receive the tools they need early in their careers to properly lead and understand youth.

PROFESSIONALISM IN THE CIC


By Maj Stephen Case OFFICER DEVELOPMENT

Local smoking ‘policy’ teaches damaging lessons

The sergeant was very proud of hisrank and the privileges it brought.

In his unit, junior cadets were notallowed to smoke, but senior cadetswere. When an inquiry was made asto why the unit had this ‘policy’, anofficer cadet explained the reason-ing—the senior cadets were leaders, sowere allowed to smoke as officers do.Besides, the officer explained, it wasgood for morale: kids worked hard tobecome senior cadets so they couldhave the privileges of leadership.

The officers were convinced thattheir method was sound. Not onlydid it reward senior cadets andencourage juniors to excel, but it alsosolved the smoking problem. Theofficers reasoned that the cadets weregoing to smoke whether they wereallowed to or not. With this local ‘pol-icy’, the seniors would police smok-ing because it was their privilege. Thestaff did not have to worry about jun-ior cadets smoking because the sen-iors would not let them smoke.

The problem was in what this hope-fully isolated local ‘policy’ taught thecadets. The junior cadets learned thatif they worked hard and followed the

rules, they would not need to followthem later. They learned that ordersare relative to rank—a very dangerousand undesirable idea to develop. It isalso natural for junior cadets to emu-late those they admire—in this case,the senior cadets. If being seniorcadets meant they could smoke, Iwould argue that the senior cadetswere actually encouraged to smoke—notonly to fit in with those that did, butalso to assert their new privilege.

The sergeant learned that the higherthe rank, the less rules apply; orderslean more towards suggestions asyour rank goes up; promotion is notabout gaining more responsibility,but gaining more advantage; andrank is not about what cadets can dofor the unit, but what they get forthemselves. As senior cadets developthe impression that rank alleviatesaccountability to orders, other orderswill come into question. If we teachcadets that a rule can be ignored,they will start ignoring rules.

Perhaps the people who learned themost damaging lessons in this situa-tion were the junior officers, wholearned that this is how a unit is run,or how leadership is built in youngpeople. These officers will not onlyallow such behaviours in their owncorps and squadrons, but will alsomigrate the ideas to others thinkingit is the right thing to do.

Should senior cadets have privilegesthat recruits and juniors do not? Ofcourse they should, but those privi-leges should be in line with the aims

and policies of the Cadet Programand encourage positive characterdevelopment. When a senior cadetis granted a privilege unavailable toothers, it should be to recognize anduse the cadet’s greater responsibility,experience and judgment.

Maj Case is the Regional Cadet Adviser (Air) with Regional CadetSupport Unit (Central).

When a senior cadet isgranted a privilege unavail-able to others, it should beto recognize and use the

cadet’s greater responsibili-ty, experience and judgment.

While visiting a local unit, I was stunned as thesergeant beamed at me proudly. When asked thequestion, “What is the best thing about being asenior cadet?” he immediately responded thatonce you’re a senior cadet, you are allowed tosmoke during breaks at Cadets.


By Lt(N) Paul FraserOFFICER DEVELOPMENT

Online trials of first new courses

This fall, the newonline unit adminis-tration officer andsupply officer coursesare being trialled!

These are the first two coursesunder the CIC military occupa-

tional structure change managementproject to become available online.Trials are being conducted throughregional cadet instructor schoolsacross the country using CadetNet.Course details are available throughyour regional school and officersshould consult regional directives onhow to apply for these courses.

In the Spring/Summer 2005 issue ofCadence, we provided a basic outlineof how these courses will be con-ducted. As they are being delivered

through CadetNet, officers wishingto take a Distributed Learning (DL)course will require a CadetNetaccount to access the training. Eachcorps/squadron has been allocated14 accounts for its staff. If you planto take CIC training in the futureand do not already have an account,talk with your commanding officerabout setting one up.

You will access this training throughthe Cadet Instructors CadreLearning Centre portal (conference)on CadetNet.

Course content and all training references/resources will be availableto anyone having a CadetNetaccount; however, you need to beloaded on a course to access thecourse conferences, chats andassignments. The conferencing andchats will be available only to candi-dates who have registered throughtheir CadetNet Client. Course con-tent will be provided in an HTMLformat for easier accessibility.

The CIC Learning Centre willbecome a unique tool for local officersto gain access to training; as well, it willact as a resource for documents andreferences used by the Department ofNational Defence/CF to administerand deliver the Cadet Program.

DL will give local officers the abilityto attend courses without having totravel to a training school and theflexibility to complete training, whileaccommodating personal schedules.However, officers will still be expect-ed to complete course assignmentswithin course timelines. In mostcases, assignments will be due bymidnight on Mondays (in your timezone). Pay for these courses will notbe issued until they have been com-pleted successfully.

More information on DL will beavailable in the future throughCadence and the CIC LearningCentre within CadetNet.

LT(N) Fraser is the staff officer for CICDL development at Directorate Cadets.

Course content and all training references/resourceswill be available to anyonehaving a CadetNet account;

however, you need to beloaded on a course to accessthe course conferences, chats

and assignments.


Officers to benefit from new training organizationOur last issue updated readers on the new CIC trainingorganization that stood up in September. In this issue,LCol Tom McNeil, responsible for CIC training atDirectorate Cadets, answers some additional questions.

Q: The new training organizationseems to have fewer resources devot-ed to delivery and more resourcesdevoted to oversight. Will this affecttraining quality?

A: The premise of the question isflawed. There will not be fewerresources dedicated to delivery.There will be fewer full-time staff offi-cers at each regional cadet instructorsschool and more staff officers todevelop and update training and thetools instructors require. As leaders ofa youth development program, it isimportant that we provide the mostup-to-date training possible.

We believe that training quality willincrease. We will have succeeded inmaintaining the student-instructorratio while dedicating moreresources to development. Ensuringthat instructors have the tools andsupport necessary is key to deliver-ing a high-quality product.

Q: Can you provide some examplesof duplication and how training willbecome more efficient?

A: Distributed learning was beingdeveloped for the same course intwo regions simultaneously. We hadfive different systems of course

critiques and several specialist cours-es running in multiple locations—allunder-loaded! Over time, a nationaltraining plan will eliminate suchduplication and inefficiencies. Byeliminating duplication in our devel-opment of distributed learning, forexample, we will be able to offerlocal instructors an increased selec-tion of online courses more quickly.

Q: Was there not already a CICtraining cell at Directorate Cadets?

A: In theory, yes; however, insuffi-cient resources—three officers only—made it ineffective. In the absence ofstaff offering timely information, theregions—to their credit—did it them-selves. They had to act independent-ly to get on with training. The futureorganization will ensure that theregions no longer have to “impro-vise” in this way.

Q: You say that you will “finallyhave standardized training that istransportable”. Wasn’t it always thisway? Did regional variances reallymake that much difference?

A: Training was not always trans-portable and in some instances,regional variances made an acutedifference. Some regions would not

recognize the training officersreceived in another region becauseof safety concerns. One region thatappointed its commanding officers(COs) decided not to offer the CO’scourse because it felt the course was-n’t needed. That meant that an offi-cer from that region would have aproblem becoming CO in another.

Q: You said that when the neworganization stood up, officerswould see “very little”. Does thismean little will change?

A: Our goal is to make all of this astransparent as possible to local offi-cers. These changes should not be asource of distraction to local instruc-tors. They should be aware of what ishappening and need to know thatultimately these changes will result inbetter training for them. As a mem-ber of the CIC, I would not be lead-ing this change if I did not feel that the CIC would benefit.

The changes will become moreobvious when we begin to roll outthe new training over the next fewyears—new courses and trainingplans, new training aids and instruc-tor guides. All of this will take a lotof work and co-ordination.


By Capt Catherine Griffin

Communicating with cadetsHave you ever communicated something to a cadet—something you felt wasvery important—but the cadet did not respond in the way you expected?

The cadet was probably not defyingor ignoring you. More likely, it was

a simple case of miscommunication.

Recent work in the field of neu-ropsychology has shown thatyouths and adults use different partsof their brain to take in and processinformation. This means that whatyou think you are communicatingand what your cadets think you arecommunicating can be very differ-ent. The good news is you can takesteps to ensure that you and yourcadets are ‘on the same page’.

Adult brains and teenbrains—distinctly differentIn a recent study mapping the differ-ences between the brains of adultsand teens, Deborah Yurgelun-Todd(director of neuropsychology andcognitive neuroimaging at McleanHospital in Belmont, Mass.) usedmagnetic resonance imaging to mon-itor how adult and teen volunteersresponded to a series of pictures.

Asked to interpret the emotions dis-played on the faces in the pictures,all of the adults correctly identifiedfear, but many of the youths identi-fied shock, anger, confusion or sad-ness. The adults and youths saw andinterpreted different emotions.When examining the brain scans,Todd found that the adults had usedthe pre-frontal area of their brain(associated with executive or higher-level thinking) to interpret theimages, while the teens had used theemotional areas of their brain.

What can we learn from this?

Teen brains respond differently thanadult brains to the outside world. Dr.Yurgelun-Todd says the research sug-gests “…that the teenager is not goingto take the information that is in theoutside world and organize it andunderstand it the same way we(adults) do.”

This poses a unique challenge topeople who work with youth, butfollowing these tips when communi-cating with your cadets may help:

• Know your message. Ask your-self, “What do I want to pass onand why?” If you are unsure ofyour point, you may tend to over-explain. Giving too much unnec-essary information can be confus-ing for a cadet, who may becomefrustrated and just stop listening.

• Be specific. Include informationthat makes your point clear, suchas dates, times, names or situations. Avoid being vague

or communicating in generalities.Remember, cadets won’t alwaysinterpret signals and nuances, likebody language, as adults will.Assumptions lead to frustrationson both sides.

• Review with the cadet what youhave said. Ask the cadet to sum-marize your message or explainwhat he/she believes is expectedas a result of this communication.This will inform you of thecadet’s ‘take’ on things and giveboth of you an opportunity to askquestions if necessary.

• Listen actively. This involveshearing the cadet’s words andfocussing on what is being said.Refrain from thinking about yourgrocery list or responding to an e-mail on your BlackBerry. Use allof your senses to take in the infor-mation and respond as required.

• Know your audience. The betteryou know your cadets, the betteryour chances are of communicatingwith them effectively. It helps toknow that one cadet responds bestif he/she takes notes when you com-municate, while another respondsbest to simple verbal, rather thanwritten, communication.

• Just do it. Skill developmentrequires practice. The more youcommunicate with your cadets, themore likely you are to discoverwhat works best for everyone.

Capt Griffin is the educational developmentstaff officer at Directorate Cadets. This articleincludes information from an interview withDr. Yurgelun-Todd at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/inter-views.todd.html. If you would like to submita youth-related article to Cadence (eitheryour own, or one you have read), pleasecontact Capt Griffin at [email protected]

OFFICER DEVELOPMENT

Teen brains respond differently than adult brains

to the outside world.Lt Ken Russellensures that acadet understandsexactly what he is communicatingby being specific.(Photo by CI WayneEmde, CSTC Vernonpublic affairs)

<


By Maj Russ Francis CADET TRAINING

Cadet Program Update Project—

making progressSince 2003, the Cadet Program has been engaged in a significantrenewal initiative—the Cadet Program Update Project.

Where do we stand right nowwith this three-phase modern-

ization project? As previouslyreported, we completed the firstphase with the development of cadetprogram parameters which wereapproved in May. A CadetAdministration and Training Order(CATO) outlining these parametersshould be released during the 2005-2006 training year.

Now in the second phase of the proj-ect, we are developing a macro-levelview of the cadet program—updatinghow it is organized and structured,updating the sea, army and air cadettraining activities and defining “path-ways” cadets will take as they progressthrough the six-year program. Inessence, a blueprint for the cadet pro-gram is being created that incorporatesthe changes and other recommenda-tions received over several years.

The project’s third phase—develop-ing and deploying updatedcorps/squadron and summer trainingprograms—will take place over thenext five years from 2006 to 2011.

Between January and the end ofMay 2006, and between eachSeptember and May thereafter, writ-ing boards will convene to developthe updated training. These boardsare made up of staff from D Cdtsand other headquarters, as well asinstructors from corps/squadronsand cadet summer training centres.

The first boards will develop first-year training activities for corps/squadrons. Hopes are to releasethese to regional headquarters andcorps/squadrons in January 2007 forimplementation in September 2007.

The CPU Project goals are toimprove the management andadministration of the cadet program;improve connectivity between thesea, army and air cadet programs sothat high quality training is sustain-able within current resource levels;and to incorporate contemporaryprofessional practices from the fieldsof education and youth developmentinto the cadet program.

Maj Francis is the staff officer responsiblefor cadet program development at D Cdts.

Hopes are to release (updatedfirst-year training activities)

to...corps/squadrons inJanuary 2007 for implemen-tation in September 2007.

Updating sea, army and air cadet train-ing activities and defining “pathways”cadets will take as they progress throughthe Cadet Program is ongoing.

<


By Capt Daniel Guay

For the past three years, six corps and squadrons in Thunder Bay, Ont., have conducted a joint tri-service recruiting campaign that has helped them all increase recruit numbers over previous years.

“By promoting the Cadet Program as a whole—instead of each individual corps/squadron—we haveall come out winners,” says Capt Luis Santos, commanding officer (CO) of 84 Air Cadet Squadron.

At the end of last year’s campaign,CIC officers from each unit

noted increases, and although resultswere not yet available from this year’scampaign, officers were optimistic.

For the past two years, the campaignhas consisted of a recruiting driveduring the Canadian LakeheadExhibition and Fair—three weeksbefore the return to school, as well as school recruiting drives. The fair

offers an oppor-tunity to pro-mote the CadetProgram to the more than 10 000 peoplewho attend it.

Capt Santos was project manager forthe fair recruiting drive this year. Hisstaff prepared and advanced the necessary paperwork to theregion for event approval andensured that each corps/squadronsubmitted their respective requestsfor authorization and certificates ofinsurance. The team also arrangedfor booth space, refreshments andset-up of the display/booth.

Because of timing, the team’s great-est challenge was arranging for peo-ple to work the booth during thefour-day event. The ideal was tohave one CIC officer and two cadetsin uniform at all times to answerquestions. We emphasized theimportance of promoting the Cadet

Program and nottheir local corps/squadrons, orspecific elements,when answeringquestions. Eachcorps/squadronwas responsiblefor providing offi-cer and cadet vol-unteers, but becausemany were takingpart in summertraining, or hadother summer com-mitments, volunteerswere harder to find.

As the campaign is tri-service, we usedrecruiting materials

provided by Directorate Cadets.These included the newly designedpamphlets and posters, as well as therecruiting videos of each elementthat played continuously throughout

the fair. In addition, we used the full-size wall backdrop, provided byCadet Detachment Winnipeg.

We also created a local handout tosupplement national promotionalmaterial. It listed the six local unitsby name, address, contact number,and parade night, as well as offeringadditional information on a seacadet corps in Nipigon, Ont., aboutan hour away.

To ensure the handout’s effective-ness for its target audience, it wasreviewed by the regional publicaffairs officer. After several rendi-tions, it was approved, printed incolour and distributed—along with“The Cadet Experience” nationalinformation booklet.

In any shared event—when everyonepulls together—the workload andcosts are a lot easier to manage. Wehave been fortunate to have officersin these corps/squadrons that arewilling to promote a complete pro-gram. This allows all of us to benefitfrom our recruiting effort.

Recruiting is not the only joint effortfor Thunder Bay’s corps andsquadrons. “We stimulate esprit decorps and social interaction through a tri-service cadet ball, competitivesports and drill competitions,” saysCapt Santos. “These stimulatecadets to excel individually and col-lectively and most importantly,showcase the Cadet Program in our community.”

Capt Guay is the training officer for 2511 Army Cadet Corps in Thunder Bay, Ont.

Joint recruiting reaps rewards

Furthermore, no child may be shownfavouritism because of extra parentalsupport. Any funds paid to the leagueor sponsors are a voluntary and free-will gift without obligation. Becausethe leagues and many of the localsponsors are registered charities, suchdonations may be eligible for a taxdeduction depending upon the natureof the gift. Parents who are unable orunwilling to participate by way of cashsupport are encouraged to participatein fundraising activities by providingtheir time and talent. It is importantfor parents to understand that withouttheir contribution—financial or other-wise—there would not be such an elab-orate program.

It is important to ensure that youthjoining the program and their parentsdo not lose interest because of misin-formation. As such, you have a vest-ed interest in correcting any informa-tion circulated contrary or inconsis-tent with the direction detailed above.Consequently, you must work withyour local sponsor to ensure yourunit’s website and any locally-pro-duced parent information handoutsreflect this common position.

Similarly, parents are to be assuredthat there has been no negativechange in CF support to the cadetorganizations. In other words, therequirement to raise funds is notbecause of a drop in CF support.

Any parent who requires furtherinformation regarding a league/spon-sor assessment or tariff—or a spon-sor’s contribution to the program—should be directed first to the localsponsoring committee and then tothe appropriate supervisory league.

Col Perron is the Director Cadets.


By Col Robert Perron

Clarification on fees, dues or other assessments

During the 2004-2005training year, we receivedseveral telephone calls andemails from parents whodid not understand whythey were being asked topay a fee to have theirchild in the Cadet Programwhen cadet websites andinformation brochuresclearly stated that therewas no registration fee ordues, or any cost for thecadet uniform.

While there is no cost to join theCadet Program, it is not correct

to say that the program is “free”.Local sponsors need to raise funds tosupport the league/sponsor contribu-tion to the program—to pay foraccommodation, insurance, utilities,optional training equipment and train-ing aids, as well as local transporta-tion. In addition, for Air Cadets, localsponsors are required to contributetowards the airplanes and tow aircraftprovided by the Air Cadet League forthe gliding and flying programs. It isthe sponsor’s prerogative as to howthese funds are raised—whether bypublic fundraising activities, commu-nity service group sponsorships, or bya direct appeal to parents of cadets.

That being the case, no direct appealto parents can be characterized as aregistration or enrolment fee wherenon-payment would preclude a childfrom joining the Cadet Program or participating in its activities. Nochild will be turned away from theprogram—or otherwise be disadvan-taged—because their family is notable or is unwilling to pay a league orsponsor-initiated assessment. Certaindiscretion is left with the local unitcommanding officer and sponsor foroptional non-training activities wherea cadet may be asked to contribute asmall amount to cover costs thathave not been fundraised.

While there is no cost to join the Cadet Program,

it is not correct to say thatthe program is “free”.


Retrospective—schools for CIC officers On December 30, 1974, a National Defence Headquarters action directive, signed by theDeputy Chief of the Defence Staff, recommended that a Cadet Instructor Training Systembe established to train cadet movement officers.

Par Dévouement, a history of theCIC by Capt Marie-Claude

Joubert, states that in 1974, EasternRegion was the only region with aschool for Cadet Instructors List(CIL) officers. Courses had beenconducted for CIL officers inCentral Region in 1973 and 1974,but it was not until 1975 that theCentral Region CIL School wasformed. In 1976, Ottawa officiallyrecognized regional cadet instructorschools, giving them training pro-grams and standards. Other regionalschools soon followed.

Few officers are likely to know whatCIC training was like more than 30years ago, so we asked two CIC offi-cers who were there from the begin-ning—Eastern Region’s Capt PierreMallette (a ‘pure’ CIC officer) andCentral Region’s Capt Ray Fleming(a former Regular Force/Reserveofficer)—for their perspectives.Coincidentally, both were cadetsand both continue to be involvedwith the schools today.

Two perspectives In 1970, two months after turning 18,Pierre Mallette took a Basic InstructorCourse at the Quebec Citadelle withthe goal of becoming a Cadet Serviceof Canada (CS of C) officer.

For two weeks, he studied leadership,instructional techniques, drill courses,officer protocol and behaviour—andeven how to use a projector. “It was alot of what I’d learned as a seniorcadet, but with a different ‘vision’,”says Capt Mallette. “For many of us,it was our first contact with ‘regulars’,and being an officer cadet then wasno easier than it is today.”

In 1971 in Montreal, he learned hewas no longer a CS of C officer, butrather a CIL officer. “Our ‘reward’was to leave the old 100 percentwool ‘battle dress’ behind and buynew uniforms for $60 (a lot ofmoney for students then),” he says.“But we had an identity and learnedthat we were officers with a special-ized task: leading teenagers.”

Capt Fleming and other retiredRegular Force and Primary Reserveofficers affiliated with RCIS (Central)were also aware that CIL officers(later renamed Cadet InstructorsCadre (CIC) officers) were ‘CFReserve officers with a difference’.

Beginning with his initial contactwith the school in the mid-1970s andhis work at the school, which beganin 1982, Capt Fleming wasimpressed with the professionalismof long-time ‘true or pure’ CIC offi-cers who had no Regular Force orPrimary Reserve experience to fallback on. “These officers were fromall walks of life and were able to passon an extensive amount of knowl-edge and skills, using both theirCadet Program and civilian experi-ences,” he says.

There were few pure CIC officers atRCIS (Central) in the beginning,however. “Most positions were filled,it seemed, using the ‘old boy net’—retired/released Royal CanadianRegiment personnel, includingmyself,” says Capt Fleming. Thatbegan to change in 1983 when apure CIC was hired full time as theschool’s resource officer.

Full-time staff, says Capt Fleming,aimed training towards what wasneeded at cadet corps or squadrons,rather than towards what had beentaught in the Regular Force orPrimary Reserve. These people, hesays, had to learn—just as he did—that while CIC officers were wearingthe same uniform, they did not havethe extensive training and back-ground military knowledge the others

In 1976, Ottawa officially recognized regional cadetinstructor schools, givingthem training programs

and standards.

Capt Mallette,right, correctingcourse papersthis year, beganteaching atRCIS (Eastern) in 1978.

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had. The school’s first commandantwas particularly concerned that CICofficers be taught things to helpthem lead, administer and traincadets at the pointy end, rather thanthings that would help them becomesailors, soldiers or airmen.

Early courses

Back in Eastern Region, when CaptMallette qualified as a captain in 1978and for many years after, the captainqualifying (CQ) course had four two-day sections: training, administration,supply and command. After the grad-uation parade, he was promoted andasked if he would join RCIS(Eastern) as an instructor. He startedteaching the basic officer qualificationcourse (BOQ) the next day!

At that time, instructors managedtheir own courses, armed with only acourse training plan. They had littleguidance, produced their own teach-ing aids and used the teaching meth-ods they were most comfortable with.

As a rare bilingual instructor, CaptMallette taught courses in both Frenchand English—and once or twice, inboth languages at the same time. Hetaught courses at all levels from 1978

to 1993, while helping cadet corps inthe areas in which he lived.

“The BOQ, lieutenant qualifying(LTQ) and CQ courses saw manychanges in format and methodologyover the years,” says Capt Mallette.

“Since 1982, I think there have beenat least six iterations of the trainingcourses,” adds Capt Fleming. “Nowcourses have much more materialpacked into them, and we areexpecting and getting, I think, a better CIC product as a result.”

At one time, the only environmentalexposure to sea, land and air was atwo-day section of the LTQ course.

Another thing that has changed is thatthere must now be more time in rankand experience between courses.

Teaching standards

In Eastern Region, the early 1980swere witness to the first GuidesPédagogiques, offering more specificteaching direction. Some perceivedthese as a direct intrusion into theirown teaching styles and of no value,says Capt Mallette. “To understandthe evolution of teaching withinEastern Region requires an under-standing of the growth of this guidefrom a vague guideline to a means ofassuring teaching/learning standardsand a quality of instruction that wereonce unthinkable.”

Until the early 1990s, says CaptMallette, the majority of EasternRegion instructors were male andfrom the land element. He believesthat the “better mix” today offers abetter training program.

Currently, the CIC officer of 33years teaches mainly the CQ coursein both languages—but never at thesame time. He believes that theschool now uses the “best qualitycontrol tools” that an organizationcan produce.

(Instructors) had little guid-ance, produced their own

teaching aids and used theteaching methods they were

most comfortable with.

The evolution ofteaching aidsCapt Mallette claims that one of thebiggest challenges over the years hasbeen producing quality teachingaids. Teaching aids must follow theevolution of the message beingtaught,’ he says. “This adaptability ispossible now because of the Internetand other electronic tools.”

According to Capt Fleming, equip-ment for early training mostlyrevolved around a 35-mm overheadslide projector, the blackboard and aflip chart. “When I first started, Ithink the yearly budget on repairsand new equipment was about$5000 to $10 000,” he says. “Thathas risen quite a bit. We’ve come along way from stick-on letters andslides for presentations. The originaltraining aids and graphic art workrequired people with great talent andartistic sense. Now computers andclipart save hours of work.”

The value of better CIC training Capt Mallette believes the instructorschools have provided officers with amenu of services and opportunitiesthat have helped strengthen the qual-ity of leadership that cadets receive.

With increased expectations and bet-ter training, Capt Fleming says hehas seen a vast improvement in CICofficers coming out of RCIS(Central) over the years.

The challenge remaining, he con-cludes, is getting CIC officers to beproud of what they are. “They areleaders/mentors of youth—more pre-pared than any Regular Force orPrimary Reserve member to lead,administer and train cadets. They/weshould be justly proud of that fact.”


VIEWPOINT

An Army Cadet League perspective on CIC professionalismWhen discussing CIC professionalism, the trend seems to be to do it in military terms—assessing an individual’s personal deportment, military credentials, and the ability to run a cadet corps or squadron.

From the perspective of the ArmyCadet League, a professionalism

standard is hard to define. Whilethere are many opinions on how pro-fessionalism within the CIC can beimproved, it is important to look firstat the two elements that most influ-ence the nature of what CIC officersdo. First, cadet corps are composed ofyouths who are not members of theCF. Second, the operation of theCadet Program is a CF responsibility.

Whether you have prior military expe-rience, or were recruited right off thestreet, it is easy to see the challenges inoperating a teen youth movementwithin a military framework.

In the first element, leaders of theCadet Program—above all—must besensitive to youth. Not everyone is cut out to do this. For some members of the professional militarythat have become involved, this reality has required a major shift inhow they approach the work. Cadetsdecide at the end of each trainingsession on whether or not they will return, so there is the ongoingchallenge to maximize local resourcesto maintain interest.

The second element, management ofthe program, has been given to theCF simply because they are good atit and have the resources to do it effi-ciently. However, when it comes tothe CIC, the time-tested manage-ment structure—the relationshipbetween commissioned officers andnon-commissioned members(NCMs)—becomes blurred. Thereare virtually no senior NCMsinvolved with the Cadet Program.

The officers do everything, and thisaffects the external perception ofprofessionalism. There are a few sen-ior NCMs enrolled in some cadetunits, who wear the rank and uni-form of their last unit and who areinvaluable to their cadet corps. Theirrelationship has a magical impact onthe cadets and the cadet corps.

The diverse personal qualifications of CIC candidates also impacts thetraining the CF provides to newenrollees. Each individual mustdevelop their personal style of mili-tary professionalism. No course cancompletely prepare either the old-hand or the new enrollee for the taskof working with teenage cadets.Some form of mentorship can help,and here the affiliated units can playa major role. Where the cadet corpsis located close to a unit, mentorshipcan be relatively easy. In rural areasit becomes problematic.

In the end, CIC officers are andremain commissioned officers whowillingly accept the charge fromCanada to “diligently discharge theirduty… to maintain good order anddiscipline”—in other words, to leadand provide an example. While CICofficers do have to come to termswith the military/civilian juxtaposi-tion of the Canadian CadetMovement, they do end up with thebest of both worlds. They get therewards of camaraderie, honour andthe satisfaction—as well as the dis-tinction—of serving as CF officers.

Mr. Whitty is the executive director of theArmy Cadet League.

By Terence Whitty

CIC officer Maj Dan Davies, army cadet exchange co-ordinator, and Terence Whitty, right, have a cup of coffee at Cadet Summer Training Centre Connaught in Ottawa while discussing international exchanges.

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