DofE enrolment: An  .doc enrolment form  or PDF  (link to form with some pre-filled info for Sqn) must be completed on first enrolment to eDofE. 1368 Sqn is passionate about the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. The DofE is open to young people and has 3 levels - Bronze, Silver and Gold.  Participants complete activities at each level over set periods in each of 4 sections - Volunteering, Expeditions, Skills, Physical; for Gold only, a Residential is added as a fifth section. For the Participant: The DofE is understood by those outside of the ATC. There is a greater expectation of involvement by the cadet in the planning stage of their DofE experience than in standard cadet syllabus, thus accelerating the process of personal development. The ATC syllabus offers an almost ‘off-the-shelf’ programme to gain an Award and there are ample opportunities for cadets and young volunteer staff to gain Awards by their work within the Corps. DofE generates success in areas of ...

Last week, the cadets did some drill practice, partly in readiness for parades that are coming up, partly to give new prospective NCOs some experience "at the front" and also to sharpen up Squadron discipline. Drill is a powerful aid to discipline. It develops a sense of corporate pride, alertness, precision and readiness to obey orders instantly. Good drill in aircraft is directly fostered by the habit of drilling smartly on parade. Thus, smartness on parade is not only a sign of good discipline, but a basic factor in raising the standard of performance in duties. Back in the (really) old days, the Air Cadets used to have its own Air Cadet drill manual. Nowadays this is all gone. The RAFAC aligns wholly to the RAF Drill manual called AP818 . To do it by the book, therefore, check out the book! (it's actually how the RAF teaches it).

Good news from campsite. The staff have amazing options for breakfast (which is pretty important). The bad news is that it's completely out of bounds for cadets, not a chance. It's DofE time, which means you're on your own ;-) Better get food planning! But remember, life is better when you're camping with your friends (even if it is freezing cold and raining).

As Benjamin Franklin is quoted as saying "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail". Well done to those that attended last week's initial DofE kit check and emergency situation training for our forthcoming Silver DofE Expeditions. It's clear that the Bronze expedition's earlier this year have really helped to lay a very solid foundation of knowledge and interest. I get a good teamwork and engagement vibe about the whole thing. I also think the emergency scenarios worked well. If anybody is interested in reviewing their First Aid knowledge, then here's a couple of links to some St. John's Ambulance resources I used. These are specifically created for DofE expedition participants (although bare in mind that sometimes advice on First Aid can change). You can test yourself though, or this may be useful for those that missed the session! (you never know quite what will happen).  DofE Outdoor First Aid Scenario Cards (sja.org.uk) DofE Outdoor First Aid S...