Civilian Welfare Committee

The following section is an extract of the notes contained in the CWC (Civilian Welfare Committee)  “Need to Know” document. It is included here as it is felt to be important that the staff on a unit should be familiar with the general activity and process of a CWC. When reading it please bear in mind that its target audience is your CWC.

Introduction

This latest issue of the ‘CWC Need to Know’ guide includes advice on essential items such as Legal Requirements, Insurance and Financial Controls, Duty of Care and standards required of staff and cadets within this Wing.

Many of our Civilian Welfare Committees benefit from having this type of guidance available, relevant particularly to new members of the committees or those holding elective posts for the first time, i.e. Chairmen, Honorary Treasurers and Secretaries.  This then is an attempt to provide a summary of most of the issues that you will at some time encounter.

This document does not take precedence over the current or future issues of those publications detailing the rules and procedures for the Air Training Corps. Currently these are the ‘ Notes of Guidance for Civilian Committees’; ‘Notes of Guidance for Honorary Treasurers’; and AP 1919.

Any changes to rules or procedures that may be notified through the normal channels, would take precedence over this publication.

 This is based on a former Wing Chairman, Roy Willis.

CWC’s role within the ACO

Why Civilian Committees?

As you know, the ATC is a voluntary youth organisation, under the sponsorship of MOD(Air). Some of our activities, in the main those related to aviation and forces career training are sponsored, wholly or in part, by MOD(Air). Others are not, and it is in connection with the latter that civilian committees can make their vital contribution.

Over recent years, the percentage spend that comes from this source, the non-public funds, has increased considerably. Most indications are that this trend will continue.

All of our units are based within local communities and are a part of the structure of that village or town. The ATC has responsibilities to these communities, and each community has some obligation to support its local ATC unit, that is providing training to its young people. Civilian committees can provide the two-way link to help each side discharge its responsibility or obligation to the other.

The Civilian Structure:

The civilian structure of the ATC is based on committees and councils. These are:

      The Squadron Committee – which should consist of at least five members, of whom the Chairman, Honorary Treasurer and Honorary Secretary are elected officers. The Squadron Commander and the Honorary Chaplain are ex-officio members.

Committee members may be parents of serving or previous cadets, a member of the local RAFA branch committee, a representative of the Local Authority, Education, Police, Fire, Ambulance or any of the other organisations concerned with youth and citizenship training. Except as previously mentioned, serving officers in the RAFVR(T), AWOs and Civilian Instructors are not eligible for membership.

Within the Wing, their should be a  committee in place for each unit. Admittedly, some are badly in need of additional active members, if they are to meet their responsibilities, of which more later.

      The Wing Committee – comprising the Chairmen, or their representatives, of all the squadrons in the Wing. Here again, the Wing Commanding Officer and the Wing Chaplain are ex-officio members. The Wing Chairman and his deputies are elected into office every three years, while the Treasurer and Secretary are co-opted members.

In this Wing there is also a Treasurer for the Adventure Training Group. OC Wing, Wing Chairman and Treasurer constitute the Wing Executive Committee.

The Wing Committee meets two or three times a year. The remit is:

      To co-ordinate, where necessary, the activities of all its Squadron Civilian Committees. But to try to avoid unnecessary interference with those activities.

      To formulate a Wing policy for all non-public funded activities and to arrange funding for such of those activities that may be conducted on a Wing basis.

      To assist the Wing Commanding Officer and his staff with those cadet activities, which in terms of training and facilities offered to the cadets, would help to make the Wing more effective.

      To represent a Wing view at Regional Council level.

The Regional Council – in the Central & East Region is based at RAF Brampton and comprises the Wing Chairmen, or their representatives, and the Wing Commanders of all the Wings in the Region. There is an elected Regional Treasurer and the twice yearly meetings are jointly chaired by the Regional Commandant and the Regional Chairman.

      In general, this operates in much the same way as the Wing Committee, dealing primarily with policy matters and executive decisions affecting the region as a whole.

The Air Cadet Council – is the governing body and is under the Chairmanship of the Under Secretary of State for the Armed Forces and includes, the Air Member for Personnel (representing the RAF’s Personnel and Training Command, through which the ATC is funded), the Commandant Air Cadets, the AOC and Commandant RAFC Cranwell, a Vice Patron ( a 3 or 4 Star Retired RAF Officer), an Air League Member, 1 Regional Commandant and 3 Regional Chairmen ( although all Regional Chairmen are considered to be members of the A.C.C.).

In addition, the Air Cadet Council Steering Group, is responsible for providing advice on the formulation of strategy and policy. Members of the ACCSG are the AOC and Commandant RAFC Cranwell, the Commandant Air Cadets, Regional Chairmen and Commandants with the COS HQAC and AMP (HQPTC) as Chairman.

The purpose of these Committees and Councils is:

      To give direct help and advice to units and formations in the performance of their tasks.

      To provide a means of ensuring that at each level, their views are properly represented, if necessary upwards, and ultimately to Air Cadet Council level.

      To foster and actively encourage association between ATC units and formations and their associated communities.

The Role of a Squadron Committee

Given that control of each unit is exercised by the uniformed structure, there is virtually no limit to the ways in which a Squadron’s Civilian Committee can play an actively supportive role. Some of the most obvious are, for example:

      Assist the Squadron Commander by all possible means, to increase the effectiveness of the unit.

      Give support and help to the Squadron Commander and staff, by showing an keen interest in all the Squadron’s activities, particularly extra-curricular activities such as the DoE Award scheme, all forms of adventure training and community service.

      Provide financial support, as may be required, to support the Squadron’s additional activities. This will probably entail various forms of fund raising, throughout the year, to meet budgeted expenditure agreed between the committee and staff.

      Account for non-public funds. This is mandatory.

      Assist the Squadron Commander in finding suitable staff to support all activities.

      Assist with the administration and maintenance of unit premises and those furnishings not provided by RAF sources.

      Some Committees will also be the Squadrons Health & Safety Committee.

      Provide advice and practical assistance in dealing with any welfare problems that might arise among the cadets.

Committee members should always remember that in a good unit, the Squadron Commander and his staff will probably be fully occupied in running the training programme and looking after the cadets.

They should therefore welcome suggestions and active support in any form that will improve the Squadron’s capability to fulfil its aims in relation to the cadets. However, the line between that support and ‘interference’ is quite narrow and very subjective.

Effective communication between both groups is absolutely essential to avoid misunderstandings, bad feelings or worse

Rules for ATC Squadron Committees

Reference: AP1919 Chapter 1, Annex H

Each Squadron Committee should have a set of rules for its guidance. In some committees, these may have been updated and re-issued to committee members regularly. However, we suspect that in some cases, these original rules may have been lost, neglected or simply forgotten.

Accordingly, we recommend that each committee establish whether it has an up to date set of rules. In addition, whether all the committee members have a copy. If not, then you should develop a set based upon the example in the Annex to the ‘Notes of Guidance’. For ease of reference, a copy of this example is attached as Appendix A, on pages 8a and 8b of this publication.

These rules are obviously only the framework upon which a successful committee will operate. Behind a successful squadron, there is usually a committed, enthusiastic and therefore successful, civilian committee. They do not use rules as the ‘be all and end all’ of their activities, but apply a large dose of common sense and best practice.

However, changes in circumstance or of personnel, can sometimes give rise to concerns, misunderstandings or dispute. In the following two sections, we have looked at those areas, which seem, at some time or another, to cause the most concern within our committees, i.e. Matters of Dispute and the Replacement of Committee Members.

Appendix A

Draft Rules for ATC Squadron Committees

1.       Name:

The name of this Committee shall be: “The Civilian Welfare Committee ……… (……………………)Sqn (Sqn No. (Name of locality)), Air Training Corps.

2.       Purpose:

The purpose of the Committee is to undertake such duties as are laid down in the Regulations of the Air Training Corps (AP1919) and in accordance with Notes of Guidance to Civilian Committees as approved by the Air Cadet Council.

3.       Officers of the Committee:

Officers of the Committee shall be the Chairman, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer, who shall be appointed from among the members of the Committee for the term of one year. The Squadron CO, the CO of any detached flight and the Squadron Chaplain will be ex-officio members of the Committee. No cadet will be eligible for membership of any squadron committee either as an officer or as an ex-officio member. Appointments of the Officers of the Committee are to be made by election by the members of the Committee annually or on any other occasion should a vacancy arise through unforeseen circumstances.

4.       Meetings:

a)       The Committee is to meet not less frequently than once in 3 months, but preferably more often, the Secretary summoning the meetings at the instance of the Chairman. One meeting so held shall constitute the Annual General Meeting.

b)       Meetings shall also be called by the Secretary at the instance of any 2 members of the Committee, who will have communicated to the Secretary beforehand, the matter they wish to discuss.

c)       A majority of the Committee shall constitute a quorum, provided this includes one officer of the Committee.

5.       Procedure for the annual re-appointment of Members of the Committee:

In the month of …………………….. each year, one third of the Committee shall be automatically retired in rotation, although they will be eligible for re-election. The vacancies so caused are to be filled by ballot of the remaining Members of the Committee only, from candidates proposed and seconded by any of the following:

a)       Members of the Committee

b)       Parents of cadets serving in the Squadron(s) administered by the Committee

c)       Regular subscribers to the welfare funds of the Squadron(s)

One month’s notice in advance is to be given of the date by which proposals are to be received.

(Note: Nothing in the above paragraph shall affect either the power of the AOC Air Cadets to appoint additional members of the Committee, or the terms of reference of such members which shall be at the discretion of the AOC Air Cadets.)

6.       Procedure for relieving Members of their Appointment:

The Committee is empowered by majority vote, to relieve any member (including the Chairman), of his/her appointment or membership. Only full members of the body are entitled to vote, ex-officio and nominated members being excluded. All full members must be involved in the decision.

7.         Appointment of Sub-Committees:

a)         The Committee shall have the power to appoint sub-committees to carry out such of the responsibilities of the Committee as may be delegated to them. At least one of the members of any sub-committee is to be a member of the Committee. Sub-committees shall fix their own rules of procedure and elect their own Chairmen. The powers of a sub-committee shall be limited by terms of reference laid down by the Committee.

b)         Where any sub-committee is appointed with duties involving the receipt or expenditure of public or non-public monies, the Honorary Treasurer is to be Treasurer of the sub-committee.

8.         Minutes:

a)         The Secretary is to keep Minutes of each meeting of the Committee, which shall be approved at the succeeding meeting or by circulation to the members.

b)         Minutes of all meetings of sub-committees shall be kept and approved similarly.

9.         Public and non-public funds:

       The public and non-public funds entrusted to the Committee shall be regarded as being in the joint charge of all members of the Committee, the Honorary Treasurer being regarded as their servant for the receipt, custody and disbursement of such monies.

       The Committee shall direct the Honorary Treasurer, regarding his/her duties, as they think fit.

       Provided that the public and non-public accounts are recorded separately, they may be included in the same ledger.

Resolving Matters of Dispute

Reference:  ‘Notes of Guidance for Civilian Committees in the Air  Training Corps.

As in all matters that concern cadets, staff or committees within the Wing, the correct procedure is always to follow the chain of command upwards. This applies particularly to our committees, where members may not be familiar with this hierarchical procedure. The civilian members should preferably always deal with instances of difficulty within the civilian structure.

Within a Wing, experience has moulded the Reference into the following procedure, which is applicable unless modified in the future by a later Reference or by the Wing Committee:

      We decide local matters within our committees by consensus; i.e. the majority vote applies. However, there may be instances where an individual feels that the issue is of such importance that it has to be taken higher, and does not accept a decision at local level.

      Whenever any committee member is unable to resolve, to his or her satisfaction, a matter of principle or major concern within a local committee, then they should address the complaint to the Squadron Chairman, for transmission with any comments, to the Wing Chairman. Where this might be difficult because of the nature of the complaint, it may be made directly to the Wing Chairman.

      The Wing Chairman will seek to resolve the problem at local level. This could involve either some or all of the following steps:

       Telephone discussions with the parties concerned

       A visit to the Squadron and a meeting with the individuals and perhaps the whole committee

       If appropriate, meeting with the OC unit and his or her staff

       If necessary, discussion or meetings with Wing Staff Officers, OC Wing or other Wing staff.

      If it still proves impossible to resolve the issue, the Wing Chairman will refer the matter to the Regional Chairman, who has authority vested in him to relieve any committee member at Wing and Squadron level.

      If, after consultation with the Regional Commandant the matter remains unresolved, then the case will be sent to the Commandant Air Cadets for a decision.

By following this procedure for dealing with disputes, it should be possible to contain the matter within the Corps. We try to avoid the need to use the latter stages within this Wing. We much prefer dealing with any problems ourselves, to the satisfaction of all involved.

Replacement of Committee Members

Reference: Notes of Guidance for Civilian Committees in the Air Training Corps.

Squadron Committee members, including the Chairman, may be relieved of their appointments and, if required, of their membership, by a majority vote of the full members of the committee.

Within the Wing, experience and precedence have evolved into the following recommended procedure:

      A majority of the committee members constitutes a quorum and is therefore representative of the whole committee; provided that it includes at least one of the elected officers, i.e. the Chairman, Treasurer or Secretary. In practise, this means that given a committee of say 9 persons, including the three elected officers, one of those officers, plus 4 other committee members is a quorum or valid committee, whose vote is binding on the full committee.

      Voting can be any combination of a committee meeting, postal vote, fax, E-mail or telephone, as agreed by a majority of the committee.

      Whenever a problem arises, which might lead to the need to replace a committee member, it is sometimes felt that, for various reasons, this could not be accomplished without some personal difficulties within the committee. In such cases, it is open to the Chairman, or a majority of the committee, to ask for the intervention of the Wing Chairman.

      As an ‘outsider’, they will seek to resolve the problem at local level, using the procedure detailed in Section 4.

      If it still proves impossible to resolve the issue satisfactorily, the Wing Chairman will then refer the matter on to the Regional Chairman.

As always, we would try very hard to contain any problems within the Wing. Only as a last resort, would we see the need to refer the matter on to higher authority.

Honorary Presidents and Vice-Presidents

Reference: Notes of Guidance for Civilian Committees in the Air Training Corps.

Squadron Committees, or the Wing Committee, in consultation with their Commanding Officer, may wish to invite a local dignitary to become their Honorary President or Vice-President.

The reason for such appointments is to take advantage of the experience and influence that such a person could offer. He or She might be, for example:

      A retired Senior RAF Officer

      A local dignitary with an interest in youth activities

      An individual prominent within local civic or county affairs

Within the Wing, the procedure for initiating and progressing all such appointments is strictly as follows:

1.       A committee would agree upon a suitable candidate in absolute confidence, and forward their suggestion, together with appropriate background information, to OC Wing.

2.       At this stage, no approach, formal or informal, is to be made to their nominee.

3.       If OC Wing agrees with their proposal, he will forward the details to the Regional Commandant for approval.

4.       If at either stage, OC Wing or the Regional Commandant disagree with the proposal, it will be returned to the committee with appropriate commentary.

5.       Given the approval of the Regional Commandant, the Committee may then approach their nominee informally, to determine whether he or she would be willing to accept the appointment.

6.       If so, the Committee will confirm this to Wing HQ, to advise the Regional Commandant, who will then write formally to the nominee, inviting him or her to the position.

7.       Presidents and Vice-Presidents are appointed for an initial period of not more than 3 years. After this, they may be re-elected for further periods of 3 years or less, according to the wishes of the Committee.

Once appointed, Honorary Presidents do not normally attend committee meetings other than the AGM. Nor are they involved in the day to day running of the Committee or the Squadron.

Tips for Honorary Secretaries

Just a few tips gathered over the years within the Wing, that might help to make life easier for the Secretary to a Squadron Committee:

        The Secretary is the person responsible for the administrative activities within the Squadron Committee.

      The Secretary is responsible for arranging committee meetings, as requested by the Chairman, but not less frequently than once every 3 months.

      That will include confirming the availability and suitability of the venue. If within the Squadron HQ, that would need to be with the Squadron Commander.

      Then ensuring that all the committee members are advised of the meeting in good time, with details of any special agenda items.

      Remember that there must be a majority of the committee members present, including at least one elected officer, to constitute a quorum. Anything less, and the meeting should be aborted.

      If requested by any two members of the committee, the Secretary can arrange extra meetings.  The reason(s) for the meeting need to have been made clear to the Secretary before-hand, who may advise this to committee members with the notification.

      At all committee meetings, the Secretary is responsible for the administration, correspondence, taking notes and then producing Minutes afterwards, in whatever format and to the distribution that has been agreed by the majority of the committee.

      The Secretary will need to arrange with the Chairman, the format, details and timing for the AGM. This will include advising parents and guests, ensuring that the Treasurer has an Annual Report ready and ideally that copies are available for other committee members and any guests.

      The Secretary should also ensure that, at the AGM, the correct procedure is followed for the re-appointment of committee members.  This would be in accordance with the Rules for that committee.

Procedures for the Handling of Non-Public Funds

This procedure complies with the Charity Commissioners’ guidelines and is as follows:

Income

All money, including Canteen proceeds, collected on the Squadron or DF premises is to be recorded by either the Admin. Officer (or representative) or b) The Treasurer (or representative) in the appropriate ledger (Subs Book, Activities Book etc) and the total transaction written into the Receipt Book for the Treasurer.

Either a) The Admin.Officer (or representative) or b) The Treasurer (or representative) will collect the money and sign the Receipt Book at the end of each Parade. Either person will pay the money collected into the appropriate Squadron/DF account, as soon as possible, using the paying-in book provided for that purpose. Please note that the money paid in must be the total collected on the unit, as evidenced in the Receipt Book. For audit purposes, the Receipt Book can then be checked against the Squadron/DF Bank Account.

Expenditure

The CO may authorise expenditure for Squadron/DF requirements to a limit of £ (a); the Treasurer will reimburse this on production of a receipt signed by the CO (where £(a) has previously been agreed with the committee).

Items of proposed expenditure over £ (a) must be agreed, in writing, in advance of commitment on a Squadron Expenditure Request Form (SERF). This must be approved by the CO and then authorised by the Treasurer or Chairman.  Items over £ (b) require authorisation from the CO and both Treasurer and Chairman and may require approval from a Civilian Committe meeting. The Treasurer will make payment on production of an invoice and correctly authorised SERF. These forms will be available from the Squadron/Admin Office.

Please be advised that any expenditure without an authorised SERF, or costs in excess of the amount agreed, will not be reimbursed and will be the responsibility of the individual incurring the cost.

This procedure is in line with guidelines issued by the Charity Commissioners and the annual audit will include a check of expenditure items against authorised SERFs.

All requests for expenditure should include the following information:

Tips for Squadron Committee Chairmen

The following tips or advice reflect current best practice within the Wing. They are not tablets of stone and are subject to any changes that might follow from legislation, ATC directives, or your own comments and observations. If you have other tips that you would like included, please advise the Wing Chairman, who will consider them for future amendments:

      We decide local matters by consensus, i.e. the majority vote applies. Within the Wing Committee, I have often used this definition of ‘Consensus Decisions’, which I commend to you: -

“A consensus based decision is one that you can live with and that you accept, due to the majority feeling of the group (you may not necessarily like it!).  The only decision that you must resist totally is one with which you cannot live.”

      It is always preferable that civilians themselves resolve any difficulties within the civilian side of the ATC. The procedures for trying to do so are covered in Sections 4 and 5 of this publication. Chairmen need to assure their committee members, and any parents of cadets, who approach them, that these established procedures are the most efficient way to resolve an issue.

      If the problem from parents is one that needs to be referred to the uniformed staff, then do not get involved. Refer without delay. Good communication will prevent any misunderstandings.

      Whenever anyone with a grievance tries to bypass the established route and contacts senior ATC or RAF staff, or even HRH direct, it only lengthens the process as the grievance then has to come all the way back down the chain to Wing HQ, before going back up again. In addition, it creates a poor impression at a higher level that rubs off on everyone within the Wing, to the detriment of our cadets. The enormous amount of additional work that this involves also diverts activity away from the cadets.

      Please try to make sure that all your members, particularly those new to the committee or the ATC, are aware of the correct procedures for disputes or grievances. All such matters reported up through the correct chain of command are always dealt with.

      While the Squadron Commander and staff will appreciate your occasional, scheduled visits to maintain good communications, it is easy to overdo it. You need to ensure that apart from duty visits, e.g. running the canteen, collecting subs and any non-public funds, etc., that neither you nor any other committee members are on the squadron premises too often.

      Despite the often best intentions of committee members, too many or too often can sometimes be considered intimidating or stifling by the staff. Remember it is their job to run the Squadron. Committees are there to help them, when appropriate and when requested.

      Over the years, one of the most frequent problems that Wing Staff have noted on their Squadrons has been between the two sides of the management partnership, the uniform structure and the civilian committees. Most possible variations have been encountered and resolved. Good communications and a good measure of common sense certainly help to avoid problems, together with the acknowledgement of why we are all involved. The prime concern of us all, should be the well being and advancement of our cadets. Anybody that makes the achievement of that objective more difficult, will find little sympathy within this Wing.

Fundraising Activities

Reference: AP1919 Chapter 11; Notes for the Control of Public and Non-Public Funds in ATC Units.

Each committee has a responsibility to ensure that it is in total control of any funds raised on its behalf, so that all the money so raised, to which the welfare fund is entitled, is received from such events.

To help ensure this:

      A majority of the committee must give prior approval to all fund-raising activities on its behalf

      The organiser(s) of the fund-raising activity will normally be a committee member, but the committee may approve an ‘outsider’,

      The organiser(s) must agree to provide the committee with a complete financial accounting for the event, within an agreed time.

      All profit for the event will need to be passed to the Treasurer, as soon as possible after the event, for payment into the welfare funds.

The Squadron Commander’s agreement will be necessary before any arrangements are made for cadets to participate in fund-raising events. The Squadron will have to apply for permission to take part in a public event to arrange insurance cover, so give them plenty of advance notice. In such cases, it would be usual for a member of staff to accompany the cadets throughout the event.

All the administration concerning the cadets, e.g. dress, degree of involvement, number of cadets, etc. are the sole responsibility of the Squadron Commander, or the delegated staff member.

About the only limits to the fund-raising activities that can be undertaken by a committee are, that they should be safe for all involved and should not reflect adversely on the cadets themselves or the ATC. See Section 13 for the rules governing Street Collections. Once again, common sense and good communications between all parties are essential ingredients to success.

Applications for Lottery Grants – 

A Wing Staff Officer co-ordinates applications for lottery grants and questions need to be sent to Wing HQ's.

Financial Controls and Accounting for Public & Non-Public Funds

Reference: AP1919 Chapter 11, Notes for the Control of Public and Non-Public Funds.

Administration:

1.             The administration of both Wing and Squadron public and non-public funds is vested in the civilian committees, which are responsible for their receipt, custody and disbursement

2.             Welfare funds held at Wing and Squadron level are registered with the Charity Commissioners as Exempted Charities and must be administered in accordance with Charity Laws.

3.             The Charity Commissioners regard all the members of a Squadron Civilian Committee as “trustees”.

4.             At Wing Committee level, the members of the Executive Committee, will be the trustees, rather than the full Committee.

5.             All committees must retain proper financial records, to be made available for inspection at any time.

6.             The Commandant Air Cadets exercises overall control of ATC public funds and may, at any time, enquire into the financial administration of a Squadron or Wing.

Financial Delegation:

All financial delegations to the Officer Commanding, to cover cash floats on a Squadron or Unit, must be made formally in writing by the committee Treasurer and may not be transferred. A new form of delegation is required when either party changes, a copy of which needs to be sent to Wing HQ. The control or administration of public funds must not be delegated to the Officer Commanding, nor to any other person who is not a committee member.

Budgets:

Non-public funded spending is a large part of the requirements from the staff of an active squadron. Meeting that requirement is one of the most positive contributions that a civilian committee can make. However, ad-hoc spending requirements, followed by ad-hoc fund raising is not effective and offers no opportunities for planned expenditure or developing a welfare fund.

Some form of financial planning is essential. Each committee should seek an annual spending ‘wish list’ from the Officer Commanding, to cover all of his cadet and staff activities over the coming 12 month period.

 The committee will need to discuss and agree the level of support that it would like to give to these objectives. The degree to which justification is required from the staff is very dependent upon the situation at that time in that particular unit.

It is unrealistic and unacceptable for staff to expect ‘cash on demand’, particularly in a unit where funds are not in a very healthy state. Rather, they should be encouraged to play a part in planning and participating in fund-raising events, to bring the funds available up to a more realistic level. 

Equally, the committee is not an inquisition and cannot expect the staff to jump through hoops to justify funding for equipment that would be of obvious benefit to the unit or its cadets.

Again common sense and good communication are essential to the co-operation between both parties, with the committee providing staff with the support needed to develop and maintain a successful unit.

The Treasurer will be able to estimate the outgoing to HQAC and Wing funds and then the likely income from cadet subscriptions. Given that the committee agrees to maintain or not deplete the level of any funds in hand, then the balance will need to come from fund-raising. Knowing the timing of agreed expenditure would help the committee to plan its fund-raising activities and with the co-operation of the staff, avoid any clashes of interest or activities.

Income (see also Section 15 reference Cadet Subscriptions)

The committee is responsible for the receipt and safe custody of all incoming funds, including cadet subscriptions, and maintaining financial records. Precisely how cadet subscriptions are collected is a matter for each unit. In some, a member of staff will handle them, in others a SNCO cadet will be given the responsibility, in yet others a committee member or the Treasurer will collect subscriptions and sign for them in the appropriate income record book.

Whatever the arrangement, it is important that income is recorded in the unit’s record books and then banked regularly. Only very small amounts of cash should need to be kept in a safe or locked cash box. The Treasurer or nominated officer should hold the keys.

On no account must cadet subscriptions be retained by staff and used as a petty cash float for ad-hoc expenditure, with the balance being eventually made available to the Treasurer. It is against ATC regulations for staff to be directly involved with non-public funds.

Expenditure:

The committee alone is responsible for all expenditure of the unit’s welfare funds, and is accountable for how these funds have been spent.

For added security, all cheques drawn against welfare funds must be signed by two authorised civilian committee signatories and evidenced by some form of request, e.g. invoice, receipt, etc.

Annual Accounts:

Under Charity Laws, the committee is responsible for ensuring that proper books and records are kept, and that an annual summary of receipts and payments are made and submitted to Wing HQ, accompanied by the Summary Sheet shown on Page 20a. The committee should also ensure that the appropriate bank or building society statements evidence any balance of funds.

All committees should be aware that when an area Wing Staff Officer conducts the annual inspection of the Squadron, one task is to ensure that proper books and records are being kept. This includes those for non-public funds. It is therefore important that with good communication on the unit, the committee is aware of the inspection date in good time. Whenever possible, the Treasurer or a member of the committee should be at the unit during the inspection, or arrangements made for the books and records to be available.

When a Squadron is involved in a multi-unit camp or expedition, a profit/loss account should be prepared at unit level and incorporated into the Annual Accounts.

A register should be maintained of all the property and equipment purchased or acquired from non-public funds or sources. It will form the basis for annual spending projections and insurance cover.

Any Problems?

These controls are designed to assist the efficient administration of the unit, within ATC regulations and Charity Laws, and should not become a chore or bone of contention between squadron staff and their committees.

If any committee has problems with any aspect of the above, in interpreting or applying these financial controls, but particularly in meetings its obligations to have full and effective control of all non-public funds, then it should advise the Wing Chairman or Wing Treasurer immediately, who will attempt to resolve the situation.

Duty of Care

Transporting cadets to authorised activities:

We have given some thought as to how our ‘Duty of Care’ responsibilities can be maintained while utilising the good services of committee members, or parents and guardians, to assist staff with the transport of cadets to authorised activities, e.g. sports, flying or gliding.

While common sense and attention to guidelines already in place will remain the criteria for continuing good duty of care, we would emphasise the following:

1.             On every occasion, the Squadron Commander must have approved, in advance, the journey and have the following details: - cadets’ names, driver’s name, vehicle registration number, etc.

2.             Confirm also that the driver has appropriate insurance cover.

3.             It will be the responsibility of the Squadron Commander to provide a staff member to accompany the group, whether in the same vehicle, or in another making the same journey.

Committees should ensure that all their members are aware of these criteria and make every effort to assist staff with their compliance. Also, please note that there is no recompense from public funds for transporting cadets in private vehicles.

Food Hygiene Awareness and Training:

 We have ascertained that some local authorities run basic Food Hygiene courses that HQAC consider would meet our needs. However, if a committee does go down this route, it should ensure that it maintains sufficient people in qualification.

HQAC have advised that there is no public funding nor training courses available.

Insurance:

Each committee needs to arrange that its members are covered under the optional, but recommended Insurance scheme offered by the ATC. For the majority of activity involvement likely to be undertaken by civilian committee members, public liability is adequately covered under the combined liabilities schedule of the ATC Insurance Scheme. Personal liability can be covered in the optional scheme mentioned above, when the premium may be paid from the non-public fund.

Unit commanders please ensure that all your staff are covered under the Corps insurance and that it has been offered to eligible cadets.

Public Collections by ATC cadets, Staff and Committee Members

HQAC Routine Orders frequently identify the current regulations in respect of cadets and staff in uniform. For the information of your committees and to avoid any misunderstandings, these are as follows: 

“Squadron Commanders are reminded that:

 a.             Cadets in uniform are permitted to collect only for RAF charities, RAFA Wings Week, ATC Welfare Funds, RBL Poppy Appeal and SSAFA. Public collections in aid of such charities and funds may be made only in the following circumstances:

1.              At theatres, cinemas, or other places of public entertainment, if the performance is given in aid of RAF charities or ATC welfare funds, and box office receipts or a proportion of them have been set aside for these charities, or when permission has been given for a collection to be made either during or at the end of the performance.

2.              At dances, concerts or other functions that have been arranged by ATC squadrons to aid RAF charities or ATC welfare funds.

3.              Cadets and/or adults are forbidden to make street or house to house collections to raise money for ATC welfare funds. Street collections by cadets in uniform are permitted only for RAFA Wings Week or RBL Poppy Appeal at Remembrance Time. Squadron Commanders are to ensure that the above street collections have been approved by the appropriate local authority and any exemption certificate, which might be required on age grounds, has been obtained by the organisers.

b.             Personal accident and public liability insurance has been extended to cover the collections referred to above, provided that:

1.              The cadets are in uniform

2.              The local police have been informed and their recommendations are observed.

            AP 1919, Paragraph 1127; the Notes for the control of public and non-public funds in ATC units; and the pamphlet for ATC Insurance Schemes will be amended in due course.”

It needs to be recognised by staff and committees that all such funds raised are ‘non-public’ and as such are the responsibility of the committee, not of the staff who may have been responsible for organising the collections.

At a very early stage, the committee will need to have liaised with uniformed staff, to ensure appropriate safe custody of and accountability for the collections.

The Treasurer will need to agree with the staff or the organiser's) of a particular collection exactly how the funds raised are to be handed over to the organiser's).

Once again, good communications within the committee with the ex-officio uniformed staff should ensure that all such non-public fund raising collections are conducted and completed in good order, to the benefit of all concerned.

Open Evenings and Public Relations

All Squadrons should hold some form of Open Evening when the unit is open to parents, the general public, potential cadets, etc. To many of these events, local VIPs, MPs or Senior RAF Officers are also invited.

On such occasions, the committee can be an essential component towards the success of the evening. The programme will be influenced by the requirements and circumstances of the unit, but would normally consist of some, or all of the following: 

      Formal Parade and Inspection by VIP

      Presentation of Awards

      Enrolment of new cadets

      Squadron Commander’s address to Guests

      Committee Chairman’s address to Guests

      Displays by Cadets

      Tour of the Unit showing the activities of the cadets

      Refreshments

      Final Parade and Dismissal

How the Committee can help:

      All Open Evenings require an announcer to tell the guests what is happening throughout the evening. This could be a CI or a member of the Committee during the formal parade and then the OC Unit for the rest of the evening.

      All VIPs must have a nominated escort for the whole of the evening. This could be a junior officer, Committee Chairman or Wing Staff Officer.

      The Committee Chairman will usually be given the opportunity to explain the raison d’être and workings of the Civilian Welfare Committee to the guests and invite new members to join them.

      Refreshments – while some committee members may be involved in making the refreshments, it is better if cadets are used to serve the guests, rather than having guests queue up at the canteen.

      All the staff and as many committee members as possible should be out with the guests. All too frequently, staff and committee are hidden away in the office or behind the scenes, rather than talking to their guests.

      All CIs and committee members should have name/job badges.

Once again, organised prior planning and continuing communications between the committee and staff, will help to ensure that the evening is a success. It will help also to avoid any misunderstandings, last minute changes and disappointment.

There is every reason for the committee to get involved, offer as much assistance to the staff as possible and to try to encourage parents and guests to come along on the evening and support the cadets and staff.

Obviously, Open Evenings are a great opportunity for good local PR. Committee members may have contacts with the local press that could be of assistance when arranging for some coverage. Positive input and assistance, where necessary, from the committee, can help to achieve the objectives of the staff, committee and cadets - to make their unit look good on the evening, to VIPs, parents, guests and potential cadets.

Cadet Subscriptions

Historically, cadet subscriptions were the main source of income to a unit’s non- – public welfare funds. Over recent years, the level of non-public funded expenditure required at unit and Wing level has resulted either in an increased proportion needing to be achieved by fund-raising, or by increasing cadet subscriptions to cover the difference.

In some areas units are allowed to set their own subscription rate, however where units are in close proximity this can create discord and a survey in 1998 showed :

      Some units with low cadet subscription levels were also those frequently in arrears for payment to Wing HQ, with their contributions to the HQAC, Region and Wing funds.

      Several units had not reviewed the cadet subscription level for quite a number of years.

      Low subscription levels, in relation to canteen costs, charges by other youth organisations or the general cost of leisure time activities; could appear to devalue the perception of the ATC by both cadets and their parents.

      Different subscription levels between neighbouring units could encourage cadets to move from an expensive to a cheaper unit.

      Units would also be free to decide whether or not to charge a subscription to probationers, with the rate and starting period to be agreed by the committee.

      These decisions are reviewed by the Wing Committee each December at the Wing Budget Meeting.

 The possibility of funding BTEC qualifications, to all cadets free of individual charge, has been debated. One solution was to raise the unit contribution to Wing funds, by 50 pence per cadet per charged month, would enable a Wing to fund these awards from its central budget.

 The Wing Chairman reminds each meeting that in cases of financial hardship in a cadet’s family, the Squadron Committee should be prepared to waive both the weekly subscriptions and charges for any other authorised activities, e.g. activity weekends, camps, etc. Where a unit found itself unable to cover these costs from its welfare funds, the committee should approach the Wing Chairman to discuss the possibility of a loan or assistance from the Wing Fund.

It is policy within the ACO that financial hardship should not prevent any cadet from participating fully in the activities offered to cadets at Squadron, Wing or Corps level.

The main source of Wing Funds is from unit contributions. These are used to finance the annual Wing Budget, which is agreed at the December Wing Committee meeting each year.

Obviously, the efficient collection of cadet subscriptions on each unit is one of the most important activities for which the committee is responsible. The maximum level of subscription, the frequency of review and the manner of collection from their cadets are a matter for local committee resolution. However, experience has shown that the procedures can and do go wrong. For example:

      Where the OC unit agrees that a member of staff can maintain the register and collect and record the subscriptions, then the committee needs to agree:

a)       How the cash or cheques will be handled when collected. They can either be kept in a locked cashbox during the parade evening, then collected by or delivered to the Treasurer, against his or her signature.

b)       Or, the funds can be taken away by the designated staff member, then at the first opportunity paid into the unit’s welfare account, via a separate paying-in book. The receipts or stubs can then be passed onto the Treasurer, to be checked against the subscription record.

c)       How arrears will be handled. What reasons will be accepted for non-payment and for how long? What penalties would be considered? By whom?

      If the OC unit cannot identify a member of staff to be responsible,  a SNCO cadet be considered for the task? Perhaps as a part of SNCO training? What arrangements would then need to be made for safe custody of the funds?

      If the committee finds that it needs a committee member to collect the funds, then the same considerations mentioned above would apply.

The matter of cadet subscriptions is certainly one that every committee needs to watch very closely. Handled badly, it can easily give cadets a poor impression of the organisation on the unit and thus of the staff and committee. Procedures need to be reviewed regularly and the level of subscriptions being paid or overdue, questioned at committee meetings.  

No committee can afford for very long, the ‘luxury’ of some or all of the following:

      ‘Ghost cadets’, kept on register by staff to maintain the overall unit strength, but in fact no longer attending nor paying any subscriptions. The committee will still have to pay contributions for that cadet, to HQAC and Wing.

      No agreed procedure in place for collecting and banking cadet subscriptions.

      A high percentage of subscription arrears, with no consistent and agreed action for recovery.

      A redundant procedure for collecting cadet subscriptions, where the designated person has left, or is not regularly attending on parade nights.

      No regular reviews of subscription levels

      No agreed procedure for checking the subscription records when a cadet leaves the unit.

Cadet subscriptions must not be collected and left on the unit premises overnight. Neither must the committee delegate its responsibilities to the staff, allowing the subscriptions to be used as a cash float for ad-hoc expenditure, with any balance eventually finding its way into the welfare fund.

Accommodation & Estate Management

References: Service Level Agreement (see below), AP1919 Chapter 9.

RFCA provides estate and property management advice and support for the ATC properties managed by them. They work in conjunction with our Wing Headquarters’ staff in accordance with the Service Level Agreement, an extract of which is held by the Squadron Commander, and AP 1919, Chapter 9.

You would be well advised to familiarise yourselves with the general content of these references, since committee members frequently get involved with accommodation matters. For convenience, some of the most important points are listed below:

      Wing procedures for action and reporting in the event of an emergency are contained in the Unit Location List.

      RFCA may require access at short notice and the keyholders list kept at Wing HQ should be kept updated of any changes at local level.

      Routine Works Services reporting should be actioned on the Works proforma.

      Self-Help projects are not to be undertaken without authority from RFCA through Wing HQ. A full justification should be submitted for consideration.

      The building(s) cannot be sub-let or hired out for non-ATC related activities unless with prior agreement, via the hire form, from RFCA.

      The general maintenance and tidiness of external area surrounds, e.g. grass, is a unit responsibility and does not normally attract public funding.

      Electrical items purchased or obtained by a unit, excluding those provided by RFCA, are to be inspected annually by a competent person to certify their safety.

      Structures which have not been provided by RFCA, e.g. abseil towers, etc. should also be inspected and certified annually for safety, by a competent person. This would be, for example, a structural engineer or surveyor. All costs incurred fall to the unit.

      The premises are normally inspected at least once annually by RFCA, accompanied by the Wing Admin. Officer.

      Contractors working on site are not to be tasked by ATC staff or civilian committee members, with changes or alterations to their schedule, without authority.

Once again, good communications between the unit’s staff, its committee members and Wing HQ staff, will help to avoid any misunderstandings and the inevitable delays that result. 

If, or when, things start to go wrong

On a dynamic Squadron or Unit, given that there will be some staff changes, staff shortages, even with a good, bad or indifferent civilian committee, it would be against human nature for there not to be any problems.

The golden rule is to accept that sometime, somewhere, probably within this Wing, perhaps in the recent past, these problems have happened before. Someone has had to solve the problem and the solution to your situation is out there. You will not have to re-invent the wheel so don’t waste time trying. You are not alone!

When you ask for help, if the answer is not within personal experience or on file, the Wing Chairman is able to call upon the combined experience of all those on the Wing Committee, Wing Staff Officers, other Wing Chairmen within the region, etc.

Should the problem be between civilians on the committee, then the correct route is from Squadron Chairman to Wing Chairman. If there are difficulties with uniformed staff, then the correct route is first to the Squadron Chairman who will attempt to resolve the matter with the Squadron Commander. Should that not prove possible, then contact the Wing Chairman. He will discuss with an appropriate Wing Staff Officer and if necessary with OC Wing. Any necessary visits or action will then follow.

As mentioned earlier, we much prefer to try to resolve any problems within the Wing. This is often much more likely, if any issues are tackled promptly and contained, before delays, misunderstanding and frustration turn a problem into a calamity.

At the forefront of all our discussions, concerns or any remedial actions to deal with problems, will be the effect that this could have on our cadets. Their well being, welfare and individual development are the primary reason that we are involved with this organisation.