Open Evenings

All Squadrons hold some form of Open Evening where the unit is open to parents, the general public, potential cadets, etc. In addition, most units hold enrolment parades to which parents are invited. To many of these events local VIPs, MPs, or Senior RAF Officers are also invited.

OC Wing and Wing Staff Officers attend very many of these each year and this document provides comments on Best Practice as seen by them plus specific comment made by the Regional Commandant and Commandant Air Cadets.

Programme

The specific programme for the evening will be dictated by the requirements of the unit but will normally consist of some, or all, of the following:

      Formal Parade and Inspection by VIP

      Presentation of Awards

      Enrolment of new cadets

      Unit Cdrs address to guests

      Unit Chairman address to guests

      Displays by Cadets

      Tour of the Unit showing the activities of the unit

      Refreshments

      Final parade and dismissal

It is essential that a full dress rehearsal be held so that it can be approved by the Unit Cdr.
All Open Evenings require an announcer to tell the parents and guests what is happening throughout the evening. This could be a CI or a member of the CWC during the formal parade and then Unit Cdr for the rest of the evening. It is not acceptable however for the Unit Cdr to leave the parents unattended whilst organising cadets "behind the scenes".

Uniformed staff will wear No. 1 Uniform. Where possible Civilian Instructors should wear Squadron sweatshirts or polo shirts to add to the identity of the Squadron. Members of the Civilian Welfare committee can also wear these as appropriate. It is noticeable that VIPs always comment on the smartness of units where the civilian staff are uniformly dressed.

Formal Parade and Inspection by VIP

The layout of a formal parade is clearly laid down and the Wing Warrant Officer will give advice if required.

The parade should not be formed up too early; the Unit Cdr should take over the parade two or three minutes before the VIP is due.

VIPs

Members of Parliament, Senior Navy, Army and RAF Officers can only be approached via Wing HQ. All VIPs must have a nominated escort for the whole of the evening. This could be a junior officer, or CWC Chairman. VIPs normally arrive exactly on time and if they are early their escort, who meets them at the gate, can ask them to wait. Wing Staff Officers (WSOs) will provide escorts for VVIPs if required.

All VIPs need a copy of the Parade Orders in advance and ideally a brief pen picture of principle staff. If they are inspecting the cadets on parade then advice must be given (particularly to civilian VIPs) on what is expected and how many cadets they are expected to talk to. As a rough guide on a small unit then every other cadet, medium size Sqns would expect one in three and very large Sqns, one in five. The inspection must not take so long that cadets start to faint and the parents go to sleep.

Presentation of Awards

Only a small number of awards or prizes should be made during a formal parade. This number can be increased by having all the recipients of the same award lined up at the front for the VIP to walk along presenting whilst the announcer reads out the names. For larger numbers of awards (20 plus) the cadets should not be on parade but sat down.

Enrolment Service

The details of the service are laid down and the Wing Padre will give advice to Unit Padres if required.

As these will be the newest cadets, it is particularly important that they have had several rehearsals so they do not embarrass themselves, and the unit, in front of their parents. It is usual for the cadets to line up in front of the Unit and to say their Promise together (unless there are very few in which case individual Promises can be said). Unfortunately, it is also usual for the cadets not to be told what to do once they have been enrolled or how to return to the parade or whether to salute. It would also be appreciated if there was the correct number of certificates, with the correct names in the correct order and that the 3822s were prepared in advance.

Squadron Commander's Address to Guests

As a guide ten minutes is the maximum for a speech. A Review of the Year, to a seated audience, using a slideshow, OHPs, Video or similar can go on longer. Equipment for this purpose may be borrowed from Wg HQ.

It is strongly recommended that guests be shown the Corps Video

Many computer literate cadets have produced very good displays of Unit activities, which could be shown. The Unit Cdr should introduce the staff prior to the refreshment break.

Squadron Chairman's Address

Wherever possible the CWC Chairman should be given the opportunity to explain the workings of the CWC to the guests and invite new members to join.

Displays by Cadets

These often provide the highlight of the evening, unfortunately they all too frequently can provide the disaster as well. It is essential that the Unit Cdr has seen the display in advance in the form it is to be given and has approved it. Cadet language and humour is not always suitable for VIPs and parents!

Displays should be short and require minimum setting up. Humorous displays need particular care. Two or three short displays would be best.

Displays using weapons other than for Rifle Drill or to show Range Procedure are forbidden.

Tour of Squadron

The Unit Staff should have checked all the notice boards, white boards, etc and tidied up all posters, pictures etc....

Wing and Corps Routine Orders need to be checked to ensure they are the correct month - or in some cases - year as do other Orders and Notices.

The offices need to be tidied and classrooms laid out for inspection.

Refreshments

Coffee and tea are best served by cadets, rather than having guests queue up at a canteen.
All Staff, and CWC, should be out with the guests. All too frequently the staff are hidden away in the office rather than talking to their guests.

CIs and CWC members should have name/job badges.

Final Parade

If a final parade is to be held then an announcer should explain what is happening to the guests.
OC Unit will thank guests, VIP, staff, cadets etc and read out usual "Parish Notices" (suitably enhanced for the evening no doubt). Parade dismisses as Chapter One of this document.

Press

Invite the local press and have a handout ready for them about the Unit. Names and ages of cadets receiving awards typed out in advance helps to ensure that the report is more likely to be correct.

Appoint an escort to meet the press and look after them.

Overview Planning

   Start planning early

   Invites to MPs and Service Officers via Wing HQ

   Displays by cadets to be approved by Unit Cdr in advance

   Extra rehearsal for new cadets being enrolled

   Dress Rehearsal

   Unit HQ to be thoroughly clean and tidy. Notice boards checked

   Appoint Announcer available all evening

   Parade Orders to VIP in advance

   Nominate Escort(s) for the VIP(s)

   Only a small number of Awards during a Formal Parade

   CWC Chairman to address guests

   Speeches not to exceed 10 minutes

   Video or Slideshow presentation to Guests

   Short, sharp, displays with minimum gaps between

   No displays using weapons other than for Drill or Range Procedure

   All staff to be available to talk to guests during refreshment break

   Squadron or Wing sweatshirts/polo shirts for civilian members of the unit.

   Name/job title badges for CIs and CWC members.

   Invite local press and appoint an escort to look after them

Conclusion

The Open Evening is the opportunity to show the Corps and Unit to the world and is a prime PR opportunity that needs considerable care in planning and execution if it is to be successful.
A poorly planned open evening reflects badly on the Squadron and the Corps and can give parents and guests the wrong idea about the purpose of the ATC
Once again:

Prior Planning Prevents ...............