CANCDTGEN 006/25

Canadian Cadet General Order (CANCDTGEN)

Cadet Fitness Incentive Program Pilot

References:

1. CANCDTGEN 011/23, Interim Policy Modification – Cadet Fitness Assessment Incentive Program and Perron Award
2. CATO 14-18, Cadet Fitness Assessment and Incentive Program
3. CJCR Gp O 5002-6, Cadet Selection Process
4. A-CR-CCO-100/AG-001, Cadets and Junior Canadian Rangers Group Dress Instructions
5. CANCDTGEN 006/23, Cadets and Junior Canadian Rangers Group Interim Guidance on Gender Inclusion

1. In June 2023 the Cadet Fitness Assessment and Incentive Program, including the awarding of badges, as well as the Colonel Robert Perron Award for Excellence in Physical Fitness, was paused. This pause was to allow for consultation, development, and trials for a new incentive program and award criteria. Through extensive stakeholder engagement, fitness trials were developed and conducted to encourage cadets to be physically active and to recognize their efforts in a challenging, fair, and inclusive manner.
2. The modernized Cadet Fitness Incentive Program (CFIP) aims to be more inclusive by giving cadets several ways to participate. Once the program is fully in place, cadets can choose to participate in the fitness assessment, activity tracking, both fitness assessment and activity tracking, or neither option. Cadets will have options for how they want to be assessed and how they track their activities. They can also choose to do the assessment or tracking without aiming for a fitness badge. Additionally, a non-binary category is included in the fitness assessment to better represent and respect gender diversity.
3. The CFIP pilot implementation for Cadets and Junior Canadian Rangers Group (CJCR Gp) will begin with a revised Cadet Fitness Assessment (CFA) to evaluate physical fitness and recognize cadets for their performance. Therefore, effective immediately, references A and B are cancelled. Resources to support the implementation of the revised CFA are available on the Cadet365 Cadet Fitness Incentive Program SharePoint (You are now leaving Canada.ca. Link accessible only on the Cadet365 SharePoint).
4. All corps/squadrons are required to conduct the CFA as part of Performance Objective (PO) X04. Cadets are encouraged to participate in the CFA to monitor their physical performance and work towards improving their fitness levels. However, it is not mandatory for cadets to participate.
5. For Cadet Training Centres (CTCs), the CFA will be offered to the Introduction to Fitness and Sports and Fitness and Sports Instructor courses. Staff Cadets and course cadets participating in other CTC courses are encouraged to complete the CFA at the discretion of the CTC Commanding Officer. Participation in the CFA is not required for course completion.
6. Fitness incentive levels are no longer used in the ranking and selection of cadets for activities such as Area Directed Activities, Regionally Directed Activities, Nationally Directed Activities, or summer training opportunities. Additional information regarding selection processes can be found at reference C.
7. The CFA will test different physical fitness components through two optional activities for each component. This gives flexibility to both the staff conducting the assessment and the cadets participating. The standards for the CFA are based on data collected from cadets during the trial period. Points are awarded based on performance in each component, and these points will be used to recognize cadets at the four incentive levels of Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Excellence, along with corresponding badges.
8. Cadets who choose to participate in the CFA incentive levels will be asked to indicate the gender category for the purpose of incentive calculations. This information will be collected at the end of the assessment to ensure privacy and will be used by staff solely for the purpose of recognizing performance on the CFA with incentive levels. Once the incentive calculation is complete, the score sheet will be returned to the cadet. Cadets may select from the following categories:
   1. male – cadets that identify as male;
   2. female – cadets that identify as female; and
   3. non-binary – cadets whose identity does not fall within a gender binary or who prefer not to disclose.
9. Complete details for administering the CFA and awarding incentive levels, including a calculator to assist with determining results, are located on Cadet365 Cadet Fitness Incentive Program SharePoint (You are now leaving Canada.ca. Link accessible only on the Cadet365 SharePoint).
10. The CFA is intended to be completed on an annual basis. Incentive levels will be entered into FORTRESS and are valid for one year following the qualification date. Incentive level badges may be awarded starting Summer 2025 and will be worn in accordance with reference D.
11. Updates regarding the Colonel Robert Perron Award for Excellence in Physical Fitness will be communicated at a later date.
12. CFA results from the pilot program will be submitted to J7 Youth for review, and the standards will be updated as needed. Suggestions, ideas, concerns, and considerations identified during the pilot will help to validate the results and improve the CFA and CFIP. Individuals are encouraged to submit results and feedback using the Cadet Fitness Assessment Submission form using Cadet365 (You are now leaving Canada.ca. Link accessible only on the Cadet365 SharePoint). Feedback can also be sent directly to the J7 Youth Curriculum Development Team at J7Youth@forces.gc.ca.