34-07 - Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Training Programme

Cadet Administrative and Training Orders (CATOs)

Purpose

1. This order describes the compo­nents of the Royal Canadian Sea Cadet (RCSC) Training Pro­gramme.

General

2. The RCSC Training Programme is made up of the following components:

1. Corps Training conducted during the period September to June each year. Corps trai­ning is divi­ded into:
   (1) Local Headquarters (LHQ) Trai­ning. Made up of Man­datory and Mandato­ry Sup­port Trai­ning, LHQ Training represents the minimum acceptable level of training to be provided to Sea Ca­dets,
   (2) Directed Optional Training, and
   (3) Optional Training;
2. Summer Training conducted, for the most part, at Sea Cadet Trai­ning Establishments (SCTEs).

Rationale

3. The fundamental tenet behind all compo­nents of the RCSC Training Pro­gramme is that each activity is to contri­bute directly to the achieve­ment of the aims of the Canadian Cadet Organiza­tions as contained in QR (Cadets). The training contained in each of the com­ponents is based on this tenet amplified by subsidiary principles made necessa­ry by the fact that each component contri­buted to the overall aims in a sligh­tly different way.

4. Corps Training forms the basis of the entire programme. This is the case because, while only a percentage of ca­dets can be given the opportunity to attend a SCTE, every Sea Cadet participates in Corps Training. The three components of Corps Training are therefore designed to ensure that:

1. every Sea Cadet is provided, as a mini­mum, with the training needed to achieve the aims of the cadet organizations;
2. sufficient time is made available to corps to develop training pro­gram­mes suited to local inte­rests, resour­ces and needs; and
3. those programmes which contri­bute in a less obvious way to achieve­ment of the aims of the Cadet Orga­nizations are provi­ded with a reaso­nable level of CF support.

5. The first component of Corps Trai­ning is LHQ Training. Included in LHQ Training are the skills and kno­wledge which must be provided to each Sea Cadet in order to meet the aims of the organi­za­tion. This component contains the basic ele­ments of the ove­rall RCSC Training Programme and provides every Sea Cadet across Cana­da with an equal opportunity to develop both as a Cadet and as a citi­zen of Ca­nada.

6. As the component representing the basic Sea Cadet programme pres­cribed by NDHQ, LHQ trai­ning is com­pletely suppor­ted by the Canadian For­ces in accordance with the partnership agree­ment with the Navy League of Canada. It forms as well the basis for budgets, equipment acquisi­tion and scales of issue for Sea Cadets.

7. The second component of Corps Training is Directed Optional Training. For Sea Cadets, Direc­ted Optional Trai­ning includes only music, biathlon, small bore and regattas. Originally part of the Op­tio­nal Training Programme, these activities are recognized as ha­ving wider applicabili­ty to Sea Cadets, and as making a greater contribution to achievement of the aims of the Organi­zations, than other types of Op­tional Training. As a result, the Canadian Forces has agreed to provide a level of support to these activities provided that the Manda­tory and Mandatory Support Trai­ning (ie LHQ Trai­ning) is funded first. In addition, to ensure nation­wide applicability, the CF establishes natio­nal stan­dards for participation and ad­vancement within them.

8. The final component of Corps Trai­ning is Optio­nal Training. Its pur­pose is to enhance the Corps' activities both to main­tain the interest of Cadets and to allow the Corps CO to tailor the overall pro­gramme to meet the desires and cir­cumstances of the community from which the corps is formed. Be­cause this component is nei­ther com­pulsory nor essential to the its achieve­ment of the organiza­tion's aims, it is not supported by the Ca­nadian Forces. Rather, the support needed to con­duct Optional Training must be provided by the Branch of the Navy League of Ca­nada sponsoring the Corps.

9. Summer Training is conducted an­nually for a limited number of selec­ted Sea Cadets. Its pri­mary purpose is to provide Corps with a core of well trained Cadets to support the LHQ Trai­ning Pro­gramme.

10. Also included in Summer Trai­ning are acti­vities designed to reward excel­lence in Cadets. In this category are Inter­national Exchanges, deploy­ments in Coast Guard and Navy ships and the Tall Ship Deployment. Al­though these programmes do have di­rect applicability at the Corps, their main purpose is to recognize the achie­vements of indivi­dual cadets.

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Corps Training

11. LHQ Training. LHQ Training is divided into Manda­tory and Mandatory Support Trai­ning. The Mandatory por­tion is descri­bed in A-CR-CCP-003/PT-007, Course Training Stan­dard for the RCSC LHQ Man­datory pro­gramme. The training described in this publication is intended to be con­ducted in the Corps' normal accommodation during regular trai­ning nights. It is to be noted that this portion is undergoing a major revi­sion. The "old" programme will be repla­ced on a progressive basis commen­cing in Sep­tember 1995 with comple­tion in Sep­tember 1998.

12. Mandatory Support Training consists of four fully supported wee­kends to be used to confirm training provided in the LHQ building and to provide cadets with the opportunity to put this training to use. Included in these four weekends will be:

1. a weekend of sailing. Normally, the corps will travel to the loca­tion of the appropriate Sail Cen­tre. In ins­tances where it is more logical for the Sail Centre to travel to the Corps location, this is to occur;
2. a weekend at an approved rifle range to conduct the rifle familia­riza­tion firing;
3. a weekend of adventure training consisting of, for example:
   (1) wilderness survival,
   (2) seamanship training in a Sea Ca­det Training Vessel (SCTV), wha­ler, cut­ter or sail boat,
   (3) Duke of Edinburgh activi­ties,
   (4) overnight hikes, or
   (5) canoe trips.
   

   A limited amount of adventure trai­ning equipment is available in Re­gional pools. The type of acti­vity making up the adven­ture training weekend will be predica­ted by re­sources available to support it. In some instances, League or parental support may be needed to carry out a particu­lar activity or to carry out a nor­mally CF-supported activity on a particular weekend; and

4. one weekend to be used as deci­ded by the Corps CO. During this wee­kend, the CO may elect to repeat, subject to availability of resources, one of the three activities outli­ned above. Or it may be dedicated to a citizens­hip activity in support of the Manda­tory Programme's require­ments. In deci­ding on the activi­ty to be conducted during this weekend, it is to be remembered that the acti­vity must make a direct contribution to completion of one of the perfor­mance objec­tives contained in the Course Training Standard.

13. Corps COs are expected to make maximum use of these four wee­kends to progress training of Sea Ca­dets. Corps with Cadets undergoing LS to PO2 and PO2 to PO1 training are to use these wee­kends to provide these older cadets with expe­rience in leaders­hip and instructional duties in addi­tion to the training provided to junior cadets. For example, an adventure trai­ning weekend can be used to employ older cadets in leadership or instructional ro­les in preparation for the Petty Officer 1st Class exa­mi­na­tion.

14. Directed Optional Training. There is no obligation on the part of Sea Cadet Corps to parti­cipate in Directed Optional Training. The pro­grammes ma­king up this compo­nent of Corps Trai­ning are intended to supple­ment LHQ Training. Some Corps will have the necessary ex­pertise available to conduct successful Directed Optional Training programmes and others will not. Both situations are entirely accep­table.

15. CF support is provided to Direc­ted Optional Training to a limited extent depen­dant on the avai­lability of resour­ces. The majority of funding is supplied by the Navy League of Canada.

16. Optional Training. As indicated by its title, Optional Training is not compulsory. Time has been set aside in the LHQ Course Trai­ning Stan­dard to allow Corps COs to schedule Optional Trai­ning should they so desire. However, there is no obliga­tion to do so.

17. If Optional Training is conducted, it is to be supported entirely by the Na­vy League. For this reason, Corps COs contemplating an Optional Trai­ning pro­gramme are to consult the League Sea Cadet Chairperson to determine the extent to which the Branch will be able to support the desired pro­gramme. This consultation is to occur prior to ma­king any arrange­ment leading to ex­pense on the part of the Navy League.

18. Notwithstanding the above, Corps are en­couraged to participate in Optional Training activi­ties commensu­rate with the resources available from the Navy League. Often, it is the optio­nal activities that Ca­dets most enjoy and which com­plements the Corps' LHQ training to produce an inte­resting, challenging programme.

Summer Training

19. Summer Training details are contai­ned in CATOs 34-01 through 34-06.

20. As noted earlier in this order, the main purpose of Summer Training is to provide skilled, knowledgable cadets to Sea Cadet Corps to sup­port the LHQ Trai­ning Programme. As a result, cour­ses offered, and numbers of cadets to attend, at SCTEs are meant to:

1. provide additional training in those subject areas contained in the LHQ Course Trai­ning Stan­dard;
2. provide a limited number of ca­dets with the skills needed to support training at SCTEs; and
3. provide training to cadets in num­bers suffi­cient to ensure each corps has an adequate number of instruc­tors in each of the four subject areas contained in the LHQ manda­tory pro­gramme.

21. The training provided at SCTEs is concen­trated in four main trades: Sailing, Musi­cian, Boat­s­wain and Gunnery. Each of these tra­des is desi­gned to pro­duce well trained cadets who are capa­ble of instructing their in­dividual portions of the LHQ mandatory programme. In very gene­ral terms, each trade consists of four sum­mers' training arran­ged as follows:

1. year one: Attendance at a Two Week Ge­neral Training serial desi­gned to introduce cadets to life at a SCTE and to provide an insight into training available in each trade;
2. year two: Attendance at a three week course designed to provide skills in one of the trades;
3. year three: Attendance at a six week course designed to en­hance the skills ac­quired at the LHQ and during the past sum­mer at the SCTE. This summer will also pro­vide cadets in each trade with emer­gency first aid and in-depth leaders­hip training; and
4. year four: Attendance at a six week course designed to consoli­date skills previously acquired. In addition ca­dets will be provi­ded with standard first aid and in-depth instructional techniques training.

22. In addition to these main stream courses, a small number of cadets are provided with training in those selected areas needed to support the opera­tion of the SCTEs. These courses are scheduled by NDHQ in response to Regional require­ments and are conduc­ted in SCTEs.

23. The majority of cadets trained in SCTEs enter, and remain in, one of the four trades. Ca­dets who do not wish to train in a main stream trade, or who do not wish to continue in a specific trade may:

1. transfer to a different trade provi­ded that the cadet meets the prerequisi­tes establis­hed for a course in the new trade;
2. elect to attend a course outside the main stream trades which will pro­vide skills nee­ded to sup­port the operation of SCTEs; or
3. decide to cease training at SCTEs.

24. All courses conducted at SCTEs are meant to produce cadets who pos­sess a minimum level of skill in specific areas. These skills and the minimum acceptable level of proficiency in them, are descri­bed in the applicable Course Training Stan­dard. Those cadets who achieve the mini­mum level of proficien­cy in all required skills will be conside­red to have passed the course in ques­tion. Those who do not will be conside­red to have failed. Within the trades, progression through the trade normally re­quires successful completion of each successive course. Acquisition of the skills specified as prere­quisites for courses by a means other than through attendance at a SCTE is also accepta­ble. For exam­ple, a cadet wishing to take the Music Trade Group III Course may do so provi­ded that the cadet meets the prerequisites for the desired course through private stu­dy, corps trai­ning, attendance at an SCTE, or any other way acceptable to the loa­ding agency specified in the CTS.

25. It is to be noted that, like the LHQ pro­gramme, summer training is undergoing a major revision. Commen­cing with the Two Week General Trai­ning course in the summer of 1996, existing courses will be replaced by revised courses in a progres­sive manner. This process will be comple­ted in the summer of 1999.

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OPI: D Cdts 2

Date: November 1994

Amendment: Original