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:
- 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; - 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:
- every Sea Cadet is provided, as a minimum, with the training needed to achieve the aims of the cadet organizations;
- sufficient time is made available to corps to develop training programmes suited to local interests, resources and needs; and
- 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.
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:
- 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;
- a weekend at an approved rifle range to conduct the rifle familiarization firing;
- 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
- 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:
- provide additional training in those subject areas contained in the LHQ Course Training Standard;
- provide a limited number of cadets with the skills needed to support training at SCTEs; and
- 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:
- 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;
- year two: Attendance at a three week course designed to provide skills in one of the trades;
- 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
- 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:
- transfer to a different trade provided that the cadet meets the prerequisites established for a course in the new trade;
- elect to attend a course outside the main stream trades which will provide skills needed to support the operation of SCTEs; or
- 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.
OPI: D Cdts 2
Date: November 1994
Amendment: Original
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