Volunteering and Cadets

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Mrinalini
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2017 11:44 am

Volunteering and Cadets

Post by Mrinalini »

Hi, dd is in year 8 in a Grammar school. Apart from DofE which I know her school will be offering from Year 9 what else should she be involved in from this stage? Is volunteering mandatory and if yes how to go about it? Sea Cadets and Air Cadets sound extremely interesting but I understand child has to attend two 2 hr sessions a week plus trips. In view of the time involved, Was wondering if it is worth it , does it add any value? Any advice is grately appreciated. Thank you.
ToadMum
Posts: 11944
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Volunteering and Cadets

Post by ToadMum »

Mrinalini wrote:Hi, dd is in year 8 in a Grammar school. Apart from DofE which I know her school will be offering from Year 9 what else should she be involved in from this stage? Is volunteering mandatory and if yes how to go about it? Sea Cadets and Air Cadets sound extremely interesting but I understand child has to attend two 2 hr sessions a week plus trips. In view of the time involved, Was wondering if it is worth it , does it add any value? Any advice is grately appreciated. Thank you.
Doing something which involves physical activity and some kind of public service is a good idea in its own right - but your DD should be doing whatever she does because she wants to, not 'because it looks good on her cv'.

What is she herself interested in? Scouts (she is almost of an age to join the Explorer section) is usually only one two-hour session per week, plus camps, if that's the kind of thing that she fancies. Our DS1 was never a Beaver or Cub, but got the urge to join Scouts at the age of 12 and a half.

There are waiting lists for Scouts in a lot of areas, though.
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DC17C
Posts: 1197
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:34 pm

Re: Volunteering and Cadets

Post by DC17C »

My DD did things like helping out in a local charity shop which she enjoyed doing and taught her skills like using a till, organising clothes/ shelves, team work and having to commit her self to being somewhere for a few hours on a weekend. She also enjoyed indoor climbing so worked through some grades to develop her skills at a local climbing wall for a fun fitness activity.
There are other organisations like St John ambulance cadets. I found most volunteering opportunities were for slightly older young people.
KB
Posts: 3030
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:28 pm

Re: Volunteering and Cadets

Post by KB »

Please let your DC choose something they are interested in.
Doing anything at all will allow them to develop all sorts of life skills.
If they are intending to apply for medicine or similar then there are certain hoops they need to jump through but there is a reason for this. St Johns Ambulance for example will provide valuable opportunities.
Othrwise do just let them choose anything they fancy that fits with family life.
Mrinalini
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2017 11:44 am

Re: Volunteering and Cadets

Post by Mrinalini »

Thank you all for your advice. Yes my Dd really would like to go for the Cadets but I am just worried if it would interfere with her studies. We don't want her to give it up after few weeks/ months because it gets too difficult to manage the homework, assessments. Does it get really busy from year 9 with GCSEs and does attending 4-5 hours of cadets a week cause issues? Thank you.
Amber
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Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

Re: Volunteering and Cadets

Post by Amber »

Mrinalini wrote:Thank you all for your advice. Yes my Dd really would like to go for the Cadets but I am just worried if it would interfere with her studies. We don't want her to give it up after few weeks/ months because it gets too difficult to manage the homework, assessments. Does it get really busy from year 9 with GCSEs and does attending 4-5 hours of cadets a week cause issues? Thank you.
Most young people manage several out of school activities, along with relaxation and socialising, as well as GCSEs. Usually in the immediate run up to GCSEs they scale things back a bit temporarily (I am talking the final few weeks). It is healthy and necessary for mental and emotional well being not to be focusing entirely on your studies at any age, but especially in Y8 which is really not an important year at all. I think your daughter should be encouraged to choose an activity she enjoys (and not just something you think sounds worthy on a CV), or even more than one so she can try things out. She is still very young and has the opportunity to find a way of relaxing which will help her through her school years.
KB
Posts: 3030
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:28 pm

Re: Volunteering and Cadets

Post by KB »

And if she tries something but it doesn't work out its really not the end of the world. Vefy difficult for her to know for sure before trying!
Mrinalini
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2017 11:44 am

Re: Volunteering and Cadets

Post by Mrinalini »

That's really encouraging. We'll let her choose what she wants and see how it goes. Thank you all so much for your advice and for sharing your experience.
2childmum
Posts: 523
Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2008 4:02 pm
Location: S E London

Re: Volunteering and Cadets

Post by 2childmum »

My daughter is a Sea Cadet and I volunteer with them. Although most cadet units parade twice a week we do have cadets who only come once a week. Having said that, my daughter did 2 nights a week right up until the Easter before her GCSE, and also went away for week long courses, and got a full set of top marks for GCSEs. Her school also valued the weeks away she went on (she spent a week at sea on a diesel vessel and another week on a tall ship, and also a week at the Navy training base in Cornwall, and on an Advanced Seamanship course) She has also paraded in Trafalgar Square, along the Mall, at the Cenotaph for Remembrance Day, and a host of other activities, chatting to senior Navy officers along the way. It has boosted her confidence no end.

We do also have cadets who join in year 7/8 and just stay for 2 years or so - but they still gain from the experience.
Mrinalini
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2017 11:44 am

Re: Volunteering and Cadets

Post by Mrinalini »

Thank you so much 2Childmum for sharing your valuable experience. Glad to hear your daughter participated in so many interesting activities/trips and they have helped her immensely. This certainly gives me the confidence that my daughter can give it a go now. Thank you once again.
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