Section 3 EO M207.03 – RECOGNIZE THE ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE LOCAL SPONSOR

Sponsor. With respect to a cadet squadron, the organization or persons accepted by or on behalf of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to undertake jointly with the Canadian Forces (CF) and the supervisory sponsor, responsibility for the organization and administration of the cadet squadron.

Sponsoring Committee/Branch. A working support committee that is a member of and supervised by the league and is compromised of persons who are approved, registered and screened in accordance with league policy to complete the functions required to support the squadron.

Air Cadet squadron sponsors are usually community organizations or social clubs. In some cases, more than one organization sponsors a squadron. A sponsoring committee is formed to represent the sponsor(s) on a day-to-day basis.

Sponsoring committees are normally comprised of representative(s) of the sponsor, parents, and other civilians from the community. They are sometimes called parents’ committees or civilian committees; however, not every parents’ committee is a sponsoring committee.

Some examples of a local sponsoring body may include:

The Royal Canadian Legion (RCL). The RCL is the largest veterans-based community service organization in the country and contributes millions of dollars and voluntary hours to help Canadians, particularly veterans, seniors, and youth.

The Air Force Association of Canada (AFAC). The AFAC is a national not-for-profit aerospace and community service organization composed of aviation-minded citizens. Individual wings of the AFAC actively sponsor and support cadets and other community activities.

Lions Clubs. The Lions Clubs are internationally based and are the world’s largest service club organization.

A Rotary Club. A rotary club’s main objective is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise.

A Parents’ Committee. An Air Cadet squadron may also have a separate parents’ committee to assist the sponsoring committee. A parents committee is usually made up of parents of current or former cadets from the squadron. These parents join to raise extra funds for the squadrons’ activities.

The following is a list of positions within the sponsoring committee and the basic responsibilities corresponding to these positions. These positions may vary or terms may change from sponsor to sponsor.

Chairperson. The chairperson is the senior official in the sponsoring body and is responsible for all activities/functions. All members must keep the chairperson informed of their activities and the chairperson in turn must keep the squadron informed of activities within the sponsor.

Secretary. The secretary is responsible for maintaining all of the records and correspondence. During committee and general meetings, the secretary is responsible for recording the minutes.

Treasurer. The treasurer is responsible for maintaining all financial records and transactions. All expenditures should be recorded for purposes of budgeting and financial reporting.

Some corps have a secondary sponsor that may assist in duties such as fundraising for the corps. Secondary sponsors usually consist of organizations such as, but not limited to: a parents’ committee, a RCL, a Lions Club, or a Rotary Club.

A parents’ committee is usually made up of parents of current or former cadets from the squadron. These parents join to raise extra funds for the squadrons’ activities. The RCL is the largest veterans-based community service organization in the country and contributes millions of dollars and voluntary hours to help Canadians, particularly veterans, seniors, and youth. Lions Clubs are internationally based and are the world’s largest service club organization. A rotary club’s main objective is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise.

It is the role of the sponsor to ensure responsibilities are met in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding, for the proper and efficient delivery of the Cadet Program within Canada.

Fundraising

It is the responsibility of the sponsor to organize fundraising activities in consultation with the squadron commanding officer (CO). Annual reports are to be produced by the sponsor when required by law.

Recruiting Cadets

It is the responsibility of the sponsor to organize local community campaigns to attract cadets to become members of the squadron.

Attracting Officers to the Squadron

It is the responsibility of the sponsor to conduct local campaigns to attract potential candidates within the community to become members of the Cadet Instructors Cadre (CIC) and civilian instructors (CIs). This is based on the needs confirmed by the CO of the squadron.

Screening Volunteers

It is the responsibility of the sponsor to identify and conduct the screening process of potential volunteers. The sponsor is responsible for completing the process and providing these results to the league.

Providing Adequate Office and Training Facilities

The sponsor is responsible for providing adequate office and training facilities, where they are not provided by DND. This is to include insurance requirements, as necessary.

Participating in Senior Cadet Rank Appointments

The sponsor is responsible to assist with the selection process for senior cadets.

Participating in Selections for CSTC/Exchanges

The sponsor is responsible for cooperating with the squadron CO to promote summer courses and exchanges and to participate in the selection process accordingly, in accordance with the league and DND agreements and responsibilities.

Participating in Selections for Honours and Awards

The sponsor is responsible for participating in the joint selection process for honours and awards from the league and in initiating the selection process for league-specific awards.

The sponsor plays an important role in developing and maintaining positive community relationships with businesses, municipal government, local service clubs, and the affiliated unit.