To exist, a squadron must be made up of three categories of people:
- The team of officers, made up mainly of members of the Cadet Organizations Administration and Training Service of the Canadian Armed Forces;
- Cadets (youth aged 12 to 18); and
- The squadron sponsoring committee (SSC), made up of volunteers who are registered and screened members of the Air Cadet League of Canada.
The SSC is responsible for administrative aspects that cannot be handled by the military partner, mainly ensuring that the squadron has suitable premises, holding and managing the bank account and fund-raising for activities or needs that are not part of the military budget.
SSCs are primarily made up of parents of squadron cadets. Each year sees the arrival of new cadets and the departure of former cadets and often of their parents who were members of the SSC. This means that every year, the vast majority of SSCs will be looking to recruit new volunteers to join their team. If you have some time to spare, please consider getting involved in the sponsoring committee of your cadet’s squadron!
A squadron cannot exist without a sponsoring committee, so maintaining the Air Cadet Program depends on the willingness of parents and the community to get involved by volunteering.