St John Ambulance Australia Cadets

Origins

Following the formation of St John Ambulance cadets in the United Kingdom in 1922, St John in Australia soon had one of the first overseas cadet divisions. This was the Glebe Ambulance Cadet Division which was registered on 19 December 1925. There was a lull in the registration of cadet divisions for approximately five years afterwards, with the next cadet divisions not being founded until 1930, with the registration of the North Sydney Nursing Cadet Division as well as the first in Victoria, Richmond Ambulance Cadet Division.

At the time, cadet divisions were separated into 'ambulance cadet divisions' and 'nursing cadet divisions', with only males being permitted in the former and females in the latter.

Cadet movement development in Australia

Cadet divisions, when established, were intended to be recruiting grounds for the adult divisions up until the early 1950s. This changed and the cadet movement organised itself to become a national youth organisation of itself.

In 1978, the Cadet Handbook was published for the first time by Australian Headquarters staff in Canberra. The handbook explains the rules and regulations under which cadets and the cadet organisation must operate, as well as providing important information to cadets and parents alike.

The 1970s also yielded another important development - a Chief Officer for Cadets was appointed to the national staff. They became responsible for the nationwide overall direction of cadets, as well as liaising with their state/territory counterparts. Since then, eight people have held the position to date.

Membership numbers were in decline during this period. After reaching their high point at 7,584 cadets in 321 divisions during the late 1960s, membership declined steadily until 1990 when there were a mere 4,128 cadets in 206 divisions. Since then, cadet membership has remained more or less at around 4,000.

1990 - present

The 1990s were an important decade for the cadet movement, in that a change of emphasis resulted from a review into the movement by the national staff in Canberra. It was decided that rather than treating the cadet organisation as merely a recruiting area for adult divisions, that it should be turned more into a true youth movement.

With this in mind, the Australian Youth Council was founded in 1997, composed of two representatives aged between 15 and 25 from each state/territory.

Cadet numbers have been in decline for some years, largely due to a lack of promotion and resources from state offices. St. John Ambulance in Western Australia even announced in March 2013 that the entire cadet movement would be abolished in that state, involving the dissolution of all cadet divisions and its replacement by an in-school program. A campaign opposing the changes has been organised, involving St. John members from across Australia.

Structure

State/territory youth councils only act in an advisory role with regards to cadet policy and operations and do not have their own decision-making powers.

State/territory cadet officers may appoint further officers to assist them in their duties, such as cadet training.

Previously, the role of cadet liaison officer in some states was in concert with the role of the regional cadet officer, such as in Victoria where regional cadet officers no longer exist. However, in some state/territories, regional cadet officers still fulfil these roles.

Cadet divisions are headed by a divisional officer, who is in turn assisted by cadet leaders and cadet NCOs. The divisional officer may also have adult members assisting them, as well as other divisional officers or adult NCOs. This often depends on the side of the division. Cadet divisions may also be 'combined' with an adult division, meaning that they share resources and are essentially the same division, with the same divisional superintendent, same meeting place and same equipment. School divisions also exist across Australia, such as Bonnyrigg High School Division in Western Sydney, and Carey Grammar Division in Victoria.

Cadet officers

Juniors are 8 to 11 years of age. Cadets 11 to 18 years of age. Senior Cadets (Blue) from 15 years of age.

Training

The teaching of first aid to cadets and juniors is of primary importance to the movement. This training mainly takes place during weekly divisional meetings, but can also extend to statewide or nationwide events, such as the National Cadet Camp. Cadets learn a wide variety of first aid skills, including CPR, asthma treatment and bandaging.

Proficiency badges

There are currently 37 proficiency badges available to cadets in Australia.

Junior interest badges

There are currently 18 interest badges available to juniors in Australia.

Uniform

Cadets and juniors, as with adults, are usually required to regularly attend meetings and participate in divisional activities for at least a few months before receiving their uniform. This new initiative was instituted due to many new members being issued uniforms and then leaving soon afterwards, taking the uniforms with them and never returning them.

The cadet and junior uniform is similar to the Duty Order 1 adult uniform:

Cadets and juniors are also issued with the appropriate epaulettes. They may also be issued with a high visibility vest for use on public duties. The distinctive black broad-brimmed hat is also no longer issued to cadets in Victoria due to budget cuts.

Activities

Many different activities are provided for in the cadet programme. These include statewide and nationwide events, such as the national cadet camp and national cadet first aid championships.

The St John Ambulance Australia Cadet National Championship began in the 1960s. At the time there were 4 categories for competition; Ambulance Cadet Team, Ambulance Cadet Individual, Nursing Cadet Team and Nursing Cadet Individual. The Ambulance Cadet categories were for boys between 11 and 18 years of age and the Nursing Cadet categories were for girls of the same age. They were held on alternating years until 1985.

In 1985, the championships amalgamated when the girls and boys cadet groups joined. A two new categories were added, the Cadet Leader Individual and the Champion State/Territory, and the Ambulance and the Nursing trophies were reassigned to become singular team and individual Championships.

At this time, the St John National Champion badge was also introduced. Initially, it was only granted to the winners of the Cadet Team, Cadet Individual and Cadet Leader Championships, however, since 2003 it has been also granted to the winners of the Champion State/Territory, regardless of their rankings in their relevant events. Each year these competitions are held in January at the National Cadet Camp (NatCamp). In 2014, the camp and competitions will be held in New South Wales and will be an international camp with there being the National Championships but also the international competitions with countries invited to send competitors from all over the world where St John is established.

Code of Chivalry

All cadets and juniors are required to recite the Code of Chivalry at least once during their membership. Many divisions will recite the code at the beginning or conclusion of every meeting. The code originates from the historical origins of St John Ambulance - the Venerable Order of St John.

The previous version of the code required cadets to 'serve God', but this was changed in the 1990s to 'serve my God' to avoid excluding those of no religion or those who are not Christian.

It has eight major points, representing the eight points of the Maltese cross of the Venerable Order of St John.

Awards

Cadets have their own awards system, separate to adult members. These include both exemplary conduct and service awards. Awards are not worn on jumpers.

Exemplary conduct awards

Awards for exemplary conduct may vary throughout Australia, but in most states/territories there is some form of 'cadet of the year' award, usually with one award for male cadets and one award for female cadets. They are awarded to recognise excellence in the cadet movement.

Divisions may also have their own unofficial awards, which can vary.

Grand Prior's badge

This is the highest award that a cadet can receive and is awarded to cadets who have earned 12 proficiency badges, including the Knowledge of the Order Badge and the Family Care Badge. The first Grand Prior's badges in the world were awarded in 1933 to three cadets - two from the United Kingdom and the other from Australia; Marion Higgins from Marrickville Cadet Nursing Division.

The award is worn on the left sleeve for as long as the cadet remains a member of the Operations Branch - even if they become an adult.

Commissioner's badge

Similar to the Grand Prior's badge, this award is the highest that any junior can achieve. It is awarded to juniors who have earned 10 interest badges and is worn on the right breast pocket of a shirt or battlejacket.

Service awards

Cadets are able to attend public duties and treat patients within their scope of practice, provided that they are supervised by an adult. To acknowledge their contribution to St. John's work, a number of service shields have been developed. They include 100-hour, 200-hour and 500-hour service shields. In 1978, the Chief Commissioner introduced the Special Service Certificate, awarded to cadets who have completed at least 1000 hours of duties.

Other awards

Many other awards are available for cadets to wear and be awarded. These include external awards, such as the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.