Glasses and Parades

[PhilM]

Whats the deal with this then lads? It may be different for you lot?

Here's a rough extract from I believe ACP 1919 on the Inspection/Formal Parades pages;

Glasses may only be worn by those with a valid medical reason to do so, and under no circumstances may these personel take part in formal parades/reviews.

What's that all about?? Nobody with glasses can be on a parade?!

Certainly on our Sqn, that would rule out about 20% of our cadets from taking part in parades. Any thoughts?

[Pontius Navigator]

I suspect that that could be a b*ll*cks order.

If those that wear glasses are excluded from an activity then the Disability Discrimination Act kicks in. Not to mention Equal Opportunities, Human Rights etc etc.

If I read your implication right we are talking cadets, ie civilians.

In other words, not a prayer.

Now sun glasses is another thing.

[The Helpful Stacker]

Plenty of folk with glasses do parades in the RAF and as I believe your dress regs are a direct extract from ours it'll probably be the same. ACP1919 is a little dated from what I can remember about the copy I've got gathering dust in Clothing Stores.

SWO's used to have a thing about folk who have to wear tinted glasses or only had 'defence specs'.

The new dress regs for the RAF are being sent out at the mo so that'd probably be your best port of call.

There is an electronic copy available via the MoD Intranet if you have access.

[PhilM]

Thanks lads, we are talking cadets (so civilian) yes, it did raise a few eyebrows when I pointed it out to the CO, in our minds in constitutes discrimination, and we cannot see a valid H&S reason for it being there.

[airborne_artist]

There were several service lads/lasses wearing specs in the contribution from Benson that led the Remembrance Day parade in Wallingford last November.

I'll ask the ATC Squadron in Wallingford (as I'm on their civ ctee) next week.

[Safety_Helmut]

So do any ex apprentices (you can admit it on here) remember doing the route lining parades in London for visiting heads of state etc ?

I can well remember the ones left behind at Cosford, they were either speccy, spotty, short arsed or some combination of the three.

Discrimination ? Absolutely, in the 80's, of course i'm sure it's all changed now though. ;)

Safety_Helmut

[Megaton]

Sounds like a perfect excuse for a bit of parade ground dodging.

[FJJP]

Of course it's an illegal regulation - I wouldn't mind betting that it's an admin matter that it exists in the AP; it'll probably be changed when the next amendment is issued.

These APs are routinely reviewed and amended at varying intervals; the interval depends on many factors, including the rate at which the subject matter is likely to change. For example, computer security regs will be reviewed and changed much more frequently to keep abreast of the latest innovations in technology. By contrast, parade ground regs are usually set in tablets of stone and amended by clerks using quills - there is little need to change the way parades are conducted.

Besides, readership numbers are probably very low, and neither is it likely to be challenged in court [not worth the effort, unless you are a rabid anti-discrimination type].

A call to the appropriate office in MOD will probably bring a signal amendment out within a few days...

[Maple 01]

Being a specky t*** never got me off parade:{

[Bclass]

Safety_Helmut

I remember one particular DI (with large black rimmed specs) who would march out wearing them. Once he had done his bit checking that we were all equally spaced out he would perform a 'by numbers' routine that involved balancing his SLR between his legs whilst placing offending specs in top pocket.

Do the RAF (QCS excepted) still take part in state occasions in these lean days?

[Onan the Clumsy]

Maybe it's a misprint and it should read "Glasses may only be carried..."