Useful

**Solon_of_Athens** · 13-04-2006, 08:31

Latest News on the delivery of ICSC (L) has been published on AGWEB for Intranet users only

Remainder:

Intermediate Command and Staff Course (LAND) 3 (ICSC(L)3) 13 Apr 06

The ICSC(L) 3 Initial posts have been mapped into ICSC(L) Package A and B. The latest from the Defence Academy is that it cannot accommodate the same numbers on each course. As a result the Army Personnel Centre will attempt to maximise attendance on Package A and look to reduce slightly the numbers attending Package B. Planning figures are currently: 205 for package A and 175 for Package B (these numbers include Professionally Qualified and Late Entry Officers).

The sequencing for Career Stage 2 is more complex following the split of ICSC(L) into 2 packages. The full impact of this requires modelling, but to note that, in accordance with JSP 505, new policy allows the AR date for Beige List selected Capts to be moved to 31 Jul. The timing of the Initial Grade 2 Appointments Board in May 06 will cause a number of short notice moves, notably for those captains replacing officers attending Package 3A in Sep 06.

Does this mean they've only just thought about it?

**Proximo** · 14-04-2006, 15:24

Solon_of_Athens is the dedicated ICSC(L) 3 A/B moderator.

Over to him...

**Solon_of_Athens** · 14-04-2006, 15:31

^Thanks D_D,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Bad CO has agreed to me caring for the ICSC(L) Board which is 'hidden'. If you wish to see it please pm me with your real name and I will give you the power of sight that you have been lacking. In return I will give you my real name, fair's fair. The reason I need actual names is clear - it's prime hunting ground for all sorts of nutters, walts, maniacs and everything in-between. This policy is in-place for the ACSC 9 and ICSC(L)2 board and it seems to work*.

I will authenticate your name against my special list of knowledge and then against the course nominal roll.

*Totally unadulterated plagiarism from D_D's work.

For those of you who are seeing this for the third time, you are very, very unlucky.

You're a great audience, I'm here until Friday, try the mixed grill in the Atlantic Lounge, and don't go changin'

**JASTA** · 01-05-2006, 15:54

Brave Solon has taken this on; it is behoven on the rest of 'us' to get our views (and any rumour/scandal) in on this board.

How many of those who BL'd last December are currently on an Op tour, and now find themselves (and their current employers) wondering when they might be going back to Blighty? Very handy for trying to plan ahead; wheel out the morale cannon!

**Solon_of_Athens** · 02-05-2006, 10:29

Current membership:

...is now 20+ so I'm not going to list 'em all

Come on board fellas... the pain is best shared.

'Misery loves company'

**Solon_of_Athens** · 19-05-2006, 16:09

All ICSC(L) 3 hot gossip now available online in the ICSC(L) 3 board.

**Solon_of_Athens** · 01-06-2006, 20:10

Originally Posted by Solon_of_Athens

All ICSC(L) 3 hot gossip now available online in the ICSC(L) 3 board.

The hot gossip is now being replaced with serious schinfing!

**OutgoingDS** · 23-08-2006, 09:09

Realise that this post is likely to get a stiff ignoring, but thought it was worthwhile making the point all the same. Firstly I have to reveal that I am about to leave ICSC(L) after a 2 year tour as a DS (boo). I will have nothing to do with course 3, so this is a personal, not corporate observation. Having been through both ICSC(L) 1 & 2 I have a certain view about the effect a hidden board has on a course like this, and I don't think it's positive. Let's get this straight, I am not worried about being slagged off behind my back, don't give a s**t, that goes on anyway. What I think it does is ruin the atmosphere for you guys, the students. ICSC(L) 1 did not have a hidden board and the course atmosphere was a quantum leap better than the atmosphere on course 2. ICSC(L) 1 also had something the second course didn't, except for about 3 editions, which were a good effort by the way, and that was a course underground magazine that was there for all to see. It meant that course 1 developed a corporate sense of humour that was singularly missing from course 2. For example course 1 had a very, very funny review, course 2 couldn't be bothered, might not think that's important, but people from course 1 still talk about it. But what it also meant was that gripes, complaints and whinges, albeit in the form of very funny articles were exposed to the Staff and it had an impact. Best known example being that it directly led to a week of the course being binned and turned into leave, bargain. On course 2 much of that stuff went on the hidden board and never had the same impact. Enough of my preaching, this is just an observation, but get too locked into the hidden board and I don't think the course will develop in a way that allows a bit of fun to dull the pain. Comments, bring it on.

**Blitzspear** · 23-08-2006, 10:17

Alright I'll have a go.

ICSC 1 was a small course - ICSC 2 was huge.

A&B Divs pretty much mashed together, as did C&D Divs, due to their geographic locations. I reckon the 'corporate humour' was just as developed in those groupings.

The newsletter (Owl Pie?) was put together by one bloke AFAIK - ICSC 1's consisted of a series of cartoons and according to students, wasn't actually as amazingly funny as you contend.

The DS made a huge song and dance about ARRSE on ICSC 1. Therefore ICSC 2 had a hidden board. ICSC 3 will have a hidden board. Etc.

Does it mean the DS get a ribbing 'behind closed doors'? Yes it does. Does that bother you? Yes - it very clearly does.

You can't have it both ways I'm afraid - wittering about the overt existence of ARRSE; then witter about its covert existence. The course is overly long, windy, stuffed full of nonsense about gearboxes and engines, and completely at the mercy of one's personal relationship with the DS. How about getting that sorted instead of burbling on on an anonymous website?

**Ratfink** · 23-08-2006, 10:42

OutgoingDS, you should not underestimate the effect of the doubling in course size between ICSC(L)1 and ICSC(L)2. This meant that students were never going to bond as closely across all 4 divisions. This was exacerbated by the split location of accommodation. Thus you were unlikely to have the same esprit de corps develop as the group was not so closely knit. A corporate sense of being is much diminished when you have a 10 minute walk to even get into the same bar! And then your supposedly universal personal cards don't work anyway! Don't underestimate the effect of this on creating a (even vicarious) course identity.

With this, and also the 'half course' nature of some of the modules, it should not be surprising that a 'corporate sense of humour' didn't develop. I do not think this was unduly influenced by any course rag-mag/internet forum issues. Indeed, the speed of posting and access coupled with the breadth of comment and threads on the forum probably allowed more balanced views to emerge, and also for advice to be given (rag-mags are not big on 'self help' articles). If something was such a big issue, it should still be able to be dealt with throught he chain of command. Indeed, could one say that it is a tacit admission of failure by the chain of command if it feels it needs to be informed of issues by a rag-mag?

Also, although still a largely unkown quantity, the course was not a completely new event, so the 'blitz spirit' was not so evident - you should have got the hang of the whole admin piece by course 2, so it just created irritation. And having had such appalling administration at the start of the course, it created both uncertainty and also more difficult circumstances for people to manage at the end of the course (eg MFO, quartering issues,et al) so it was only natural that people were focussed on trying to sort themselves out during the last week instead of the more traditional skit writing. If you want to see people majoring (if you'll pardon the pun) on the traditional activities, free them from shocking admin and they may have some remnants of a will to live left. Most were just sick of being messed around and couldn't be bothered trying to pretend that one big skit-fest would make it all OK.

As far as fun goes, if you try to have 'enforced fun' it will never work. I think of the sports and social clubs people worked hard at. These contributed to them having fun. Although not as obvious as laughing at a skit, many things posted on the forum created a spark of humour that was carried not only in syndicate rooms, but also as 'water cooler' chat. Some people are destined to always be the ones sat in their rooms staring at the walls. Those that are motivated to get out and do stuff did, and others benefitted as well.

Anyway, this has turned into a bit of a rant, so apologies for that. But I think that DS perceptions of how a course should take its enjoyment need to be tempered with a realisation that course 2 did have fun, just perhaps not in the contrived way that makes DS feel warm and cosy. I think it is a bit like sticking your finger in the dyke to suggest that a forum should be discouraged in favour of a rag-mag.

Ratfink

PS I find it slightly ironic that DS on a course that drums home the opportunities of NEC, change management, mission command and EBO should be against a network based effect in a new reality!