Things CAP should do to promote its history

Started by jimmydeanno, March 17, 2008, 05:25:04 PM

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jimmydeanno

All this talk of the history of CAP has me thinking about what we as an organization can/should do to promote our own history.

It seems to me that if we did some of these things, we might have a better public awareness as well as actually put some of our historical items out for people to actually see.

Thinking about this, I think it would be great if CAP had:

1) An exhibit/wing at the Air Force History Museum
2) Some sort of history book/interactive DVD - for sale
3) Kiosks at most of the aviation museums
4) Exhibits that could be loaned temporarily to smaller museums as a 'feature.'
5) set aside space in the NHQ (that is getting remodeled this year) as a 'museum' of sorts for visitors to check out.
6) An exhibit at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museums (the Mall and/or Dulles)
7) 'Reproduction' exhibits that could be loaned to wings as part of recruiting stuff or public displays.

I think that the history of CAP is definitely a fascinating one, and feel rather bad that there are really only 3 people on the 'historical committee' at NHQ.  I think that a bunch more people and some funding that we could be able to accomplish these things.

I am curious as to what the goal of the historical committee is though - what does CAP see as their purpose?

Any other ideas?  Thoughts?
If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law. - Winston Churchill

mynetdude

Quote from: jimmydeanno on March 17, 2008, 05:25:04 PM
All this talk of the history of CAP has me thinking about what we as an organization can/should do to promote our own history.

It seems to me that if we did some of these things, we might have a better public awareness as well as actually put some of our historical items out for people to actually see.

Thinking about this, I think it would be great if CAP had:

1) An exhibit/wing at the Air Force History Museum
2) Some sort of history book/interactive DVD - for sale
3) Kiosks at most of the aviation museums
4) Exhibits that could be loaned temporarily to smaller museums as a 'feature.'
5) set aside space in the NHQ (that is getting remodeled this year) as a 'museum' of sorts for visitors to check out.
6) An exhibit at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museums (the Mall and/or Dulles)
7) 'Reproduction' exhibits that could be loaned to wings as part of recruiting stuff or public displays.

I think that the history of CAP is definitely a fascinating one, and feel rather bad that there are really only 3 people on the 'historical committee' at NHQ.  I think that a bunch more people and some funding that we could be able to accomplish these things.

I am curious as to what the goal of the historical committee is though - what does CAP see as their purpose?

Any other ideas?  Thoughts?

We already have a history book (#2), NHQ has advertised it for quite some time awhile back the book is like $75-$80 or something.  I believe it was to celebrate the 65-66 years of CAP.  An interactive DVD would be better, because you can take it with you to public conferences/gatherings related to military/aviation.

My squadron has its own museum, in the wrong place IMHO... I hope one day it gets moved.  I think its a great idea that museums add CAP to their collection of displays too.

Also another idea is to have a website strictly dedicated to the CAP history, I believe there is one that exists... I can't remember where though NHQ had a link to it from cap.gov as this website needs more exposure/promotion.

arajca

How about a small display that could be set up in a display case at airports? Get it set up in the terminal area to give passengers something to look at while waiting for their planes.

jimmydeanno

#3
Quote from: mynetdude on March 17, 2008, 05:30:34 PM
We already have a history book (#2), NHQ has advertised it for quite some time awhile back the book is like $75-$80 or something.  I believe it was to celebrate the 65-66 years of CAP.  An interactive DVD would be better, because you can take it with you to public conferences/gatherings related to military/aviation.

I remember them advertising them a few years back, but hadn't actually heard of anyone who ordered one got it yet. Great step in the right direction if it has been published.

Quote
My squadron has its own museum, in the wrong place IMHO... I hope one day it gets moved.  I think its a great idea that museums add CAP to their collection of displays too.

I can imagine that this would be a great achievement for us, however it would of course need to be of museum quality - we wouldn't be able to put up foam board displays with sharpie captions for the photos in the Smithsonian.

QuoteAlso another idea is to have a website strictly dedicated to the CAP history, I believe there is one that exists... I can't remember where though NHQ had a link to it from cap.gov as this website needs more exposure/promotion.

The Civil Air Patrol Online Museum (www.caphistory.org) is another great step in the right direction and I commend whoever is responsible for continuing this project.


EDIT: Not implying that your squadron's museum is of "low quality" just saying in general. :)
If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law. - Winston Churchill

mynetdude

Quote from: jimmydeanno on March 17, 2008, 05:36:22 PM
Quote from: mynetdude on March 17, 2008, 05:30:34 PM
We already have a history book (#2), NHQ has advertised it for quite some time awhile back the book is like $75-$80 or something.  I believe it was to celebrate the 65-66 years of CAP.  An interactive DVD would be better, because you can take it with you to public conferences/gatherings related to military/aviation.

I remember them advertising them a few years back, but hadn't actually heard of anyone who ordered one got it yet. Great step in the right direction if it has been published.

Quote
My squadron has its own museum, in the wrong place IMHO... I hope one day it gets moved.  I think its a great idea that museums add CAP to their collection of displays too.

I can imagine that this would be a great achievement for us, however it would of course need to be of museum quality - we wouldn't be able to put up foam board displays with sharpie captions for the photos in the Smithsonian.

QuoteAlso another idea is to have a website strictly dedicated to the CAP history, I believe there is one that exists... I can't remember where though NHQ had a link to it from cap.gov as this website needs more exposure/promotion.

The Civil Air Patrol Online Museum (www.caphistory.org) is another great step in the right direction and I commend whoever is responsible for continuing this project.


EDIT: Not implying that your squadron's museum is of "low quality" just saying in general. :)

well I wouldn't call it museum quality but I think it is in the "middle" I'll have to take a photograph and show it here sometime :).

An interactive DVD would be the next step IMHO, heck you can put caphistory.org right onto a DVD too there are applications (free) that will literally put a whole website onto a CD/DVD for you and it will run like a website right off the internet without internet.

So whoever is responsible for that project may want to consider expanding that option to include caphistory.org into an interactive DVD as well.  I have been wanting to do something like that for the KC-97 we host every weekend however we are not really able to do it because we cannot expect the equipment to be protected while it is stored on the static display KC-97 so I have not figured that out yet and if I do... I'd add a bit of tidbit about CAP at the end of the KC-97 DVD or something.

mikeylikey

The AF Museum at Wright-Patterson in Ohio did have ONE CAP plane hanging, and a board describing what the plane was, but not getting into what CAP was. 
I think we should pressure the AF Museum to give us a room where we can set-up a huge display.  There are rooms that just sit empty there! 

When I asked a few months ago about when the CAP plane would be returned to the rafters the woman told me never!  I was shocked.

If we did get space we can do CAP history since 1941 to present.  What would be even cooler would to include CAP in already existing displays around the museum.  Say the Army Air Force display case of 1941 would have a few CAP items thrown in with it and a sign about what they are.  Then the 1947 Air Force beginnings case would also get some CAP material thrown alongside with a descriptive chart.  You can do that in almost every single display case up to today.  This would alert the non-knowing person that CAP is a part of the AF team.  At the end we can get recruiting brochures to sit alongside the AF recruiting material.  This could be a huge opportunity for the organization.  However, I live 5 hours away from Wright-Patt, and would rather see NHQ take the lead on this!   ;D
What's up monkeys?

James Shaw

There are actually about a dozen people who work within the historical group. We all have and do different jobs. There are some who actually do nothing but scan and archive the materials. The biggest problem we have is funding. The entire budget for the Historical group is about $7000 per year. That is supposed to cover everything. I personally spent about $6000 last year. I am in the process of creating a online CAP archives kinf of like the CAPhistory website but with more data and pictures. The biggest hitter is the amount of time it takes to store, sort, archive, scan, copy, and all of the other stuff. We also do have a couple of historical exhibits that can be loaned out to people and all they have to do is pay the cost of shipping. I myslef have alot of posters for reproduction as well as 60 tracks of CAP music to share. You can keep an eye on the SERCAP.US website for updates. It is a lengthy process but it is being done.
Jim Shaw
USN: 1987-1992
GANG: 1996-1998
CAP:2000 - Current
USCGA:2018 - Current
SGAUS: 2017 - Current

NIN

IIRC, there WAS a big CAP display at the Air Force Museum..

BITD (and the last time I was at Wright-Patt was for the 1991 encampment, so my memory is.. faded.. ) the CAP display consisted of an CAP L-3 over a floor-level display that I seem to recall was the Civil Air Patrol "Hall of Honor" (busts of CAP luminaries..)

According to the Air Force Museum's website, the CAP J-3 is hanging in the "Presidential Gallery" which is the old "annex" facility at Wright-Patt.  No clue where the Hall of Honor may have gone.

Darin Ninness, Col, CAP
I have no responsibilities whatsoever
I like to have Difficult Adult Conversations™
The contents of this post are Copyright © 2007-2024 by NIN. All rights are reserved. Specific permission is given to quote this post here on CAP-Talk only.

mynetdude

Quote from: caphistorian on March 17, 2008, 06:46:25 PM
There are actually about a dozen people who work within the historical group. We all have and do different jobs. There are some who actually do nothing but scan and archive the materials. The biggest problem we have is funding. The entire budget for the Historical group is about $7000 per year. That is supposed to cover everything. I personally spent about $6000 last year. I am in the process of creating a online CAP archives kinf of like the CAPhistory website but with more data and pictures. The biggest hitter is the amount of time it takes to store, sort, archive, scan, copy, and all of the other stuff. We also do have a couple of historical exhibits that can be loaned out to people and all they have to do is pay the cost of shipping. I myslef have alot of posters for reproduction as well as 60 tracks of CAP music to share. You can keep an eye on the SERCAP.US website for updates. It is a lengthy process but it is being done.

Indeed history is no easy feat especially when it comes to archiving.  Although I am curious though if an interactive DVD was to be made and sold for about $30-$40 apiece you could easily cover the costs of reproduction which might be $15-$25 and every $5-$10 received would go into a CAP National historian fund to cover other costs as well.

jimmydeanno

Quote from: caphistorian on March 17, 2008, 06:46:25 PM
The biggest problem we have is funding. The entire budget for the Historical group is about $7000 per year.

Yep, I can see that as a huge obstacle for this sort of thing.  Perhaps we could take the NBs travel budget and apply it towards preserving and promoting our history. :)

They need to give you guys seed money of like $.5 million to get some professionally done exhibits, etc done.  When you are barely keeping yourself above water with the amount of scanning, etc nothing "extra" can get accomplished.  

I know the "where will the money come from" discussion will come out, but this is where the NB is supposed to come into play - instead of being a drain financially on the organization they should be bringing in funds from donors for things like this.

I hate when this organization is penny wise and pound foolish.
If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law. - Winston Churchill

Eclipse

Frankly I am about done with the "little yellow airplanes", our history is important, but should not be included in every press release and brochure.

We need to focus the effort and energy on today's operations and future growth, which would kill this "best kept secret" problem and in turn generate more interest in our history.

There is also the issue that we still literally have members who >flew< those airplanes, so unlike most of the MC$' ours history hasn't "aged".


"That Others May Zoom"

Eagle400

Quote from: Eclipse on March 17, 2008, 06:56:16 PM
Frankly I am about done with the "little yellow airplanes", our history is important, but should not be included in every press release and brochure.

I'm with Eclipse on that one. 

If CAP's history is included in every press release and brochure, it's more than just repetitive; it hints that the focus may be more on past accomplishments than current ones.

If someone wants to know about CAP's history, they can always go to cap.gov.

Quote from: Eclipse on March 17, 2008, 06:56:16 PMWe need to focus the effort and energy on today's operations and future growth, which would kill this "best kept secret" problem and in turn generate more interest in our history.

Agreed.  CAP also needs to reach out to news outlets more frequently and better-advertise its activities.  I'd like to see CAP on the national news for more than just things like the Fossett search; I'd like to see other searches featured as well.  SAREX's and cadet activities wouldn't hurt, either.    

Quote from: Eclipse on March 17, 2008, 06:56:16 PMThere is also the issue that we still literally have members who >flew< those airplanes, so unlike most of the MC$' ours history hasn't "aged".

What is an MC$?

RiverAux

Yes the CAP "History" book is out.  Its really more of a collection of old photographs more than a real organizational history (I gave a better review somewhere on CAPTalk).

Eclipse


"That Others May Zoom"

A.Member

Quote from: jimmydeanno on March 17, 2008, 05:25:04 PM
Any other ideas?  Thoughts?
Make a quality, feature-length "Hollywood" movie FTMFW!  :)
"For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

DesertFlyer

One thing we can do at the local level is preserve the history of our own squadrons, and write squadron histories. Our squadron was just chartered last year and I am in the process of writing an official history of the first year and the activities that led up to the formal chartering. Someday, someone will find it interesting to learn how a bunch of folks came together, contacted CAP, and went through the process of establishing a new squadron.

Since we got started, I've heard from several local residents that there was a CAP squadron here back in the 1960s and 1970s. Unfortunately, there seem to be no records whatsoever remaining from those days, so that history is essentially lost.

I got sensitized to such problems a few years ago when the local ham-radio club asked me to write its history. There were some records in the files, and I was able to talk to and solicit written recollections from some of the old-timers. After more than a year's effort, I was able to produce a reasonably extensive history, but there were many years for which there are no records, and those gaps still bother me. When we started the CAP squadron, I was determined that, if I could help it, our squadron's history would be preserved for those who follow.

Lt Col Dave Finley, CAP
Socorro Composite Squadron
New Mexico Wing

Semper Fidelis -- Semper Vigilans

RiverAux

A squadron in my wing started a few years ago and got some information from NHQ about the former unit and got chartered with the same number as the old one.  I've gotten lists of former squadron commanders from NHQ before as well.  I think they've got some files there at Maxwell with each squadron's org changes in it. 

Eclipse

Unfortunately they are not complete.

We have photographic and documentary evidence of Palwaukee's history back to March 1942, which would make it one of CAP's oldest units, but unfortunately the furthest back NHQ can go is the '70's when a lot of charters were redone.

"That Others May Zoom"

RiverAux

You know, another unit I know about sent in some copies of newspaper articles from when the unit was formed in 1942 and got a new charter issued from NHQ based on that.   This was only a few years ago.  However, the unit was in continuous existence during the whole period so it was pretty legit. 

Somewhat unfortunately (I know its not a major issue) CAP doesn't have any real standards for unit lineage.   

Johnny Yuma

Frankly, we pretty much have failed, organization wide, in promotion of CAP's very existence, much less it's history.

I'd like to see us in a massive promotional campaign telling America HERE WE ARE than espousing what we've done 60 years ago.
"And Saint Attila raised the Holy Hand Grenade up on high saying, "Oh Lord, Bless us this Holy Hand Grenade, and with it smash our enemies to tiny bits. And the Lord did grin, and the people did feast upon the lambs, and stoats, and orangutans, and breakfast cereals, and lima bean-"

" Skip a bit, brother."

"And then the Lord spake, saying: "First, shalt thou take out the holy pin. Then shalt thou count to three. No more, no less. "Three" shall be the number of the counting, and the number of the counting shall be three. "Four" shalt thou not count, and neither count thou two, execpting that thou then goest on to three. Five is RIGHT OUT. Once the number three, being the third number be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade to-wards thy foe, who, being naughty in my sight, shall snuffit. Amen."

Armaments Chapter One, verses nine through twenty-seven: