Big Cadet Slump

[Seabee219]

 I want to ask all of you out there if you have been seeing a big slide in numbers on cadets that sign up, go to events and so forth.  We have taken a nose dive all of a sudden, and we are not doing anything different.  On one hand we had a ton of cadets sign up at the same time as well. Any of you have the same problem 

[Eclipse]

Do you mean unit numbers? Then no - things have been pretty much status quo.

Activities?  Yes - my wing is seeing a fair drop off which is being attributed to the economy and cadets only being able
to go to one or two activities this year.

[manfredvonrichthofen]

I had the same problem when I was a cadet. The problem for me is that I lived in a very liberal town. I was called things such as baby killer and war monger. No one knew any better and many didn't care to know any better. I hope that is not the problem you are having, but check with the cadets. That sort of hazing at the school might be what is going on.

[Chief2009]

My unit's cadet numbers are on the rise, of course coming up from 3 active is not hard.

Young Eagle events are great ways to recruit. Last year we got half a dozen, this year maybe 3 or 4.

DN

[JC004]

Have you polled the cadets to find out the reasons on the current set of activities and what activities they'd be interested in for the future?  I always had great participation after I took stuff over and started doing the activities they wanted in a way they wanted them.  A SAREX is one thing.  An awesome can't-miss SAREX is another.

[tsrup]

Have you polled the cadets to find out the reasons on the current set of activities and what activities they'd be interested in for the future?  I always had great participation after I took stuff over and started doing the activities they wanted in a way they wanted them.  A SAREX is one thing.  An awesome can't-miss SAREX is another.

Agreed.

Why are you asking us and not your cadets?
Seems like they would be the ones who would have a better understanding on what drives them to either come to meetings/events or leave.

[Seabee219]

I have put out the word from the cadets for input.  First they wanted more classroom instruction. We did that they got bored, and wanted more out side events. We did that and they do not show up, typical for teenagers I guess. We have a good balance with model rockets, outside events, color guard, and classroom to make sure we are in regs with 52-16. I have even put up a suggestion box as well.

[DBlair]

I would suggest getting some input as to what the Cadets actually want to do. Sometimes, holding the right event/activity or two and you may revitalize Cadet participation.

Another thing I've found often lacking is to promote them attending other events throughout the Group or Wing. Units seem to have a habit of operating like an island, keeping all to themselves rather than inviting other units to attend their events and visa versa. By including the events of other units, it allows for more variance and not the same stuff over and over.

As for finances, this does seem to be hitting participation quite a bit, for both Cadets and Senior Members.

[smitjud]

...we are not doing anything different.

It might be time to try something new.

[JC004]

Have the cadet staff make a spreadsheet and go down each cadet, then find out for each recent activity why the cadets didn't attend.  Try to establish a pattern.

Focus on developing AWESOME activities.  Stuff cadets will talk about for years.  Put together a little activity committee.  Try a mix...Don't just run SAREXes.  Run intensive training. 

Try one cadet-run SAREX with the cadets as the mission base staff and pretty hands-off senior members mentoring them.  We did that at the group level.  Cadets loved it.  They talked about it for years.  I got a lot of friends out of that one activity.  It was rough.  We had the SMs mentoring us through the weekend and on day two, the IC (now the DEWG CC) called all the SMs over one by one and left us cadets standing by ourselves and in charge.  He had a cadet go get lost in the woods.  Then he told us to fix it.  They wouldn't help - it was OUR job to handle the mission all by ourselves and direct the teams, find and extract the victim (who is my friend now).  :-)

Cool opportunities are another important part of why our program is better than a lot of other youth programs.  Stuff like I mentioned on this thread:
http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=10391.msg191364#msg191364

Aerospace tours that are not your every day activity are great.  If available, the local Boeing (or similiar) plant, air traffic control, etc.

Astronomy lesson at an overnight activity.

Get instructors from outside organizations - local colleges/universities, hobby clubs, government entities.

Cadets love Fatal Vision.  Try it with a golf cart.

Model airplanes and model rocketry.

Tour local military facilities (if available).

Get 'em on a flightline.

If there's a museum of history, aviation, etc., try getting them a behind-the-scenes tour.  There is a lot more to museums than what's in the cases.

Try focusing on the idea of unique activities, once in a lifetime stuff, "you can't get this anywhere else"-type stuff. 

Get together with other units and hold an all-weekend leadership school.  A level for airmen and a level for NCOs.  Let the cadets plan and run this thing.  Mentor them through to make sure they are meeting curriculum goals, but let it be their thing.  Cadets LOVE this type of activity.  I've run them for yeeeears.

Get some military recruiters to come in and talk to the cadets.  If possible, get all the branches to come on one night or on the same day at a weekend activity.  Don't forget the Coast Guard.

Unless you have all 12 year olds, have someone from a local college/university come talk about preparing for college. 

When you get the cadets involved in CREATING and staffing the activities, they have an investment in them.  They pull the other cadets in.  Do it.

The CAP cadet program is a leadership lab, not a lecture.  Get those cadets in and make them part of it. 

[Seabee219]

Thanks all.  :clap:

[CAPC/officer125]

I find it kinda interesting that my squadron is going through a hike in cadet memberships while some squadrons are seeing their cadet drop like flies. At my squadron (my home squadron, not the one I am actually attached to), we had 14 cadets total at the last meeting. Now the split between old (6 months or more) and new (under 6 months to still prospective) was something that excited me and the rest of the staff. We had 7 old cadets including the staff, and 7 new cadets. 2-3 of the new cadets had just gotten on the roster within the last month and the others were filling out and mailing in forms within the next week. And we can't figure out where they came from, because none of the old cadets had gone out and done active recruiting, and to add to the punch, only 2 of them were public schooled, the rest home schooled. And these are numbers going into summer, I hope they grow again when school starts again.

I want to know if there is anybody that has seen a hike rather than a fall recently.

[JC004]

I find it kinda interesting that my squadron is going through a hike in cadet memberships while some squadrons are seeing their cadet drop like flies. At my squadron (my home squadron, not the one I am actually attached to), we had 14 cadets total at the last meeting. Now the split between old (6 months or more) and new (under 6 months to still prospective) was something that excited me and the rest of the staff. We had 7 old cadets including the staff, and 7 new cadets. 2-3 of the new cadets had just gotten on the roster within the last month and the others were filling out and mailing in forms within the next week. And we can't figure out where they came from, because none of the old cadets had gone out and done active recruiting, and to add to the punch, only 2 of them were public schooled, the rest home schooled. And these are numbers going into summer, I hope they grow again when school starts again.

I want to know if there is anybody that has seen a hike rather than a fall recently.

Units vary wildly.  It's really hard to say.  Some will lose cadets because the unit sucks, some will lose cadets because it just so happens that they came as a group and they're all off to college, the military, etc. at the same time.  Some will gain because some people are spreading the word, some because a great news article was published, some just dumb luck I guess.  It's just so very different throughout. 

[JC004]

Added: For these activities, try partnering with other units.  You'll get more participation which may end up making/breaking it, cadets will make friends, you can share resources, if the cadets already have friends in the unit(s) in question, they'll motivate one another to go, etc.  There are a lot of good reasons to do activities with other units and I never saw enough of it. 

When I brought people from other units on board, we were able to get a lot more done and make our own unit better.

[JoeTomasone]

It may sound obvious, but in my experience it's overlooked:

Get the Cadets involved.   Provide meaning to their membership.   This might mean activities, it might mean ES, etc..   But "Tuesday Night and an O-Flight" doesn't rock their socks.

I can tell you from experience both as a Cadet and a SM that involvement with ES absolutely drives home the point that your time is valuable and not wasted; much the same as membership in a volunteer FD, for example.    Any one of those Cadets could be a member of a team that saves a life at pretty much any time.    They can also get a sense of pride and mission during DR ops. 

My $.02.

[JC004]

It may sound obvious, but in my experience it's overlooked:

Get the Cadets involved.   Provide meaning to their membership.   This might mean activities, it might mean ES, etc..   But "Tuesday Night and an O-Flight" doesn't rock their socks.

I can tell you from experience both as a Cadet and a SM that involvement with ES absolutely drives home the point that your time is valuable and not wasted; much the same as membership in a volunteer FD, for example.    Any one of those Cadets could be a member of a team that saves a life at pretty much any time.    They can also get a sense of pride and mission during DR ops. 

My $.02.

Hey!  I patented that idea already (up there ^).  Hand over the 2 cents.  PayPal will be fine.

[Eclipse]

It may sound obvious, but in my experience it's overlooked:

Get the Cadets involved.   Provide meaning to their membership.   This might mean activities, it might mean ES, etc..   But "Tuesday Night and an O-Flight" doesn't rock their socks.

I can tell you from experience both as a Cadet and a SM that involvement with ES absolutely drives home the point that your time is valuable and not wasted; much the same as membership in a volunteer FD, for example.    Any one of those Cadets could be a member of a team that saves a life at pretty much any time.    They can also get a sense of pride and mission during DR ops. 

My $.02.

This emphasizes why it is so critical, critical, that members be involved in the whole program, not just some little piece they choose off the menu.  The year is cyclical and so is CAP, just about the time CP is starting to wane, ES kicks in, or then it's winter and everyone is catching up on conferences and PD (meanwhile the business of running the organization is a constant thread).

I hear from members all the time who are "just CP", or "just pilots", etc., complaining nothing is going on, while at the same time members all over the wing can't take a second to exhale because they are so busy.  Some years I would go March-May without a weekend off.

This goes especially for cadets who tend to have shorter attention spans and more competing for their time.

[snpotratz]

18 months ago we had 2 cadets, now we will shortly break 40 due to the efforts of our new Deputy Commander of Cadets and a dedicated, and well developed, cadet staff.  We've done 2 great starts in that time and constantly have a flow of new members.  One key I see - the cadets pretty much run everything - we are just there to provide guidance, safety and instruction when necessary. 

[Earhart1971]

40 Cadets is a STRONG Program! Letting the Cadets run the program is correct. It all goes back to, if you were a Cadet, would you want to sit in a classroom and listen to an adult lecture you all evening, just like in school?

Senior Cadets can run the program and usually do a great job.

[Seabee219]

I do admit that for us, we had a big influx at the same time and now they are leaving at the same time. That is why, and the recruting is real slow. I am sure we can rebound real fast.  We were almost up to 40 cadets at one time, down to 20 now over the last 2 years.  The cadets run the program, but bad leadership has caused this and it has changed as of weeks ago. I am sure we will get back on track.