Cadets Forced To Attend CAP

[GoofyOne]

Correction the Squadron Commander accepts this.

[majdomke]

Their dad is also a member and the DCC.

How the heck was this allowed to happen?

I'm the DCC and I have two kids in my unit. Does that mean I need to resign? If anything, I make my two kids work and train harder than anyone else so there are no signs of nepotism.

[majdomke]

Correction the Squadron Commander accepts this.

If you truly believe regulations are being violated, you have an obligation to notify your group or wing IG. This can be done anonymously if needed. My take on what you're saying is that favoritism is being displayed along with disregard for regulations regarding cadet promotions.

[GoofyOne]

The participation side is considered the meetings but those that do stuff outside don't seem to get extra credit. 

One cadet has/had been held back from promotions to get leadership experience but they can't really get that in the squadron but he is trying. 

I'm aware of the regs and understand them completley but others in high positions interpret in different ways.  Have no choice but to follow the leader.

This is truly a rock and a hard place and one dares not make waves because it will come back to haunt in a really big way.  We just have to suck it up and deal with it or those who don't like it quit or move on.

[Polecat]

I've found that sometimes, not always, cadets that are home schooled have a deficiency in social interactions.  Sometimes if they are active in CAP, they work thru that deficiency. *Snip*

IMO The fact that they are home schooled has nothing to do with it. I am home schooled and the only differance I have noticed is that I have advanced faster than ANY cadet in my squadron.  And making a generalization like that just isn't right. The same exact thing could be said about public and private school kids. I have found that the other home schoolers I have worked with have been more focesed than public schoolers because they treat it like a normal public school classroom. And if you go to/gone to or have taught at a public school recently, you would know how disrespectful they are to the teachers.

That being said, what you should do is sit down with their parents and tell them that if the cadet doesn't want to be there he shouldn't be there. In my experience cadets that don't want to be there just make it misrable for those who want to and like being there.

Sorry for the long post and any spelling errors because the spell check wouldn't work for me.

[notaNCO forever]

I've found that sometimes, not always, cadets that are home schooled have a deficiency in social interactions.  Sometimes if they are active in CAP, they work thru that deficiency.

The average home schooler is better socialized than most public schooled kids with a wider variety of people. They are also involved, on average, of 5.2 "after school" activities like Boy scouts, CAP, church youth groups, ect. The myth that they are social misfits is wrong and insulting. 

[BrandonKea]

I've found that sometimes, not always, cadets that are home schooled have a deficiency in social interactions.  Sometimes if they are active in CAP, they work thru that deficiency.

The average home schooler is better socialized than most public schooled kids with a wider variety of people. They are also involved, on average, of 5.2 "after school" activities like Boy scouts, CAP, church youth groups, ect. The myth that they are social misfits is wrong and insulting.

I've personally seen a mix of both.

[davedove]

Their dad is also a member and the DCC.

How the heck was this allowed to happen?

I'm the DCC and I have two kids in my unit. Does that mean I need to resign? If anything, I make my two kids work and train harder than anyone else so there are no signs of nepotism.

Which isn't right either.  You have to find the right balance so that you treat them the SAME as other cadets.

[majdomke]

Their dad is also a member and the DCC.

How the heck was this allowed to happen?

I'm the DCC and I have two kids in my unit. Does that mean I need to resign? If anything, I make my two kids work and train harder than anyone else so there are no signs of nepotism.

Which isn't right either.  You have to find the right balance so that you treat them the SAME as other cadets.

In my role as DCC, they are treated equally. In my role as their father, they are pushed to live up to their potential. Most parents dump and run. They are the ones whose cadets perform poorly, fail to advance and never take on any outside activities. The parents who take the time to come in once in awhile are the ones who make sure their cadets are on time, in proper uniform and maintain progress in the program. I probably have 25-50% of my cadets whom I've never met their parents. It's sad but true. In this society where parents are divorced and many teens are left on their own to do their own thing, they luckily show up at CAP's doorstep so we can help turn them into successful adults. The parents might be forced to sign the application but there's nothing we can do to force them to show interest.

[Spike]

The average home schooler is better socialized than most public schooled kids with a wider variety of people. They are also involved, on average, of 5.2 "after school" activities like Boy scouts, CAP, church youth groups, ect. The myth that they are social misfits is wrong and insulting.

Please post the link to the report you are getting these statistics from.  I can point you to reports that say the exact opposite. 

[notaNCO forever]

The average home schooler is better socialized than most public schooled kids with a wider variety of people. They are also involved, on average, of 5.2 "after school" activities like Boy scouts, CAP, church youth groups, ect. The myth that they are social misfits is wrong and insulting.

Please post the link to the report you are getting these statistics from.  I can point you to reports that say the exact opposite.

I spent half a semester researching this, I'll have to look but I believe those facts were from a report released by the government.

[BrandonKea]

The average home schooler is better socialized than most public schooled kids with a wider variety of people. They are also involved, on average, of 5.2 "after school" activities like Boy scouts, CAP, church youth groups, ect. The myth that they are social misfits is wrong and insulting.

Please post the link to the report you are getting these statistics from.  I can point you to reports that say the exact opposite.

I spent half a semester researching this, I'll have to look but I believe those facts were from a report released by the government.

Oh not that Government thing again 

[cap235629]

The average home schooler is better socialized than most public schooled kids with a wider variety of people. They are also involved, on average, of 5.2 "after school" activities like Boy scouts, CAP, church youth groups, ect. The myth that they are social misfits is wrong and insulting.

Please post the link to the report you are getting these statistics from.  I can point you to reports that say the exact opposite.

I spent half a semester researching this, I'll have to look but I believe those facts were from a report released by the government.

In my own PERSONAL experience I would have to vote with the opposite of your position.

I am involved in MANY youth activities including all of those mentioned.

I also live in a part of the country where home-schooling is extremely common.

The majority of the young men and women I encounter who are home-schooled are on average 2-3 years behind their peers socially.  Most are advanced academically.

YMMV

[notaNCO forever]

The average home schooler is better socialized than most public schooled kids with a wider variety of people. They are also involved, on average, of 5.2 "after school" activities like Boy scouts, CAP, church youth groups, ect. The myth that they are social misfits is wrong and insulting.

Please post the link to the report you are getting these statistics from.  I can point you to reports that say the exact opposite.

I spent half a semester researching this, I'll have to look but I believe those facts were from a report released by the government.

In my own PERSONAL experience I would have to vote with the opposite of your position.

I am involved in MANY youth activities including all of those mentioned.

I also live in a part of the country where home-schooling is extremely common.

The majority of the young men and women I encounter who are home-schooled are on average 2-3 years behind their peers socially.  Most are advanced academically.

YMMV

Maybe I'm just letting my personal opinion get in the way and trusting a few statistics to much; in my life I have met home schoolers that have no social problems and some that are not the best socially. I live  on the Eastern seaboard and most home schoolers I meet are socially adept I don't know many home schoolers from down South and in the Midwest though. I think parents who are extreme in their religious beliefs tend to cause more problems than homeschooling in particular.

[majdomke]

Please return to topic...

[arajca]

The unit I work with has a simple philosophy:
Child likes CAP, Parents don't/indifferent - no application
Parents like CAP, child doesn't/indifferent - no application
Child likes CAP, parents like CAP - application

Until the commander meet with the parents, potential cadets do not receive an application.

Lost a few potential cadets because of this, but in general, parents really appreciate it.

[Ned]

The unit I work with has a simple philosophy:
Child likes CAP, Parents don't/indifferent - no application
Parents like CAP, child doesn't/indifferent - no application
Child likes CAP, parents like CAP - application

Until the commander meet with the parents, potential cadets do not receive an application.

Lost a few potential cadets because of this, but in general, parents really appreciate it.

I concur with almost everything above, but as a former cadet with indifferent parents and also as a former parent indifferent to at least some of the endless variety of activities my children engaged in (music lessons, ballet, swim team, drama club, HS sports, Scouts, etc. etc. etc.), I would suggest that the unit commander rethink her/his position on "interested cadet / indifferent folks".

Usually, it is only after the cadet begins to succeed as a troop that we can get the appreciation / engagement of the parents.  It's a bit much to expect that when both the potential cadet and the folks know little or nothing about the program.

Ned Lee
Former Cadet

[Eclipse]

I concur with almost everything above, but as a former cadet with indifferent parents and also as a former parent indifferent to at least some of the endless variety of activities my children engaged in (music lessons, ballet, swim team, drama club, HS sports, Scouts, etc. etc. etc.), I would suggest that the unit commander rethink her/his position on "interested cadet / indifferent folks".

Ditto "don't like" vs. "won't let them play" are two different things.

Also, what do you do when mom is an anti-military "hippie" and dad is a gung-ho fighter jock?  BTDT.   

[Polecat]

I concur with almost everything above, but as a former cadet with indifferent parents and also as a former parent indifferent to at least some of the endless variety of activities my children engaged in (music lessons, ballet, swim team, drama club, HS sports, Scouts, etc. etc. etc.), I would suggest that the unit commander rethink her/his position on "interested cadet / indifferent folks".

Ditto "don't like" vs. "won't let them play" are two different things.

Also, what do you do when mom is an anti-military "hippie" and dad is a gung-ho fighter jock?  BTDT.   

Couples like that just make me wonder....  I have had cadets who liked it but had to quit because their parents were hippies. But sit down and talk with the parents and tell them that they don't have to join the military and we are not the military. A long talk like that usually helps unless they are pretty much unreasonable about it.

As far as the home school thing:
Open a "Homeschooling and CAP" topic and I will gladly discuss and debate til the cows come home. This topic is not the place for it.