Should Potential CAP Senior Members Be Required To Pass An Aptitude Test?

[AirAux]

Ouch..  One of the best Communications Officers I have ever had the privilege to serve with was totally blind..  And before the AL and VFW comes to kick your butt while pushing their legless Veterans in wheelchairs, you better watch what you say about honorable, distinguished organizations.  Their members have given far more than our non-Vet members to make this country safe..  The first part of the test should ask about ability to play with others and I think you just failed.. off with your head..

[Flying Pig]

If a member is in a position they dont belong in, the commander can reassign them.

[RiverAux]

The military does such testing because they pretty much have the final call in what you do in that organization and need some idea of what you might be good at.  In CAP the choice of what qualifications and activities you participate in is pretty much up to the member. 

What are we thinking here?  "Well Mr. Smith, I know you're a CFII who flies low-level powerline patrols on a weekly basis, but your CAPVAB says you'd make a great radio operator -- here's your headset."

[mynetdude]

Ouch..  One of the best Communications Officers I have ever had the privilege to serve with was totally blind..  And before the AL and VFW comes to kick your butt while pushing their legless Veterans in wheelchairs, you better watch what you say about honorable, distinguished organizations.  Their members have given far more than our non-Vet members to make this country safe..  The first part of the test should ask about ability to play with others and I think you just failed.. off with your head..

I like that, very snarky but I wouldn't argue or disagree .

[NIN]

Ouch..  One of the best Communications Officers I have ever had the privilege to serve with was totally blind..  And before the AL and VFW comes to kick your butt while pushing their legless Veterans in wheelchairs, you better watch what you say about honorable, distinguished organizations.  Their members have given far more than our non-Vet members to make this country safe..  The first part of the test should ask about ability to play with others and I think you just failed.. off with your head..

hehe. As a card-carrying member of the American Legion, let me take a break from pushing my buddy in -his- wheelchair.

While my analogy was flawed, my point was that CAP isn't a fraternal organization, but rather its a participatory membership organization that has needs, requirements, a daily operational mission, etc.  And we're not allowed to have a bar in our meeting facilities

I, too, have worked with blind CAP members (let me tell you about the one-eyed pilot we have up here).  But the difference is that they were able to accomplish their duties, with some adjustments for their disabilities.

But at a certain point, some people do not possess the necessary cognitive skills and abilities to contribute to the mission.  Is it up to a layperson to determine that, or some kind of more impartial 3rd party determination?

CAP is not a social program. We're not the little league, here, handing out trophies to everybody who "tries."  At some point, an individual's inability to contribute in a meaningful way may outweigh any potential benefit of their participation, up to and including the resource drain that it may place upon the unit just to "manage" this individual.

The example I gave was just one guy.  How about people who refuse to update their skills?   Get a guy who goes "yeah, I'm a CFI, and I want to help fly cadets..." and you say "thats great!" and then you find out that while he's current in an airplane, he last flew a student back when Alan Shepard was taking primary training.   Now what do you say? "Oh, uh, wow. Look at the time..."

Or lets talk about modern skills: word processing, email, etc.

Back in the day, correspondence was the admin officer hunting-and-pecking in the squadron office with three pieces of paper and two pieces of carbon paper rolled into the Selectric.  Now, staff sections are expected to generate their own training plans, correspondence,  read regulations and pubs online, put info out to the unit, create flyers, etc.

"I don't have a computer.." sez C. Crusty Crabb, CDR, USN (Ret.), CFII and crewchief to the Wright Bros.  Uh oh.

I'm not expecting Einstein. But I want to make sure that my newbie LT here can read the AR670-1 and ACR670-1 when I hand it to him, and not say "Can you give me the Cliff Notes version? I don't read. At all."

[tdepp]

^^^I say we add an IQ test, an MMPI, a Myers-Briggs, a lie detector test, a personal interview with a psychiatrist, a 10,000 word essay, the reassembly of a TV set from a box of parts, calculating Vanguard's shipping rates on at least 10 orders of varying amounts, and a lightning round of "Name That Tune" to our membership application process.  That ought to keep the riff-raff out. 

[wingnut55]

 

[bosshawk]

Suggestion: why not pick six of the hardest nosed folks on CT and have them approve or disapprove of ALL applications to membership in CAP.  That would do two things, take them away from posting on this blog and make sure that CAP membership is pure and clean.  And very small.

[MIKE]

If you took Level 1 and made it a bit more in depth as an orientation course with a test you take before you actually submit paperwork, you would be like those other guys in the blue uniforms.

Something that might be good for cadets is some sort of fitness assessment before they join.  For those that can't get it waived, but won't pass the PFT for whatever reason.  Maybe some sample academics too.  Weeds out the C/AB for lyfe because they can't pass Achievement 1.

[Cecil DP]

Why don't we have some kind of screening for all prospective and even renewing members? Wait we do, It's called the UNIT MEMBERSHIP BOARD! Having a UMB is a requirement for all units, at every level of CAP yet most squadron's don't use it. Before suggesting a costly and asinine screening program, use the one we've got in place.

[RiverAux]

While I've run into a few CAP members that most consider "odd" and have some people skills issues, I don't recall running into anyone I thought was too stupid to be in CAP, which seems to be the premise here.

[davidsinn]

While I've run into a few CAP members that most consider "odd" and have some people skills issues, I don't recall running into anyone I thought was too stupid to be in CAP, which seems to be the premise here.

I have. Too many times.

[mynetdude]

Why don't we have some kind of screening for all prospective and even renewing members? Wait we do, It's called the UNIT MEMBERSHIP BOARD! Having a UMB is a requirement for all units, at every level of CAP yet most squadron's don't use it. Before suggesting a costly and asinine screening program, use the one we've got in place.

Pretty sure its not required, its SUGGESTED I have seen several here say so and here's the actual reference in CAPR 39-2

CAPR 39-2 states:

(bold emphasis is mine, however the word "should" is shaded in the CAPR 39-2 so hence the bolding)

1-5. Unit Membership Board (Applicable to cadets, cadet sponsors, and senior members only). All unit commanders should appoint a unit membership board comprised of a minimum of three members to assist the commander in determining the eligibility of new applicants and membership renewals.

IMHO NHQ should REQUIRE UMBs then we'll have no excuse for letting in silly members!

Also a side question, lets say the CC and the UMB (if there is one) decide to allow someone to join but then they decide they don't "like" that person anymore can they prevent them from renewing/joining again? IIRC I know you can terminate membership for cause, but what about non-cause? There are two types of terminations IIRC involuntary (for cause) and voluntary and you can usually rejoin without adverse  issues other than having to do your TIG over again depending on how long the lapse is.

[tdepp]

^^^I can see our new public service announcement campaign: Help Keep CAP NARS* Free! 

Audio:
"We're the Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the United States Air Force.  And we want you to join us, unless, of course, you are a NARS.  While we only do model rocket science with our cadets, if you are a NARS, we don't want you.  In fact, the CAP is a "NARS-free" zone.  What is a NARS?  Anyone who has to ask what a NARS is.  So, help CAP fulfill its NARS-less "Missions for America"--unless, of course, you are a NARS."

*Not A Rocket Scientist

[Rotorhead]

Lets face it, some of our senior members are challenged in performing in tasks that most could perform.  In some instances, they will require constant supervision by another senior member.

However, what they lack in aptitude, they do display a very positive attitude towards the organization and are likely to do the very best they can, with their limitations.

Should we have some sort of aptitude test similiar to the the armed forces, in order to determine IF a senior member should be allowed to join the program as an active senior member 

I realize that this is controversial, BUT if you have too large a senior staff that is low in aptitude, the overall unit's effectiveness could be affected greatly. 

Comments
RM   

No.

[Short Field]

While I've run into a few CAP members that most consider "odd" and have some people skills issues, I don't recall running into anyone I thought was too stupid to be in CAP, which seems to be the premise here.

The dangerous ones (and the ones that make me afraid to carry any type of weapon least I use it!!!) would easily pass any initial entrance test you might give them.  You might even feel proud that you recruited them.  It is only when you start to rely on them and assume they are normal that they demonstrate they are totally incapable of following even the most basic of instructions and have absolutely zero common sense.   

[a2capt]

Heh... Seems like we've been mostly there, even bit twice by the same individual, who has gone on a unit tour, burning every bridge in the greater area thats possible.