Starting New Units for Growth & Recruiting

[Ed Bos]

Hello CAPTALK,

Some of  you may know me, and some may not, but I'm interested in getting some feedback for a plan I'm undertaking.

My day job is working as a professional for the Boy Scouts of America in Portland, OR. "Oh no! We don't want to be anything like THEM..." or so I've seen written on here in several threads over the past few years.

Well, one of the things the BSA does well is maintaining a growth-oriented mindset. Supporting this notion, in my council alone (smaller than the geographic area of most nearby wings) the membership of BSA programs is 77% of all CAP cadets everywhere. (screen captures attached). This tells me that there's some opportunity for growth.

With the approval of the Oregon Wing Commander and the endorsement in CAPR 52-16, I'm going to attempt to start a few CAP Squadrons/Explorer Posts in communities that have both a population base to support membership, as well as some local anchor for a unit (such as an airport with no CAP presence).

I'd like to get some ideas from the folks on CAPTALK, about what they would want to see when a new unit is being started from scratch in a community. What I would prefer is positive and constructive criticism. This plan is going to move forward, and I want it to be successful. Contributions along the lines of "that's stupid and it'll never work" need not be included. There are plenty of naysayers that don't need to be parroted by you fine people.

The plan is over the course of 6 weeks:

1) Advertise to the local schools and general aviation community that there will be an open house for the new unit;
2) Host an open house that includes:
  a) Hands-on Aerospace Education activities (drone flying)
  b) Hands-on Drill & Ceremonies instruction (stationary drill)
  c) Hands-on SAR instruction (DF/orienteering)
  d) Aircraft orientation (checking out a CAP plane)
  e) A calendar with upcoming training, meetings, and events
  f) Verbal invitations to join several times over the course of the open house
3) Weekly meetings with support from experienced personnel from nearby units
4) The Great Start curriculum to get the Cadets up to speed
5) A Saturday Level-1 Orientation for new Senior Members

At the end of 6 weeks, the unit will be realized, a new commander recruited, and on their way to mission-accomplishment.

So, that's the plan. What great ideas am I missing? And I want to thank you all for everything you do for CAP, and for your helpful advice.

[AirAux]

What you are forgetting is that BSA has a corps of paid personnel to assist in these matters.  While you may have a growth-oriented mindset, I have a good background as both a Cubmaster and as a Scoutmaster.  The Scouting program is much simpler than the CAP program.  From what I have seen, the Explorer program is pretty much dead.  Scouting does a big enrollment program at the beginning of the School year and usually with the assistance of local schools.  CAP has a hard time getting assistance with the local schools.  Further, we compete with ROTC in some areas and that makes it hard.  To put on the 6 week program as you are describing is going to take a good size group of trained CAP members and I am not sure where they will come from.   All, JMHO..

[Ed Bos]

What you are forgetting is that BSA has a corps of paid personnel to assist in these matters.  While you may have a growth-oriented mindset, I have a good background as both a Cubmaster and as a Scoutmaster.  The Scouting program is much simpler than the CAP program.  From what I have seen, the Explorer program is pretty much dead.  Scouting does a big enrollment program at the beginning of the School year and usually with the assistance of local schools.  CAP has a hard time getting assistance with the local schools.  Further, we compete with ROTC in some areas and that makes it hard.  To put on the 6 week program as you are describing is going to take a good size group of trained CAP members and I am not sure where they will come from.   All, JMHO..

Thanks for your reply. I'm not forgetting about the paid personnel the BSA have, I'm leveraging them (myself, specifically).

As a member of that corps of paid personnel, I'm using the resources of the BSA to support CAP in the areas where I am ethically and regulatively able. The simplicity of the Scouting program vs CAP isn't an issue I believe to be insurmountable, and Exploring has a renewed emphasis across the country which is what makes this partnership exciting for the management at my office.

The good size of trained CAP members I think I'll need is actually only 2-3 people per event (open house, meetings, training, etc) in addition to myself. And I've reached out to a nearby squadron to ask for their support in standing up a sister unit.

Thanks for the feedback.

[RiverAux]

While I think any town of 10K or more has the potential to support a small cadet squadron, I'd focus on the largest towns currently lacking CAP units and work your way down to the small ones. 

[Ed Bos]

While I think any town of 10K or more has the potential to support a small cadet squadron, I'd focus on the largest towns currently lacking CAP units and work your way down to the small ones. 

Excellent point. I'm starting with a couple new units in the Portland Metro area, and considering what it'll eventually take to ensure there is at least 1 squadron in each county of Oregon.