Meeting locations...Which are the best?

[Major Carrales]

This week our unit will be meeting at a new temporary location as we work for a permanent home.

My question is simple, why sort of place is the best?

National Guard Armory?  Red Cross?  Private Industry?  Flight Line?

Not all of us can meet on USAF, Army or Navy installations?

I know what my opinions and goals are, but I would like to solicit testimony from others...

Have at it?

[lordmonar]

What ever works.

You need a room that comfortably sits you entire squadron, a place where you can safely drill (assuming a cadet/composite squadron) and a place where the staff and leaders can meet away from the meeting.

We have an office...but we meet in a big conference room at the local Air Port. (we are a senior squadron).  "Work" gets done monday and friday morning where the staff meets at the office to do the paper work.

[DNall]

The city provides facilities for us. That'll go away in a year after having been there for years & years, and we'll move to one of two other city provided facilities. Build relationships with the community you serve & they serve you back - obviously that means the aviation community is going to be more open to you than others.

Generally you would like a nice facility on the flight line where there's good parking & drill areas w/ immediate access to a large ramp area for major missions, yet in a place where you can put up your antennae.

If you can't get that, then any professional working enviro you don't have to share & can get 24hr access to is good, again with the parking & drill areas.

If that doesn't work then share. Armories are good. Something like a fire dept might be possible.

There's mil facilities in Corpus, can you not get in there somewhere? Coast Guard maybe?

[Major Carrales]

There's mil facilities in Corpus, can you not get in there somewhere? Coast Guard maybe?

You mean, NAS Corpus Christi or NAS Kinsgville?    Maybe on Sept 10, 2001; but the level of security to have parents drop off children is problematic.

We used to meet at the Corpus Christi Army Depot...security back then asked us to leave because of the numbers of persons.  We cannot secure stickers and passes for the volumens of people...or at least past commanders could not.

'Tis better to meet in a more accessible place.

[Becks]

Having spent quite a bit of time at them, I like armories.  They often have the necessary office, classroom and drill area for anything you may need.

[JohnKachenmeister]

Reserve Centers or National Guard armories are best.  If you have a college nearby, ROTC armories are also good.

Next down on the list would be airport facilities, if they can be had for free or real cheap.  If you can get exclusive access to a stand-alone building on an airport for free or for cheap, that bumps up to #1.

Farther down the list are VFW/Legion or other veteran group facilities.  Be careful of these, and make sure your meetings are scheduled when the bar is closed.

[Chris Jacobs]

My squadron meets on the portland airbase.  We had some issues with getting on right after 9-11 but it is almost back to normal.  we all get temporary passes and a list of people comming has to be left at the gate.  we actually have our own building almost to ourselfs.  it is one of the oldest buildings on base i think, but i am not complaining.

[carnold1836]

My squadron has the front third of a building on Camp Mabry, Headquarters for the Texas Military Forces is located on base. And all we do is show our photo ID (DL or CAP) and we get on base. For large gatherings such as CTEP or Cadet Comp we provide a list to the gate guards of all attendees and we have no problem.

The nice thing is our building is right by the PX so we have ample access to food and since our building doesn't have a restroom, yet, we can use them in the PX as well.

[A.Member]

My question is simple, why sort of place is the best?

A free one! 

I'm joking (kind of) but certainly you should look to someone to donate a meeting place.   Start by identifying your needs.  This may very slightly based on squadron type but let's assume you're a composite, I'd look for the following (being an ideal situation):

• Geographically central to the majority of your potential/actual membership
• 2 separate meeting/class rooms - one for cadets, one for seniors (assuming you'll meet concurrently)
• An area large enough to hold opening and closing formations for your entire squadron (this may simply be one the meeting rooms - or outside)
• A limited storage area for file cabinets, flags, small amount of supplies.  A small storage closet (or a portion of it) may suffice.
• Accessibility to power - and ideally the use of a/v equipment
• Ideally, close to or on the airport (assuming you're a flying squadron - and even if you're not)

A church donates our current meeting space.  They have a fantastic set-up.  We're not at the airport but we are close.  We also had a home in the classroom of a small college for a while.  Look to a school to donate space.  A community center may be another place to look (although they're more likely to charge a fee, even if it is nominal - like I said, free is best!  )

[MIKE]

Compared to the airports, I really preferred the Army Reserve Center.  Had an actual office, access to classrooms, and an indoor heated drill hall.  It was much more conducive to cadet training IMO.  Airports are better for units that will actually be flying regularly.

If I couldn't have a reserve center or guard armory... I'd settle for somewhere that had an indoor basketball court and some office/classroom space.  A track would be nice for the mile run.

[LtCol White]

Churches generally support youth organizations strongly. So for cadet Sq's this is always a good choice since it provides a ready pool of potential cadets.

[SKYKING607]

Other than a military facility, I'd say a National Guard Armory is preferred in a local area.   The ANG unit would have the possibility of attracting enlistees from CAP members.  In times of crisis, both organizations could work together.

Second best would be to secure a location at a municipal airport.  If the airport is operated by the local city, secure an MOU to aid each other in times of crisis.  The possibility of having communications and air operations is attractive to a municipal disaster council.

Another possibility would be a Middle School or High School campus.  School officials like having youth groups on the their facilities, especially when it's self insured.  Potential CAP cadet membership base is large, and the AE angle to the school is a plus for school administrators.

Just an opinion.....

[Psicorp]

Having spent quite a bit of time at them, I like armories.  They often have the necessary office, classroom and drill area for anything you may need.

That's where my unit meets.  It's great for what we really need, but we can't hang models from the ceiling, can't put up builetin boards or safety posters, have to write CAP on everything to keep stuff from walking away, can't hang models from the ceiling 

A unit a ways South of here, however, was given two hangers that back against each other for office space.  They were given donations to totally renovate them and now they have offices that makes you think you're inside the FBO.  The only drawback...the closest restroom is in the FBO.

A meeting place of your own is always preferable to having to share it, but having meetings is by far more important than where those meetings take place.

[MIKE]

IMO, I think units should be able to operate as a kind of Squadron In A Box... Having too much of a footprint can be a real issue for some units meeting locations... Bulletin boards, storage space etc.. Especially when you don't own/rent the facility or have to share with other organizations.

As an example:  My unit moved recently... At our new location we don't have really any space to call our own.  We might get to move in a file cabinet eventually, but that's about it.  The stuff we need each week gets brought to the meeting, but we also have other stuff that now needs to be stored somewhere because there is no where to put it.

[fyrfitrmedic]

Reserve Centers or National Guard armories are best.  If you have a college nearby, ROTC armories are also good.

Next down on the list would be airport facilities, if they can be had for free or real cheap.  If you can get exclusive access to a stand-alone building on an airport for free or for cheap, that bumps up to #1.

Farther down the list are VFW/Legion or other veteran group facilities.  Be careful of these, and make sure your meetings are scheduled when the bar is closed.

... and make sure that the barflies stay clear of your meetings.

[brasda91]

You won't believe this.  Our composite squadron had its own building for years and years and years, close to 50 +.  It was built by a former commander and some friends along with their money.  We paid for all of the operating costs (water and electrical).  Back a few years ago, the county fiscal court told us they were going to apply for a grant and they were going to build us a new building.  That fell through when the National Guard decided to build a regional training center here.  We are being put in with them.  Back before Christmas one of the outgoing county officials decided our building needed to be torn down (the new NG training cntr has not even been being built).  So now, we meet in one of the Armorys.  It seemed like we were in the minority of units that actually had its own private hq.

[Psicorp]

You won't believe this.  Our composite squadron had its own building for years and years and years, close to 50 +.  It was built by a former commander and some friends along with their money.  We paid for all of the operating costs (water and electrical).  Back a few years ago, the county fiscal court told us they were going to apply for a grant and they were going to build us a new building.  That fell through when the National Guard decided to build a regional training center here.  We are being put in with them.  Back before Christmas one of the outgoing county officials decided our building needed to be torn down (the new NG training cntr has not even been being built).  So now, we meet in one of the Armorys.  It seemed like we were in the minority of units that actually had its own private hq.

So, you're saying sir that your building was taking through Eminent Domain?   That really sucketh.

[Becks]

Having spent quite a bit of time at them, I like armories.  They often have the necessary office, classroom and drill area for anything you may need.

That's where my unit meets.  It's great for what we really need, but we can't hang models from the ceiling, can't put up builetin boards or safety posters, have to write CAP on everything to keep stuff from walking away, can't hang models from the ceiling 

A unit a ways South of here, however, was given two hangers that back against each other for office space.  They were given donations to totally renovate them and now they have offices that makes you think you're inside the FBO.  The only drawback...the closest restroom is in the FBO.

A meeting place of your own is always preferable to having to share it, but having meetings is by far more important than where those meetings take place.

Right, my squadron meets at the Aeroclub here at Chas AFB.  We have our own office but other than that not much to call our own.  I suppose its nice for the pilots as our plane is right out back and is a stone throw from the runway.  I really almost would prefer to have it the armory my guard unit drills at; the indoor drill pad and extra space is a little more conducive to cadet programs that I am involved in.

[thefischNX01]

We meet at an armory, which is nice because it has 2 offices, so I can have separate meetings with my cadets, and a nice large drill area.  The only problem is that our classroom was taken away and turned into an office/locker Room for the drill team.  We get by, though.  There are extra tables and chairs lying around that we just set up and use instead. 

If you can get an armory, I'd say go for it. 

[RogueLeader]

You might want to ensure that you have a seperate area for testing, so the cadets/seniors aren't distracted.