Diversity Committee

[Flying Pig]

Again, why do we need to target them, or any other particular race of people? DO they need special recruiting? Special posters?  Do these ethnic groups need special invitations or can they find out about CAP like all of the other members do?

[Nathan]

Again, why do we need to target them, or any other particular race of people? DO they need special recruiting? Special posters?  Do these ethnic groups need special invitations or can they find out about CAP like all of the other members do?

The question is whether we have a percent of minority membership in CAP that is acceptable when compared with the national percentage. If we have a percentage statistically significantly lower than the national average, why? If it is due to poor recruiting practices (ie, recruiting in an area that is predominately white and ignoring nearby "black communities"), then that would definitely be a solvable issue.

However, I don't think either of the questions have been answered concretely yet.

[aveighter]

E Pluribus Unum. 

Work on that one.

Diversity is, at best,  the path of an intellectual simpleton and, at worst, a tool for tyranny.

[raivo]

The question is whether we have a percent of minority membership in CAP that is acceptable when compared with the national percentage.

And if we don't, then so what?

We should be recruiting whomever we can, wherever we can, whenever we can. This notion that we must be doing something "wrong" if we're not picking up some magical number of minorities as we do so, is laughable to me.

[dogboy]

At this time I don't care much about diversity in the top of the hierarchy but I am concerned about a lack of diversity in the Cadet ranks. Census figures that compare the proportion of each group in total population to the proportion of CAP members is not very relevant for Cadets because a much larger proportion of the under 18 population is minority than is the general population.

Because JrROTC is school-based, unless a school, has a unit, a kid is out of luck.  At least in California, JrROTC is concentrated at schools in poorer areas. I would have thought this was because middle-class kids have little interest but, in fact, in my town, the most affluent high school has the largest contingent. My conclusion is that the lack of JrROTC in richer kids' schools is at least partially due to middle class liberal opposition to military service.

Here's a map of JrROTC units in Los Angeles County public schools

http://idea.gseis.ucla.edu/publications/images/Military_Science05.jpg

Kids who attend public schools in each of the districts with an orange  (maybe it should be yellow) flag have no JrROTC units. CAP could service these students, but has ineffective outreach as well as a lack of adult leaders.

It should be noted that JrROTC instructors are paid, I think half by the Service and half by the school district. In a real sense, it is the CAP's situation as a corporation that causes this. If it really was the US Air Force Auxiliary, adult leaders to Cadet units could be paid and independent Cadet units would be available for these kids.

I like teenage kids well enough, but I personally wouldn't be an unpaid adult leader of Cadets in CAP. Those who do it well have my highest praise but I wouldn't do it for free. And, BTW, I'm a former Mitchell Cadet.

[DakRadz]

PM sent.
My apologies for the publicness.

JROTC instructors are retired military personnel, with a very select few Reserve. They receive what is basically their retirement check from the military, and the other half of what they would make on AD is paid by the school (the school usually pays them about as much as the average teacher, unless a Captain/Colonel O-6 maxed his retired pay out ^_^). The school also provides the benefits. No offense to CAP, but JROTC instructors are paid for a [consarn] good reason.

Mods are probably going to close this, it's way off topic.

EDIT: JROTC info is good to go ^_^