What's the deal?

[GreenSquid]

Very interested in joining CAP. I am prior military and currently in law enforcement. I am very interested in the Emergency Services role of CAP. Well I spoke to a local recruiter and he invited me to a Squadron meeting located in a small airport. Well I get there and wait in the parking lot for a while. 30+ CAP members in uniform stroll in but they all had to be men who were 60 years old and older. I decided not to attend the meeting. Don't get me wrong, I know a lot of these fine men honorably served in the AF or other services. A lot of them were wearing flight jackets so I assume they are CAP pilots and probably served in the military as pilots. My issue is that this is not what I was looking for. It almost seemed like it was an old men's club. I was hoping for a diverse group of people, age, ethnicity, etc. I was pretty dissapointed because this is the closest unit near me. The rest are pretty far away.

I am still considering attending a meeting, but I'm not really sure this is what I was looking for. First, they all appeared to be pilots. Secondly, whats with the lack of diversity in the squadron. Not just talking about race, but age? I'm not looking for anything high speed. I'm in my late 30's, so I'm not a young buck either. This unit is centrally located in a metro area in Colorado, so I am wondering what the deal is.

[RiverAux]

The simple fact is that not many people in their 20s and 30s are interested in volunteering in the sort of organization that CAP is.  Most in that age group are getting established in their careers and families and while many do volunteer it tends to be as part of one-time events (say a park clean-up) rather than something that requires a significant dedication of time over many months just to get to the point where you can start doing work (though this varies depending on exactly what sort of thing you want to do).

Simple fact is that flying is a very expensive hobby and not many young folks have the money to do it.

But, I've been exactly where you are and the age thing just doesn't make any difference to your CAP experience.  When I served as squadron commander I was probably younger than the average member by 20-30 years (I was about 30). 

Now, if there are other CAP units in the vicinity check them all out before making any decisions.   There are units with cadets that tend to have more younger adult members (some former cadets stick with the unit into adulthood).

But, the key thing shouldn't be the demographics of the unit, but whether what CAP needs and what you are looking for match up.  If that isn't there, the rest won't matter.

[caphornbuckle]

I am assuming you were looking at a Senior Squadron when you went to visit.  This is normal.  Usually cadet and composite squadrons will have more of a younger membership.

Becoming part of the unit you visited may be an opportunity for both.  The members will be experienced in CAP and the professional development and operations side of things.  You can benefit from that knowledge.  You, as a member, could possibly bring in the younger members who did the same thing you did and drove away after looking at the members.

Of course, once you get some experience under your belt, you could help start a cadet or composite squadron in your area to bring in the younger folks.  You could even check and see if the unit you described would be willing to recharter as a composite squadron.  This is, of course, once you get yourself established in CAP.

[Eclipse]

The simple fact is that not many people in their 20s and 30s are interested in volunteering

Sadly, you could have stopped there...

[Spaceman3750]

The simple fact is that not many people in their 20s and 30s are interested in volunteering in the sort of organization that CAP is.  Most in that age group are getting established in their careers

If they're not a regular volunteer with some organization they're doing it wrong. Volunteering is a great way to not only show that you care about those around you but also is a good reference-builder.

[Eclipse]

Between Gen-X'ers, Millennials, and whatever else we're calling the slacker/x-boxers, there hasn't been an expectation of public service in
this country for 30+ years.

People will write a check, but ask them to actually come and help and you're going to get a blank stare most of the time, especially if it isn't something that directly effects them (i.e. a kid in the program, etc.).

[davidsinn]

Between Gen-X'ers, Millennials, and whatever else we're calling the slacker/x-boxers, there hasn't been an expectation of public service in
this country for 30+ years.

As a member of that generation I'd have to agree with you.

[Cliff_Chambliss]

Very interested in joining CAP. I am prior military and currently in law enforcement. I am very interested in the Emergency Services role of CAP. Well I spoke to a local recruiter and he invited me to a Squadron meeting located in a small airport. Well I get there and wait in the parking lot for a while. 30+ CAP members in uniform stroll in but they all had to be men who were 60 years old and older. I decided not to attend the meeting. Don't get me wrong, I know a lot of these fine men honorably served in the AF or other services. A lot of them were wearing flight jackets so I assume they are CAP pilots and probably served in the military as pilots. My issue is that this is not what I was looking for. It almost seemed like it was an old men's club. I was hoping for a diverse group of people, age, ethnicity, etc. I was pretty dissapointed because this is the closest unit near me. The rest are pretty far away.

I am still considering attending a meeting, but I'm not really sure this is what I was looking for. First, they all appeared to be pilots. Secondly, whats with the lack of diversity in the squadron. Not just talking about race, but age? I'm not looking for anything high speed. I'm in my late 30's, so I'm not a young buck either. This unit is centrally located in a metro area in Colorado, so I am wondering what the deal is.

And yet by walking away you did nothing to bring younger fresh blood into the mix. 

On the other hand, when I decided to rejoin CAP after a 25+ year absence I started by visiting the two squadrons in the area.  The first visit was to a Composite Squadron, and yes, there were cadets and young to middle age adults aplenty.  Hanging around in the hallway for over an hour it seemed everyone was just too busy to stop and even ask what I wanted.    Next Week:  Visit the Senior Squadron down the street.  I walked into the FBO and asked if this was the locatioon of the CAP Meeting.  Immediately one of the "old guys" walked up to me, introduced himself  and proceded to give me the "nickel tour.  Thi is the Squadron I joined.  We are a senior Squadron, and the majority of our members are aged 50+.  However I have found the squadron to be very energetic and youthful in outlook.  CAP is taken seriously, and we are anything but an "Old Men's Flying Club".

Grey hair dos not equate to "fuddy-duddy attitudes"

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

I am 45 years old and what hair I have left is not just grey, but white.

I am barely what one would call "Generation X"...I'm kind of in that nebulous area between Gen X and the "baby boomers."

I joined CAP at 27 (composite squadron).

I've been in composite, senior and cadet squadrons and ages are all across-the-board.  I was in one of those stereotypical "flying club" senior squadrons but it wasn't a flying club because of age reasons, as many of the pilots were my age or not much older and were in just for the flying time on the AF's nickel and so they could sign their significant others up so they could go flying in CAP airplanes with them (they didn't participate otherwise).

With an organisation like CAP, the "your mileage may vary" really comes into play.

[RiverAux]

The simple fact is that not many people in their 20s and 30s are interested in volunteering

Sadly, you could have stopped there...

Actually, the rest of my statement is accurate.  CAP is way outside the mainstream of most organizations that use volunteers.  Plenty of young adults volunteer, they're just not interested in our sort of organization.  They're out helping at their church, sorting goods at the food bank, etc.  They're just not into joining a group that is more like a job than anything else.  Thats one of the reasons volunteer fire departments are having problems -- increasing standards reduces volunteer interest.  Sometimes thats the tradeoff you need to make. 

[isuhawkeye]

Some of you need to get your facts about Gen X and Millenials straight.  The Millennial generation contributes a significant amount of volunteer time to their community, and they compose a significant portion of a military that is fighting a two theatre war with out the need to institute a draft.  I know that this site has shared this info before, but here is a study on the different generations and how volunteer organizations can work with them.

http://www.auxnaco.org/anaco_sa/_documents/CG%20Auxiliary%20survival%20in%2021st%20Century.pdf

Gen-Y is exhibiting a strong interest in volunteerism. Following are a few of the findings
from the Teens and Volunteering Survey from USA Weekend.
•  30 percent of students in grades six-12 volunteer more than 80 hours per year.
•  93 percent anticipate volunteering as adults
•  38 percent find volunteering a way to combine interests and talents
•  76 percent say their parents volunteer
•  32 percent believe the primary purpose of volunteering is to be exposed to new   
    experiences and new people
•  44 percent find volunteering highly rewarding

The experience was rewarding because:
•  53 percent could see the immediate impact
•  52 percent believed in the overall effort
•  51 percent made friends and met interesting people
•  42 percent found the opportunity well organized and efficiently run

[Eclipse]

"Lots?"  I don't know about that.

Most of the people I know in my age range and the halos younger seem pretty overwhelmed and wrapped up in just getting through
the day, with little thought to anything beyond Yelp updates and 4SQ check-ins.

Engage in a discussion of Brangelina, or the Royal Wedding and you'll get an engaged discussion.  Start talking about volunteer opportunities,
and how people can give back, and you'll get crickets or whines about how "tired and busy I am".

[isuhawkeye]

http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/assets/resources/VolunteeringInAmericaResearchHighlights.pdf

Volunteer Rates
While charitable giving declined in current dollars between 2007 and 2008 for the first time in over 20
years2, in contrast the volunteer rate in the United States increased from 26.2 percent to 26.4 percent. 
That change represents an addition of almost one million volunteers serving in the country.  Previous
research indicates that a concurrent decrease in volunteering rates could occur during a time of
economic recession, especially when there are decreases in home ownership and increases in
unemployment rates.  The fact that volunteer rates held relatively steady during such a time is a
positive sign for service moving forward.  Nonprofit organizations striving to meet the needs of families
across the country are also hard-pressed by the economic situation, and are finding some relief by
using more volunteers to achieve their goals.  Many report that they have not only increased their
reliance on volunteers of late, but also project that they will continue to increase their reliance on
volunteers over the coming year.

Young Adult Volunteering

About 8.24 million young people ages 16-24 volunteered in 2008, over 441,000 more than in 2007. 
This increase in young adult volunteers makes up almost half of the overall increase in the number of
volunteers nationally.  The volunteer rate for this group increased significantly from 20.8 percent in
2007 to 21.9 percent in 2008. The interest among young people in volunteering coincides with their
reported increase in the belief that it is essential or very important to help other people in need.  The
Higher Education Research Institute studies the attitudes of first-year college students each year and
reported that in 2008, 69.7 percent of students held this belief in 2008—the highest rate since 1970.3

[Eclipse]

I'd like to know the definition of "volunteer" used for those numbers - they seem pretty benevolent to the argument, and somewhat high.

More recent studies show my state as about 26%, but when you do the raw math on the purported number of volunteers vs. raw population,
it's actually only 20%, so the math itself is suspect.

I'm sure there are a lot of people who answer surveys indicating they volunteer their time, but who know what that really means?

I have read some articles in the last year or so that volunteerism may be up because of the high number of white collar workers with nothing
else to do because of the high unemployment rate.

[CAP4117]

"Lots?"  I don't know about that.

Most of the people I know in my age range and the halos younger seem pretty overwhelmed and wrapped up in just getting through
the day, with little thought to anything beyond Yelp updates and 4SQ check-ins.

Engage in a discussion of Brangelina, or the Royal Wedding and you'll get an engaged discussion.  Start talking about volunteer opportunities,
and how people can give back, and you'll get crickets or whines about how "tired and busy I am".

I feel the need to defend my age group. I agree that statistics are unreliable because of the vague nature of the question. But I can say from personal experience that I have been continuously surprised by the generosity of spirit of my peers. It is perhaps difficult to notice this in CAP because of the age discrepancy, but in my experience that is not the norm for a lot of other volunteer organizations. I am heavily involved in different types of organizations, and the presence of young people is very pronounced.

[spacecommand]

I guess you really won't know unless you actually get out of the car and step into the meeting.  In my unit a lot of the pilots are much older then I am (retired persons) and we have some younger ones to, but I work great with all of them.  I don't know what unit you went to visit (I'm not familiar with Colorado) but it could be mainly a squadron that does flying activities, other squadrons might concentrate only on ground team (my squadron does both, while the pilots in my unit are much older people, the ground team folks in my unit are in their 20's and 30s).

But again, you really won't know much other then make assumptions about the unit, until you actually go inside to a meeting, introduce yourself, meet the other folks there to learn more about the unit.  Maybe you'll find out they need young folks and the diversity you are seeking, but no one ever comes by because they make assumptions.  Maybe you'll find out it's not what you are expecting at all, but members of the unit can direct you to another unit they know that might meet your expectations.  Again go in and talk to them and attend a meeting to find out for sure.

[DakRadz]

Very interested in joining CAP. I am prior military and currently in law enforcement. I am very interested in the Emergency Services role of CAP. Well I spoke to a local recruiter and he invited me to a Squadron meeting located in a small airport. Well I get there and wait in the parking lot for a while. 30+ CAP members in uniform stroll in but they all had to be men who were 60 years old and older. I decided not to attend the meeting. Don't get me wrong, I know a lot of these fine men honorably served in the AF or other services. A lot of them were wearing flight jackets so I assume they are CAP pilots and probably served in the military as pilots. My issue is that this is not what I was looking for. It almost seemed like it was an old men's club. I was hoping for a diverse group of people, age, ethnicity, etc. I was pretty dissapointed because this is the closest unit near me. The rest are pretty far away.

I am still considering attending a meeting, but I'm not really sure this is what I was looking for. First, they all appeared to be pilots. Secondly, whats with the lack of diversity in the squadron. Not just talking about race, but age? I'm not looking for anything high speed. I'm in my late 30's, so I'm not a young buck either. This unit is centrally located in a metro area in Colorado, so I am wondering what the deal is.

At my first squadron, I showed up and met the same scene. As a 16 year old. (That night [summer, lots of daylight], unbeknownst to me, the cadets were out flying O-flights and only the Senior Members not involved were still at the meeting place).

They made me feel welcome, and as someone used to hanging around prior service/retired folks from JROTC and such, and being that there were a few prior service there (right by Ft Rucker), we had common ground despite 40+ years in age difference.

Really it's just a matter of going in and seeing what it's like.

[EMT-83]

Keep in mind that this is a tough time of year for attendance at squadron meetings. We've had several potential members visit over the summer, and are quick to point out that the normally scheduled activities have been somewhat modified due to vacations, encampments or NCSA's.

[Spiritsoar]

What I've noticed about volunteering in my age range (I'm 28) is that a lot of people are just never introduced to it.  I've volunteered a moderate amount over the years with various organizations, and I always find that I can easily gather a few more people just by explaining what we do an "Hey, you should come sometime."  I don't think younger people are volunteer averse as much as just never introduced to the concept of volunteerism.

[GreenSquid]

Thanks for the replies. I actually found a Composite Squadron that might be a better fit for me. Its a futher drive but hopefully worth it. I have nothing but admiration and respect for the Senior Squadron I mentioned, so I hope nobody took me the wrong way. I also talked my 15 year old daughter into joining CAP. She browsed through the CAP website and seems pretty excited at the opportunity. She is not following a military career but is excited at the opportunity and thinks it'll look great on her resume for college.

Thanks to all those who replied. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm hoping this is the start to a long career in the CAP!