Speaker's Bureaus

[Pylon]

Have any of you looked into local speaker's bureaus for additional education and training opportunities for your members?

Our personnel officer noted that one of the area hospitals had a free speaker's bureau which provided experts to speak to groups on a wide variety of topics.  We got one of their directors of security to come and speak about bioterrorism preparedness, which was very interesting - especially for the cadets.  They brought all their chemical suits and explained the processes they follow, etc.  Informative, educational, interesting, and a chance for CAP to interact with local agencies.

Anybody else had such engagements before?  I'm already looking for more opportunities.   

[lordmonar]

I used to be a meber of Toast Masters.  They have a really good program of helping new and experinced speakers.  I highly encourage anyone who has a chapter near them to check it out. 

[Pylon]

I used to be a meber of Toast Masters.  They have a really good program of helping new and experinced speakers.  I highly encourage anyone who has a chapter near them to check it out. 

Cool idea; I hadn't thought about that organization.  Do you think a Toast Master's chapter would do something like give a public speaking skills presentation to cadets?  Or even better, a series of "classes" or sessions on public speaking?

It's a skill set I really would like to add to our cadets' curriculum.

[SJFedor]

Probably.

I know another event I did with some of my cadets when I was a new S'member, the local hospital, which I worked at and was on the HAZMAT DECON team, we needed some people to play victims, and they got to see the inner workings of how we set things up, do the decon, move them into the hospital, triage and treat. Activities that you can set up with the local hospitals, FD's, Emergency Service Training Schools, anything like that helps expose the cadets to the local ES community, and might spark their interest in some of the things.

[lordmonar]

I used to be a meber of Toast Masters.  They have a really good program of helping new and experinced speakers.  I highly encourage anyone who has a chapter near them to check it out. 

Cool idea; I hadn't thought about that organization.  Do you think a Toast Master's chapter would do something like give a public speaking skills presentation to cadets?  Or even better, a series of "classes" or sessions on public speaking?

It's a skill set I really would like to add to our cadets' curriculum.

Absolutely....just go and talk to them.  Toast Masters exists solely to improve public speaking ability.  I'm sure they would love to put on a little seminar or at least invite your cadets to their meetings.

[DNall]

We had a safety officer from a chemical plant once. Never had the time to look into much more, but yes it's a good option. Good netowrking also with people you may like to develop opporunities to work with in future emergency situations - make sure they go away knowing about CAP & our capanilities to help them also. Don't pitch them, but make sure they leave with enough to want to invite you into their director's meeting to talk about what CAP can do for them in an emergency. Obviously this applies more or less to some speakers, but it can be very effective if you for instance invite the director of your local country EOC in to brief on their ops & training opportunities.

[Major Carrales]

We have had members speak at functions fo rthe unit.  We had a contingent speak at a local Rotary Club last year next year (Jan) we will have our unit's OPS officer speak at a local chruch.

Community involvement is key to the surivial of the unit.  Conservative measures in public speaking enhance the stature of the unit among those that might seek to join it.

As a sort of flip to this, our unit has begun a "Guest Speaker" night where community members can address the unit, provide information or merely let us know what's up.

Major Carrales

[Pylon]

As a sort of flip to this, our unit has begun a "Guest Speaker" night where community members can address the unit, provide information or merely let us know what's up.

Major Carrales

How do you invite the public (by what means?)  Do you find people actually come, and if so, what do they want to talk about?

[Major Carrales]

As a sort of flip to this, our unit has begun a "Guest Speaker" night where community members can address the unit, provide information or merely let us know what's up.

Major Carrales

How do you invite the public (by what means?)  Do you find people actually come, and if so, what do they want to talk about?

Well, the public are not invited to every one we hold.   When we invite a public official, like a State Rep or the like, we set it up where we have a venue for discussion.  Sort of like sponsoring the activity.  We have done that once and it was attends lightly but got media exposure on television.

What happens (has happened) is that we invite a speaker from an organization, RED CROSS, County Commission, BBB Radio/Television personality, whatever it might be; and they disucss various topic with the unit.  It gives the unit community exposure and is part of unit service.  Like when we invite the BBB to talk about identity theft and the like.

[RiverAux]

On the flip, flip side, it is recommended that CAP PAOs set up a Speakers Bureau of CAP personnel to get out and speak to other groups about CAP.