Signing up new members at intervals

[Snake Doctor]

Hey all,

I'm looking for a few contacts, in squadrons, that sign up new members at set intervals during a year.  Say quarterly.
I'm interested to know how it is working for cadets and officers. My idea is to do that and have quarterly orientaions cousres for cadets and officers.

Thanks.

Paul

[Pylon]

Hey all,

I'm looking for a few contacts, in squadrons, that sign up new members at set intervals during a year.  Say quarterly.
I'm interested to know how it is working for cadets and officers. My idea is to do that and have quarterly orientaions cousres for cadets and officers.

Thanks.

Paul

Welcome Paul!  I know Lt Col Darin Ninness, who occassionally stops in these parts, has a very successful program operating like this and he has expounded upon it several times in the past.  He would be an ideal person to contact regarding this type of recruiting and induction.

[Snake Doctor]

Thank you! I will get in touch with him unless he posts here first.

Paul

[isuhawkeye]

take a look at some of the Iowa threads on this topic.  with our Officer Training program seniors are recruited and trained 2 times a year

[NIN]

Will post my diatribe here in a bit In the middle of a big meeting at the moment.

However, if you search thru my posts in the last 90 days or so, you'll find a big discussion on the subject in the Great Start thread here: http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=1708.0



Back later.

[afgeo4]

So basically you guys offer members 3 to 6 months to opt not to join? 3 to 6 months of looking at training, but not participating in it? Interesting. On some level it weeds out those who aren't serious, but on the other level... it keeps people who are itching to do something like say volunteering from actually volunteering.

[Stonewall]

This absolutely works.

People will argue all day and all night about bringing people in at a set date, but it has proven its worth 10x over with retention in the long run.

For years, as a deputy commander for cadets and later, a squadron commander, we started recruiting campaigns that advertised two things.  1) an open house and 2) a "new basic cadet training class", as if it were so few and far between, you better get your butt in before its too late.

Most squadrons and their leadership are hard up for members and think this concept will only turn people away, but it is a tried and true method.  We'd do major advertising.  Earlier I said "recruiting" but I lied, we never recruited, we advertised; got the word out about CAP.  I'd mail 10 CAP pamphlets with squadron info, open house date and a POC to every library within our area for their public service announcement desk.  I'd send cadets with 8.5 x 11" "posters" advertising our open house.  You name it, I'd get the word out in some way shape or form.

Come open house time, we went all out.  We'd have a very professional gear set up, like the PJs and Special Forces guys do at the airshows.  We'd do an ELT demo where the cadet GTMs would set up an ELT in a car and track it down.  We'd do the standard 12 minute video and of course, I would speak.  I've been called somewhat of a car salesman as far as CAP goes.  The cadet commander would speak so the young'uns visiting would see that the program is "for cadets by cadets".  We'd have model rockets on display.  Do a color guard presentation and really just sell the program.  We made them believe it is in fact an honor and privilege to be a member of CAP.

At the end, we'd say, okay folks, thanks for coming.  If you are interested in joining CAP our next Training Flight will start in 4 weeks.  You will be given all the information you need to sign up and become a member, but we won't accept your money and application until you have attended 3 meetings.  CAP isn't for everybody and we don't want you to waste your money.  Oh, and when you show up, your uniform is blue jeans with a plain black tshirt tucked in with a belt.  Any questions?

We'd have anywhere between 5 and 12 new cadets show up, and chances are, their initial impression with the program keeps them in the program a lot longer than those who trickled in and weren't put through an 8 week program that was separate from the rest of the squadron.  TRUST ME, IT WORKS!!! 

Some say that may be way too much work to get 5 new recruits out of it.  But if you do that 3 times a  year, that's at least 15 new cadets a year.  In the end, it brings both quantity and quality.

[NIN]

So basically you guys offer members 3 to 6 months to opt not to join? 3 to 6 months of looking at training, but not participating in it? Interesting. On some level it weeds out those who aren't serious, but on the other level... it keeps people who are itching to do something like say volunteering from actually volunteering.

While it may seem that way, it really doesn't work that way.

First, we PUSH as hard as possible to "catch" as many of the people who would be intrested in joining as possible.  As UK said, its "advertising," per se, not "recruiting" (although in our context, recruiting IS advertising..). 

Second, we open our "new member period" up a week before the open house (so anybody who has been waiting in the wings can get their stuff going), and then we have a unit open house.  Three weeks after the open house, we close the new member period and you cannot join until the next one.  Senior training starts at that point (Level I) as does CBT.

Third, its been my experience that anybody who is motivated enough to want to volunteer WILL wait.  They WILL.  You establish this as "the standard" and they say "Oh, OK, understood. Need to wait until the week before 11 October to start the process.." and off they go.  We have contact information for them, they have our flyer, and we make sure that we contact them as we advertise for the next one about 4 weeks before that open house and new member period.

Let me reiterate one of the key concepts here: If someone is so motivated to join CAP, they WILL wait.  I have seen it many times.  Some of my best officers and cadets are those who have waited (for either our open house rules  reason, or because, say, they were 11 years old when they first investigated us and discovered they couldn't join until they were 12..). 

My standard explaination here is this: If a person is not motivated enough about CAP to wait 4-5 months for the next recruiting period, then exactly how motivated were they going to be to participate in general?

What happens when the "going gets tough" and you tell them "OK, you have be an SM for 6 months before promotion to 2nd Lt?" or "Sorry, 2nd Lt, but its 12 full months TIG to 1st Lt.."?  Are they going to quit?  Probably not, becuase that's seen as "the way the process goes."  Same thing with us:  Waiting to join is "the way the process goes."  They don't know any better, so they don't see it as a burden. Its just the way the process is.

It acts as a filter.  The "tire-kickers" fall out of the process quickly and do not come back. The potential higher quality, longer term members are the ones who DO come back.

[NIN]

BTW,  I think I mentioned this before:

We've been doing the "pipeline" effort since early in 2001, and have done the "pipelining with a drop-dead inprocessing night" at the end of the new member period since about 2003.  EVERY open house since January 2001 has netted for the squadron between 12 and 16 cadets and 1-2 officers.

This last one (March) netted us 15 cadets and 4 officers.

A sidebar benefit: All of our cadets and most of our seniors have "membership expiration dates" in either November or April.  Makes retention interviews a snap.

[Tubacap]

What do you do at a retention interview?

[Stonewall]

I think Darin's retention interview/process was more complex than ours, but we'd simply bring the cadet in, similar to a review board, and basically do a personal chat with them.  Ask them how things are going in CAP, school, sports, etc.  We'd mention that their membership expires in one month and ask if they intend to renew.  We also drop a hint that we don't have to let them renew (like that would happen) but like the initial "hiring process" we project a perception that it is a privilege to be in CAP, not a right. 

At the end, we shake hands, thank them for their service and they walk away knowing that we're paying attention and do concern ourselves with their welfare as it relates to CAP.

[capchiro]

It must be nice to have large enough squadrons to have separate programs to train the newbies by themselves for 8 weeks while the rest of the squadron is doing the weekly activities on schedule.  I also question statements such as "we close the new member period and you cannot join until the next one".  I truly think that if someone wants to join CAP at any time and National finds out they are being denied the opportunity to submit their paperwork and dues there may be a new squadron commander in that unit shortly.  I don't think any squadron commander has the authority to refuse to allow someone to join CAP except during a prescribed period.  This is part of the problem with CAP. everyone has their own ideas.  I am not saying that this doesn't work for some squadrons, I am just saying "it ain't right".  National will accept applications at anytime and expects their commanders to do likewise.  The squadrons are entrusted to us to administer according to CAP Regs, not our own personal whims.  As usual, JMHO, but based on sound judgment, years of law school, and years of CAP experience.

[Stonewall]

Like I said, a lot of people disagree with this method.  I have been challenged several times as to whether or not it is right, and all I can say is that it works. 

This process is exactly the way I was brought into CAP 20 years ago as a cadet and I think it speaks volumes for its own success.  Look, here I am, 20 years later.  Talk about retention.

In 1996 when I was appointed DCC at my squadron and instituted this program, we did not have the numbers.  In fact, we had about 5 active cadets and about 30 pilot types on the senior side.  Myself along with the 5 active cadets put this program into action.  So wen you say...

It must be nice to have large enough squadrons to have separate programs to train the newbies by themselves for 8 weeks while the rest of the squadron is doing the weekly activities on schedule.

I say its no excuse not to do it.

[Pylon]

It must be nice to have large enough squadrons to have separate programs to train the newbies by themselves for 8 weeks while the rest of the squadron is doing the weekly activities on schedule.  I also question statements such as "we close the new member period and you cannot join until the next one".  I truly think that if someone wants to join CAP at any time and National finds out they are being denied the opportunity to submit their paperwork and dues there may be a new squadron commander in that unit shortly.  I don't think any squadron commander has the authority to refuse to allow someone to join CAP except during a prescribed period.  This is part of the problem with CAP. everyone has their own ideas.  I am not saying that this doesn't work for some squadrons, I am just saying "it ain't right".  National will accept applications at anytime and expects their commanders to do likewise.  The squadrons are entrusted to us to administer according to CAP Regs, not our own personal whims.  As usual, JMHO, but based on sound judgment, years of law school, and years of CAP experience.

Actually, that's what commander's discretion is for.  You can pretty much decline anybody's attempt to join CAP by simply not approving their application at that time.  About the only thing you can't do is decline people for membership for discriminatory reasons (i/e: based on gender, race, religion, etc...).  Any other reason is fair game.

To add to that, if a person isn't willing to wait until our next established induction period and wants in now regardless of your advice, I'd say that's a good reason to not want them in your organization anyways.

I think National would be patting that squadron commander on the back for consistently bringing in that many new recruits, who also tend to renew and stay in the program, rather than giving them a hassle over which months they allow them to turn in their paperwork.

[capchiro]

I am not saying that I don't find the idea attractive, but how do you maintain your integrity when you say something like "that's the way it is", and then the member finds out the squadron down the road 10 miles allows people to join at anytime?  I think in todays immediate gratification atmosphere, a squadron could potentially lose some perspective new members that may wander off in the 3-6 months delay.  Is it right to delay a cadet 3-6 months in the cadet program?  Cadets are excitable and want to join now, not later.  By allowing a cadet to join now, perhaps we will keep them from getting in trouble, or making a bad decision, or just wandering off.  I think we are here in part for the cadets and even if they are in for only a year, it may make a difference in their lives and they may join the military because of their association with us.  I just feel that this program is too good to deny to cadets or anyone for that matter at anytime.

[Stonewall]

I think in todays immediate gratification atmosphere, a squadron could potentially lose some perspective new members that may wander off in the 3-6 months delay.  Is it right to delay a cadet 3-6 months in the cadet program?  Cadets are excitable and want to join now, not later.   By allowing a cadet to join now, perhaps we will keep them from getting in trouble, or making a bad decision, or just wandering off.

I disagree wholeheartidly.  Immediate gratification?  Well, we could either give them exactly what they want and teach them nothing, or perhaps we can have them wait 2 months and teach them something as simple as patience.  Like Darin said in his post, if they can't wait for something they say they really want, do we really want them?  Its a two-way street. 

I was an "excitable cadet", I want to join now, not later.  But look what happened, I had to wait and I didn't turn to drugs, crime or torchering small animals. 

I think we are here in part for the cadets and even if they are in for only a year, it may make a difference in their lives and they may join the military because of their association with us.  I just feel that this program is too good to deny to cadets or anyone for that matter at anytime.

"In part for the cadets"?  No, I'm totally here for the cadets.  2 or 3 months will not make or break anyone.  Kids wait all year for summer camps to come around, good summer camps that teach kids right from wrong.  We don't just blow off the school year to give them summer camp now because they may turn to a life of crime, so why bow down and do that with CAP?  Seriously, it isn't a lifetime, its 2 to 3 months.  Not to mention, if you really felt the need, you could always maintain contact with the perspective member to make sure they don't lose interest, but if they do lose interest, I think we just saved them $36, or whatever it costs to join these days.

And if they go down the street to squadron that doesn't have a program like the one above, then there is a greater chance of losing them a year down the road anyway.

[NIN]

What do you do at a retention interview?

Between 60 & 90 days out, we (the chain of command) identify those members who are up for renewal and take a few minutes to ensure that we sit down with them for a brief review.  Where they're at (grade wise), how they're doing, and make sure to talk to them about their upcoming renewal.

It works. Shows them the chain of command is paying attention and gives a crap.

[NIN]

It must be nice to have large enough squadrons to have separate programs to train the newbies by themselves for 8 weeks while the rest of the squadron is doing the weekly activities on schedule.

When we started doing  this, we had about 15-17 active cadets and about 5 active seniors (32 and 15, respectively, on the books).  When I handed command of the squadron over in 2004, we had over 35 seniors, of which 25+ were active, and 65 or 70 cadets, of which 55 or 60 were active.

If you take advantage of dedicating a cadet or two to train newbies, particularly your *better* cadets, you get better results (retention, cadet quality, better progression, etc) in the long run.

I also question statements such as "we close the new member period and you cannot join until the next one".  I truly think that if someone wants to join CAP at any time and National finds out they are being denied the opportunity to submit their paperwork and dues there may be a new squadron commander in that unit shortly.  I don't think any squadron commander has the authority to refuse to allow someone to join CAP except during a prescribed period.  This is part of the problem with CAP. everyone has their own ideas.

Sir, I ask you to show me in CAPR 39-2 where it says I can't do that.

It doesn't.

Its not discriminatory, its administrative.  I CAN decide who joins my unit and when.   If I believe that its better for our CAP squadron to "induct" new members 2x per year for a limited period of time, as a squadron commander I have the latitude to do so.  As a matter of fact, the proposed (not codified yet, merely proposed) Great Start program for cadets recommends this "pipelining" type of process over the "onsie-twosie" recruiting method....

I am not saying that this doesn't work for some squadrons, I am just saying "it ain't right".  National will accept applications at anytime and expects their commanders to do likewise.  The squadrons are entrusted to us to administer according to CAP Regs, not our own personal whims.  As usual, JMHO, but based on sound judgment, years of law school, and years of CAP experience.

Emphasis mine.

Please show me where this is codified in the Civil Air Patrol regulations, Colonel. 

It is not.

Notwithstanding your law school experience (no offense, but I have years of business school experience.. Whats your point?), I too have years of Civil Air Patrol experience. I  am presently in my  eighth year as a squadron commander, having commanded four squadrons in two wings.  This is the MOST successfull we've every been from a recruiting and retention standpoint.  I've never seen a squadron in the many squadrons I've been involved with have as successful a program.

Our retention hovers about 10% better than the national average, and often about 15% better.

There is no reason not to do this kind of thing.

[CadetProgramGuy]

What do you do at a retention interview?

Between 60 & 90 days out, we (the chain of command) identify those members who are up for renewal and take a few minutes to ensure that we sit down with them for a brief review.  Where they're at (grade wise), how they're doing, and make sure to talk to them about their upcoming renewal.

It works. Shows them the chain of command is paying attention and gives a crap.

Darn good Idea!!!  I am going to start paying attention to this as well!!

[acarlson]

... As a matter of fact, the proposed (not codified yet, merely proposed) Great Start program for cadets recommends this "pipelining" type of process over the "onsie-twosie" recruiting method....

...Our retention hovers about 10% better than the national average, and often about 15% better...

...There is no reason not to do this kind of thing.

I just shared the idea with my squadron commander...  she likes it! 

I love stats that speak for themselves!   Thanks for sharing your experience...  I believe we're going to put it in place!     ... it sure beats the "off the cuff" welcome orientation we're doing now! 

Make it so, #1 !

[Pylon]

I'm looking at making sweeping changes in the way our squadron's cadet program does business, and this is one of the major things on the table.  In a squadron that used to be 30+ cadets strong, and is now down to 8-10 active cadets despite heroic efforts by senior members and cadets, and a super active program... the trickle-in method is just not working.

The retention interviews are also definitely on the list.   Thanks for the idea, NIN!

[RiverAux]

Although I'm slightly skeptical of using this method with seniors, I think it is a very good idea with cadets. 

What to tell people who want to join outside the sign-up periods? 
"Well, you can't join a class halfway through the semester, can you?"

[NIN]

Understand that the trickle in seems like its "less resource intensive" but in reality its not.

With trickle in, we saw these issues (you may have seen these things, you may not have, YMMV, as usual)

• Always chasing membership paperwork
• Everybody at a different "level" of inital entry training (with the attendant repeats of training, etc)
• Constantly convening your membership board (you ARE doing membership boards, right?)
• Constantly issuing uniforms to new folks, ordering from Vanguard in dribs and drabs, etc.

We were always processing a new cadet or senior's paperwork, sitting a membership board, doing "new member" issue at supply, etc.   It was really putting a serious tax on our (limited) resources.

When we went to pipelining, it concentrated these things into a very short period of time. (several weeks)  Then we went to pipelining with inprocessing.  This concentrates all of our "administrative" actions into a very, very short time. 

This last time, in one night we inprocessed 15 new cadets and 4 officers.  Entered them into the database, generated CAPF 15s & CAPF 12s, gathered their cadet agreements, signatures and checks with the paperwork, sent them to the membership board, and then issued uniforms.  One night.  We did a bulk order of the "basic insignia kit" for all our new cadets all at once, and they started Cadet Basic Training (pilot testing of the Great Start program) the very next week. The seniors are in the midst of Level I.  Apart from handing over the insignia kits to the cadets, and waiting for their blues to arrive, supply is done fooling with our newbies.  All thats left is to graduate from basic training.

This is actually very "non-resource intensive"

[afgeo4]

Gentlemen... please don't forget one important statement after your recommendations...


"Results may vary"

I know of at least two squadrons in my group that would probably benefit from this type of recruiting, but I also know of at least 2 where membership would decline. The location, types of people the unit attracts, the overall feel of the people in your area and what your unit does day to day may greately affect how you recruit. There is no one solution for everyone.

[NIN]

I'm sitting in some high level planning meetings in another organization and someone said something very enlightening a little bit ago: "Cultural changes take at least 5 years to permeate an organization.. and maybe as long as 10 years.."

"Pipelining" is a major organizational cultural change. 

[Snake Doctor]

 A big thank you to all who have replied! I am making it policy (thanks NIN) for my commanders to do retention interviews.  I'm going to try to have them "buy-in" to the pipeline and great start methods.   I'm looking at a starting a new squadron in my group, so starting off right away and continuing with the pipeline method will be easy. 

Thanks again.  Paul

[NIN]

A big thank you to all who have replied! I am making it policy (thanks NIN) for my commanders to do retention interviews.  I'm going to try to have them "buy-in" to the pipeline and great start methods.   I'm looking at a starting a new squadron in my group, so starting off right away and continuing with the pipeline method will be easy. 

Thanks again.  Paul

Paul, you wag, I didn't know that was you 'cuz you didn't have a signature block in your first post.. 

Email me if you want more info/details.

[Snake Doctor]

 

I'm going to present the "Pipeline" to one of my Composite Squadron CC's tomorrow.  I'm sure I'll have questions for you NIN.

[brasda91]

I'm so convinced that this "pipelining" works, I have instituted it into our squadron effective immediately.  We have an Open House date of July 14 and our In-processing night of Aug 14 with the new training cycle beginning on Aug 21.  We have a training cycle of 12 weeks with graduation scheduled for Nov 6.  Currently we have 6-8 "active" cadets and 4 "active" seniors.  Will this be hard to run, you bet.  But I believe in it so I'm willing to try it.  We've done the "join when you want to" approach and have had little success.  Not to mention having several cadets all at different levels in the program.  I'll post our numbers after our in-processing night.

[Stonewall]

Trust me, it works and is well worth the effort.  When we started this back in 1996 we had 5 active cadets.  By the next year we had 15, its a true way to success, I assure you.

[NIN]

I'm so convinced that this "pipelining" works, I have instituted it into our squadron effective immediately.  We have an Open House date of July 14 and our In-processing night of Aug 14 with the new training cycle beginning on Aug 21.  We have a training cycle of 12 weeks with graduation scheduled for Nov 6.  Currently we have 6-8 "active" cadets and 4 "active" seniors.  Will this be hard to run, you bet.  But I believe in it so I'm willing to try it.  We've done the "join when you want to" approach and have had little success.  Not to mention having several cadets all at different levels in the program.  I'll post our numbers after our in-processing night.

The only thing I would caution is that you might "miss" the opportunity to capitalize on recruiting at the beginning of the school year.

For example, we used to do three open house/recruiting events a year. September, January and May.  We then determined that cadets recruited in May were usually on the "cusp" of being able to apply for and attend encampment, and might in fact miss encampment (and the attendant hit to retention).   Plus, it seemed that we were either planning for or just finishing a recruiting/inprocessing/training cycle. We even graduated one basic flight on the night of the next recruiting night.  Too much!   

So we eliminated the January event and moved the May recruiting to March to give us plenty of time to get new cadets inprocessed and trained.

So now we have our Fall recruiting in early October (11 October this year) and the Spring recruiting in March. That's it.  If we recruit in early OctoBer, inprocess by the end of October we tend to graduate the flight in the first week or two of January (Christmas & Thanksgiving impact our schedule there) and the Basic Flight commander & flight sergeant have a 6-8 weeks of their own to work on training materials, their own progression stuff, etc...

But doing October gives us a chance to get some of what I call "1 meter recruiting" done in the schools during the fall spin-up. 

[brasda91]

I'm so convinced that this "pipelining" works, I have instituted it into our squadron effective immediately.  We have an Open House date of July 14 and our In-processing night of Aug 14 with the new training cycle beginning on Aug 21.  We have a training cycle of 12 weeks with graduation scheduled for Nov 6.  Currently we have 6-8 "active" cadets and 4 "active" seniors.  Will this be hard to run, you bet.  But I believe in it so I'm willing to try it.  We've done the "join when you want to" approach and have had little success.  Not to mention having several cadets all at different levels in the program.  I'll post our numbers after our in-processing night.

The only thing I would caution is that you might "miss" the opportunity to capitalize on recruiting at the beginning of the school year.

For example, we used to do three open house/recruiting events a year. September, January and May.  We then determined that cadets recruited in May were usually on the "cusp" of being able to apply for and attend encampment, and might in fact miss encampment (and the attendant hit to retention).   Plus, it seemed that we were either planning for or just finishing a recruiting/inprocessing/training cycle. We even graduated one basic flight on the night of the next recruiting night.  Too much!   

So we eliminated the January event and moved the May recruiting to March to give us plenty of time to get new cadets inprocessed and trained.

So now we have our Fall recruiting in early October (11 October this year) and the Spring recruiting in March. That's it.  If we recruit in early OctoBer, inprocess by the end of October we tend to graduate the flight in the first week or two of January (Christmas & Thanksgiving impact our schedule there) and the Basic Flight commander & flight sergeant have a 6-8 weeks of their own to work on training materials, their own progression stuff, etc...

But doing October gives us a chance to get some of what I call "1 meter recruiting" done in the schools during the fall spin-up. 

My original Open House was planned in Sept. to capitalize on the school year.  But the squadron commander wanted to have it earlier, so....

I have been working on the schedule for the actual training cycle.  I have it planned for 12 weeks.  Do you think that is too long?  When I began scheduling the different marching movements (column left/right, right/left flank) plus the facing movements, I thought..."man you really need quite a bit of time to teach the cadets everything they need to know for their Curry Ribbon".  I guess I'm second guessing myself now, thinking that if I shorten the training cycle, I could get to the school this winter.  Suggestions...?  By the way, the flyers have already been printed for a July Open House.

[floridacyclist]

If our folks buy off on this, I would try to advocate to have the new class ready in time for the Winter Encampment....the following class can go to the Summer encampment.

I guess what I'm envisioning is an open house at the end of Feb or so and another at the end of August. We could have a couple of pre-training meetings after the open house and then formally sign them up and start their training with a full Cadet Development Weekend.

The cycle would culminate at either the Winter or Summer encampment and planning would begin for hte next cycle to start 2 months later.

The instructors could either be special assignments from among the cadet corps, or possibly a regular rotation from among the general cadet corps so that everyone takes a turn teaching. I think that the value to the instructors cannot be overestimated either. We are always claiming to teach leadership by putting the cadets in charge, this is our chance to put our money where our mouths are.

[NIN]

My original Open House was planned in Sept. to capitalize on the school year.  But the squadron commander wanted to have it earlier, so....

I have been working on the schedule for the actual training cycle.  I have it planned for 12 weeks.  Do you think that is too long?  When I began scheduling the different marching movements (column left/right, right/left flank) plus the facing movements, I thought..."man you really need quite a bit of time to teach the cadets everything they need to know for their Curry Ribbon".  I guess I'm second guessing myself now, thinking that if I shorten the training cycle, I could get to the school this winter.  Suggestions...?  By the way, the flyers have already been printed for a July Open House.

Hey, no worries.  The big thing is that you have to find the timing that works for you.  For example, in the midwest school gets out earlier and thus encampments are often earlier. Here in New England, the kids go to school until late June, so encampment is often in the end of July or beginning of August, changes our "drop dead" date to get cadets to encampment.

Check out the Great Start Guide (posted by me elsewhere here on CAPTalk.net) and see if that gives you any hints.  That is a FIVE week cycle, so go figure.

Think "enough to get them thru the Curry and into the hands of an element leader, flight sergeant & flight commander." You would be surprised how much you *think* you should cram into Basic really could be taught *after* Basic.

Interestingly, my squadron just split off our THIRD flight in preparation for the basic flight's graduation next week.

[Pylon]

So tell me more about how your in-processing nights work.  I was thinking of having a few different stations.


One station for paperwork and information... CAPF 12/CAPF 15 stuff, CAPF 60, fill out the master record and folder, fingerprint cards, CAPF 2As, etc.  Hands you the welcome packet including information on Level I/Cadet Basic Training and the Great Start booklet, among other goodies.

Another collects financials: national dues, squadron dues, etc.

Third station takes your photo... for SIMS, for E-Services, for Photo ID and CAPF 101.

Fourth station issues your uniforms.  Male or female member, as appropriate, tapes you for sizes.   Here's your full BDU set, M-65 field jacket, boots, s/s and l/s blues, leightweight blues jacket, and service coat.   For those signing up with aircrew interest, here's your flight suit and flight jacket.  (And yes, our squadron issues all of those from our stock to our members, with a few of the extras based on size availability).  Sign here and thank you.

What am I missing?  What else should be accomplished on your in-processing night?   

[SAR-EMT1]

A way to get back the gear if they fade away in a few months ?

Seriously:
print up cards with "need to know" items:
Commanders Contact info, squadron website, NHQ website, Hock shop etc.
Monthly Uniform schedule, possibly the address of a local seamstress or cleaner who does a decent job for alterations, nametapes and such.
Cadet Oath, Safety Pledge

We dont have the mass in-processing at my unit, but every new member gets 3 of these cards (about 2 x 2 ) with the above info.


Also, make sure there are members present in (correct )BDUs and the Flight Suit and Blues  so as to give the recruits a chance to see what the uniform should eventually look like.  - Id have samples of the completed  forms availible too.

Finally, if there are any staff Officers that havent yet been introduced to the noobs, make sure they are present, if only to give a pat on the back.