Cadet Program Activity Ideas

[DBlair]

I was wondering if anyone had Cadet Program activity ideas beyond the usual meeting schedule.

We already do the usual AE, Moral Leadership, Leadership, PT, D&C/DT/Color Guard, Community Service, and plenty of ES training. Stepping into my new CP position, I'd like to keep the program fresh and interesting so they don't get bored with the usual meeting/activity schedule.



Some of the ideas suggested so far while brainstorming with a few people:

- Balsa wood Glider building (did this recently and they seemed to enjoy it)
- R/C Airplane building/flying (too expensive from my brief research)
- Community Service Projects (we already do a ton of these)
- Outing to a professional sporting event
- Local museums (Science, Aviation, Technology, etc.)
- Wilderness Survival Bivouac
- Leadership Bivouac
- Orientation Flights (we already do this pretty often)
- Model Rocketry (did this a few months ago and they enjoyed it)
- Base Tour (Our city is home to CENTCOM, SOCOM, NOAA, etc, and our state has plenty of other bases)
- Drill Bivouac
- AE Workshops
- Tour of local International Airport


Does anyone have further ideas or suggestions? What has been popular with your Cadets? I just figured I'd try to brainstorm a bit and see what ideas other members/units had in mind.

[BillB]

DBlair
Since your city was the destination of the first commercial airline flight, you might check across the Bay for a history project for cadets.

[BTCS1*]

try a road march, with some compass work into it, know a guy who did that said it was good. Or tr a paper airplane contest.

cn u PM me ur current squadron schedule? I will be cadet staff next yeat(either C/cc or 1st sgt) and want to redo my squadrons schedule.thanks

Posts merged. - MIKE

[DBlair]

^You are a C/SrA and you're going to be Cadet Commander already?

^^Yea, I was looking into that. It seems that PIE has a tour related to that. Likewise, on a somewhat related note, I also found that TIA also has a variety of different programs including Terminal and Airfield tours, as well as educational programs, etc.


I know paint ball isn't allowed, but how about laser tag? Are there any restrictions on this?

[MIKE]

^You are a C/SrA and you're going to be Cadet Commander already?

Because "Leadership Expectations", and grade dependent staffing is for the weak. [/sarcasm]

* For those that don't know, this is how we do sarcasm on forums.

[cap235629]

try a road march, with some compass work into it, know a guy who did that said it was good. Or tr a paper airplane contest.

cn u PM me ur current squadron schedule? I will be cadet staff next yeat(either C/cc or 1st sgt) and want to redo my squadrons schedule.thanks

Posts merged. - MIKE

When does the Air Force do marches? outside of Special Operations that is.....

[DBlair]

^You are a C/SrA and you're going to be Cadet Commander already?

Because "Leadership Expectations", and grade dependent staffing is for the weak. [/sarcasm]

* For those that don't know, this is how we do sarcasm on forums.

I wasn't trying to necessarily bash his proactive mindset, it was more of a curiosity regarding his unit, etc.

[gistek]

Cadets at one unit I was in loved designing safety harnesses for raw eggs. These contraptions were dropped from a specific height then opened to see if the egg was still intact.

They also loved obstacle course competitions. In one, each team creates an obstacle course and the other runs it. In another, those running the obstacle course are blindfolded and a buddy talks him/her through the course from the sidelines.

Some local units do a lot of stuff with the Experimental Aircraft Association, too.

If you have the facilities, check with local or state agencies about hosting an ICS-300 course.

Here are some idea I haven't seen in CAP, but have seen in scouts:

"Creative olympics" each unit designs a few competitive activities then all units get together one day (or weekend) to compete in these activities. Judging panel can be balanced unit leadership, or someone outside CAP (maybe a local LEO or someone from gov't?)

Camp skills competition. Several units camp at one camping ground and compete on all of the camping skills. When I saw this I was a Girl Scout leader and the Boy scouts won setting up, but the girls won the "Get the tent back into its bag" contest!

[Major Lord]

try a road march, with some compass work into it, know a guy who did that said it was good. Or tr a paper airplane contest.

cn u PM me ur current squadron schedule? I will be cadet staff next yeat(either C/cc or 1st sgt) and want to redo my squadrons schedule.thanks

Posts merged. - MIKE

When does the Air Force do marches? outside of Special Operations that is.....

When their Govt-maintained 15 PAX vans or big blue busses break down....If you tell the Cadets that they can win a medal for road marches ( hint: they have to go to Holland to earn it) they will be more enthusiastic.

Major Lord

Major Lord

[Eclipse]

I know paint ball isn't allowed, but how about laser tag? Are there any restrictions on this?

By the letter of any reg, there's no comment on it either way, though many in the program, myself included, feel it violates the spirit, if not the letter, of the same reg as the paintball prohibition.

Some of that depends on why you might believe paintball was banned.

Some believe it was due purely to CAP's generally conservative nature regarding risk during activities, and the inherent potential liability of sanctioning an activity where the whole point is to fire a projectile at another person.

Others believe it runs counter to CAP's current posture as a benevolent service organization (vs. a pre-preparatory combatant service), and it is inappropriate for our members, especially cadets, to be seen utilizing weapons in a situation similar to combat.

When I wear my corporate hat, I fall into the latter category, however truth-be-told, were it not banned, I would likely be participating.  When I was asked for authorization regarding lazertag in the past, I didn't explicitly deny the activity, but explained the above and the commander found a more appropriate activity.

[jimmydeanno]

^Cadets in our area frequently participate in laser tag and find it rather enjoyable.  Many encampments I've been to have had miles gear available for use, again, proved to be extremely enjoyable.

Some believe it was due purely to CAP's generally conservative nature regarding risk during activities, and the inherent potential liability of sanctioning an activity where the whole point is to fire a projectile at another person.

Others believe it runs counter to CAP's current posture as a benevolent service organization (vs. a pre-preparatory combatant service), and it is inappropriate for our members, especially cadets, to be seen utilizing weapons in a situation similar to combat.

I think in the second reason above is grasping at straws. If it were the case don't you think that any activity that involved weapons would be disallowed?  Weapons Simulators, NRA Junior Marksman, etc?  Heck if we want to remove the "simulating combat" situations, we should probably stop them from flying in blackhawks, AC-130s or wearing BDUs.

[Eclipse]

I think in the second reason above is grasping at straws. If it were the case don't you think that any activity that involved weapons would be disallowed?  Weapons Simulators, NRA Junior Marksman, etc?  Heck if we want to remove the "simulating combat" situations, we should probably stop them from flying in blackhawks, AC-130s or wearing BDUs.

Unless they do things differently by you, this is Apples and Oranges.  SAMT, NRA courses, etc., do not have cadets training weapons on each other.

[jimmydeanno]

^Even the RM doesn't begin combat training pointing things at each other, they start at the range...so it could be viewed as precursory combat training...

Not to mention, the last laser tag place I went to had a bunch of 4 year olds running around at a birthday party...

[Eclipse]

Not to mention, the last laser tag place I went to had a bunch of 4 year olds running around at a birthday party...

However unless they were in the new CAP pre-school program they weren't in uniform.

I didn't say it wasn't fun, and its not against regs, so have at it - but that doesn't mean its appropriate for our cadets to be running around in uniform shooting each other, regardless of the weapon system used.

And don't be surprised if it comes around to bite you from the schools if you're trying to recruit and some administrator complains about seeing you "playing army" at the laser tag place.

[jimmydeanno]

However unless they were in the new CAP pre-school program they weren't in uniform.

Who says you need to be in BDUs, etc?  UOD is PT gear.  Situation above averted...

[Eclipse]

However unless they were in the new CAP pre-school program they weren't in uniform.

Who says you need to be in BDUs, etc?  UOD is PT gear.  Situation above averted...

Point taken regarding the external visibility, though the uniform, in and of itself, doesn't make the activity any more (or less) appropriate.

[BTCS1*]

well anyway to get back into this, I may be C/CC because my squadron is a very small, school based squadron, out ENTIRE upper COC is graduating this year so I and another cadet are the next to be C/CC and 1st Sgt. And because we are based in NYC(brooklyn) a road(sidewalk) march is suitable

[Nathan]

well anyway to get back into this, I may be C/CC because my squadron is a very small, school based squadron, out ENTIRE upper COC is graduating this year so I and another cadet are the next to be C/CC and 1st Sgt. And because we are based in NYC(brooklyn) a road(sidewalk) march is suitable

For your sake, I hope your commander chooses not to assign a cadet commander and take over the duties his/herself until one of you reaches C/2d Lt.

This isn't bashing your motivation. Rather, I hope your commander realizes the problem that comes up when you do make C/2d Lt and have been the C/CC for two years. It would likely be someone else's turn, and then what do YOU do? It would be difficult for you to take orders from someone you were just commanding, so you just work as an advisor? That's not very much fun. You're only halfway through the program, and according to program suggestions, shouldn't even BE a C/CC yet.

Regulations do not require a commander to appoint a C/CC, and I hope, for your sake, that he/she does not.

[BTCS1*]

thank you, I understand exactly wht u mean. And I am actualy hoping to get the 1st Sgt. spot, as I love being involved with training. and in our squadron, out highest ranking cadet is a C/TSgt, he is a senior and out current C/CC. However you need to understand that my squadron was suspended for a year because out CC was deployed, and the year before that (when my C/CC joined) it took forever to get his membership(5 months) so he actualy has about 3 years(roughly) in the program. And while I am new, I am one of (if not the) most commited cadet in my squadron. but I will relay the idea of not having a C/CC yet to my commander, as it is a good idea.

[MIKE]

thank you, I understand exactly wht u mean. And I am actualy hoping to get the 1st Sgt. spot, as I love being involved with training. and in our squadron, out highest ranking cadet is a C/TSgt, he is a senior and out current C/CC.

I don't really want to derail this thread any more but this has to be addressed as this is actually more of an issue than the C/CC thing, as the grade requirement is included in a CAP regulation:

2-4. e. ... However, each squadron may appoint a C/MSgt, C/SMSgt or C/CMSgt to serve as the cadet first sergeant. Cadets serving in this special duty are authorized to wear the first sergeant diamond insignia.

Figure 2-2. may be seen as mere suggestion, but the above is definitely not.  In this case you have to be at least a C/MSgt.