The future after the baby boomers

[isuhawkeye]

Several threads and topics have addressed the age of our volunteers.  This got me thinking.  The core of our staff was originally made up of the "Greatest generation",and the organisation has grown, and succeeded.  We now seam to have the baby boomer's at the helm.  With this generation getting towards retirement age what is the future of CAP. 

are there any changes, or structural elements that will need to be planned for as the boomer's move on

Topic title spelling -MIKE

[wingnut]

there is no future as long as CAP makes it difficult for younger members who are cash strapped to fly AFAMs pay for the missions out of their own pocket and wait six months to be reimbursed.This is NHQ passing the buck to the State Wings saying it's  their fault.

Do  something about the crappy 10,000 life insurance for non AFAMs,

Make staying current affordable, basic flying is one thing, but the USAF should pay for special CAP training,form5s form 91s etc.

Why keep buying 182s with the gas engine,buy the 182 with the German turbo Diesels, 4 gal/hour= more flying . Or replace the current old 182 engines with thenew turbo diesel, can do three (maybe 4) new engine replacements for the cost of one new 182.  2000+TBO, $20.00 in gas to fly for an hour.

[SJFedor]

there is no future as long as CAP makes it difficult for younger members who are cash strapped to fly AFAMs pay for the missions out of their own pocket and wait six months to be reimbursed.This is NHQ passing the buck to the State Wings saying it's  their fault.

Do  something about the crappy 10,000 life insurance for non AFAMs,

Make staying current affordable, basic flying is one thing, but the USAF should pay for special CAP training,form5s form 91s etc.

Why keep buying 182s with the gas engine,buy the 182 with the German turbo Diesels, 4 gal/hour= more flying . Or replace the current old 182 engines with thenew turbo diesel, can do three (maybe 4) new engine replacements for the cost of one new 182.  2000+TBO, $20.00 in gas to fly for an hour.

Your opinions may not be representative of CAP as a whole, and really don't have any bearing on what the topic is asking. He's asking about policy, political, and doctrine type changes, not what you think is wrong with CAP Flight Management.

I know there's quite a few wings out there that provide credit cards in the CAP aircraft, for example, which we use to pay for fuel, even on C-17 proficiency flights, and then just pay back wing for the cost of fuel and the minor mx rate. That's your wing's decision to not implement cards, not NHQ. Both wings that I've served with use the cards, they're used responsibly by the members, and yes, it keeps from having massive bill sit on a credit card for months.

Things that are "Non-AFAMs" are corporate missions, so NHQ would need to bone up on that. To do that, they'd need to charge more from the members to do it. If you're a pilot, get special life insurance if you're that worried. Or, even better, become a rated MP, and instead of flying corporate missions for proficiency, etc, fly it under a B12 mission symbol, and still have the FECA/FTCA coverage.

Again, your wing may do things differently then others. TNWG hosts clinics throughout the years for our MPs and TMPs to get funded Form 5s and/or 91s, which comes from AF training funds as an AFAM. Being so, the pilots who use it must be on our AFAM list, and be either an MP or TMP. Staying current outside of CAP isn't cheap, why should CAP loose money to keep you current? CAP is not a flying club, don't confuse it with one.

AVGAS is more readily found, especially at small airports, then diesel and/or Jet A. Not to mention, powerplant management is a lot different. Tack on the fact that diesel has more weight then AvGas, and there's quite a few good reasons. That, and CAP is trying to eventually get an All Glass fleet. Replacing the engine on a 182 that they plan to get rid of a few years down the road does not make good financial sense. As well, Cessna only recently started putting out factory aircraft with a diesel engine, and right now, those are only Skylanes with 155hp at 2300rpm, per their fact sheet. That's a pretty big performance sacrifice.

[SJFedor]

Anyway, back to the topic, once the baby boomers start to move on (we still have a good 10-20 years w/ them, as the baby boomers are only in the 45-60 year old range right now), it's going to be the kids of the baby boomers stepping up to the plate. Scary thought.

I think with it will come new ideas, new ways of doing things. Some may be good, some may be bad, we'll have to see when we get there.

I know that when Colgan takes over, things are going to be pretty nice in CAP during those 3 years 

[JohnKachenmeister]

John Kennedy, in his innauguration speech said:  "The torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans..."  Then he was talking about the World War II veterans, who were children during the Great Depression and who bore the burden of combat during World War II.  They were coming into their 40's then, an age when they were taking charge of things.

They passed the torch, in turn, to us. 

Now we have the duty to make sure our cadets are ready to grab the torch and run with it, since our race is nearly run.  Yes, we have maybe 10 or 20 years, but that is, after all, the home stretch.

It is something to think about.  CAP saves 50-100 lives per year through our Emergency Services program.  Nobody counts how many lives are saved through the Cadet program, since the results are not immediately known. 

[Maj Ballard]

{snippage} it's going to be the kids of the baby boomers stepping up to the plate. Scary thought.

May I ask why that thought is scary?

Sincerely,

A 29-year-old daughter of baby boomers

[davedove]

{snippage} it's going to be the kids of the baby boomers stepping up to the plate. Scary thought.

May I ask why that thought is scary?

Sincerely,

A 29-year-old daughter of baby boomers

Well, you know it's because the boomers think that the next generation doesn't know anything, just like our traditionalist parents thought WE didn't know anything.  It's the way it works, generation after generation.

[JayT]

{snippage} it's going to be the kids of the baby boomers stepping up to the plate. Scary thought.

May I ask why that thought is scary?

Sincerely,

A 29-year-old daughter of baby boomers

Well, you know it's because the boomers think that the next generation doesn't know anything, just like our traditionalist parents thought WE didn't know anything.  It's the way it works, generation after generation.

Well, lets see

Right now, due to the actions of the past and of you old guys, I have to account for every drop of motor oil I use, I have to clean out and specially recycle my tin cans, I have to to worry about dying due to some terrorist blowing up a building I'm in, I have to pay three twenty five for a gallon of gas, etc etc etc.

This is our world now. But thats off topic.

Honestly, what CAP needs to do is help retain cadets into senior membership better. Not the Cadet Colonels or whatever, but the Cadet Second Lieutenants and the Cadet Chief Master Sergeants etc etc, and we need to get them into gray.

[CAP_truth]

I'm a baby boomer, former cadet, and current senior member who has served at squadron, group, and wing level. I plan to be around a long time and contribute to a great organization. We need the baby boomer's for their experience training and background.

[Monty]

I think after 20-25 years of senior membership, I'll be ready to hand it over to the next generation.

I realize that for ME (can't speak for you folks), I don't believe I will be as flexible or objective by that point and there might be other avenues upon which to focus with my family and with my life.

I don't wish to become a relic, with my trying to live the life of the past while in the present as I see many doing.  (Note: I'm not questioning their integrity or their resolve; I speak for me and how I perceive me at that time in my life.)

Again I speak for me; I can't speak for anybody else.

Ah, and I'm a classified Gen Xer...who's open-minded enough to recognize his own potential pitfalls and who openly admits to having been influenced by several Air Force comrades.  (Nearly all of which, upon retirement eligibility, felt similarly as I listed above and advised me similarly to the above.)

[SJFedor]

{snippage} it's going to be the kids of the baby boomers stepping up to the plate. Scary thought.

May I ask why that thought is scary?

Sincerely,

A 29-year-old daughter of baby boomers

I meant it sarcastically. It's scary because I'm one of 'em.

<---21 y/o son of baby boomers

[ZigZag911]

I'm a 'boomer', more or less right in the middle of the pack.

No question in my mind that the 'next generation' will do just fine, almost certainly better than ours....we boomers have an unfortunate tendency, en masse, to self-absorption, even egotism.....there are plenty of exceptions, of course, but we are the generation that brought America anarchy, moral dissolution, the corporate greed of the 80s and drugs, to name but a few of our lowlights!

Within CAP this generation has given us nearly two decades of political infighting and outright corruption.

So I actually think the boomers' kids will bring great improvements to CPA and the country, as long as they don't emulate our mistakes....but I still don't like the notion of wing CCs in their 30s!

[Maj Ballard]

I meant it sarcastically. It's scary because I'm one of 'em.

<---21 y/o son of baby boomers

*wink/click/finger gun*

Gotcha. 

[Monty]

There is a vast assortment of empirical data, highlighting controlled studies between Boomers and Gen Xers.

Anyone with access to catalogs, such as "psychINFO," will be very entertained in sitting for a spell and reading much of the collected (and reported) data.

(I just spent the last 30 mins reading abstracts, many of which gave support to several of my suspicions.)

Food for thought, given that this thread is about *my* generation (the one after the Boomers)...those of you who are mentoring many of us might be best suited to not only consider approaching us in a way with which we'll respond better, but also consider adopting some similar thought processes in the hopes of establishing a commonality/continuity mindset (just as we supplement many of our approaches and thought processes for Boomers).

Interestingly, those of us who grew up with Cyndi Lauper and Paula Abdul are entering our 30s, generally have better education attainment statistics in contrast to earlier generations, and have enough exposure to the workforce to begin questioning bureaucratic processes.

After all, didn't you teach us to take advantages of the opportunities you didn't have or your parents didn't have? 

In short, and in light-hearted fashion, "Clean your plate or you're feeding Hitler" is no longer a credible motivation despite being VERY nice advice in the past, nor are we really all that motivated to seek a material object, like the company wrist watch, after 400 years sitting in front of the adding machine.

CAP has much to gain from a joint-collaboration between Boomers and Gen Xers, but as yet, there certainly are grounds for Gen X frustration, PERHAPS due in part to the notion that CAP might be tilted (senior-wise) towards disproportionate tallies of Greatest Gens and Boomers vs. Gen Xers.

Recruiting is an interesting business; there are many more variables requiring acknowledgment in the hopes of growing a future senior membership base.

Currently, I don't see much "strategic" in terms of growing and implementing knowledge for attaining future skill in future members.  The CAP numbers seemingly coincide with my belief, and I'm fairly resolute that parades, trinkets, endless uniform talk, and "There I was, with 45 Viet Cong charging me, and all I had was a banana" stories aren't the stuff that motivates my generation to serve in Civil Air Patrol.

(CAP has yet to call me, though, so my opinions and beliefs are every bit as credible - or worthless - as anybody else's.)

In closing, it might be past time to try some empirically-supported, strategic methods for mentoring and finding our future CAP national commanders.  As it stands right now, I fear we may become victims of "organizational inbreeding" (passing the baton between the same 'ole crowd) if we continue to fail to inspire many Gen Xers (many of which who now have a bit 'o free time in our early 30s).

We have largely done what you told us to do in taking advantage of those opportunities you didn't have or your parents didn't have.  The double-edged sword in our doing so is that we can see some big issues that you probably wished we didn't see or wouldn't bring up.

Smells like teen spirit! 

[capchiro]

Wow, what a neat topic.  Being a traditionalist and boomer, I hate change.  I said it and I think I mean it.  Now, let's look as some interesting things.  the newer generations are not traditionalist.  They are based on change.  They change jobs at the drop of a hat and expect to.  They don't look for security in a job and don't expect to work for the same company for 40 years.  They do like gratification quickly and that is only to be expected with growing up on computers and television.  (Yes, I can remember before TV and definitely before 100 channels).  Now, will all of this be good for CAP???  Impossible to tell.  The newer generation is not as stuck on nationalism as we are/were.  They are open to input from outside/foreign sources.  They are receptive to new, unusual, and untried ideas.  Their world is not as limited as ours was/is.  Undoubtedly the CAP mission will change over the years as directed by those in charge.  One of my only concerns is whether the newer generations will have the patience to stick with and work with a volunteer organization??  After all, someone said that CAP is not a destination, it is a journey.  Us oldsters are used to the journey and don't stray too far off of the path.  The newer generations may not want to spend excessive time (waste) piddling with all of the regulations and Politburo that we have in CAP.  Perhaps they will streamline it to their liking and it will thrive.  I can't always understand the newer generations all of the time and sometimes they scare me, but I sure admire the heck out of them and their ability to persevere in a society that doesn't seem to offer the security and promises that were always held in front of us.  They have a lot of what I think would be called Moxie.  I hope to last long enough to see them succeed and maybe they will leave this place a little better than we have at times.

[Monty]

I spend four days a week at a 4-year institution, interacting with not only Generation X, but also their descendants, Generation Y/Millennials.

In my estimation (!), this video is pretty straight-forward.  Give it a your attention beyond the initial minute-long intro and then, read some survey results the students showcase.

Regardless of whether one agrees or not, the claims herein are thought-provoking and demand researched proof or refute vs. personal druthers.

(I'm not sure how to embed a Youtube video on a CAPTALK post, so if a mod would like to alter this post to make the video show directly, you've my blessing!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o&NR=1

[RiverAux]

If you grew up with Cindy Lauper, you're getting ready to exit your 30s, not enter them.... (I'm one of them). 

[SAR-EMT1]

Understand that Im a 22 year old EMS type person. If someone had told me then that Id be driving emergency vehicles giving care and letting lives hang in the balance with me in charge.. I would have shat myself.
I think the folks that  graduated the year BEHIND me will screw this nation over. And as Im more of a nationalist and a traditionalist then some baby boomers, its REALLY scary. Crap, my generation will have no Social Security....


back on topic:
What has been the average age of our National Commanders AND Executive Director for the last, Oh... 20-30 years? In the last 20? The last 10? Think your answer will lie right there.

Question two: How many times in the last 20-30 years have we changed National Commander compared to Executive Director?  Anyone think that might bear some thought?

[davedove]

They do like gratification quickly and that is only to be expected with growing up on computers and television. 

One good thing, maybe once the Gen X'ers get in charge, we'll get some decent systems in place.