Observations from a soon to be ex member.

[Brit_in_CAP]

You might try stepping away for a while, get some distance? although it didn't work for me, it might for you, and only cost you $60?

Great idea, to be honest.

CAP is kinda fading, I think - 1960s management, crushing bureacracy, phony saftey, feeding NHQ  constantly, etc. It'll take a lot of energy and leadership to turn it around; not sure the organization will tolerate that coming from the bottom up.

SunDoG: you struck the nail squarely on the head!  I think we are fading somewhat BUT that doesn''t mean the organization can't be renewed, from the bottom, from within or from outside.

Personally, I'm optimistic but I do feel the need for change.

[JayT]

CAP, on the otherhand, I see as better described as quasi-government. It's not actually part of the air-force, just an officially-sponsered/authorized resource of the air force. Very little of what I see in CAP's response-type missions are
So, I'm 100% behind the CAP "military-system," but I feel like its a stretch to think of CAP as any more quasi-military than a police/fire station that also has uniformed personnel with titles like "SGT" and "CPT" and "LT."

Just my humble opinions.....

Those aren't titles, they're rank with a legal backing.

[SarDragon]

FWIW, Carlin didn't do Noah. That came from Bill Cosby.

[Luis R. Ramos]

Nin-

:clap: :clap: :clap:

In a sense your story reminded me of what I had to do for my passport.

I requested my passport when I was 29 years, living in Indiana. I was going to work in a summer camp and there was a possibility of taking a trip to Canada.

So I include my birth certificate. I had kept it inside a plastic document protector and some of the lines bled slightly. So I get a letter stating I "had to submit additional proof of citizenship."

So I called my parents and requested all my old school reports, baptism certificate, University of Puerto Rico diplomas. Anything. I sent them 24 different papers. Some were when I was in my elementary school, some high school, others UPR. Got the passport without any hassle.

No need to argue with them. Just give them what they want...

Bureaucrat, you want to create redtape? Drown in your redtape!



Flyer

[SunDog]

Making things better is not always easy and requires effort on all parts. Every level of the organization is important and plays a part on improving the organization as a whole.

We can't forget that those in positions of leadership also came from the bottom. And that those opportunities may also one day be available to the rest of us if we do our part on improving the organization at whatever level we find ourselves today.
[/quote]

True words, and I can't dispute the point. . .for me, it's having to judge the scale of the change needed against the obstacles - entrenched culture, NHQ rice bowls, GOBN at Wing levels;  The OP likely has to budget his time, as do most of the volunteers. It's a bigger lift than many of us are willing to attempt, when it's clear no one is listening. 

For anyone trying to scale this hill, you have my respect. Not sure the leadership being displayed is worthy of the membership, no matter the route they took to the top.

[Panache]

CAP is kinda fading, I think - 1960s management, crushing bureacracy, phony saftey, feeding NHQ  constantly, etc. It'll take a lot of energy and leadership to turn it around; not sure the organization will tolerate that coming from the bottom up.

This is exactly why I think they should actively solicit the input from new members.  Personally, I think a lot of the challenges that CAP faces, at least from a recruit-and-retention standpoint, comes from the fact that our leadership, who did come work their way up from the bottom, did so a long time ago.  The world has changed.  The make-up of the person who is able and willing to volunteer their precious free time has changed.  CAP has to adapt or die.

Will all the input be worthwhile or realistic?  Of course not.  But at least then they'll have an idea of what direction they need to go in.

I love being a member of CAP.  But at times it's amazingly frustrating and I have to wonder what The Powers That Be are thinking.  Sure, I also have to face similar frustration at my actual job, but at least there I'm compensated for my frustration in the form of a paycheck.

[NIN]

FWIW, Carlin didn't do Noah. That came from Bill Cosby.

Thanks to Dave and the 2-3 of my fellow olde guys who emailed/PM'd me to say "Dude, Cosby, not Carlin!"

[RiverAux]

This is exactly why I think they should actively solicit the input from new members.  Personally, I think a lot of the challenges that CAP faces, at least from a recruit-and-retention standpoint, comes from the fact that our leadership, who did come work their way up from the bottom, did so a long time ago.  The world has changed.  The make-up of the person who is able and willing to volunteer their precious free time has changed. 

Well, I'm not sure that is a major problem, but for those who think it is, the consolidation of all real CAP power in the BoG, which only has minimal representation by actual CAP volunteers might be a concern.  At least under the past system those making the decisions also had some responsibility for carrying them out and would hopefully take that into consideration. 

So far the BoG hasn't done anything that I consider to have added undue burdens upon the actual volunteers. 

[NIN]

So far the BoG hasn't done anything that I consider to have added undue burdens upon the actual volunteers.

One of the many reasons that potential at-large CAP members of the BoG should not necessarily be a former Wing Commander colonel, etc.

The BoG needs to keep "Tuesday Night" in focus as well as the "echelons above reality."

[FW]

I always feel a little disapointed when I hear of another member with 5 or more years of service leaving CAP for the reasons stated.  With a net membership loss of over 3,000 in the last three years (8,000 members since 2003), maybe we really should rethink our strategy on retention. 

At the recent Command Council meeting, I listened in on the Strategic Planning session.  Growth was one of the major priorities, however no objectives were offered to obtain it.  Exit surveys have been taken over and over.  Reasons for membership loss are well known.  Is it that difficult for us to reverse the trend?

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

True words, and I can't dispute the point. . .for me, it's having to judge the scale of the change needed against the obstacles - entrenched culture, NHQ rice bowls, GOBN at Wing levels;  The OP likely has to budget his time, as do most of the volunteers. It's a bigger lift than many of us are willing to attempt, when it's clear no one is listening. 

It is a "lift" many in CAP do not have the strength to do, and all too often when someone tries they find an "exit" sign waiting for them, either chosen out of frustration and stress, or from having brassed the "wrong" people off and finding themselves on the wrong end of a 2B (seen it).

The "entrenched culture" you mention has a vested interest in making sure that culture STAYS "entrenched."

For that reason I have serious doubts about "bottom up" reform...to me, the entire organisation needs to be completely restructured "top-to-bottom."

However, that would inevitably involve the AF, and I don't think they're that interested in comparison with their other taskings, so they leave us to do (largely) what we will, as long as it doesn't involve uniforms.

[SunDog]

I always feel a little disapointed when I hear of another member with 5 or more years of service leaving CAP for the reasons stated.  With a net membership loss of over 3,000 in the last three years (8,000 members since 2003), maybe we really should rethink our strategy on retention. 

At the recent Command Council meeting, I listened in on the Strategic Planning session.  Growth was one of the major priorities, however no objectives were offered to obtain it.  Exit surveys have been taken over and over.  Reasons for membership loss are well known.  Is it that difficult for us to reverse the trend?

Gad, that's even more depressing. . .management knows the "whys" of poor retention, yet takes no corrective action?  That's just discouraging as all get out. Or, maybe CAP accepts that a much smaller organization is the way to go? Fewer people, fewer aircraft?  Maybe that's the unspoken management strategy? 

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

I always feel a little disapointed when I hear of another member with 5 or more years of service leaving CAP for the reasons stated.  With a net membership loss of over 3,000 in the last three years (8,000 members since 2003), maybe we really should rethink our strategy on retention. 

At the recent Command Council meeting, I listened in on the Strategic Planning session.  Growth was one of the major priorities, however no objectives were offered to obtain it.  Exit surveys have been taken over and over.  Reasons for membership loss are well known.  Is it that difficult for us to reverse the trend?

Gad, that's even more depressing. . .management knows the "whys" of poor retention, yet takes no corrective action?  That's just discouraging as all get out. Or, maybe CAP accepts that a much smaller organization is the way to go? Fewer people, fewer aircraft?  Maybe that's the unspoken management strategy?

I just think that the "routine" of "that's the way it has always been done" has hardened to the point of calcification (apologies to my geology professor).

Change is often difficult for human beings in general to accept, but I think even moreso the older one gets and the more experience in an organisation...any organisation.

[Walkman]

I've read over and over these kinds of threads and comments about the GOBN, poor leadership, etc. I've been in 6.5 years now, and honestly, I haven't seen any of it in the places I've served. It could be that I'm oblivious and have drunk too much Kool-Aid. I love CAP, it means a ton to me and I'm extremely grateful that I haven't experienced any of the leadership failures some of you have.

My condolences to all those who have been on the receiving end of the crap discussed here. You volunteered to serve your community, state & nation and got a raw deal, and that sucks.

[VNY]

Gad, that's even more depressing. . .management knows the "whys" of poor retention, yet takes no corrective action?  That's just discouraging as all get out. Or, maybe CAP accepts that a much smaller organization is the way to go? Fewer people, fewer aircraft?  Maybe that's the unspoken management strategy?

Organizations that deliberately bleed members die quickly.  I think the problem here is that there is no SPOKEN membership strategy.

[Panache]

I've read over and over these kinds of threads and comments about the GOBN, poor leadership, etc. I've been in 6.5 years now, and honestly, I haven't seen any of it in the places I've served.

Most of my experience at the Squadron and Group level has been nothing but great.  I love the people in my Squadron and Group, they're committed and I think everybody gets along pretty well.  With the occasional exception (which I credit to the person being just plain busy as opposed to malice or neglect) all of my concerns have been answered and addressed.  If there's a GOBN or clique, they're pretty subtle about it.

Now, that being said, my frustration can be directed higher up.  Perfect example:  My Wing just announced, in March, our annual Wing conference in May. So, we got a two-month advance notice.  I don't know about you, but I have professional obligations which require me a little bit more lead time than two months to attend a multi-day affair on the other side of the Commonwealth.  Argh!

[Майор Хаткевич]

I think the issue with the wing level+ command is that a lot of times people get there without serving at lower echelons, clicking their boxes up top, and then thinking those below are somehow less worthy because they aren't "managing" the whole wing. This is usually the crowd that has their oak leaves, but think anyone not at that level isn't worthy of the same.

[MisterCD]

I always feel a little disapointed when I hear of another member with 5 or more years of service leaving CAP for the reasons stated.  With a net membership loss of over 3,000 in the last three years (8,000 members since 2003), maybe we really should rethink our strategy on retention. 

At the recent Command Council meeting, I listened in on the Strategic Planning session.  Growth was one of the major priorities, however no objectives were offered to obtain it.  Exit surveys have been taken over and over.  Reasons for membership loss are well known.  Is it that difficult for us to reverse the trend?

The attached datasheet is something I've compiled since I began my current position. I think folks will find it of interest.
EDIT: Judged by the number of downloads, I take it folks are interested.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

^^^A very good (and troubling) analysis, which should alarm the heck out of anyone who cares about this organisation.

I reiterate what I said before: CAP needs a drastic shakedown/restructuring from top to bottom, with the Air Force doing it.

We've tried it ourselves, and only gone two steps forward and ten steps back much of the time, because of the calcified framework that remains in place.

[NIN]

I'd be curious to compare those numbers / lines to other youth-serving membership organizations and also to other organizations like, say, the Elks or something.

The United States has move away from being a nation of "joiners" since WWII.  The 1950s was the hey day.

Ask any bowling alley about how popular leagues are.