Tracking Community Service Hours

[manfredvonrichthofen]

I would definitely consider meeting time that was spent on ES training to be community service. It would just depend on the who is the cadet that is asking, and how much they really do take advantage of the training and try to learn. ES training really, to me, sounds like community service, they are training to assist in search and rescue and disaster relief. I don't see a better example of community service than to give of your time to prepare to rescue those who cannot save themselves. Sounds like a lot of community service to me.

[Ed Bos]

Cadets, for the most part, are being served.  Unit meetings and regular participation by cadets, and even seniors, is not "community service".

Cite?

Cite what?

A cadet attending a regular meeting is receiving service from the senior members that actually run that unit and CAP as a whole
in the form training, discipline, CDI, etc.  Even those who are appointed to staff positions are receiving life lessons on leadership, etc.
That's the whole point of the CP, and the very nature and definition of the term "cadet".

Certainly internally to CAP unit meetings would never qualify for a CSR, and to try an quantify generic participation in CAP as "community service", especially in this context where the cadet is trying to avoid missed school time is a stretch, at best.

Perhaps if the unit cleaned a highway, forcibly assisted the elderly across the street, or worked in a homeless shelter, then there is room for some discussion, but not the simple participation in regular meetings.

On the whole, the cadet program is about what young people take from the program, and the senior side is about giving back.  That's not an indictment or a negative comment, but a simple statement of fact.

"Regular participation," is indeed community service. If you choose to exclude meeting nights as not service-oriented then I could see your point as something bearing consideration.

IMHO participation by cadets at:
- ES activities,
- supporting events like air shows,
- marching in the town Memorial Day parade,
... et cetera, are all community service.

This includes unit meeting nights in a similar way that direction-finding training is the same sort of service as an ELT search at an airport.

Participation by senior members at any activity certainly doesn't need to be excluded from counting as community service, including meeting nights.

Your comment seemed both an indictment and a negative comment. While cadets certainly have a different function in the Civil Air Patrol in many ways their "community service" is as valuable and rewarding to the community as that of Senior Members, as evidenced by the fact that they earn the same Service Ribbon.

If you didn't mean your remarks to appear as an indictment or a negative comment then I accept your contribution in the manner in which it was intended.  I hope you come to consider your cadets and seniors to be contributing to the community, and maybe consider recognizing their CAP service using the President's Volunteer Service Award Program, or something like it.

http://www.presidentialserviceawards.gov/

[Eclipse]

PVSA = Huge waste of time.

Self-certifying awards everyone qualifies for that you have to buy yourself have zero value.

[s.imbriale]

PVSA = Huge waste of time.

Self-certifying awards everyone qualifies for that you have to buy yourself have zero value.

Are you serious?  Yeah, if you award it to yourself!  But not if you give it to a cadet(s) in your unit as a thank you.  This is exactly the kind of the thing a young cadet would love to have and would probably cherish for awhile. 

Awards are the cheapest and sometimes best retention tool out there.  It literally takes less than an hour to nominate a person and usually cost .85 cents. It shows a great deal of consideration and appreciation on your part and it can go a long way in keeping people who feel that their actions go unnoticed.

The President's Volunteer Service Award Program may cost a little more, but it's an even easier way to show your appreciation to cadets and seniors.

[ColonelJack]

Community service is OK because having our kids have high self esteem and feeling good about themselves is much more important than knowing how to read, write, do math, etc. in our current educational culture.

Sounds like you've read the Federal Education Law front to back.  (I'm not being sarcastic.  Among my many income-producing activities, the one that pays the full-time bills is teaching.  I agree with what you've said about school 100%.  And I think it stinks.  In fact, on the first day of school, I make sure my students know that I don't care two buckets of swill about their self-esteem ... I'm here to teach them history.  If they want to feel good about themselves, learn the stuff and earn an "A".  They'll feel great.)

Jack

[Eclipse]

PVSA = Huge waste of time.

Self-certifying awards everyone qualifies for that you have to buy yourself have zero value.

Are you serious?  Yeah, if you award it to yourself!  But not if you give it to a cadet(s) in your unit as a thank you.  This is exactly the kind of the thing a young cadet would love to have and would probably cherish for awhile. 

Awards are the cheapest and sometimes best retention tool out there.  It literally takes less than an hour to nominate a person and usually cost .85 cents. It shows a great deal of consideration and appreciation on your part and it can go a long way in keeping people who feel that their actions go unnoticed.

The President's Volunteer Service Award Program may cost a little more, but it's an even easier way to show your appreciation to cadets and seniors.

100% serious - the PVSA isn't even worth the postage it costs to mail the certificate, especially to CAP.

Want to show your appreciation for someone's CAP service?  Write a good narrative and submit them for an award that actually means
something and can be worn on the uniform like a Comm Comm.

"We're all special pins" might be the norm in today's school systems, but we're about more than that, and my personal experience has been that
those who are most excited about things like the PVSA are, in general, award trolls who will look for every possible way to get something new
on their wall.

This, like many programs of this nature, was very close to actually having value, but they blew it.  If it were in some way moderated at a level
that meant something, and the awards were at least sent at no cost, at least they'd have some psuedo-value, but in its current iteration,
anyone can be a certifying body (I know because I am one), and anyone can list anything as community service.

Based on the published criteria, any and all CAP members who are moderately active in a given year qualify for the bronze, and most would qualify for
lifetime at the gate as well.

Hardly the Medal of Freedom.

[s.imbriale]

I agree that an actual CAP award like a Comm Comm or the new achievement award would be ideal in many situations. Unfortunately, I'm sure there are units and wings out there that think cadets shouldn't be awarded that level of award. I certainly disagree, and was fortunate enough to be trained in a Wing and Region that believed cadets are entitled to every decoration seniors are.  I know that when I was a cadet and traveled to other activities and events outside my region, I was approached on several occasions by members who thought I had just put on my meritorious service award and commanders commendations because I thought they looked nice.

Either way, I wouldn't be so quick to disregard the PVSA or similar programs. I do see your point, but I'm sure there are many people who would be thrilled to receive such appreciation.  Even a little pin or piece of paper can go a long way in retaining some individuals. Even a letter of appreciation from the unit would suffice in many cases.