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WIWAC

Started by ol'fido, November 17, 2011, 12:41:12 AM

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Eclipse

One of the saddest things I have ever seen in my life was the first time I saw a 12 year old kid riding his bike talking on a cell phone.

12 year old do not need cell phones, period.  Parents make the "safety" argument all the time, then give the kid an iPhone with unlimited data.

If "safety" is the reason your 8 year "needs" a phone, then you get a pay-as-you-go feature phone with only family and 911 allowed as calls.

Another piece of this is all the parents who allow their kids to violate the Facebook TOS and light up accounts under 13. Facebook is not allowed in my house, period.   They can do what their friends do and sneak an account they think I don't know about at the library, but not on my router.

"That Others May Zoom"

NCRblues

Quote from: Eclipse on July 13, 2012, 04:55:50 PM
Facebook is not allowed in my house, period.   They can do what their friends do and sneak an account they think I don't know about at the library, but not on my router.

Ouch. Why the drastic limit? Even if your kids are over 13 you still say no?

FB is very quickly becoming the only way to get a hold of some of the Cadets in my wing. (Well that and texting; and I am certainly not going to text cadets)
In god we trust, all others we run through NCIC

Stonewall

Quote from: Eclipse on July 13, 2012, 04:55:50 PM
12 year old do not need cell phones, period.  Parents make the "safety" argument all the time, then give the kid an iPhone with unlimited data

My 11 and 16 year old nephews have cell phones.  They were over one day getting help from my wife on math homework and it was time to call mom to pick them up.  However, neither of them had their cell phones for some reason.  They didn't know their own home number nor their parents' cell numbers.  They relied too much on their cells to keep their numbers.

My 4 & 6 year olds know all 3 numbers by heart.
Serving since 1987.

Critical AOA

Quote from: NCRblues on July 13, 2012, 05:06:46 PM

FB is very quickly becoming the only way to get a hold of some of the Cadets in my wing. (Well that and texting; and I am certainly not going to text cadets)

I would have thought that calling or emailing their parents would be the main way to initiate contact with cadets. 
"I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it."   - George Bernard Shaw

Eclipse

#144
Quote from: NCRblues on July 13, 2012, 05:06:46 PM
Quote from: Eclipse on July 13, 2012, 04:55:50 PM
Facebook is not allowed in my house, period.   They can do what their friends do and sneak an account they think I don't know about at the library, but not on my router.

Ouch. Why the drastic limit? Even if your kids are over 13 you still say no?

FB is very quickly becoming the only way to get a hold of some of the Cadets in my wing. (Well that and texting; and I am certainly not going to text cadets)

We've encountered this phenomenon here, too. The fix is that they are directed by their commanders that they >will< get email addresses (assuming the unit doesn't have a domain of its own), and they >will< check them daily, etc.  Official announcements, UODs, etc., are sent through those channels.
The "social" sites may be used as a secondary connection, but the unit with effective IT and PA folks know better then to use those sites as the primary
communications tool.

Facebook is not a proper, nor secure medium for discussing those things, since from the get-go your information is the product.

Most members comply, the ones that don't / won't find themselves left out and comply when it becomes important to them.  Obviously this is not the same issue as cadets not allowed to have email, since if they have Facebook that's likely a non-issue.

As to the personal prohibition of Facebook, I don't use it, neither does my wife, nor anyone in my family on any level that is consequential to care,
I share photos and whatever via email or other services and we don't need to alert people to when we're having dinner.  I'm actually the kinid of person that does things and goes places and would have interesting updates and check-ins, then I realized what a bad idea it is to be telling the world
that I'm not home and all my tasty goods are sitting alone for the picking at their slow pace (because my flight schedule is posted, and my hotel, etc.
I can't even really blog about what I do, because as a subcontractor for a marketing company, my clients don't want it known they are subing as well.
Lots of NDAs in what I do, and NDAs are the antithesis of Facebook.

I can't see a single reason why it would be "necessary" for >anyone< of elementary school age to use this service, especially in that all they would be doing is running home and then jumping on the computer and talking to / about the people they've just seen 10 minutes ago.

The relative value of this "social" nonsense does not, in my opinion, outweigh the risks and cyberbullying issues that these system inevitably bring into play. 

I'm not by a longshot a luddite, I just see no value in this proposition. Not being in that space has not cost me any friends (I have no interest in reconnecting with high school "buds" I haven't seen in 20 years, nor cyberstalking ex-girlfriends), any business, nothing, but I have seen plenty of
people in that space who tasted the worst it can offer. 

And to bring this back around to WIWAC - all those kids sitting with their nose in a screen checking out what the Kardassians just did, are >not<
out in the woods with a snorkel on, or jumping out of a plane, or even just walking the neighborhood to see who the zombies have eaten today.

"That Others May Zoom"

ol'fido

Well. as I have gathered from the few cadets who have posted in this thread, most of them want to do the wild and crazy stuff that we did WIWAC. They want to have the same originality, fun, elan, and camaraderie that we did as cadets and young seniors. They just don't know how. They haven't been around enough of us old and crusty ex-cadets that can show them how to have fun, commit a little harmless mayhem, and build some unit cohesion through benign shennanigans.

When I think about all this stuff and boil it down to the bare essentials, it comes down to one thing: CAMARADERIE.

That is the magic glue that holds this and other silly organizations together. Some people have BS troops, sports teams, military units, frats, the neighborhood gang that gives them that sense of belonging to a group that was the best of friends and the best at what they did. It isn't berets, tabs, or "budweisers" that hold units like SF, Rangers, or SEALs together. It's the camaraderie of the shared experience.

At one magical, marvelous time in our lives, Stonewall, NIN, and myself found that "Nirvana of Camaraderie" with CAP. So did a lot of other seniors, cadets, and ex-members. That is probably the one thing that will keep me sending in my dues every year; the idea and the hope that I will find that again or be able to lead others to it.
Lt. Col. Randy L. Mitchell
Historian, Group 1, IL-006

SarDragon

Quote from: ol'fido on July 14, 2012, 01:03:43 AMAt one magical, marvelous time in our lives, Stonewall, NIN, and myself found that "Nirvana of Camaraderie" with CAP. So did a lot of other seniors, cadets, and ex-members. That is probably the one thing that will keep me sending in my dues every year; the idea and the hope that I will find that again or be able to lead others to it.

Amen, bruthah!
Dave Bowles
Maj, CAP
AT1, USN Retired
50 Year Member
Mitchell Award (unnumbered)
C/WO, CAP, Ret

rustyjeeper

Quote from: SarDragon on July 14, 2012, 01:59:49 AM
Quote from: ol'fido on July 14, 2012, 01:03:43 AMAt one magical, marvelous time in our lives, Stonewall, NIN, and myself found that "Nirvana of Camaraderie" with CAP. So did a lot of other seniors, cadets, and ex-members. That is probably the one thing that will keep me sending in my dues every year; the idea and the hope that I will find that again or be able to lead others to it.

Amen, bruthah!

DITTO :clap:

abdsp51

I concur. When I was a cadet we had a lot fun from start to finish.  The first and only FTX I went on we had our games and one lasted into the night.  I recall hanging off the side of a huge berm by my fingers and toes, and out of all that all I accomplished was a scrapped knee.  We played e-tool baseball and did a huge land nav course out in the middle of the desert. 

Now with the way society is well who knows what, with as sue happy and the "It's someone else's fault" mentality these days the fun I was allowed to have wouldn't fly. 

I think that activities and such need to be planned to bring back the camaraderie into units or generate it as well. 

Garibaldi

We had a SAREX today and I took a few cadets down the road for it. On the way, we started talking about stuff, and I mentioned some of the stuff we did as cadets, and their favorite story was the one of my first FTX where I ended up hanging upside down from a tree at 0330 while on guard duty. I told them that in NO WAY was I condoning this sort of behavior when one of the senior cadet NCOs got a gleam in his eye. They were amazed at the stuff we did and got away with, and I told them that no seniors were involved in any of it, that we did it on our own and the thought at the time was "well, no one got hurt or killed, so no harm, no foul." I told them flat out that this sort of stuff couldn't go on now simply because some cadet will blab to the wrong person and the entire wrath of CAP would land on my head. I think they get it. They're not as dumb or careless as we think sometimes.
Still a major after all these years.
ES dude, leadership ossifer, publik affaires
Opinionated and wrong 99% of the time about all things

cap235629

Quote from: Garibaldi on July 15, 2012, 02:12:08 AM
We had a SAREX today and I took a few cadets down the road for it. On the way, we started talking about stuff, and I mentioned some of the stuff we did as cadets, and their favorite story was the one of my first FTX where I ended up hanging upside down from a tree at 0330 while on guard duty. I told them that in NO WAY was I condoning this sort of behavior when one of the senior cadet NCOs got a gleam in his eye. They were amazed at the stuff we did and got away with, and I told them that no seniors were involved in any of it, that we did it on our own and the thought at the time was "well, no one got hurt or killed, so no harm, no foul." I told them flat out that this sort of stuff couldn't go on now simply because some cadet will blab to the wrong person and the entire wrath of CAP would land on my head. I think they get it. They're not as dumb or careless as we think sometimes.

But Col. Alexander does hear about things posted on this board....FYI
Bill Hobbs, Major, CAP
Arkansas Certified Emergency Manager
Tabhair 'om póg, is Éireannach mé

rustyjeeper

Quote from: cap235629 on July 15, 2012, 02:54:23 AM
Quote from: Garibaldi on July 15, 2012, 02:12:08 AM
We had a SAREX today and I took a few cadets down the road for it. On the way, we started talking about stuff, and I mentioned some of the stuff we did as cadets, and their favorite story was the one of my first FTX where I ended up hanging upside down from a tree at 0330 while on guard duty. I told them that in NO WAY was I condoning this sort of behavior when one of the senior cadet NCOs got a gleam in his eye. They were amazed at the stuff we did and got away with, and I told them that no seniors were involved in any of it, that we did it on our own and the thought at the time was "well, no one got hurt or killed, so no harm, no foul." I told them flat out that this sort of stuff couldn't go on now simply because some cadet will blab to the wrong person and the entire wrath of CAP would land on my head. I think they get it. They're not as dumb or careless as we think sometimes.

But Col. Alexander does hear about things posted on this board....FYI



Good point.
Fortunately in the post Garibaldi was very clear......... " this sort of stuff cant go on now"
A person is entitled to their opinions and feelings and the Constitution allows us the freedom to express them in public or in private.
So long as the regulations were not violated no offense has occured.

Personally- I liked it better WIWAC, but sadly those days are HISTORY :'(

Garibaldi

Quote from: Tank Commander on July 15, 2012, 03:12:46 AM
Quote from: cap235629 on July 15, 2012, 02:54:23 AM
Quote from: Garibaldi on July 15, 2012, 02:12:08 AM
We had a SAREX today and I took a few cadets down the road for it. On the way, we started talking about stuff, and I mentioned some of the stuff we did as cadets, and their favorite story was the one of my first FTX where I ended up hanging upside down from a tree at 0330 while on guard duty. I told them that in NO WAY was I condoning this sort of behavior when one of the senior cadet NCOs got a gleam in his eye. They were amazed at the stuff we did and got away with, and I told them that no seniors were involved in any of it, that we did it on our own and the thought at the time was "well, no one got hurt or killed, so no harm, no foul." I told them flat out that this sort of stuff couldn't go on now simply because some cadet will blab to the wrong person and the entire wrath of CAP would land on my head. I think they get it. They're not as dumb or careless as we think sometimes.

But Col. Alexander does hear about things posted on this board....FYI



Good point.
Fortunately in the post Garibaldi was very clear......... " this sort of stuff cant go on now"
A person is entitled to their opinions and feelings and the Constitution allows us the freedom to express them in public or in private.
So long as the regulations were not violated no offense has occured.

Personally- I liked it better WIWAC, but sadly those days are HISTORY :'(

I was simply telling war stories. And warning the cadets not to even THINK about trying it. War stories are just that. 1981 was 31 years ago and as CAP has changed, I have changed. I wouldn't even DREAM of allowing anything of the sort to happen now. Not on my watch.
Still a major after all these years.
ES dude, leadership ossifer, publik affaires
Opinionated and wrong 99% of the time about all things

BillB

I think everyone agrees what happened back when they were a cadet is no longer possible. But think about it. What in the pre-historic CAP might be brought back? Safety and CPPT has changed the cadet program, but many of the activities mentioned here might be modified and within reason looked at as possible activities or limitations for cadets. Where is the line? Is CAP as RM says the CIVIL Air Patrol, or as others have said the Auxiliary of the Air Force, thus more military training or activities could be considered.
The main difference between what was, and what is, is the fact that CAP hasn't defined itself or it's missions for the 21st century. What worked in 1980 is no longer possible, but at the same time, little has been done to see what IS possible that might be brough forward from 1980. I'm not saying that the current cadet program is "to soft" on cadets, but rather is there a need or use for a higher level of discipline in the military aspect of CAP? This appears to be what the cadets want, but where do you draw the line?
Gil Robb Wilson # 19
Gil Robb Wilson # 104

RogueLeader

Quote from: BillB on July 16, 2012, 11:45:15 AM
Is CAP as RM says the CIVIL Air Patrol, or as others have said the Auxiliary of the Air Force, thus more military training or activities could be considered.




There you go.
WYWG DP

GRW 3340

Stonewall

I just read through this thread again for some reason and it is full of win.

I thought it would be neat to put together the "Top 100" WIWAC statements.  But then I realized I have a job, family, long commute, Guard, yard, laundry, gym, dog,....  One day I'll have time for CAP... One day.
Serving since 1987.

ol'fido

Quote from: Stonewall on February 11, 2013, 09:31:38 PM
I just read through this thread again for some reason and it is full of win.

I thought it would be neat to put together the "Top 100" WIWAC statements.  But then I realized I have a job, family, long commute, Guard, yard, laundry, gym, dog,....  One day I'll have time for CAP... One day.
And when that day comes, it will be a better day in CAP. ;D
Lt. Col. Randy L. Mitchell
Historian, Group 1, IL-006

NIN

Quote from: Stonewall on February 11, 2013, 09:31:38 PM
I just read through this thread again for some reason and it is full of win.

I thought it would be neat to put together the "Top 100" WIWAC statements.  But then I realized I have a job, family, long commute, Guard, yard, laundry, gym, dog,....  One day I'll have time for CAP... One day.

Dragon naturally speaking, bro.

You forced me to read this thread.  I just lost 20 minutes of my life. It was probably the best 20 minutes I've had in months.

Darin Ninness, Col, CAP
I have no responsibilities whatsoever
I like to have Difficult Adult Conversations™
The contents of this post are Copyright © 2007-2024 by NIN. All rights are reserved. Specific permission is given to quote this post here on CAP-Talk only.

Huey Driver

Wow. I've read this entire thread probably three times over, and every time, I just say wow. Great stories all. I would've loved being a cadet in your cadet era.

Today's generation bugs the heck out of me as well. Yes, I know I'm one of them. But like you guys, I never had video games or a cell phone (until I started running around on my own, but even then just a basic phone and text limit). I loathe today's silly lawsuit crazed courts. Personal responsibility is faded, so lack of responsibility comes from that. And where's the warrior spirit? This is one of the reasons I joined CAP, to surround myself with tomorrow's leaders who have the same mindset as me. My ex-squadron commander said to me the other day, "In my day, there was no ADHD, but there was a such thing as a swift kick in the a$$." True to a point. I understand why the regs are put in place, but I'm still a firm believer in personal responsibility and common sense (or learning the hard way).

I could go on but I'll stop there. Anyway, thank you to all you vets in this thread for the entertainment. ;)  :clap:
With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right...

That Anonymous Guy

^This. Especially the Warrior Spirit. This is the one reason I wish I was 30 years older