Hello!
Our current unit location (national guard armory) holds many restrictions and is not very inviting to new and prospective members. I am looking into moving our unit to a local middle school, however I am unsure of how to go about switching our location.
I can't find any publications about this, so if anyone has experience and can tell me about their process, I would love to hear it.
Thanks in advance!
Not much in the regs about "how," more so "how to document." Such as real property surveys, and how lease agreements must be executed.
Broadly, I will remind/suggest that unit meeting location arrangements should be made on the basis of an agreement between CAP and the location, not a hand shake between two guys. I can't tell you the number of times a unit has a sweetheart location (school, hangar, cool building, etc) , but it was because Commander A was buddies with Business Owner B or Airport Manager C, and later, when Commander A moves on, the unit has no relationship with the location as before, leading to a loss of the location.
I don't know what kind of restrictions you're facing. I do volunteer with the American Red Cross, and our local team has had various adventures finding a place to store our stuff. The most frequent reason for turning down an offer has been an inability to access our stuff 24-7-365 (366 in leap years).
Another issue I could imagine with schools is knives. The "Ground & Urban Direction Finding Team Tasks" publication at http://nesa.cap.gov/s/GUDFTG.pdf (http://nesa.cap.gov/s/GUDFTG.pdf) calls for 24-hour packs to contain (or the airman to carry on the airman's person) a "Pocket or utility-type knife, multipurpose with can opener". This may be against school policy.
Schools are usually a bad idea since you usually have access problems during weekends and school vacations.
Another issue with meeting at a school are member's interpretation of the school's policies regarding other organization.
Two of our members are teachers at the school we meet, and we draw heavily on the school's students for our cadets. Whenever the issue of holding training at a park or another venue arises, this member argues we have to follow the Department of Education policy for school trips since we are considered by the school staff as a school club. Being a school club and not requesting authorization from school staff, nor filling out school permit trips puts those member's jobs in jeopardy.
This has been going on for the thirty years the squadron has been at this school, with the knowledge of Group staff. A previous Group CC was talking about holding talks with school officials, a move discouraged by said member as "his job and squadron continuation 0would be in jeopardy."
So if you end up in a school, make sure it is out in writing what are the conditions, whether members will have access to equipment, whether the squadron will have to submit to other rules that a school group would.
And keep in mind, as NIN says, that NHQ requires all Wing CC's to make every attempt to obtain a written MOU from the property owner. If one can't be obtained, the Wing CC is required to document having made the attempt.
Quote from: Luis R. Ramos on August 31, 2019, 09:53:43 PM
Another issue with meeting at a school are member's interpretation of the school's policies regarding other organization.
Two of our members are teachers at the school we meet, and we draw heavily on the school's students for our cadets. Whenever the issue of holding training at a park or another venue arises, this member argues we have to follow the Department of Education policy for school trips since we are considered by the school staff as a school club. Being a school club and not requesting authorization from school staff, nor filling out school permit trips puts those member's jobs in jeopardy.
This has been going on for the thirty years the squadron has been at this school, with the knowledge of Group staff. A previous Group CC was talking about holding talks with school officials, a move discouraged by said member as "his job and squadron continuation 0would be in jeopardy."
So if you end up in a school, make sure it is out in writing what are the conditions, whether members will have access to equipment, whether the squadron will have to submit to other rules that a school group would.
In 38 years in CAP, I have NEVER heard of that. Never.
And you say its been going on for 30 years and has been a problem? Why on earth would anybody tolerate that for a year, let alone 30?
ETA: Does the school also treat the Cub Scout pack, Boy Scout troop, or Girl Scout troops that meet in the school after hours as "school clubs?" If the answer is no, then CAP needs to say "Look, we're not a school club."
If this is the same squadron I'm thinking of, it also doesn't have any squadron dues to the same set of concerns.
I think it's a little ridiculous, but what can you do? NYC DOE has like 150% of the budget of FEMA and twice the red tape.
I do not know if there are Boy Scout or Girl Scout troops in the school. I think there are none.
As it being ridiculous I agree. But it is not in my hands. Everyone else involved appears to like the arrangement.
Cadets also receive club participation credits which probably would be eliminated if we stop being considered a club.
Quote from: Luis R. Ramos on September 01, 2019, 05:25:55 PM
I do not know if there are Boy Scout or Girl Scout troops in the school. I think there are none.
As it being ridiculous I agree. But it is not in my hands. Everyone else involved appears to like the arrangement.
Cadets also receive club participation credits which probably would be eliminated if we stop being considered a club.
What you're describing sounds exactly like what a school based squadron does. Is it a school squadron?
No it is not.