How to start a Cadet Basic Training Program?

[KERALA]

I have recently recruited quite a few cadets to join my squadron.

[manfredvonrichthofen]

What do you mean by cadet basic training program? This question is a bit vague.

[EMT-83]

According to your posts, you've been in CAP for two months and you're a C/Amn.

Just curious as to why you would ask these questions.

[Pylon]

Hey guys, lay off.  His squadron might be small and he may have been asked to help, or he's taking initiative to offer some suggestions to his chain because he see's a need.  We should be helping young new members, not dog-piling them.  This is by all appearances a legitimate question, which is more than I can say for some of the recent threads created by senior members here.

KERALA:  Cadet Great Start is the way to go.  It's all put together by NHQ.  It is a series of classes designed to help new cadets learn everything they need to complete the Curry Achievement and become a functioning cadet in CAP.  They lay out all the lessons, provide lesson plans as well as the slides and hand-out materials.   You don't need to reinvent anything -- just find cadets who are more experienced and willing to look over the materials for their section and teach it. 

A Senior Member can also order, through the E-Services recruiting materials request module, a copy of the Cadet Great Start handbook in print, for free.  NHQ will send it to the requesting member or unit free-of-charge.  Then all you'll need to print out is any handouts you wish to use or student materials.

You can find Cadet Great Start here:  http://capmembers.com/cadet_programs/library/cadet_great_start.cfm

While your new cadets are waiting for you to implement formal training, you can direct them to the National Headquarter "New Cadet Help Page" which has a lot of guidance, information, and resources to help them get started.  That New Cadet Help page is here:  http://capmembers.com/cadet_programs/new_cadet_help/

[bflynn]

For the Original Poster - welcome, don't let the haters get you down.  They like to attack, probably because they forget there's a person at the other end of the keyboard.

How about trying to restate what you're looking for?  You need to do training on the basics of what it means to be a cadet without holding a full blown encampment?

[Eclipse]

You need to do training on the basics of what it means to be a cadet without holding a full blown encampment?

Encampments are not where a cadet receives their basic instruction.  A cadet must already have their Curry award completed in order to participate in one.  As Pylon indicated, the Great Start program is the guide for getting started.

Kudos on the recruiting efforts, but someone else in the unit should be concerned with training new members.

[Major Carrales]

I would really like to have a "Cadet Basic Training" program, however, they don't all join at once.  Usually, we have "waves" of cadets.  An initial group joins and then others sporatically.

I would like a "graduation" exercise where everyone get promoted to Airman at once, however, the curriculum is self-paced.

[Extremepredjudice]

I would really like to have a "Cadet Basic Training" program, however, they don't all join at once.  Usually, we have "waves" of cadets.  An initial group joins and then others sporatically.

I would like a "graduation" exercise where everyone get promoted to Airman at once, however, the curriculum is self-paced.

Have a bi-annual awards ceremony, and present milestones to cadets as a group.

[Spartan]

One thing that I find that works very well to supplement the Great Start Program is assigning a new cadet a mentor who can help them learn the finer details about putting their uniform together, answer program questions, and generally help the new cadet's transition into CAP and the Cadet Program less of a culture shock.  You don't need to worry about having one mentor per new cadet, but making sure that the new cadet knows who they can get answers or help from helps develop the new cadet and helps develop leadership skills of more experienced cadets.  This could even be an expanded duty of an element leader in a small squadron or an assistant element leader in a larger one.

[manfredvonrichthofen]

Kerala, if you could give us some insight on what you mean by cadet training program maybe we could help you out better. But yes, great start is a good program.

[Pylon]

I'm going to split this discussion on the site's dynamics into a separate thread (located here: http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=15075 ).  Not a terrible topic, but let's keep this particular thread 100% focused on cadet programs management and ideas for training new cadets.

[johnnyb47]

My suggestion would be to start by looking over the great start program information located here:
http://www.capmembers.com/media/cms/P052_009_7603F5B468886.pdf

Before you start the great start program I would:
A) Assign each new cadet a mentor and put SOMETHING into their hands before their binder arrives.
Get them a squadron SOP, a printed copy of the great start guide, a printed list of needed uniform items (etc), and a welcome letter from the commander or cadet commander (or both).

B) Have a talk with each cadet to find out what their expectations are, what their focus is and what areas in the CAP Cadet program would be their weakest. "I hate testing" - Put that person in touch with a cadet who had trouble testing in the past and has since overcome it. "I am no good at sports/PT" - Find someone like me who was a big guy but has gotten into shape since joining.... and here's how. You get the idea.

C) Get all of their email addresses and their parents email addresses and start sending them both old flyers/newsletters and any info I can find for new members. This should come from their mentors as well as a cadet programs officer. Put as much into their hands as possible as soon as they join to keep them busy reading all of the great things about CAP and your squadron and what they will get out of being a member.

Once they have all of that in their hands and you have all of their info in yours you can help them tailor their CAP experience for themselves.... but it all starts with:
However your squadron decides to run with the great start program.
New Cadet Orientation? No longer required but still a pretty good idea.
First squadron meeting after forming their flight and getting the above A,B,C done? That could work too.

All of that typed out I agree with other posters that it should definately be run by a team of CAP members with enough experience to make it successful.... but your mileage may vary as to the pool of experience in your squadron. If the most experienced cadets are a C/Amn and a C/SMSgt then you work with what you have... with as much senior support as possible. Heck I've known C/Amn with more respect and integrity that a couple of C/Capt's I've met. That's two out of four you can teach right from the start. Contact another squadron for assistance if you have one local enough to make it worth while and you feel you need more cadet help.

Make sure you read carefully.... this is how I would do it. This is not a suggestion, just stating what has worked for me so far in my long two years of service.

Congrats on taking the initiative to try and make your squadrons cadet program a success. Good luck!

[KERALA]

According to your posts, you've been in CAP for two months and you're a C/Amn.

Just curious as to why you would ask these questions.

My squadron commander wanted to help me get leadership experience by teaching the new cadets.
I will get help form my superiors ,but they mainly want me to teach the new cadets.

[Eclipse]

According to your posts, you've been in CAP for two months and you're a C/Amn.

Just curious as to why you would ask these questions.

My squadron commander wanted to help me get leadership experience by teaching the new cadets.
I will get help form my superiors ,but they mainly want me to teach the new cadets.

And that's the issue which was initially, and appropriately raised.  As a C/Amn, you are not in a position to be "leading" anyone.  Your
job is to personally learn all you can and grow into the role of element leader and forward.  There should be other cadets in your
squadron who are more experienced and will gain benefit from the experience of leading you and the other new cadets.

If there are no Sgt's or higher, then the seniors should lead the cadet instruction until such time as you or your peers attain a grade
that is appropriate for leading others.

[johnnyb47]

According to your posts, you've been in CAP for two months and you're a C/Amn.

Just curious as to why you would ask these questions.

My squadron commander wanted to help me get leadership experience by teaching the new cadets.
I will get help form my superiors ,but they mainly want me to teach the new cadets.

Was there one specific area of instruction that your Squadron Commander ask you to perform?
"C/Amn Kerala, please help the new cadets with eservices logins. As you've recently gone through the initial setup yourself, you would be more familiar than someone who hasn't had to setup a new account in a while."
Or were you directed to train all new cadets from the ground up in every aspect of the CAP cadet program?

Just for the sake of clarification.

[KERALA]

According to your posts, you've been in CAP for two months and you're a C/Amn.

Just curious as to why you would ask these questions.

My squadron commander wanted to help me get leadership experience by teaching the new cadets.
I will get help form my superiors ,but they mainly want me to teach the new cadets.

And that's the issue which was initially, and appropriately raised.  As a C/Amn, you are not in a position to be "leading" anyone.  Your
job is to personally learn all you can and grow into the role of element leader and forward.  There should be other cadets in your
squadron who are more experienced and will gain benefit from the experience of leading you and the other new cadets.

If there are no Sgt's or higher, then the seniors should lead the cadet instruction until such time as you or your peers attain a grade
that is appropriate for leading others.

I am sorry if I worded wrong but I will supervised by my superiors. That means that if I make a mistake they will help me and the recruits. My cadet commander likes his cadets to learn hands on. But he has told me if I mistake I won't be a big deal because he wants me to learn also.



Fixed broken/improperly nested tags. --MK

[Extremepredjudice]

I am sorry if I worded wrong but I will supervised by my superiors. That means that if I make a mistake they will help me and the recruits. My cadet commander likes his cadets to learn hands on. But he has told me if I mistake I won't be a big deal because he wants me to learn also.

This isn't something you should be doing. Supervised or not. A C/Amn isn't high enough rank, or experienced enough in CAP culture to command or instruct anything. Nothing against you.

It doesn't matter if you are motivated (I was when I was a C/Amn.). The key is, you just don't KNOW the stuff a C/SSgt knows. You haven't worn your uniform as much, you haven't drilled as much.

You can notice that a C/Amn is going to be leadership material, but don't thrust it on him when he is in his "CAP infancy."

What rank is your Cadet Commander?

[abdsp51]

It is never too soon to build a persons leadership capability in any capacity.  Now I will say that a more senior cadet/s should be doing more to train new cadet/s.  However in some units this may not be doable simply due to their numbers as was the case I had in my first unit we didn't have an abundance of senior cadets to do a lot of the teaching so a good chunk of it fell to those of us whom had been in for a little bit to train.  Some of your best trainers can be your more junior cadet/s.