Motivation to attend Professional Development

[Al Sayre]

Here's a link for those who missed this classic.

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/humor4.shtml

[RogueLeader]

Who's on first...

What.

^^Actually, I like Lager, or mixed drinks.

No, what's on second...

Who? Why? and Where?

[Sgt. Savage]

Where doesn't even play for that team!

[RogueLeader]

Where doesn't even play for that team!

How

[JC004]

[AlphaSigOU]

Who's on first...

What.

^^Actually, I like Lager, or mixed drinks.

No, what's on second...

I don't know is on third...

[JohnKachenmeister]

I don't know... Third Base!

Seriously, here are my suggestions:

1.  Emulate Florida in the "PDW" or "Professional Development Weekend."  This means more than 1 school.  Have a UCC, SLS, CLC, TLC, ABC, XYZ, all at one place and time.  That way it becomes a social event, plus more people can share rides.

2.  Speaking of social events, have an evening mixer.  Serve alcohol, and place a sign at the door warning cadets that if they approach they will be shot.

3.  If you can, have it on a military installation with an MCSS.

Use the school for:

1.  Learning.

2.  Networking.

3.  Morale Building.

"That which is learned without fun is forgotten without regret."

[IceNine]

MCCS?

[RogueLeader]

Military Clothing <not sure> and Sales.  In Army, known as "Clothing and Sales"

[Smitty]

CAP could make some of these courses available more often and at a more local level.  For instance a member should not have to travel across 3 states to attend a course such as TLC.  Something such as SLS should be offered more than twice a year.  Part of the reason I left CAP other than my unit disentegrating and not having enough time to commit outside of school is that I could not really advance in my specialty because TLC was held too infrequently and too far away and SLS was only offered once a year. 
So if you want people to attend to these things you need to make them as available as possible.  Sometimes it seems like some people here seem to forget that CAP is not the primary thing in everybodies lives.  People have their education, careers, and families.  If somebody has to choose between a CAP course or one of those other things CAP will lose out.
And I hope I do not hear "you quit, you have no right to say anything" from anybody. 

[Major Carrales]

1.  Emulate Florida in the "PDW" or "Professional Development Weekend."  This means more than 1 school.  Have a UCC, SLS, CLC, TLC, ABC, XYZ, all at one place and time.  That way it becomes a social event, plus more people can share rides.

I agree, this was a good idea.  I am a firm believer in "capitalizing" on CAP activities. 

[SAR-EMT1]

Speaking for myself... Im pursuing PD on the Air Force side of the House.
My "Reward" will be a Masters Degree upon completion of ACSC.
That, plus it is very boosting to my ego to hear the girls squeal when they see my Air Force Diplomas in the oak frames on the wall of my study.

NOTE: Air Force Diplomas are for such courses as CAPSOC and ASPC.
Oak frames were purchased at Walmart for 3 dollars and might actually contain wood. The Study consists of a few items in frames above a bookcase in the hallway leading to the bathroom... which is of course where I do all my REALLY good thinking.

[shorning]

MCCS?

MCSS = Military Clothing Sales Store

[ZigZag911]

PDW sounds like very efficient use of instructor personnel....rather than dragging a subject matter expert half way across the wing to give a 1 hour presentation, he or she can offer classes for several different courses.

[Stonewall]

I taught at a PDW a few months ago here in FL and thought it had a great outcome.  Like was said above, instructors can teach several different topics in different courses.  I didn't travel too far so I didn't mind teaching a one hour block on customs and courtesies and one hour on drill and ceremonies at the TLC class.  I taught it as it relates to cadets and why it's important for us seniors to maintain a sense of military discipline and demeanor in the presence of cadets.

As I walked around the building, I saw CLC with like 20 people, SLS with about the same and I think a UCC.  So in one place we had 4 courses.  I'd say there were close to 60 or 70 students and a big handful of instructors.  This was in North Florida and we had people from Miami, which I think is 6+ hours away.  And yes, there was an evening social event.

+1 for PDW

[JohnKachenmeister]

Military Clothing <not sure> and Sales.  In Army, known as "Clothing and Sales"

Military Clothing Sales Store.

[JohnKachenmeister]

Speaking for myself... Im pursuing PD on the Air Force side of the House.
My "Reward" will be a Masters Degree upon completion of ACSC.
That, plus it is very boosting to my ego to hear the girls squeal when they see my Air Force Diplomas in the oak frames on the wall of my study.

NOTE: Air Force Diplomas are for such courses as CAPSOC and ASPC.
Oak frames were purchased at Walmart for 3 dollars and might actually contain wood. The Study consists of a few items in frames above a bookcase in the hallway leading to the bathroom... which is of course where I do all my REALLY good thinking.

I understand, SAR.

That's also what flight suits are for.

Girl:  "Are you a pilot?"

CAP Guy:  "Never ask an Air Force Auxiliary officer if he's a pilot.  If he is, he'll tell you soon enough.  If he isn't, there's no sense in embarrassing him."

[Hawk200]

Seriously, here are my suggestions:

1.  Emulate Florida in the "PDW" or "Professional Development Weekend."  This means more than 1 school.  Have a UCC, SLS, CLC, TLC, ABC, XYZ, all at one place and time.  That way it becomes a social event, plus more people can share rides.

2.  Speaking of social events, have an evening mixer.  Serve alcohol, and place a sign at the door warning cadets that if they approach they will be shot.

3.  If you can, have it on a military installation with an MCSS.

Use the school for:

1.  Learning.

2.  Networking.

3.  Morale Building.

"That which is learned without fun is forgotten without regret."

Things that make you go "Hmmm....". I like the idea, may talk to my wings' PD officer to look into that. I can think of a couple places that might be able to support a concept like this. I would enjoy such a thing.

[SarDragon]

I don't know... Third Base!

Seriously, here are my suggestions:

1.  Emulate Florida in the "PDW" or "Professional Development Weekend."  This means more than 1 school.  Have a UCC, SLS, CLC, TLC, ABC, XYZ, all at one place and time.  That way it becomes a social event, plus more people can share rides.

2.  Speaking of social events, have an evening mixer.  Serve alcohol, and place a sign at the door warning cadets that if they approach they will be shot.

3.  If you can, have it on a military installation with an MCSS.

Use the school for:

1.  Learning.

2.  Networking.

3.  Morale Building.

"That which is learned without fun is forgotten without regret."

We just had one of these at CAWG in the last month or two. Worked really well, and met all of Kach's objectives. It was sponsored by one of the SoCal groups.

[Stonewall]

Just ironing my uniform and thinking about what motivated me to attend PD stuff.

CAP motivated me.  Cadets motivated me.  Awesome senior members motivated me.  I didn't even attend SLS, CLC or RSC in my wing.  I drove to other states (wings) for that stuff.  Heck, I drove to another region for RSC.  Drove from Virginia to Indiana because timing never coincided with my work schedule.

Rank didn't motivate me because it wasn't relevant to my goals in CAP.  Rank just came with time and going to PD.  I was motivated by wanting to learn as much as I could; to be the best senior member for the best cadets.  I was very young as a senior member and the best way to show the older folks that I wasn't just a wanna-be was to show them how serious I was.

The senior members that motivated me were all younger high ranking types.  Meaning, former cadets turned senior that were Lt Cols in their younger 30s, like me.  Frank McConnell was one of them, former NATCAP Wing Commander.  Back in the day he was a young 30-something wing ES officer and he rocked.  He motivated me to be like him.  He set the standard and that made me want to meet the standard.  He actually treated me like a junior officer and I respected that.

That's what motivated me.  So ask what motivated you and see if that helps find what motivates others.