Almost half the membership gone

[CAPCom]

Other than a handful of squadrons scattered across the country, CAP simply is no longer what it advertises itself to be.  A lot of shiny promises are made to those inquiring, but after a while, when the flashy stuff CAP uses as a backdrop for recruiting is clearly not what's happening most of the time (ES for example), people lose interest.  Volunteers want to do things.  Going to weekly meetings, sitting around a table and talking to other senior members or standing around watching cadets do drill and PT... the newness and luster wears off after a while.  Even getting to teach AE once in a while isn't enough to keep senior members coming unless they have a cadet in the unit.  And I'm sorry, but taking classes online to "advance your CAP knowledge" and "career" just doesn't generate the comradery and excitement about the program that in person classes and gatherings will.  Post-COVID CAP is just not the same.  It's like there's a cloud hanging over it.  The fun and anticipation of actually doing something is gone.  Somehow, what worked before needs to be refound and implemented in my opinion.  Maybe my experience is Wing specific?

[PHall]

Other than a handful of squadrons scattered across the country, CAP simply is no longer what it advertises itself to be.  A lot of shiny promises are made to those inquiring, but after a while, when the flashy stuff CAP uses as a backdrop for recruiting is clearly not what's happening most of the time (ES for example), people lose interest.  Volunteers want to do things.  Going to weekly meetings, sitting around a table and talking to other senior members or standing around watching cadets do drill and PT... the newness and luster wears off after a while.  Even getting to teach AE once in a while isn't enough to keep senior members coming unless they have a cadet in the unit.  And I'm sorry, but taking classes online to "advance your CAP knowledge" and "career" just doesn't generate the comradery and excitement about the program that in person classes and gatherings will.  Post-COVID CAP is just not the same.  It's like there's a cloud hanging over it.  The fun and anticipation of actually doing something is gone.  Somehow, what worked before needs to be refound and implemented in my opinion.  Maybe my experience is Wing specific?

A lot of things were changing even before the Pandemic. With the change to the new ELT's and the demise of SARSAT we only have a tenth, if that much, of the ELT missions we used to have.
The world is changing and CAP needs to change with it to be relevant.

[etodd]

A lot of things were changing even before the Pandemic. With the change to the new ELT's and the demise of SARSAT we only have a tenth, if that much, of the ELT missions we used to have.
The world is changing and CAP needs to change with it to be relevant.

And the cell phone forensics team now does 95% of the Saves. Another huge factor.

[PHall]

A lot of things were changing even before the Pandemic. With the change to the new ELT's and the demise of SARSAT we only have a tenth, if that much, of the ELT missions we used to have.
The world is changing and CAP needs to change with it to be relevant.

And the cell phone forensics team now does 95% of the Saves. Another huge factor.

And I have no problem with this. If it enables us to find people quicker then I'm all for it.

[etodd]

And the cell phone forensics team now does 95% of the Saves. Another huge factor.

And I have no problem with this. If it enables us to find people quicker then I'm all for it.

Absolutely agree. But the issue is that we should not market ourselves as heavily on the SAR side since 99% of our membership never sees much action anymore since the handful of cell phone forensics folks do it all and get the credit.

This team member can get a call at 2am from AFRCC, grabs a laptop and can do a mission in their PJs in their bedroom, email the files to the first responders, and go back to sleep. No uniform needed. No mission base meetings. They are CAP in name only. Could easily slide off into FEMA or just go indie. For us at CAP to claim their Saves as marketing material is disingenuous.

[PHall]

And the cell phone forensics team now does 95% of the Saves. Another huge factor.

And I have no problem with this. If it enables us to find people quicker then I'm all for it.

Absolutely agree. But the issue is that we should not market ourselves as heavily on the SAR side since 99% of our membership never sees much action anymore since the handful of cell phone forensics folks do it all and get the credit.

This team member can get a call at 2am from AFRCC, grabs a laptop and can do a mission in their PJs in their bedroom, email the files to the first responders, and go back to sleep. No uniform needed. No mission base meetings. They are CAP in name only. Could easily slide off into FEMA or just go indie. For us at CAP to claim their Saves as marketing material is disingenuous.

As long as they are CAP members and they are on the mission as CAP members then CAP should be able to claim the saves. 
FEMA is not a First Responder, they respond after the event. Their main focus is clean up and recovery.
And I have never heard of AFRCC ever using independent contractors.

[RiverAux]

National membership for past five years.

Update on current membership trends?

[ML07]

You can view the current numbers in eServices by using the 'Statistics' module. Select NATIONAL for the unit.

[baronet68]

[baronet68]

As of 16 Mar 2024

[RiverAux]

Well, seeing as how I basically only go on eservices once a year to renew my patron membership, this was a welcome tip.  Thanks.

Very surprised to see that for the first time since 2000, my wing has more cadets than seniors.  I guess I wouldn't call that a bad thing, but given the virtual collapse of the emergency services mission which has always been dependent on seniors a pivot towards cadets was probably necessary.   That particular membership trend doesn't appear to be the case nationally though.

[Майор Хаткевич]

As has been the story throughout the last 25 years (50? Always?), my unit now has a record number of cadets, and about the same count of Seniors as they've been at historically since the purges of inactives/patrons over multiple drives.

Sounds amazing, hopefully that means that someone is running a great cadet program.

[baronet68]

A snapshot of cadet and senior membership levels through the years:

[Stonewall]

FWIW, Ohio Wing has 10% more members today than BEFORE COVID impacted CAP, and more than a 20% growth since the lowest low of COVID (December 2020).