What can a "patron member" do?

[Cowanthunder]

I was wondering what exactly a "patron member" can do besides pay dues?  If you don't have enough time to give on a regular basis can you be a patron and still attend meetings from time to time?  Just wondering if you can do certain things to see if it is right for you before taking on commitments.  I am having my first baby in a few months and it is already busy but I am so interested in being part of the CAP.  I want to see what it's like and understand how becoming an active member will work into my life. From what I have read, patron members have access to everything an active member does and can get on base to attend a meeting or come into the CAP office on base.

Also, my friend flies at the local aero club. Would a patron member be able to get on base to the aero club too? My friend just got his Private and I go with him a lot now. I really like the people at the aero club and wanted to train with the same people as my friend did.

Thanks for your time 

[LtCol057]

Per CAPR 39-1: b. Patron Member. A patron member is a financial supporter who maintains current membership through payment of annual membership dues and participates in a limited capacity as outlined below.
1) Patron members may:
a) Receive a specially annotated membership card.
b) Receive the Civil Air Patrol News.
c) Receive discounts associated with senior membership (car rental, etc.).
d) Retain the last grade held prior to entering patron status.
e) Attend wing and region conferences and the annual National Board meeting and the 
     National Congress on Aviation and Space Education sponsored by National 
     Headquarters.
f) Attend special unit social events upon invitation by the commander concerned, such
    as anniversary celebrations, awards banquets, holiday parties, etc.
g) Use Civil Air Patrol ground transportation, but use of Civil Air Patrol air transportation
     is prohibited.
h) Transfer to active member status upon meeting active member qualifications. (See
     paragraph 3 below.)

2) Patron members may not:
   a) Wear the CAP uniform.
   b) Ride in or fly CAP aircraft. (This includes member-owned aircraft on CAP flight
       activity as defined in CAPR 60-1, CAP Flight Management.)
c) Participate in CAP activities in any capacity except to attend specified conferences
     and social events as outlined in paragraphs 3-1b(1)e and f above.
d) Be promoted while in patron status.

[Cowanthunder]

Ok that is good info. What about the aircraft that the aero club rents that isn't CAP aircraft?  Would I be able to rent those? My friend is a captain in the airforce and that is who i go with. He is not part of CAP so I could still ride with him right?

[PhoenixRisen]

If you are just riding with a friend of yours, I would assume CAP has no bearing on the situation at all, and you're simply "a friend of an aeroclub member".

Now, if you're talking becoming a member of the club yourself, I would assume that would be up to them.  I've never been a member of one myself, but I would assume many (which allow CAP membership) would just see the CAP ID card, regardless of the status, and grant you membership.

YMMV.

[a2capt]

Aero clubs are generally open to CAP members - if Patron is good enough or not, I don't know. Some may simply see the card and expiration date that is in the future and not worry about it, others may see that is says "Patron Member" instead of "Active Member" and decide against it.


The other thing a Patron membership does is, it does not cause hardship on a local unit having to get "dinged" or "hassled" over a possible issue with members not in compliance with whatever directives come from higher headquarters.

OPSEC, Ground Handling, safety directives, etc. Since compliance with these various courses is tracked and done on periodical reports, it can cause a unit problems when members who otherwise feel they are helping out by supporting with a paying membership but do nothing other than that.

If you want to pay a full membership and be absent for various periods of time, but otherwise can remain current and in contact with the units email distribution or other means of communication for when something comes from a higher HQ that says "xxxx needs to be complied with". Please speak with the unit commanders about this.

To be honest, with this question you've posed, it almost sounds as if you are interested in CAP just to fly, or perhaps to just get access the aero club. If it's the latter, and they will accept a patron membership, then that really is the route to take right now as I mentioned, it will save a local unit from having to worry about keeping you current on things. But as it was also noted, you can not participate in any activity and that could even include a lot of what may go on at a regularly scheduled meeting as some of that is usually CAP business. You can not work with cadets in any fashion other than a guest speaker would be able to, no access to files, no helping out with stuff, etc.

As for joining CAP just to fly, that usually ... never works out.

Flying is a benefit of membership, but membership is not a benefit of cheaper flying. Non members, and as pointed out, patron members, can not participate in CAP flying activities. Regardless of who owns the aircraft. If it's being operated on a CAP mission number, on a Flight Release .. unless you are either being transported, as a CAP member, or part of the air crew, you can not be in the aircraft without explicit permission from at least the Wing or possible Region level depending on what is going on.

In that, non-members means no family members, friends, etc. About the only thing you can really do is currency and those 50 nm x-c flights, by yourself, or with other members but remember that all missions take precedence over currency flights. You can't really go anywhere over night with the aircraft unless it's a CAP activity as the aircraft is a resource and it needs to be available. A 2 hour flight, and with the CAP radio being monitored, if a mission comes up, you can simply return to base and by the time an aircrew arrives you would probably be back already resulting in no real impact to the actual mission.

That is, unless of course, the local unit has folks sitting in a ready room SAC style ;-)

[RiverAux]

When I was perusing old CAP newspapers recently I found that CAP had a patron program for a few years in the early 1960s that at one point had 7-10K members.  Some squadrons apparently went all out on patron recruiting drives and brought in tons of people while others did nothing (typical program).  However, it was dropped after only a few years as not having accomplished what they wanted. 

[Chappie]

My wife is a patron member -- her choice    It works out well because:
1) she doesn't have to wear a uniform and salute anyone -- especially me 
2) she doesn't have to pursue training
3) she can attend those events which require my attendance (i.e. Wing/Region/National Conferences or various unit events)
4)  she can ride in CAP vehicle when we are with a group going someplace to eat while attending an above mentioned event
5)  she is still a part of CAP and enjoys the friendship/fellowship of its members.

She is very supportive of my involvement in CAP...but this is not necessarily her "cup of tea".  So patron membership enables her to have limited involvement but interaction with CAP members.

Just another item regarding the limitations of Patron members.  They cannot be listed on a MSA (Military Support Authorization).  So patron member spouses that do not have a military id card (dependents of active/retired) are not able to use base provided housing or dining facilities.

[LtCol057]

Hate to burst your bubble, a2capt, but patrons are required to complete the opsec course.  Also, per the knowledgebase, the local unit or wing commander may require patron members to complete Level 1 with CPPT before they can participate in any activity that has cadets (see answer 1778). 

[Eclipse]

Hate to burst your bubble, a2capt, but patrons are required to complete the opsec course.  Also, per the knowledgebase, the local unit or wing commander may require patron members to complete Level 1 with CPPT before they can participate in any activity that has cadets (see answer 1778).

Cite please on OPSEC.  The vast majority of Patrons are empty shirts, how do you require they do OPSEC?

For the most part Patron members are simply not allowed to participate in much but the occasional dinner, picnic or similar social situation.

Under no circumstances should they ever even be around if the situation requires OPSEC.  Nor are they remotely allowed to supervise cadets, or even be alone with them, so there's not much point in CPPT.

[LtCol057]

This is direct from the NHQ Knowledgebase, answer 1942.

See below  MEMORANDUM FOR NATIONAL BOARD dated 3 December 2007

SUBJECT: New Operations Security (OPSEC) Requirements
At the recent National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting the NEC decided to mandate OPSEC training for ALL members including cadets and patron members. The NEC believes this education is necessary for all members because we all have a responsibility to protect sensitive information about CAP missions and resources. This memo provides updated instructions for personnel implementing this policy until such time as it can be incorporated into CAPR 60-3. All members must complete OPSEC training and agree to the Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) by 1 April 2008 or they will not be allowed access to eServices, the Web Mission Information Reporting System (WMIRS), or any other CAP system that requires a unique login and password.

[Eclipse]

Ah, yes, I recall this, and thinking at the time that it was appropriate but also pointless.

The requirement isn't for Patron status, per se, but online access to systems they have no need for anyway.

Patrons don't have any CAP "career" to manage, so they have no need for eServices, and there's no reason that a Patron should be anywhere near WMIRS, so why grant them access at all?

[LtCol057]

I don't make the regs, I just follow them to the best of my ability.   I tend to agree with you on some points.  Patrons aren't active, so why should they need access to the info from NHQ. 

I have some members in my squadron that are probably going to be changed to patron members within the next couple of weeks. 

[a2capt]

Well, lets put it this way.

When they get put into Patron status, they can't do anything mission related in a broad scope of things.

When they get put into Patron status we stop getting dinged on non-complying members.

We can not force anyone to do anything, but we can get them off our administrative backs by re-categorizing them in such a way that we don't have to deal with it.

While I can see that they should still have OPSEC should they happen across CAP information because they were there (never mind they should not have been there in the first place) .. they'll know that from CAP's directive, that information should be treated as we say.

..and yes, if Patron members show up at our unit and we have OPSEC being done for new recruits, then they can be included in such since they do have a CAP ID. But thats it.

Even part of the OPSEC briefing, by nature of the restriction of patron status is by nature, out of their scope of access. So...