TOMORROW: A Streaming Event - PAO How To Guide and 2010 Balsem PAO Awards

[CAP Producer]

Dear CAP PAOs and Friends,

Tomororw, Friday Sept 3rd at 3:30 PM Pacific Time Julie DeBardelaben, Deputy Director of Public Affairs at NHQ and I will Introduce the PAO's "How to Guide."

As the title suggests, this newly developed guide, which replaces the old CAPR 190-1 provides a comprehensive overview of the information, skills and resources required by today's PAO.  Formatted around the current CAPR 190-1 for PAOs' ease in implementation, the guide also features 50 hotlinks. 

Participants will be able to ask questions throughout the seminar and will have a front row seat for the announcement of the 2010 Major Howell Balsem CAP Public Affairs Awards winners.

This event will be streamed. Please join us at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/cap-2010-pa-how-to-and-balsem-awards for this training and recognition event.

We will try and take questions online at Facebook or Twitter but if you have any questions or comments about the PAO's How to Guide please send them to me at al.pabon@mncap.org and we will try to answer then for you during the webcast.

We look forward to having you join us.

Thanks and have a great day!

Al.
________________________
AL PABON, Major, CAP
National Public Affairs Team Leader
Headquarters, Civil Air Patrol

[A.Member]

Won't be able to listen in but I'd be interested in hearing the discussion.  I was not able to find the guide on the National website.  Is the guide available on-line?  If so can you provide a URL?

I really hope you guys address the consistent use of official logos and emblems.  This most closely falls into a external PAO realm and knowing the proper logos/emblems and their use is critical.  I'm sure you've seen much of the discussion here as it relates to the need for a consistent approach in the way we present ourselves.   This starts with a style-guide which is desprately needed from NHQ. 

There is far too much material, including from NHQ, that is diluting the brand (the frequent use of this triangle thingy is a perfect example).

[JC004]

You don't want that guide.  It's terrible.  KIDDING!  I had to pick on Al.  It's very good.  I sent some revision suggestions, but most we formatting, so I judge it as pretty freaking good.  Just don't print the first or last pages.  You'll kill your ink and printer (no fault to Al Pabon - he said that he didn't format it). 

Third list down, first item:
http://www.capmembers.com/cap_national_hq/public_affairs/

[A.Member]

You don't want that guide.  It's terrible.  KIDDING!  I had to pick on Al.  It's very good.  I sent some revision suggestions, but most we formatting, so I judge it as pretty freaking good.  Just don't print the first or last pages.  You'll kill your ink and printer (no fault to Al Pabon - he said that he didn't format it). 

Third list down, first item:
http://www.capmembers.com/cap_national_hq/public_affairs/

Thanks for the link!

Briefly skimmed it.  Seems to cover all the areas - so from that point it seems quite thorough.  Kudos on that!  Clearly there was a lot of effort put into the document.  I'm anxious to review it in more detail later because it looks to potentially contain a lot of good info. 

However, during my brief skim through the materials I noticed a few URLs that were either dead or examples that I would not consider to ideal.  For instance, the example used for the Composite Squadron Website goes to a squadron site that contains absolutely no information on it; just a banner and a few cycled photos - no good.  Of course, that is the risk in creating a document with so many specific external links...it can become outdated very quickly.  I also noted that the Marketing Guidebook from NHQ that is referenced uses non-compliant emblems as well. 

One more minor item to point out is that the margins do not seem to be consistent throughout the document.  This encroaches on nitpicking but does detract from the final "polished" product a bit, so it's worth pointing out.

[JC004]

That is why I was thinking it would be best if I had got with a graphic designer for the next revision of the guide and created a set of examples which could also be downloaded and reused by subordinate units.  In my head, they'd be at permanent addresses on the NHQ site and links wouldn't break.  Of course, I'm onto other less stressful things right now and permanent links didn't work out that great before - that is, during the .gov to .com fail.

My idea was for me to create a WordPress theme and a static site template.  The graphic designer would create Photoshop files that the units could edit easily.  For WordPress, we'd widgetize it for easy changes to the content and customization.  Then we'd have a standard set of plugins that units would find useful - like stuff to power a member area. 

[RADIOMAN015]

You don't want that guide.  It's terrible.  KIDDING!  I had to pick on Al.  It's very good.  I sent some revision suggestions, but most we formatting, so I judge it as pretty freaking good.  Just don't print the first or last pages.  You'll kill your ink and printer (no fault to Al Pabon - he said that he didn't format it). 

Third list down, first item:
http://www.capmembers.com/cap_national_hq/public_affairs/

Outstanding job, thanks :clap:  (I've used the press release sample formating on the website). 

HOWEVER, personally, I've got a full plate at the unit level doing radio comms, public affairs, assisting with ES, and also helping wing on various ES & comm activities.   I'm now trying to do specific recruiting of senior members that have some developed skills/knowledge in what we need at the unit level, including certain aspects of public affairs, radio communications, & emergency services programs.    IF a senior member is incapable of writing a sentence, they are of little use to ANY program in CAP. 

I think most will agree that if we can get an article in the local newspapers published once a month & have a half decent website that gets updated as news in the squadron happens (as opposed to a quarterly news letter), we've accomplished quite a bit in a cost effective manner.  We also have a color guard that this year is going to try to do more outreach/events the various communities around our support base. 

I'd like to do more but frankly time available & energy wise, unless we get more "quality" help, the programs will limp along at various levels of accomplishment.   My guess is that happens alot in CAP, regardless of the quality/quantity of higher headquarters "guidance"  . 

RM