I did as I was suggested...

[CyBorgII]

First off, I realise that what I am doing here may well get me banned.  That's OK.  I only have a story to tell, and the only reason I created another handle/login was because I took the advice of other members who told me to keep from logging in by making an "unrememberable" password.  I am the user formerly known as CyBorg.  I am not impersonating anyone else.

Off-board, some members gave me well-meaning advice on how to "better" CAP by rejoining and working to make things better.

I saw no way to do that, but I did decide to do something altruistic (really) by donating my CAP equipment to a local unit - not the one I was exiled from, but one a little further away.  I donated insignia, uniforms, flight jackets, flight suits...even my ribbon racks.

I am not mentioning any names, as those reading this familiar with the situation will know who they are.  I also won't mention the unit except that it is in Michigan Wing.

I contacted the then-commander and told him about my situation as a former member of CAP and that I wanted to do this for the unit (well, it wasn't completely altruistic - having the stuff hanging round my house was causing me painful memories to even look at it).  I did not suggest anything about rejoining.

However, he did, by saying "someone of your experience could be useful to us."  I wish he had not planted that seed, as it got my hopes up.

I then put together an on-paper proposal saying how I could best be useful to the unit (i.e., how I could do a lot of work from home, but due to the distance of the unit could not make every weekly meeting), and also being 100% honest about my disabilities.  I also said pointedly I did not want my former rank of Captain back, that I wanted to work my way up the ladder again or even be an NCO, though I fell just a bit short of qualifying for that.

He then went off to Europe and I never got to meet him.

I made one visit to the unit and dropped the things off with the then-deputy CC.  She was at the time very nice and gladly accepted my donations.

I knew one of the members from a previous unit.  I liked her, we got on well, and I told her what had happened with me.  She only looked at the floor, shook her head and said "I am so sorry."

I left and thought, "well, I'll wait on the CC's reply to my proposal."

Weeks of silence followed.

Then I started trying to make contact with both the CC and deputy CC.  I stated that, in my opinion, it was not fair and/or following by CAP regulations to decide my fate without going before a membership board of review.

The DCC got back with me and said "You may not feel it is fair, but we are not accepting you.  You interacted with enough senior members (exactly two, including her) for me to make that decision."

I asked what she based her criteria on.

First she gave the excuse that "we can't get your old rank back."  I said, "read the proposal...I don't want my old rank back."

Then she said that CAP administrative procedures are changing (I had a Master's in Administration) and basically my skills were outmoded.  I had said I wanted to start a new speciality track.

Finally she refused to give me a reason and said "it may seem unfair but it will have to do"...case closed.

In my last communication with her I said "it is unfortunate that you have chosen the route of discourtesy to another human being and former fellow officer."  No reply.

So I opened up an EEO complaint with Lt. Col. Walter Vertreace; since she refused to tell me what criteria I used, and I was very honest and forward about my disability, my only reasonable assumption was that she did not want to deal with that.  We had several communications over the summer.

Finally, several weeks ago I got a letter from MG Vasquez saying he saw no instance of discrimination and that the "matter was closed."

Maybe to you, General, but not to me.  I still have other legal avenues open, including legislators and the media.

It all started from just a desire from me for another CAP unit to get some use out of my old stuff.  I had no intention of trying to rejoin at that time...until this former CC put a bug in my ear about it.

So, I did try to do the constructive thing.  I still have the on-paper proposal for anyone who cares to read it.

OK, mods, you can ban me now.  Just as long as one person gets to read it...and I really don't care who says "Oh, no, CyBorg's back."  He's not.  I cannot confirm this, but my suspicion is that, between my former CC, this deputy CC I dealt with, and MG Vazquez, I have probably been flagged at NHQ.

[SMWOG]

Wow! How depressing, I hope you get this resolved. Sounds like a conspiracy.

[Holding Pattern]

Shouldn't this be in the MARP log?

[EMT-83]

Walk away. Seriously.

[PHall]

Cyborg I & II, dude, haven't we done this before? Walk away. And stay away.
You have proved beyond all reasonable doubt that You and the Current Version of CAP are not compatible.
Every time you make contact it doesn't end well for you. So make the pain stop by staying away.
Not trying to be mean. Just trying to save you any more pain.

[NIN]

I don't know you, or really your situation (I read the old stuff, but honestly, kind of went in one ear and out the other).

However,  I've seen these situations many times in the past.

What we have is basically "Your version of events."  OK, cool.

What we don't have is "anybody else's version of events."

I'm not saying you're not telling the truth, but you're telling your version of what is going on, from your perspective.

"There's two sides to every story."

[kirbahashi]

"There's two sides to every story."

I will go a step further. 

There is your side, their side, and the truth.

I am amazed at people who will sue to stay in CAP.  I have a buddy who has been threatening to sue CAP over this and that, I am just sitting back going    No kidding, he spends more time in court than some lawyers I know.  Get over it.

But back to the OP.  Move on and find something else.  They don't want you in their game.  Their loss, and I am sure there are a bunch of other organizations that would love your help.

[Damron]

I'd like to hear the other side of this story. 

So, instead of packing up your donation and mailing it, you show up uninvited at a CAP meeting.  It's not a stretch to think that others might have thought delivering your donation was just an excuse to show up and advance your cause.  How was your surprise visit received?  Probably not as well as you think.

Why do you want to be part of an organization or unit that doesn't want you? 

[THRAWN]

Who had six months? Lots of bitcoins in the pot....

[Cliff_Chambliss]

I found a long time ago one can never go back.  Things change and it's just never the same.  CAP in the 1960's as a cadet and senior was fun, exciting, and filled with promise.  My ventures into CAP since my Military Retirement have been filled with dismay and disappointment.  The CAP of today is not the CAP of yesteryear and I am not sure that is all a good thing. 

[GaryVC]

I found a long time ago one can never go back.  Things change and it's just never the same.  CAP in the 1960's as a cadet and senior was fun, exciting, and filled with promise.  My ventures into CAP since my Military Retirement have been filled with dismay and disappointment.  The CAP of today is not the CAP of yesteryear and I am not sure that is all a good thing.

Interesting. I have had exactly the opposite experience. I don't recall CAP being about fun in the 1960s. It was a lot of things but that was not one of the primary drawing points. Cadet 1964-69, Senior member 1969-1980 (kept my membership but not active after that). USAF 1970-1990. Rejoined CAP about 6 months ago.

[NIN]

I will go a step further. 

There is your side, their side, and the truth.

Indeed.

One of the things I've been sure to do in units I've commanded was to maintain a membership board per the 39-2.  Now, in only a couple cases over many years has the board said "Hey, uh, we're not entirely sure of this guy.."

Now, some units do this, but even today, *MANDATED BY THE REGULATIONS*, many do not.

You want to come into Civil Air Patrol, we want to talk to you about why, what you can offer, etc.

CAP membership, as has been explained many times, is a privilege, not a right.  Absent any EO-type discrimination ("I don't think we should accept her membership because she's black") a unit can pretty much deny anybody they want.

Now, should they have justification? Sure.

Quickest way to heading off an EO or similar discrimination complaint is to have documentation.

"I applied to the Podunk Cadet Squadron and they said 'no' because I'm [pick one] black|disabled|female|male|asian|not a citizen|have green spots!"

"No, actually, we denied your membership application because when you applied and our 4-member membership board sat down and reviewed your application and then interviewed you, you stated that you [pick one] hated the government|have no time for the organization|can't commit to weekends|have multiple DUI convictions|were thrown out of the Armed Forces|were a secret squirrel so no DD214 for your 7 Purple Hearts and 3 Silver Stars|have an uncured rash that is contagious|can't stop screaming the F-word everytime you stub your toe."

(obviously hyperbole, BTW, I'm not saying this relates to OPs reasons, or OP's situation at all)

So when the complaint is made: "You discriminated against me because I'm [a class you aren't supposed to discriminate against]!"  the unit can say "Actually, here's the results of the board and the recommendation, which were none of the above."

(and please, units, follow the provisions of CAPR 36-1)

To Cyborg: We don't know your personal situation, nor your track record with the organization.  Maybe you're a great guy one-on-one, but you're *awful* in front of the cadets.   Could be 2 years ago that you did something you don't think is that big of a deal, but CAP is like "yeah, no, deal breaker" and the other units in your area got wind of it and said "Yeah, uhhh, thanks but no thanks."  (again, no clue. All we have on this is your assertions that you're A-OK and its the unit thats screwed up.)

Here's an example of how it cuts the other way:

A good friend of mine went to rejoin CAP last year after a several year break. He's a former big time CP guy, former squadron commander, current military officer, has a professional career outside the military, and really the kind of guy we need in CP positions in units.  His local unit jumped on him like a Marine on a grenade when he walked in the door.

In the course of talking with the unit commander about what the unit needed, the CC admitted his CP was in rough shape and they needed someone just like him.  None of them had any military experience and their CP was run more like a Cub Scout unit than a CAP unit (no offense to the Cub Scouts) and the cadets were treated as "kids," not "young adults."

My friend told the squadron commander "Yeah, I've been here two hours and I can see a half-dozen things that could use some improvements, I'm tracking. Totally willing to help you out." The squadron commander was excited to have an experienced, steady CP guy who wasn't going to take forever to come up to speed and could help his CP right away.   My friend also told him: "I'm a pretty direct guy, and if I see something, I address it."

He had come to the meeting with his CAPF 12 & fingerprint card, and the commander told him "I'm going to make you the leadership officer."  He knew the drill about how long it takes to process paperwork, get it off to NHQ, etc. What he didn't get was a membership board, but he knows the drill there, too: units are told they should have them, but not many actually have them.

So the next week,  he had a couple conversations with some of the other folks in the unit, introduced himself as the new leadership officer to the cadets, and during the course of the evening he corrected the cadets a couple times when he saw some things they were doing goofy with D&C (specifically how they were falling in their flight). Nothing major, just "Hey, uh, do you guys have a copy of the D&C manual, because that thing you did there, thats not how its done."

Apparently his direct method of addressing things wasn't well taken by the other "not CP-savvy" seniors in the unit. A couple weeks after submitting his paperwork the squadron commander called him up and said the unit wasn't going to accept his application.

The reasoning?  In submitting his application, my friend put down that he'd been arrested for shoplifting when he was a teenager (before he went on active duty) in the 1970s, he had a UCMJ action when he was active-duty enlisted in the 80s, and he got hauled in to court on a bench warrant for something completely innocuous like not having his dog licensed in the mid 1990s.

None of these things disqualified him from service in the active duty military (enlisted) or, later, the National Guard (enlisted and officer). The man is an outstanding officer and professional soldier.  He's been selected for retention TWICE by the Guard over his officer peers, etc.  The National Guard in his state wants to keep him because he's a hell of an officer.

But CAP? The "no military experience" squadron commander decided that the thing that would "rock the boat the least" was not accepting this guy, and then cited a pretty much completely bogus reason for doing so.

My friend rejoined CAP in a different squadron, with EXACTLY THE SAME PAPERWORK (other unit charter # whited out). The "no military experience" commander there consulted his membership board, some of whom actually did have military experience.  They all said "Approve!"

So  it can go a couple different ways, and a lot of it is complete dependent on the unit, its personnel, its culture, and how the individual presents him or herself.

[CyBorgII]

"There's two sides to every story."

True.  And I never got "the other side."

But back to the OP.  Move on and find something else.  They don't want you in their game.  Their loss, and I am sure there are a bunch of other organizations that would love your help.

I would just like to know why.

The CAP of today is not the CAP of yesteryear and I am not sure that is all a good thing.

I would give a qualified agreement with that...even since I first joined in the 1990s.

It's odd, my old squadron CC (in another state/Wing, about 500 miles away, told me he'd have me back in a heartbeat.

You want to come into Civil Air Patrol, we want to talk to you about why, what you can offer, etc.

I never got the chance.

CAP membership, as has been explained many times, is a privilege, not a right.  Absent any EO-type discrimination ("I don't think we should accept her membership because she's black") a unit can pretty much deny anybody they want.

Common, human courtesy should state a reason why.  Even if they would have just said, "we don't think our goals and your goals are compatible," I could have lived with that.  I wouldn't have liked it, but I could have lived with it and moved on.

However, I agree about denying anyone they want...and being able to say "it wasn't discriminatory," even if it was.

So when the complaint is made: "You discriminated against me because I'm [a class you aren't supposed to discriminate against]!"  the unit can say "Actually, here's the results of the board and the recommendation, which were none of the above."

There was never any board.

To Cyborg: We don't know your personal situation, nor your track record with the organization.  Maybe you're a great guy one-on-one, but you're *awful* in front of the cadets.   Could be 2 years ago that you did something you don't think is that big of a deal, but CAP is like "yeah, no, deal breaker" and the other units in your area got wind of it and said "Yeah, uhhh, thanks but no thanks."  (again, no clue. All we have on this is your assertions that you're A-OK and its the unit thats screwed up.)

First of all, I never said I am "A-OK" or that anyone is screwed up.  I am a flawed, fallible human being who is just mystified.  How, in a relatively short space of time, did I go from someone who had been a Deputy CC, awarded a CommComm, AFA Senior Member of the Year for the area I was living in at the time, to being as welcome as a fart in a spacesuit regarding CAP?

I know my previous CC did not like it that I took time off to care for my wife who has cancer rather than be at every meeting.  That I make no apologies for.

I have no police record, other than an expired licence plate in 1989.  I never had any UCMJ/NJP/Art. 15's in the ANG.  I passed a TS security clearance.

However, I do not discount "word of mouth."  If my former CC has bad-mouthed me around the Wing (I am not saying that is the case, though I could see it happening) then, yes, I could see how this unit could choose to believe word of mouth rather than get to know me themselves.

I'd like to hear the other side of this story. 

Me too.

So, instead of packing up your donation and mailing it, you show up uninvited at a CAP meeting. 

Jet back, Major Matt Mason.  I was invited and a time was arranged.  I was even given directions to the unit meeting site.

It's not a stretch to think that others might have thought delivering your donation was just an excuse to show up and advance your cause. 

Except it wasn't.  I didn't even have any thoughts of rejoining CAP until the now-former CC suggested it when I e-mailed him several weeks prior saying I had a donation to make.  He put a bug in my ear and I made the error of letting the bug bite.

How was your surprise visit received?  Probably not as well as you think.

Then they were quite good at fake-making-nice and gladly accepting what I gave them.  I stayed maybe 45 minutes, most of which was helping them sort through the myriad of items and seeing what they could use and what they couldn't (they took everything).  I then made a cordial goodbye and left, because I did not want to get in the way of their activities.

Why do you want to be part of an organization or unit that doesn't want you?

Probably for the same reasons you do and why I gave 17 years of my life to that organisation.

1.  To give kids a "safe place."  I didn't have one as a child and know what it feels like.
2.  To support the activities of the U.S. Air Force, which I was not able to remain a member of for medical reasons.
3.  Maybe to save a life, though as my health has changed my ability to do things ES has changed.
4.  I am addicted to anything with wings.

Is it wrong to want to know why the organisation does not want me?  I have been part of Unit Membership Boards and have done job interviews in the business realm.  I always wanted to give the potential applicant a fair, concrete reason why s/he was wrong for that particular place and time.

I am amazed at people who will sue to stay in CAP.  I have a buddy who has been threatening to sue CAP over this and that, I am just sitting back going    No kidding, he spends more time in court than some lawyers I know.  Get over it.

I am not suing anyone.

In fact, the only reason I made this post was because many months ago some of the members on here advised me to "rejoin CAP and try to do some good from the inside."

I wanted them to know their recommendation did not fall on deaf ears and what the results were.

They don't want you in their game.  Their loss, and I am sure there are a bunch of other organizations that would love your help.

I shall not try to rejoin CAP again, and, yes, I am looking at other options.

[Eclipse]

So when the complaint is made: "You discriminated against me because I'm [a class you aren't supposed to discriminate against]!"  the unit can say "Actually, here's the results of the board and the recommendation, which were none of the above."

There was never any board.

And you know this how?  New member boards are not "door knock / enter" discussions - the members of the board discuss
a potential member and make a decision.  You are apparently not even considering the possibility that the board discussed
your prior experiences with former CC's, the CC who went to Europe, and perhaps higher HQ, which isn't only a likely
possibility, but their fiduciary responsibility in cases where a former member left unhappy.

You don't have to be "flagged" in order for a CC to be able to tell rather quickly that you won't be a fit for the squadron.

First of all, I never said I am "A-OK" or that anyone is screwed up.  I am a flawed, fallible human being who is just mystified.  How, in a relatively short space of time, did I go from someone who had been a Deputy CC, awarded a CommComm, AFA Senior Member of the Year for the area I was living in at the time, to being as welcome as a fart in a spacesuit regarding CAP?

I know my previous CC did not like it that I took time off to care for my wife who has cancer rather than be at every meeting.  That I make no apologies for.

Nor should you, clearly that is the priority.  Which doesn't change the fact that your personal priorities, whatever they are, don't bring the world of CAP
to a halt while you make ready for a return.  As we have discussed both openly and via PM, you're either at the squadron, or you aren't.  "Why" you aren't,
is essentially irrelevant, because there's still work to be done, etc.

However that's not the whole story, is it?

More then likely, had you simply paid your check and stayed on the roster, there would have been little to no issue.
However at some point you decided you should get promoted, despite your admittedly "broken" service which included
at least one, if not several, breaks, and your current (at the time) inability to participate actively

When you were told that your chain would not support a promotion, due largely to your lack of recent participation,
any number of people suggested ways to work towards a better presence without having to be physically at meetings.
A litany of reasons was provided by you as to why that would never work, how you're a "back row guy who doesn't
seek accolades" and how it just wasn't going to happen.

From that point your chain's reasonable lack of support for a promotion to Major became all about the ills of CAP, Good 'Ol Boy Network,
and discrimination regarding your disability.  I don't recall you ever indicating filing proper EEO complaints beyond writing emails and
calling people (and posting here).  There is a process to these things, one which is run by flawed people, but one which is generally
taken very seriously, and which, when ignored, acts as much of an indicator of "not really a problem" as being an avenue of relief
when there is actual discrimination.

For the record, and not that it's any of our business, I don't know that you've ever indicated the nature of your disability,
nor its relevance to being a CAP member.

You were not terminated, or barred from CAP in any way.  You voluntarily resigned.

What you did "BITD" looks great on the wall and means little to current ops, that's the great misunderstanding many people make, and a situation CCs have to deal with on a regular basis.

[Damron]

I always wanted to give the potential applicant a fair, concrete reason why s/he was wrong for that particular place and time.

I understand.  Life is unfair and we don't always get explanations for things we find unfair.  CAP is not an employer and very little employment law applies to its relationship with its volunteers.  Without a criminal record, few senior member applicants are turned away.  Returning seniors have a track record and are subject to increased scrutiny.

If I was evaluating an individual that was reapplying for membership and a few members in my chain of command, whose opinions I respected, told me that the applicant didn't work and play well with others, I would probably pass on the applicant.  Unless we are talking about the transgressions of youth, I'm not an "everybody deserves a second chance" kinda guy.  And why should I be?  If I have built a strong cohesive squadron why would I want to turn it into a experiment where the cohesiveness of the squadron is placed at risk to make somebody feel good about themselves or to give somebody a second chance? 

The concrete answer you seek might be a consensus of subjective negative opinion.  It's tough to evaluate interpersonal communications and relationships in objective (concrete) terms.

You keep suggesting that you are a victim of discrimination as a result of your disability.  Maybe, it's simpler than that, maybe folks don't like you and aren't especially interested in explaining it to you.

[CyBorgII]

If I was evaluating an individual that was reapplying for membership and a few members in my chain of command, whose opinions I respected, told me that the applicant didn't work and play well with others, I would probably pass on the applicant. 

The only way I can see that happening with me is that, being very much an introvert, and not much of a talker in general, that has sometimes been misinterpreted as "aloofness."  I just do not really say much unless I have something important (to me, anyway) to say.

I do know from what my medical professionals have told me is that having PTSD, social anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder can exacerbate that.

There's heaps of information available on the net about those illnesses that I don't feel the need to explain them myself.

However, I do get irritated when people who are either a) untrained in the subject or b) have never experienced it themselves or in a loved one attempt to "diagnose" me.  In that case, of what a past counsellor called "armchair clinicians," told me, I often fall back on a statement he gave me:

"Where did you go to medical school, where did you do your psychiatric residency and what are you board-certified to treat?  You must be a tremendous medical mind indeed if you have the ability to 'diagnose' someone you hardly know."

Plus, I am not very good at "small talk."

That can be misinterpreted as "he's moody," "he's a cold fish," "he's arrogant," or, more simply, "he's a hard one to figure."

However, a past squadron commander (from within the last time I rejoined CAP, which was in '09) did give me a bit of an accolade when she said, "You may not be here every week, but when you are, you give 110%.  I'd rather have a member that does that than just comes every week to have a place to hang around." 

That comment meant more to me than any medal or certificate I ever received in CAP.

Unfortunately, she is no longer in CAP.  She got disgusted with things and left several years ago, and the squadron she commanded is almost down to Flight status now.

It's tough to evaluate interpersonal communications and relationships in objective (concrete) terms.

That is true.  I minored in social psychology in college.  Human beings do not possess the ability of absolute objectivity.  Emotions, perceptions and past experience influence the way everyone (normally I dislike making sweeping statements, but I feel safe in warranting it here) views people, situations or ideas - some moreso than others.

Maybe, it's simpler than that, maybe folks don't like you and aren't especially interested in explaining it to you.

There are very few people who have out-and-out told me they dislike me.  Of course it's not possible to like everyone; another human failing.  But most people at church, past job situations, the Air National Guard, etc., have said they find me quite easy to work with...once they get to know me.

However, I have more respect for those few who have actually told me so rather than dress it up in other terms or just avoid saying anything.

Yes, I do have a past track record in CAP...but no disciplinary actions, demotions, 2B's, etc.  I do have breaks in service, but some of those were due to unavoidable moves.  The first squadron I served and became Deputy Commander of I served for six years...and I only moved away from them to get married.

By the way, I am PMing you a personal question totally unrelated to this.

[MacGruff]

I'm a member in our Squadron's Membership Board and thought I would share some of my experiences here. I have no idea who CyBorg I or II is and I am not in Michigan, so none of what I write here has anything to do with his situation.

Recently, we received a request from a potential new member to join our Squadron. After that member came to three meetings (we require that as an initial step to allow multiple members to interact with the member, as well as give them a chance to gauge us and ask lots of questions...) this individual asked to become a Senior Member. Claimed to be a Psychiatric Nurse working in that field; wants to work on DDR; likes middle school 'kids' and wants to keep them away from the bad things in life; and has a strong need to help. This individual appears to be in their late twenties, or early thirties.

The Membership Board met to review his application, and part of our process is that we interviewed the candidate and asked them about why they wanted to join CAP, what they are prepared to do for us, and more questions intended to gauge them as potential members. Without anything specific being said, two out of the three members of the board had concerns about this applicant's statement. Nothing really definitive, but the "spider senses" were tingling. We decided to do some further investigating and contacted people we knew who worked in the same hospital that that individual indicated. Much to our surprise, it turned out that this individual was NOT a psychiatric nurse, but an orderly. Their duties included many things, but nothing to do with what was stated. We recommended to the commander that this individual be turned down - because they effectively lied to us about their employment and that violates the Core Values. The application was turned down.

In another case, a Senior Member from another squadron asked to transfer to our Squadron because their grandson also wanted to transfer to our squadron as a cadet. The Squadron Commander spoke with the other Squadron Commander and got the sense that there was an issue with the cadet and the SM wanting to leave the squadron for other reasons. We interviewed the SM and not one of us had any concerns about them - they seemed above board and we were comfortable that their request was being made in good conscience and to support the cadet transfer. Nonetheless, with the previous Squadron Commander's concern in mind, we called and spoke with several members of the losing squadron and satisfied ourselves that there did not appear to be anything going on outside of some displeasure in losing the SM/Cadet combination. Our recommendation to our Squadron Commander was to accept the transfer - which he did. That member is working out quite well for us, as is the grandson.

In both cases, recommendations were made in writing to the Squadron Commander. The Commander made his decision. None of the reasons provided were given to the applicants - only the results of the actions: Disapproval for one; Approval for the other.

Cyborg - if you were applying to our squadron, you would have been involved in the interview, but would have heard or seen nothing else until the decision was made, and then only the results of the decision would have been communicated to you. The reasons why we reached the decision we reached would not be given to you. While we may be more formal than the squadron you visited, maybe they did the same?

[CyBorgII]

Cyborg - if you were applying to our squadron, you would have been involved in the interview, but would have heard or seen nothing else until the decision was made, and then only the results of the decision would have been communicated to you. The reasons why we reached the decision we reached would not be given to you. While we may be more formal than the squadron you visited, maybe they did the same?

Fair enough, except that I wasn't interviewed, nor did I fill out any paperwork, nor did I bring any of my old records.  I was there to donate equipment.  I talked to exactly two members - the deputy CC who accepted my donation - and a member whom I knew from prior service.  I left shortly after because the unit had activities planned for that evening and I didn't want to be a fifth wheel.  We parted with courteous words...or so I thought.

I do have to admit I don't understand the "secrecy" of these Membership Boards.  When I joined the ANG decades ago, if I hadn't been accepted (which I was), I would have been told why (also, one of my cousins is a retired ArNG recruiter and he told me that for rejected applicants, he would call the applicant back in and tell him/her why).

I wonder if the approach you mention is a CYA move, based on "what you do not say cannot be used against you."

In any case, I do not think it is a healthy mode of operation.

[Eclipse]

Fair enough, except that I wasn't interviewed.  I talked to exactly two members - the deputy CC who accepted my donation - and a member whom I knew from prior service.  I left shortly after because the unit had activities planned for that evening and I didn't want to be a fifth wheel.

So you don't consider your extensive conversation(s) with the CC as well as your "proposal" wasn't an "interview"?

[CyBorgII]

Fair enough, except that I wasn't interviewed.  I talked to exactly two members - the deputy CC who accepted my donation - and a member whom I knew from prior service.  I left shortly after because the unit had activities planned for that evening and I didn't want to be a fifth wheel.

So you don't consider your extensive conversation(s) with the CC as well as your "proposal" wasn't an "interview"?

PM sent.  I'm not going to hash this out with you publicly ad nauseam again.