How we learned about CAP

[addo1]

How did you learn about CAP??   I would like to hear.. (You have up to 4 choices if you heard about it a couple different ways)

[addo1]

  I first heard about CAP from the Nighthawk Squadron who had a exhibit at Cabelas in Fort Worth

[Flying Pig]

My dad was the Sq.45 Chaplain in for several years.  I joined as soon as I was old enough.

[Stonewall]

Somone just got their 50th post and was dying to start a poll....  

2 good buddies of mine had been in almost a year when one day on the school bus home, I hear them talking "military talk" in the seat in front of me.  Being the wanna-be snake eater that I was, I smacked them on the head and asked what they were talking about.

They reluctantly told me as they felt sort of embarassed, like they'd get their butt kicked or something.  I was so mad they kept it from me.  I went home and had my mom call the squadron commander.  I've been a member ever since.

One of the guys is still one of my best friends and has been since 2nd grade.  CAP only brought us closer.  He's a CW-3/Army Pilot flying OH-58Ds.  And that's my story.

[addo1]

My dad was the Sq.45 Chaplain in for several years.  I joined as soon as I was old enough.

 That is cool!!   

[addo1]

Somone just got their 50th post and was dying to start a poll....  

2 good buddies of mine had been in almost a year when one day on the school bus home, I hear them talking "military talk" in the seat in front of me.  Being the wanna-be snake eater that I was, I smacked them on the head and asked what they were talking about.

They reluctantly told me as they felt sort of embarassed, like they'd get their butt kicked or something.  I was so mad they kept it from me.  I went home and had my mom call the squadron commander.  I've been a member ever since.



One of the guys is still one of my best friends and has been since 2nd grade.  CAP only brought us closer.  He's a CW-3/Army Pilot flying OH-58Ds.  And that's my story.

         Thats right!!-- Pretty interesting!! (Hey- I hope that did not leave a bump on their heads!! )

[Skyray]

I was an Advanced Class Radio Amateur Operator, and the local Group Commander wanted to start a communications squadron.  We never did get that communications squadron going, but I became seriously involved in DF ing wayward ELTs.  And twenty some years later, here I am.

[Walkman]

My son has always wanted to be in the military. In the past few years he moved from leaning Navy to wanting to be an AF Pilot.

There was an article in the paper about the cadet color guard going to nat'l competition. We checked it out that night.

[JohnKachenmeister]

One of my mother's friends came over and saw me assembling a plastic airplane model when I was like 10 or 11.  Back then you had to be 14 to join.  She told me about it, and I joined as soon as I could find a squadron after I turned 14.  Finding a unit took 4 months.

[Ford73Diesel]

When I was in 6th grade, some kid mentioned that his dad was in CAP and he was considering joining.

A year later my brother looked up a unit and joined. I joined 3 weeks later in April 2002. My first unit was GLR-OH-131 (Parma Cadet Squadron) under the command of Lt Col Roger Middleton. Those (to me) were the good ol' days.

Been an active member ever since and will continue to do so.

[jb512]

I come from a military family and was a USNLCC League Cadet when I was 11.  When we were moved overseas to Panama around 1989 there happened to be a couple who were both CAP LtCols who had started a unit there on the Ft. Clayton side.  I joined and made it up to C/MSgt (the highest cadet enlisted rank at the time) and we moved back to the states.  I got my Mitchell as a C/FO at the Lackland squadron in San Antonio and then kinda slacked off in interest because my new school's JROTC program was quite strong.  I worked my way up to C/LtCol in AFJROTC and then was out of both programs.

I had always meant to come back and finally did.

[IceNine]

It all started on memorial day 1997, I was turning 12 in august, and I saw them in the parade.  I started making fun of a few of "the funny looking kids playing military".  A highly observant Lt walking along side the flight with some flyers came over handed me a flyer and a brief description.   I was so awe struck that someone in the military spoke to me there was no way I could say no.  I went to my three meetings as a guest and I was hooked.  For the next 6 years I missed 6 meetings all of them so that I could be at encampment!

[RogueLeader]

From the then WV CV, he was my Geography of the US and Canada.  Lt. Col Brooks did me a great favor for getting me involved in CAP.

[Al Sayre]

My father was the SQ/CC at old PB3 in Lantana FL in the late 50's, he took me around to join when i was 13...

[Pylon]

The son of a friend of my mother's sister (got that?) was in the local squadron and knew I was all into any sorts of military-related goodness.  He mentioned it to us one day and said I could stop by.  Of course, I was there the very next Wednesday night and immediately thought it was super cool and wanted to know where to sign my name.

I joined, and he quit CAP about a month later.  More than 10 years later and here I am... still in CAP.   

[jimmydeanno]

^translation: Aunt's, Friend's, Son.

[Pylon]

^translation: Aunt's, Friend's, Son.

Yeah, but it sounded more confusing my way. 

[jimmydeanno]

at least it wasn't something like your third cousin's, brother's, nephew twice removed on your niece's, mother's, uncle's, nephew's side...

[JohnKachenmeister]

When I was in 6th grade, some kid mentioned that his dad was in CAP and he was considering joining.

A year later my brother looked up a unit and joined. I joined 3 weeks later in April 2002. My first unit was GLR-OH-131 (Parma Cadet Squadron) under the command of Lt Col Roger Middleton. Those (to me) were the good ol' days.

Been an active member ever since and will continue to do so.

What ho, cheerio, eh, wot?  You know "Queen's Own" Roger, do you?

[KFreeman]

From the "Smiling Jack" cartoon in the Fort Worth Star Telegram during WW2. I was probably about ten, maybe twelve, when he and "Jack Armstrong the All American Boy"(radio program) were my hero role models.

I had to wait until 1946 before I was old enough to join. Oh well.........

Regards,
Ken

[addo1]

From the "Smiling Jack" cartoon in the Fort Worth Star Telegram during WW2. I was probably about ten, maybe twelve, when he and "Jack Armstrong the All American Boy"(radio program) were my hero role models.

I had to wait until 1946 before I was old enough to join. Oh well.........

Regards,
Ken

Only 1946??  I had to wait till 2007!!

[Fifinella]

First time I heard of CAP was as a cadet at USAFA.  Decided to skydive instead.

Flash forward more years than I'd like to admit...

A cadet  whose dad is in the AF recruited me at an AF squadron picnic to be a CAP Senior member.

[smgilbert101]

  I first heard about CAP from the Nighthawk Squadron who had a exhibit at Cabelas in Fort Worth

I'll pass that on to the people behind that exhibit, they'd be pleased to know that.  Are you going to the ALS next month or the SAR school in November?

[smgilbert101]

Oh, forget to mention... second generation CAP.

[Major Carrales]

Data discussed at the PAO academy pointed that the majority of recruiting has been "by word of mouth" for 60 years.  There is a brief film clip of a Colonel disucssing that this approach has not been working to get us the numbers we need.

[Cecil DP]

Data discussed at the PAO academy pointed that the majority of recruiting has been "by word of mouth" for 60 years.  There is a brief film clip of a Colonel discussing that this approach has not been working to get us the numbers we need.

The problem isn't recruiting, we get a lot of new members, It's keeping them that's always been the problem.

[Stonewall]

Data discussed at the PAO academy pointed that the majority of recruiting has been "by word of mouth" for 60 years.  There is a brief film clip of a Colonel discussing that this approach has not been working to get us the numbers we need.

I've had experiences where after a full-blown 2-day recruiting effort at the Andrews AFB Air Show, reports of only about 6 people showing up to a local CAP squadron.  Is recruiting 6 people worth the effort of handing out 1000 brochures and talking to hundreds of people along with all the logistical work it takes to fly the plane, drive the van, and stand out there in the heat?  And trust me, I put together one helluva "recruiting booth".  And the way I do it, it's not so much a recruiting booth as it is an information booth.

When I've gone all out to advertise for an upcoming open house, I start 1 month in advance.  In Fairfax Country Virginia, thee are 13 public libraries that surrounded our squadron.  Each library got 10 color brochures with squadron info and a note advertising the open house.  We plastered 8 1/2 x 11 color or B&W posters throughout every school, youth center and community center.  Heck, I even put a flier up at the Pentagon's information center, as well as Ft. Belvoir and Ft. Myer inside the PX.  This doesn't include our efforts to actually speak to people in person.  I also charged each cadet and senior to bring in one friend, whether they actually had an interest or not.

After all that time, money and effort spent on bringing people in, we'd get as many as 40 guests at our open house.  Let me tell you, we put on a show.  Not just me talking for 15 minutes, but the C/CC would speak, we'd show the CAP video out at the time, have a high speed, professional 24/72hr gear lay out, plus squadron ES gear like L'Per, ELT, Medical Kit, Stokes Basket, and radios; model rockets, color guard gear, and squadron photo albums.  Then, we'd do an ELT search demo.

In the end, we'd get between 8 to 10 members sign up for the upcoming Training Flight (T-Flight).  One year later, out of 8 original members, we'd probably still have 5.

That's a lot of "recruiting work" for 5 members a year later.  If you ask me, it's worth it.

I personally think that more people join by word of mouth from current members than from any other method.  Part of this, I think, is that a lot of units put together some crappy information booths.

I have gone to several air shows as a spectator and seen other wings' efforts do more harm than good.  As an example, and yes, this happened.  I attended Region Staff College that happened to start on a Saturday on a military base (in a different region than my own).  The same day RCS started, the base had an air show.  We didn't have to report until 1300 so I visited the air show the first half of the day.  I visited the CAP display and who greets me but a young cadet captain wearing a maroon beret and a green pistol belt.  Yes, a MAROON BERET.  I played the "interested spectator" as if I never heard of CAP.  This guy blew so much smoke that I almost couldn't keep from laughing.  He claimed they had a PJ group that did special operations type missions for CAP.  Then, you had 3 seniors, in 3 different uniforms; one of which was obviously a dad with 3 kids in the program.  All 3 kids were biting at his ankles, whining about going home.  They had some cadet's gear strewn about the place, a dirty van inside and out, and some outdated pamphlets that actually didn't have any local contact information.  There was one squared away female cadet in her blues, but out of the 7 or 8 members there, she couldn't make up for everyone Else's shortcomings.

[MajorChuck]

I was a Amateur  radio Operator volunteering With the Salvation Army.
We( Myself and 2 other Hams) were manning the Canteen at a CAP Mission Base Feeding Members. They were having problems with setting up Comm so We  jumped in and got it up and running.at missions end this Maj. chased Us down with papers and recruited Us.

[MajorSER]

I thought it would be good for my son to have his Mitchell if he ever wanted to join up. So we both joined in 1979. He lasted until 1981. Got his Mitchell and quit. I thought about quitting in 1981 also. Then I thought about in 1982 , 1983, 1984...............2007 and I am still thinking about it.

[addo1]

  I first heard about CAP from the Nighthawk Squadron who had a exhibit at Cabelas in Fort Worth

I'll pass that on to the people behind that exhibit, they'd be pleased to know that.  Are you going to the ALS next month or the SAR school in November?

Sorry, I have no idea what ALS or the SAR school is. (I am new. ) Could somebody tell me??

[smgilbert101]

Sorry, I have no idea what ALS or the SAR school is. (I am new. ) Could somebody tell me??

ALS = Airman Leadership School
SAR = Search and Rescue

I sent you contact details for the Group II courses for you or anyone in your squadron.

[Duke Dillio]

LTC Jane Davies, now the NATCAP wing cc, then the squadron cc of MVCS, was a friend of my dad's.  Her husband and my dad had been longtime Army friends for I don't know how long.  My dad mentioned that she was in CAP and that he was thinking about putting me in.  Anyway, she came over for dinner one night and I started bugging her about CAP.  My parents ended up taking me to the meetings and I became hooked.

[floridacyclist]

I have no idea how I learned about it. I just know that my best friend and I joined together when we were 11 or 12. Almost 30 years later and we still see each other every chance we get. He stayed in CAP while I joined the military then joined himself about the time I came home. I'm still in CAP and he's busy taking care of his wife.

I did stop by and see my old squadron commander yesterday while I was in Gainesville...hadn't seen him and his wife in years and it caught me off-guard how old they were getting.

[addo1]

I have no idea how I learned about it. I just know that my best friend and I joined together when we were 11 or 12. Almost 30 years later and we still see each other every chance we get. He stayed in CAP while I joined the military then joined himself about the time I came home. I'm still in CAP and he's busy taking care of his wife.

I did stop by and see my old squadron commander yesterday while I was in Gainesville...hadn't seen him and his wife in years and it caught me off-guard how old they were getting.

Interesting!!   

[Indaweeds]

I was searching on Google for local flight training (I'm a wannabe) and up popped a link for CAP...spent the next 6 hours pouring over not only the national site but CAP Talk as well.

[MIKE]

^ Hope we didn't leave you with too bad of a first impression.

[Indaweeds]

^ Hope we didn't leave you with too bad of a first impression.

I certainly have had lots of questions (and a few concerns) come up in my mind but have enjoyed the discussions on CAP Talk that usually seem to welcome all viewpoints to participate.  Nearly all involved here, in their own way, keep the eye on the ball of serving others...whether that be to those in need of CAP's Operations, Cadets in our Programs, or by furthering the aims of Aerospace Education.

[Pylon]

^ Hope we didn't leave you with too bad of a first impression.

I certainly have had lots of questions (and a few concerns) come up in my mind but have enjoyed the discussions on CAP Talk that usually seem to welcome all viewpoints to participate.  Nearly all involved here, in their own way, keep the eye on the ball of serving others...whether that be to those in need of CAP's Operations, Cadets in our Programs, or by furthering the aims of Aerospace Education.

Glad you think so! 

Welcome to CAPTalk.  So have you actually put in the membership papers yet, or still working on the process or decision? 

[RogueLeader]

The few viewpoints that aren't really allowed are ones that go to deliberately hurt and destroy.  It's okay to say that an opinion won't go for such and such, but not okay to say you are such a <cenosred> dah dah dah ta da.

[addo1]

I was searching on Google for local flight training (I'm a wannabe) and up popped a link for CAP...spent the next 6 hours pouring over not only the national site but CAP Talk as well.

Glad to have you with us!!

[Indaweeds]

^ Hope we didn't leave you with too bad of a first impression.

I certainly have had lots of questions (and a few concerns) come up in my mind but have enjoyed the discussions on CAP Talk that usually seem to welcome all viewpoints to participate.  Nearly all involved here, in their own way, keep the eye on the ball of serving others...whether that be to those in need of CAP's Operations, Cadets in our Programs, or by furthering the aims of Aerospace Education.

Glad you think so! 

Welcome to CAPTalk.  So have you actually put in the membership papers yet, or still working on the process or decision? 

My membership has been processed!

[addo1]

^ Hope we didn't leave you with too bad of a first impression.

I certainly have had lots of questions (and a few concerns) come up in my mind but have enjoyed the discussions on CAP Talk that usually seem to welcome all viewpoints to participate.  Nearly all involved here, in their own way, keep the eye on the ball of serving others...whether that be to those in need of CAP's Operations, Cadets in our Programs, or by furthering the aims of Aerospace Education.

Glad you think so! 

Welcome to CAPTalk.  So have you actually put in the membership papers yet, or still working on the process or decision? 

My membership has been processed!

Congratulations!!  Which squadron are you at??

[smitjud]

LTC Jane Davies, now the NATCAP wing cc, then the squadron cc of MVCS, was a friend of my dad's.  Her husband and my dad had been longtime Army friends for I don't know how long.  My dad mentioned that she was in CAP and that he was thinking about putting me in.  Anyway, she came over for dinner one night and I started bugging her about CAP.  My parents ended up taking me to the meetings and I became hooked.

She used to be our DCP here in the Alabama Wing when her husband was stationed at Ft. McClellan and almost turned me off to the program (ask me offline about the 1999 Alabama Wing Encampment fiasco - or I can share some info here, not really appropriate for this thread though).  Glad I stuck with it though, it's been a great program for me ever since.

I actually first heard about the program when some folks from the Sable Cadet Squadron in Flordia (right outside Orlando) came and visited my USMC JROTC unit in Apopka, FL.  I really didn't do anything with that info at the time, but when it became apparent I was going to move to AL with no JROTC at my school, I went to a month or so of their meetings to familiarize myself with the program, joined as soon as I got to Alabama and have been in 10 years as of this June (hope the good Lord lets me make it as long as some of ya'll that have been in forever and a day)

[Chappie]

I was a volunteer chaplain with a local law enforcement agency.  One of my former parishoners joined a CAP squadron in a nearby community where he had moved to.   He contacted me one evening to see if I would be interested in becoming their squadron's chaplain since theirs was moving away.  He filled me in about the SAR aspects of the organization.  having been a first responder, working with EMT/Fire/LE types at all sorts of incidents as well as victims and their families, I thought...a chaplain is a chaplain is a chaplain.  That is probably something I could do.  That is until I went to my first meeting and learned about the other two parts of the CAP Mission...AE and Cadet Programs.   I shaved a beard that I had worn for over 20 years so that I could wear the USAF-style uniform.  I know...I could have wore the alternate...but I felt that it was imperative if I were to effectively relate to the cadets and senior members who proudly wore the military style uniforms.  That was in 1996 and I am still here

[DC]

I have wanted to be in the military since I was six, and was really into aviation. When I was 12 I moved to a new city and got into homeschooling. We lived in a really rural area, and mom was concerned about me socializing, so she talked to a friend, whose son was in CAP. I was hooked by my first meeting, and was a member by the end of the month. Unfortunately my mom's friend's son, who became a good friend of mine, quit about two months after I joined..

None the less, I was in hog heaven, military, flying, woohoo!

[notaNCO forever]

 I heard about it at a homeschool conevention and was forced to go and soon found out I liked it and being I had no life it was good for me.

[Ken]

I just did a simple web search, when the National headquarters web site was listed, I investigated CAP further, then I used the unit locator and found a squadron near me and I've been a member of CAP  since Octorber 2003.

[Tim Medeiros]

my mom was taking stained glass lessons, her instructors had a daughter that used to be in and when my mom mentioned that I was hoping to join the AF they mentioned it to her, she brought me in so I could ask my questions.  I found the NHQ site, looked around, asked for info, called the local unit commander and the rest is history.

[RickFranz]

I was asked to come to a meeting by a friend Chris Mini back in the late 60's in Concord CA.  I liked what I saw and joined, my family moved to NM about a year later and I lost track of Chris.  After a 6 year cadet tour I joined the USAF and on my first day of basic, just after we got our "haircut" I looked over about 4 chairs and there was old Chris.  I could hardy believe my eyes.

The next time I became very serious about CAP was in 1992, my daughter was invited to a Squadron meeting in SD.  She went to the 3 meetings and joined, my wife spilled the beans and told her that I had been a Cadet, so here we go again.

[RogueLeader]

bump

[tarheel gumby]

My Grandfather &  Grandmother were LtCol & Maj respectively in Asheville Composite Squadron, way back when I was a small one. Both of my Mother's brothers were cadets in the same squadron that my grandparents were Senior Members in. So I kinda grew up around CAP. Joined as a cadet in 1982, left to join the NCARNG, rejoined as a SM in FLWG in 86 while I was in college. Left again when I got married in 88. Now my youngest son got me back in when he wanted to check out CAP, he found out about CAP from the History Channel and my old cadet books.

[SaBeR33]

A close friend from HS introduced me to CAP. Even though he's no longer a member, we're still close friends after 18 years, which is par for the course for most of my close friends having been CAP members that I knew as a cadet.

[AlphaSigOU]

While attending the Dobbins AFB (it's now ARB) air show in 1977 I stumbled across a CAP recruiting booth and got hooked. A few weeks later (after waiting the requisite three meetings) I joined Dekalb County Cadet Squadron (09065, now SER-GA-065) on November 2, 1977. (Membership didn't officially start until the following month, though.)

I remained active as a cadet in Georgia and Florida Wing until my cadet membership lapsed at the end of December, 1984.

Rejoined CAP as a senior member at Bitburg-Spangdahlem Cadet Squadron (99117) then after I got out of Ma Blue transferred to National Capital Wing and Fairfax Composite Squadron. Let my membership lapse in 1988.

17 years later, after running into a couple of CAP members in uniform at the Plano Balloon Festival, I rejoined CAP in Texas Wing at the Addison Eagles Composite Squadron (SWR-TX 390). I'm still active today.

[ThorntonOL]

I got involved similar to Pylon.
It was my mom's friend who told her about it but in the end her friend's son got the credit for recruiting me. He got out shortly after while I joined and stayed in.
The second year was the toughest, wasn't sure If I wanted to go or not and by the end of my third year I was fully hooked on the program.
Didn't get my Mtichell because of the PT change and regretted it after they went to the 3 out of four instead of the 4 out 4.

[Always Ready]

I first learned about CAP by seeing a few cadets at clothing sales on F.E. Warren AFB, WY. I was only 7 or 8 at the time and asked my dad why 'kids' were in uniforms. He had no idea who or what they were. The only reason I now know they were CAP was that I remember the WYWG patch on their shoulder of their blues. When I was 10, I was taking martial arts from a guy that was a former CAP cadet and a former Sea Cadet. He was going to start a Sea Cadet unit on base (NAS Keflavik, Iceland) and wanted me to join as soon as he got it started. He PCSed and so no Sea Cadets . A few years later, I was living on Sembach AB, Germany and saw the advertisement for the Ramstein Squadron (located on Vogelweh) and this time I was actually old enough to join. But, 9/11 happened and between the long hours my dad was pulling, scheduling issues, and traffic/long lines getting on base, I was going to be an hour late to every meeting so my folks nixed it . Fast forward four years, CAP was brought up by my doc as an alternative for sports while I was recovering from a concussion. I've been with it ever since with sports on the side. My football coach would even let me do a presentation on CAP every year. Four years of attending meetings last week! AND STILL NO PAYCHECK!

[dwb]

My neighbor was in CAP.  He went on and on about it until I agreed to attend a meeting with him.

He learned of CAP because his dad's co-worker's son was a cadet.

I'm not sure how my neighbor's dad's co-worker's son learned about CAP.   I'll ask him about it some day... he's the godfather to both of my kids now.

[Viper QA]

My neighbor was in CAP.  He went on and on about it until I agreed to attend a meeting with him.

He learned of CAP because his dad's co-worker's son was a cadet.

I'm not sure how my neighbor's dad's co-worker's son learned about CAP.   I'll ask him about it some day... he's the godfather to both of my kids now.

I'll answer that!

I learned about CAP in the summer of 1986 from a display the now defunct Rome Composite Squadron had at the now closed Griffiss AFB in Rome, NY.

I joined in April 1987 & have been a member ever since.

[dwb]

I was tempted to E-mail you a link to this thread.  Looks like that was unnecessary.

Now get back to work, slacker!

[Viper QA]

I was tempted to E-mail you a link to this thread.  Looks like that was unnecessary.

Now get back to work, slacker!

Why would I do that?

If I wanted to be productive I wouldn't be working for the government!

[jimmydeanno]

I joined CAP in May of 1997 at age 15, however the lead up to that was about 2 years.  My buddy had joined 3 years earlier and was always coming in telling me about all this cool stuff he did; shooting M-16s, Encampments, Color Guards, Orientation flights, etc.  I just thought he was a story teller and shrugged him off when he'd start telling his war stories.

Now that I think about it, I don't even remember him telling me what organization he was doing all these things in.  

Then, one day (a Monday to be exact), he comes in and tells me that he went on a refueling mission with the NHANG.  "Yeah Right" I thought.  He tells me that they refueled a group of F-15s.  I wanted proof.  The next day he brings me pictures from the boom operators seat and him grinning ear to ear.

The next week, I was a member.

[stratoflyer]

There was a recruiting drive set-up at my middle school. So, like a moth to a flame, I walked over and asked some questions and got a brochure. I went to my parents, who took me over to the meetings and I signed up.

I couldn't wait to get my BDU's on.   

I still have my original membership application with my father's signature in my personnel file.

My dad joined sometime later as well.

[SilverEagle2]

I was rummaging through a box of my dad's stuff as a 14 year old Eagle Scout with nothing to do.

I found an old ribbon stack and shoulder boards with 2 diamonds on them and asked what they were.

He told me and I swore to wear his boards again with his diamonds and see if I could get the third.

I did eventually wear his boards and his diamonds. However, did not get the third. 

Needless to say, was pretty cool.

Now I hope my sons want to wear their Grandpa's boards and try to beat us both. We'll see.

[gistek]

We moved and I wasn't having any luck finding a boy scout troop for my son. A Ham radio friend took us to visit a CAP unit, and my son joined. The meeting was 45 min drive, so it wasn't worth driving home, so I joined.

After about a year, my son decided it wasn't for him, but I stayed. I love being able to help others.

The first unit I was in went from 9 to 40 members after one member convinced a local feature writer to do a news spread. We got front page of the living section plus several articles in both the main and living sections. At least one went PA. In addition to helping our unit attract members, it helped that writer in her career.

I try to mention CAP whenever reasonably possible. I overheard two teens talking about wanting to learn to fly when I was at a museum with members of my unit, so I told them about CAP Powered Flight Encampment. I've encouraged teens who think they might be interested in considering joining the military to visit a CAP unit. The local volunteer SAR group prohibits anyone under 16 from joining, and only those over 18 can actually participate on missions. So several people who want to join their organization are starting their training in CAP units.

As with any advertising, you have to target your audience, and choose the least expensive venue that will reach the most people. If your unit is participating in an event, be sure to have information available. Ask your local airport to put up posters - this is especially good at small airports where private pilots are looking for ways to get air time. Reach out to the guidance counselors at area schools. Don't forget the homeschool organizations.

And now that the internet is where most people hunt for information, keep your unit website up to date. Post captioned pictures and articles about recent events. If you have someone in your unit who has the time and writing skills, articles written following search engine optimization (SEO) guidelines can rocket your site to the top of a search.

[PlaneFlyr]

I was 11, and CAP was running an occasional 30-second commercial on TV.  Just a Cessna flying with some cheap Sousa march type music and a narrator talking about CAP.  I never had pen/paper handy when it came on, so I kept missing the phone number, and after about 5 failed attempts to get the number, I finally resorted to keeping the pen/paper on the end table... just waiting.  (Sadly, this was before the internet). 

Finally got it and made my mom take me to the next available meeting.  Wasn't able to join for a couple months (waiting for first day of 6th grade), but attended every meeting as a visitor until I could.

Been in for 26+ years now. 

[citizensoldier]

Grandfather worked at Boeing in Wichita during WWII.  As he was essential industry and a bit older he was not drafted.  He was CAP during the War.

CS