Me again. This is more of a poll....How do your squadrons involve parents and get them to step up and help. We have quite a few parents that have offered to help, but they don't want to become regular senior members. I'm okay with that but I would like to involve them from time to time so they have a first hand idea of the things we do. I don't want to go off on a tangent about how they should step up and become members, I just want some ideas. I think the cadet materials have mentioned activities committees or fundraising committees. Do any of your squadrons have parents help in behind the scenes-non-cadet-contact ways?
http://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/html/adults.htm Click on "Patron Member".
My squadron doesn't have too many parents involved. One parent is the DCC (but she was a former cadet), but other than that I don't see many parents around.
What do the regs say about parents as chaperons at events? If they were patron members that would be okey-dokey, right?
Quote from: Spaceman3750 on May 13, 2010, 08:25:36 PM
What do the regs say about parents as chaperons at events? If they were patron members that would be okey-dokey, right?
No - Patron members do not participate at all and are not alllowed to come to activities unless invited.
Sponsor members have limited chaperon abilities.
My stepfather is the medical officer at our squadron. He does a pretty good job.
You've missed my point. I know if I expect membership I won't get any help at all. (Trust me we've tried to get them to become members) What I'm asking is can I ask a few parents to get together, for example, and brainstorm some fundraising ideas to be approved by the card carrying members. Or can we have a parent keep our uniform closet at their house and notify them when we need uniform things. That sort of help. I just don't believe that there aren't squadrons that have parents help in some benign way without CAP membership. How are your parents helping?
There are very specific rules about fundraising CAP property and related activities - almost all require membership of some kind.
Sponsor membership is your best bet for parents who can't be bothered.
Asking them to help generate ideas is a good start.
Another option for membership is the Cadet Sponsor Member. The only training they need to complete is CPPT. They can serve as chaparons, drive CAP vehicles, help out with various other tasks, and come to meetings, among other things. They cannot wear AF uniforms, serve in a staff position, or hold official duties in the unit. Their membership is tied to their cadet's membership - when it ends, so does theirs.
At meetings, they can supervise the cadets while the staff is doing its work. It also looks better to have a member storing uniforms than an non-member.
Quote from: arajca on May 13, 2010, 08:59:56 PMThe only training they need to complete is CPPT.
CSM's have to complete level 1, CPT, OPSEC and EO.
Doesn't anyone ever read the 'Parent Guide' anymore?
Quote
Parents' Committee
Parents can support the cadets in their local squadron without officially joining CAP by serving on a parents' committee. Some of the ways parents can help include:
• asking area businesses to make financial or in-kind donations
• organizing a carpool system
• planning an awards night or pot luck dinner
• helping the squadron connect with other local civic groups
• serving as a guest speaker
• spreading the news about CAP and helping recruit new members
Get a couple of your dedicated parents, have them create a 'Parent Booster Group', they can file for their own 501(c)(3), open a checking account, etc.
The best part is your 'parent group' can fundraise for your unit without needing the wing commanders approval. Once the fundraiser is complete, it's up to them to 'donate' the funds to the unit, or use those funds to buy things the unit needs. Very simple, very clean.
Quote from: Cleaver on May 13, 2010, 08:49:24 PM
You've missed my point. I know if I expect membership I won't get any help at all. (Trust me we've tried to get them to become members) What I'm asking is can I ask a few parents to get together, for example, and brainstorm some fundraising ideas to be approved by the card carrying members. Or can we have a parent keep our uniform closet at their house and notify them when we need uniform things. That sort of help. I just don't believe that there aren't squadrons that have parents help in some benign way without CAP membership. How are your parents helping?
If you want help chaperoning overnight activities you need the parent to join as a full member or as a cadet sponsor member (CSM). Anyone working with cadets in such a capacity has to have gone through the background check required of membership. This is something that we are VERY rigid on, and there are never any exceptions. Either become a member, go through Level 1 or stay home. Period. This is a cadet safety issue. When I explain it to parents in this manner, they are always very supportive of the requirement, as it's the safety of their kid too.
There are a couple of great benefits of becoming a CSM. Low cost (less than cadet membership costs). No uniform requirements (unless they WANT to wear a uniform, then they can wear any corporate uniform combo). Low time commitment (they don't have to show up to meetings, and only support the activities that they want to support). Ability to drive CAP vehicles (if they want to help transport cadets places, they can drive a CAP vehicle instead of their own, have the gas covered, and their kid is guaranteed a spot in the van). No staff duties (they won't be responsible for paperwork, uniform items, etc. with the exception of anything that's required upon joining, and driving the CAP vehicle).
A tactic that has worked very well for us (and again, we're certainly not experts!) is to start small with the parents. Get them interested in the program without bombarding them with all sorts of time commitments. Have them bring a meal out for the cadets on an activity (spaghetti for dinner or something). Then they get to see the cadets having fun doing some really cool stuff on the activity. Next, they might be asking you how to help out on an activity, where you'll reintroduce the idea of joining as a CSM, highlighting benefits above.
If they've been a CSM for a while, they might stay there, or they might start asking you how to get involved with XYZ. You'll have to tell them that requires full membership, but wait- if they're already a CSM they can change their membership to full senior status at any time without paying anything extra until they renew. This is a great incentive to convert a CSM into a full member. Then get them involved in the training that interested them. Once they've gotten their feet wet in that training, start dropping hints about how you could use a little help with [fill in the blank] staff position, and would they like to be an assistant?
Basically, this is all like fishing with a barb-less hook. First you have to use the right bait to get them interested, then you have to present the bait in the right manner to get them on the hook. Once you have them on the hook, you have to slowly, and skillfully reel them in. Use too much or too little pressure and you've lost the fish... I mean parent.
There's one additional barrier to all of this that you have to consider when recruiting parents of cadets and that is the cadets themselves. When you were a teenager, did you really want your parent hanging out at a cool activity like CAP all the time? Isn't one of the points of the program getting the cadet to be more independent and take care of their stuff themselves? By starting with small things with the parents, it gives the cadets the chance to get used to seeing their parents being around, but not involved in the stuff that they're doing in CAP. And make sure that the parent is a CAP member first during CAP events (or at least acts like it), and does the parenting stuff outside of CAP. If you don't, you'll probably find that the parent and/or cadet doesn't want to be around any more.
Quote from: Eclipse on May 13, 2010, 08:35:51 PM
Quote from: Spaceman3750 on May 13, 2010, 08:25:36 PM
What do the regs say about parents as chaperons at events? If they were patron members that would be okey-dokey, right?
Sponsor members have limited chaperon abilities.
Sponsor member, that's the word I was looking for. Somehow got replaced with patron in my mind. Thanks.
Quote from: Cleaver on May 13, 2010, 08:49:24 PM
You've missed my point. I know if I expect membership I won't get any help at all. (Trust me we've tried to get them to become members) What I'm asking is can I ask a few parents to get together, for example, and brainstorm some fundraising ideas to be approved by the card carrying members. Or can we have a parent keep our uniform closet at their house and notify them when we need uniform things. That sort of help. I just don't believe that there aren't squadrons that have parents help in some benign way without CAP membership. How are your parents helping?
Basic answer is NO.
If they are not members (regular or sponsor) they cannot and should not be helping.
Period and of story.
It is a liability issue.
Work on getting them to join up first then use them just about any way you want.