Please refer to the map at:
http://www.riwingcap.com/products.html (http://www.riwingcap.com/products.html)
It appears that each squadron has geographic boundaries as to where they can recruit from ??? :-\
I don't recall any other wings having a similar type map. Perhaps because RI is so small they want to ensure that each unit serves the surrounding communities.
RM
That map is a generalization.
If RIWG HQ gets a request about joining I believe it gets routed according to it.
Move along, nothing to see here. 8) 8)
I see it more a guidance for folks trying to see which unit best serves their area.
Its a great idea to get squadrons to think beyond their city borders, not just in terms of recruiting, but in terms of developing relationships with those involved in emergency management. Too many squadron commanders and ES officers think their job is done when they've talked with their county sheriff.
Many years ago, right after airplanes stopped having two wings (one on the top and one on the bottom), my wing had recruiting area definitions. Then again, maybe it was just my Group.
But each unit had specific towns or sections of towns it was supposed to recruit from. Since the area I grew up in, Macomb County, Michigan, was subdivided by township sized cities (6 miles x 6 miles) and roads in grids, the recruiting areas were more closely defined by the roads than the actual city boundaries.
Where I lived, the southeastern corner of one of these big township-sized cities, technically was in another unit's recruiting area, for example. That squadron (the now defunct South Macomb Cadet Squadron) met about 4 miles from my house, versus the unit I was in (the Van Dyke Cadet Squadron) that met about 10 miles from my home. (funny, when I joined, nobody bothered to say "Oh, hey, you're from that other unit's area..." It was only later that I found out there was a much closer unit).
Most of the units didn't meet precisely in the center of their recruiting areas, either, which just exacerbated things. South Macomb, for example, met at a high school 1 mile north of "8 Mile Road" (yes, _that_ "8 Mile"), which was the boundary between Macomb & Wayne counties. Most of its "recruiting area" was to its north. There were no CAP units at all in eastern Wayne County, and the next nearest unit in Wayne County was probably 30 minutes away. Technically, they weren't allowed to recruit from Grosse Pointes (yes, of "Grosse Pointe Blank" fame), Harper Woods or even the parts of Detroit that adjoined Macomb County under the rules (They still got recruits from there, but just could not actively recruit in those towns)
So later in my cadet career, around about Phase IV, I helped one of the cadets in my unit who was from an adjacent city, Fraser, plan and execute a recruiting event at his middle school. Fraser was not Van Dyke's recruiting area, but rather South Macomb's.
Of course, this recruiting event went more perfectly than you could believe and we wound up with 13 new recruits in the unit because of our efforts in just one day. It was awesome!
The commander of the other squadron got wind that we'd just pulled 13 recruits out of a school in his recruiting area and he was understandably upset.
He went to the Group Commander and rightly complained that we were recruiting cadets out of their area (mind you: my contention was that if South Macomb was actively recruiting from this area, they'd have gotten these recruits on their own, but since they weren't, and this school was technically closer to our unit than his and right near the border of the recruiting areas, fair game..)
The Group Commander calls my squadron commander, and proceeds to give him the "what for" for sniping cadets out of the other squadron's area.
As you can imagine, the sound of the big blue CAP bus coming up behind me was drowned out by the sound of how awesome we were for getting 13 recruits in one shot (this increased our unit by like 30% or something).
The next thing I know I'm on the carpet in front of the Group Commander for violating the group's recruiting area restrictions _and_ conducting a recruiting event like that without getting my unit commander's permission first (because, you know, my unit commander, being the high-speed guy he was, would never have approved two of his cadets to just go off and recruit in another unit's area, so clearly, we're the ones at fault here for going off the reservation and doing this on our own..).
Thump-thump. Thats the sound of the bus driven by my unit commander driving right over me.
Unfortunately for my squadron commander, he _did_ give us permission to conduct the recruiting event and he _did_ say "Well, technically its another squadron's area, but go ahead anyway.." and he did this in front of most of the senior staff. I told the Group Commander "Sir, we had permission to conduct this recruiting, and the Captain even said that we could go ahead and do it even though it was in the other squadron's area..." and I listed off the other seniors who were in the room. A week later, we had a new squadron commander.
And recruiting boundaries went away soon after.
Fast forward a few years, along about 1992 or 1993. I was a young SM in South Macomb (I transferred after the whole recruiting debacle while I was still a cadet, and when I came home from active duty I was actually living about 2 miles -closer- to South Macomb, so I stayed) when the unit at the local Air Guard base came to our Group meeting asking for help. Seems they were holding a big recruiting event event and things had gotten a little out of hand and they wanted more bodies from the Group to help out with things.
It seems that when they advertised their Squadron Open House, they kind of got a little big for their britches and the advertising made it look like it was the Air Guard Base Open House (aka "annual Air Show"). Their PAO went a *little* overboard getting the word out, and the next thing you know they realize "Wait, what are we gonna do when hundreds of people show up?"
So they hastily organize buses, come to the Group HQ meeting and plead with the other units for help with their event. The squadron commander even went so far as to say "Look, we'll be pulling in people from all over the Metro area, so we'll be totally willing to share recruits."
A bunch of us young SM's from the adjacent units all step up, figuring that we could sure use a few recruits out of the deal. We'll help as tour guides, etc. The day comes and sure enough, they have HUNDREDS of people coming and they literally FILL the Base Theater with bodies (it was amazing!).
The unit commander launches into his recruiting spiel and when he's done asks if there are any questions.
So he's answering questions and one lady says "I'm from Ypsilanti (a town easily an hour away on the other side of Detroit). Do I come here for Civil Air Patrol?" and the squadron commander says "Yes. We are your closest CAP squadron."
My little brain is ticking over quickly and I count at least 5 units that these folks would have to drive past, including the very big and very active squadron at Willow Run Airport right there in Ypsilanti, and my unit, on the way to the Air Guard Base.
I looked over at my Group Commander, and she's standing there with this "I cannot believe you just said that.." look on her face.
And the unit commander keeps on doing it. "I'm from Pontiac.." "Yep, we're your unit." (30 minute drive, 2-3 units in the area/enroute). "Port Huron" (25 minute drive, one unit in Port Huron itself) and so on.
Suffice to say, they did not hand over any recruits to the nearby units.
seeing as how the entire state of Rhode Island is equivalent to 4 Arkansas counties, I find myself wondering why there is more than 1 squadron in Rhode Island?????
Quote from: cap235629 on April 30, 2012, 03:36:39 AM
seeing as how the entire state of Rhode Island is equivalent to 4 Arkansas counties, I find myself wondering why there is more than 1 squadron in Rhode Island?????
Same reason there are 11 squadrons in Los Angeles County, California. Which is about the same size as Rhode Island.
Quote from: cap235629 on April 30, 2012, 03:36:39 AM
seeing as how the entire state of Rhode Island is equivalent to 4 Arkansas counties, I find myself wondering why there is more than 1 squadron in Rhode Island?????
RI is one of the densest population (people per square mile, not lack of intelligence) states. Most people need not drive more than 20 minutes for commuting, shopping ,dining, etc. This results in the "RI mentality" that an hour drive somewhere is almost an overnight trip. I know several people on Cap Talk have talked about hour(s) drive to their squadrons. That would not fly here.
Quote from: phirons on April 30, 2012, 03:27:38 PM
Quote from: cap235629 on April 30, 2012, 03:36:39 AM
seeing as how the entire state of Rhode Island is equivalent to 4 Arkansas counties, I find myself wondering why there is more than 1 squadron in Rhode Island?????
RI is one of the densest population (people per square mile, not lack of intelligence) states. Most people need not drive more than 20 minutes for commuting, shopping ,dining, etc. This results in the "RI mentality" that an hour drive somewhere is almost an overnight trip. I know several people on Cap Talk have talked about hour(s) drive to their squadrons. That would not fly here.
I grew up in Massachusetts so I understand the RI Mentality
It's even worse here in Boston: If it's not accessible by the T, I'm not going there. ;D
Quote from: Pylon on April 30, 2012, 05:43:18 PM
It's even worse here in Boston: If it's not accessible by the T, I'm not going there. ;D
Charlie Flight on the MBTA?
USBMTDF Team
Urban
Served
by
Mass
Transit
Direction
Finding
Quote from: phirons on April 30, 2012, 06:19:17 PMCharlie Flight on the MBTA?
(http://forums.cadetstuff.org/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif) (http://forums.cadetstuff.org/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif) (http://forums.cadetstuff.org/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
Quote from: Pylon on April 30, 2012, 06:24:21 PM
Quote from: phirons on April 30, 2012, 06:19:17 PMCharlie Flight on the MBTA?
(http://forums.cadetstuff.org/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif) (http://forums.cadetstuff.org/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif) (http://forums.cadetstuff.org/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
He referring to a very popular song from the early 60's "Charlie of the MTA" by the Kingston Trio.
Quote from: MSG Mac on April 30, 2012, 07:18:47 PM
He referring to a very popular song from the early 60's "Charlie of the MTA" by the Kingston Trio.
Well aware, just appreciated his modification with "Charlie Flight"
He may ride forever
'neath the streets of Boston
He's the man who never returned.