Not quite sure why Eclipse linked in the Aux University program (which is for Aux units set up at Universities), but he is correct that there is a basic PD program in the Aux.  Frankly, since Aux leaders have almost no authority at all above the level of the local unit, not much is actually needed.   Small-unit leadership development is really all that is needed and there are several courses that are available that have to be taken before election at the local level.

The best part?  VG is their insignia supplier too!

Not really.  They may sell some things, but everyone buys their stuff from the Coast Guard Uniform Distribution center and the Auxiliary Center.  There is another private purveyor, Lighthouse, but I'm not sure how much they are used anymore. 

For good or bad, you must have a either very small wing, or serendipitously have GT members in the same general
area, as few wings have the ability to have a "Wing Team", per se, that can reasonably deploy instead of or ahead of more local assets.

In my wing, most missions would be over before the "wing team" could even get there.

It also sounds like an excellent way to alienate otherwise qualified members and encourage they
don't bother spending the time and money to maintain quals.

I'm not on the ground team, so please forgive me if I don't have all the operational details. The team is managed as a single team, but it does occasionally break into regional elements for training or deployment. The concept has been in operation for the past 6-7 years or so and has worked rather well. They are a first-call resource for a couple of different agencies and of course are kept busy with false ELT beacons.

Are these 'requirements' to be on the alert roster Wing sanctioned and is there anything published about them? This seems wayyy too much to expect folks to do, esp over and above the CAP requirements of the OpsQual..

Same question about the dog teams and: how do you even certify them? To what standard? I assume that you've secured permission in writing as outlined in CAPR 60-3..

I'm not on the ground team, I haven't secured anything. I trust those in command have done everything they need to do.

Light a bunch of these:



Make sure you're intimately familiar with these (seems a lot of encampments are "unaware")

https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/programs/cadets/activities/encampment

https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/programs/cadets/activities/encampment/encampment-curriculum

If you're thinking about doing it still this CY, you're already well behind the curve, unless you already
have an approved appropriate venue, and multi-wing likely needs not only approval of all the Wing CCs,
but the Region CC as well.  It take 6-8 months of nearly full-time (CAP full time) planning and effort to
plan a successful encampment.

Also, if any of these wings already has an encampment, be prepared to justify why you feel the need to
"compete", as unless the wing in question is very large, or has a huge cadet student population, one will
invariably draw from the other(s).

A strong #2 to you is going to be very important, and your choice for Commandant will make or break the
activity as hots & cots are one thing, but the Commandant is responsible for cadet experience - if you choose
someone based on availability vs. experience, you're cooked.

Your SET choices will be next in regards to success, there is a lot of data to gather and track with all the
evaluations, inspections, and critiques, and other numbers that have to be crunched these days.  This member needs
to be experienced with the CP and have a good head for details.

Google drive and the encampment management program are really the only way to manage all this info (though
I'm trying to find "other" myself).  You'll need someone who is at least user-level with Access and CAPWATCH (not to mention
right to D/L the CW database for at least your Region).

Brainstorm sessions and weekly conference calls with your staff (one for Senior, one for the Curriculum staff) are going to
be critical for all the details.  Cadets with diamonds on their collar and more then one encampment ribbon will be a big help
when trying to ramp up first-year activities like this.

The curriculum calls for at least one TO per flight, and common sense says two so people can go to the bathroom once in a while,
etc.  IMHO, an encampment has to have at least 50 students to be worth the effort in most wings, and I would think especially
for a multi-wing affair, so that's 10 adults, plus 1-2 additional (with high experience) as leads to the TO.  The TOs have had
significant roles beyond supervision since the latest curriculum was release, so they aren't just chaperones.  They have input as well,
which also has to be tracked and mentored.

Figure the average encampment of "normal" scale is going to be about 100 cadets and 30-50 adults (more are required when
you have to cook your own meals).

Suggestions, tips, pitfalls - advice wanted!

I have updated the presentation for the 406 Tracking system. It is available at https://drive.google.com/open?id=1lkVCaGf_aBgpjhbtRVSnEI5WbwtrgCU4

There is no rank in the USCGAux and other than being currently qualified in an Auxiliary Program,

As to PD, like CAP unicorns of AWC, SOS, and ACSC it's limited, but it exists.

http://www.cgauxedu.us/about/

The best part?  VG is their insignia supplier too!
https://www.vanguardmil.com/collections/coast-guard-auxiliary

What he shuman14 said. 

There is no rank in the USCGAux and other than being currently qualified in an Auxiliary Program, there is no professional development program to hold office or higher office.

Also, they could care less what rank you hold, or held, in the Armed Forces. If you're an Auxiliarist, and you're augmenting the Coast Guard, your rank is lower than an E-1 and you will follow the lowest Boatswain's Mate directives or you can go home.   

OK, so you're on the right track here.

First, watch this video: (yes, its about an hour long.. Use the YouTube speed function to bump it up by 1.25x. And pay attention to that guy in his dining room at your own risk..)

Second, advanced planning is key. Whats the timeline leading up to the event? Whats the schedule that night? Who will do what?  How will we follow up? AND, almost more importantly: "What will we do FOLLOWING this recruiting event to train and engage these members?"  If you wait until the week after the Open House to think about that, you're done like dinner.

Third, advertising: There are several avenues, but USE THEM.  Put your event on any local community calendars (ie. NextDoor, Patch.com, whatever), on your website, on your Facebook page, etc. Boost a couple FB posts or event pages with $25 or $30 of very closely targeted advertising. Throw down some Twitter posts if your unit has a twitter feed. Get the local newspaper to do a pitch about 2 weeks before the event, etc.  This needs a full-court press starting now, not 6 weeks from now.

Social Media Tools For Recruiting and Retention
How to do Facebook Advertising for Your Event

The paid advertising is helpful, but its not everything. Its just one avenue, so don't put all your eggs in one basket.

$25 or $30 is good to start if you've never done it, and be REALLY FOCUSED on your demographics, geographics and interests.  Its WAY too easy to get enamored with the whole thing and say "Yes, everybody within 100 miles, males and females from 13 to 90, with aviation in their profile.."  It will likely come back and say "You will spend that $25 in about 8 minutes.." 

Instead, narrow your focus. Recruiting cadets?  Age range from 13 to 18 (I don't think it lets you narrow the teen years down more) within 10 or 15 miles of your meeting zip code.  Seniors?  Its easy to think "OK, yeah, 18 to 60! Perfect!" or something, but you might be better off with "30 plus" because then you *might* get some overlap to parents with teens. And interests: Aerospace. Aviation. Disaster Relief. Volunteer service. Community Service. Youth Development. Youth Activities. Etc, etc.

Play with it. You can probably blow $25 as a learning exercise here.  Don't be like me and accidentally spend up to $50 each on a FB post and an FB event.  Oops. LOL.

But have flyers, word of mouth, etc, etc, etc.  Not one and done.

Fourth, build a response avenue. A web form, an email address, something, where people with interest & questions can get answers quickly. Build and manage your prospective member list this way.  If its on your website, make it obvious and then put that URL on all your materials, flyers, ads, Tweets, whatever.  EVERYTHING. Or use a link to Eventbrite to sign up (careful, it looks like you're "buying" something on eventbrite if you're not careful and that turns people off)

Fifth, figure out what you want to show people and how you want to tell your story that night.

Because my unit operates on the cohort model, we do things a little different.

1830-1900 - Arrival and "check out what CAP has to offer" (the displays you setup beforehand)
1900-1930 - Brief presentation about CAP (PPT, be careful!) and short Q&A. An "invitation to join" from your cadet commander or a similarly well spoken cadet speaks volumes during this.
1930-2030 - Refreshments, mingle around the activity tables, fly the sim, etc.  During this time, have membership packets available to hand out to people who are actually interested ("buyers," not "tire-kickers"). These membership packets detail how to join, what to expect, what its going to cost, etc. They are FAR more extensive (and expensive) than a $.07 flyer, so hold them in abeyance for the interested parties.
2030          - Start breaking down things, clean up, go home.

We setup a few tables/displays:
Emergency services - JOB (junk on the bunk)-style display of ES gear (again, if you don't have an active US program in your unit, then advertising this in that way is disingenuous. Don't do it), a laptop with a slide show of ES photos, maybe an ELPER and some radios or something,  1-2 ES knowledgeable people to talk about ES and answer questions.  (One of my guys took it on to "spruce up" the execution of our ES display this past spring after all our Hawk Mtn guys have left for them military and whatnot.  He created this neato engaging exercise that simulates airborne search using aerial photos of the ground. "Find the crashed airplane" or something like that. It was *very* cool and interactive.)
 
Aerospace/STEM - Rockets, STEM kits, our RC gliders and quad copters setup alongside our STEM kit flight sim controls on the squadron laptop with the squadron projector. Setup a short scenario ("Land at the airport on a 2 mile final" ) so people can try their hand at landing the plane. Photos of aerospace events, AEO on hand, etc.

The flying & pilots table - Two zipper-suited sun gods to answer flying & ES related questions.  We parked it next to the ES table.

A "Squadron" display that has our photo albums, a rotating PPT of things we do, some graphics, and the 75th anniversary poster series arrayed around.

We used to kick off at 6:30, but NOBODY knows what "6:30 sharp" means anymore, so we welcome people in starting at 6:30 and kick off our presentation right before 7. Maximizes the butts in seats.  The PPT needs to be SHORT. (did I say short?) The *real* recruiting is over a cookie and punch later on when Jr. wants to know when he'll be "flying that plane like Tom Cruise" (bonus points if you get the reference) or mom wants to know what CAP will do for her cherub's chances of getting into the AF academy.

Sixth, follow up! Be sure everybody knows (its in your membership packet) what the follow-on schedule looks like for membership.  Execute your training.

Seventh, rinse and repeat 4-5 months later.