CAC as an activity

[Omega]

Hi, I'm a C/SMSgt and about to promote into a C/CMSgt but I'm just missing an activity. Does anyone know if regulations allow for cadet advisory council to fulfill the participate actively element of the promotion requirements?

[davidsinn]

Hi, I'm a C/SMSgt and about to promote into a C/CMSgt but I'm just missing an activity. Does anyone know if regulations allow for cadet advisory council to fulfill the participate actively element of the promotion requirements?

To fulfill that requirement you just have to be active. I use 75% attendance at meetings for my requirement as we don't have many outside activities.

[lordmonar]

The requirement to have an activity is up for interpretation.  I would say that if you actively participated in a CAC meeting since your last promotion it would count....but that is up to your squadron leadership.  Ask them.

[MIKE]

I always felt the intent for the "participate actively in unit activities" requirement meant activities other than unit meetings, but YMMV as it's your commanders call not mine.

[ßτε]

Apparently the following is the only guidance for the activity requirement.

CAPR 52-16 para. 2-6f.

Activities. Cadets must participate actively in unit activities during this phase. See paragraph 1-5b.

CAPR 52-16 para. 1-5b.

Attendance. Cadets are required to participate actively in their local unit if they are to progress in the Cadet Program. Excessive, unexcused absences may be cause for termination from CAP (see CAPR 35-3, Membership Termination). Any school-related activity is considered an excused absence. Cadets are responsible for notifying the unit about school activities in advance. School-related absences do not excuse cadets from the pre-requisites needed to earn promotions.

[lordmonar]

As I said....the unit acitivity thing is up for interpetation.

If all you unit does is weekly meetings...the that is all you need to show up for.

However some units have activities that are not during the normal meeting time.

At my unit we interpet that to mean a cadet must participate in at least one off meeting night actiivty per promotion, be it O-rides, rifle trainig (which we do each month), Extra PT session (which we do each week), CAC, Drill Team Practice, ES training, SAREX, recruiting event, etc.

We of course make exceptions based on school, work, vacation, etc.

[IceNine]

This is one of those unfortunate situations that opens itself to interpretation.

You REALLY need to take anything said here as personal interpretation or policy, and go ask your command staff.

Things probably won't turn out well on your promotion if you go back and say "some guy on CAPTalk said I could be promoted"

[Omega]

Thanks this has been helpful, i've been trying to find arguments to support my request, but the personnel office seems to be finding ways to block it from me, but i will just present my case to my squadron commander

[lordmonar]

That is what you should have done in the first place.

Your DCC or Commander (depending on the type of squadron) is the promotion authority and the final say on what is and is not an activity that fulfills the requirment.

[Cleaver]

My "interpretation" is that you need to participate actively in your squadron.  The outside activities are great but they don't do much to keep your squadron going.  We've had cadets that wanted to promote when they hadn't been at squadron meetings very regularly but they were doing other CAP activities.  In the meantime, the squadron almost died because new or prospect cadets would come and there were only a few other cadets there.  We also require 75% attendence at squadron meetings to promote.

[Spike]

At my unit we interpet that to mean..................

That is one of the most fundamental and detrimental PROBLEMS with CAP.  We all interpret the regulations and directives differently.  CAP needs to rewrite regulations so there is NO ROOM for interpretation.  It is clearly and logically written so there are no questions about a regulation.

Maybe that is just a dream, but I get fed-up with this issue in general. 

[EMT-83]

I think the regulation is just fine the way it's currently written.

We've had this conversation before, but it boils down to the fact that there's no "one size fits all" in defining active participation. Cadets who are unable to attend meetings every week due to sports or other schedule conflicts should have other opportunities to participate.

Whether it's CAC, bivouacs, rifle team or whatever activities are available locally, the commander should have some flexibility.