PA Wing Conference over Veterans Weekend

[annettecSmith]

Pennsylvania's Wing Conference is scheduled over Veterans weekend. How does PA Wing expect to get a good attendance when I'm sure there should be color guards at various Veteran memorial programs throughout the state.

PA Wing should have its members at Veteran Services that Weekend not boozing up in a hotel and having a good time.

Poor Planning? or Stupidity?

Thoughts....

[Spaceman3750]

Pennsylvania's Wing Conference is scheduled over Veterans weekend. How does PA Wing expect to get a good attendance when I'm sure there should be color guards at various Veteran memorial programs throughout the state.

PA Wing should have its members at Veteran Services that Weekend not boozing up in a hotel and having a good time.

Poor Planning? or Stupidity?

Thoughts....

Um... Wow, that's a little harsh, don't you think? Maybe they thought that having it over a 3 day weekend would encourage attendance from those who would otherwise have to take a day off to travel halfway across the state. Or maybe that was when the conference center had an availability.

I hope Annette Smith isn't your real name or else you won't have many friends wherever you're at when they see you calling people stupid on CAPTalk.

[AdAstra]

A few years back, California Wing scheduled its conference over the Veterans Day weekend. I, too, was concerned about attendance. I helped plan and emceed a local Veterans Day ceremony, but still managed to have the car loaded and ready to drive to the conference.

I don't recall a major fall-off in conference attendance. We recognized veterans at the conference, and included a POW-MIA Remembrance at the awards banquet.

[EMT-83]

Before you throw stones, did you volunteer to chair the conference committee?

[annettecSmith]

The same people every year plan the conference with no open arms for new people to help

[annettecSmith]

Not even throwing stones....just want thoughts

[jeders]

Not even throwing stones....just want thoughts

Thoughts...I think that you are someone who just likes throwing stones and stirring pots.

[Eclipse]

Welcome to CAPTalk, nothing like making your initial posts accusing your wing staff of incompetence.

I'd be willing to bet that the number of units involved in Memorial day services and activities will be very small, and that participation will be cadet-centric.
Cadets tend to be non-players in wing conferences.

Further, participating in a Memorial Day service does not, necessarily, exclude participating in the wing conference as well - a lot of those things are done and dusted before noon.

[Spaceman3750]

The same people every year plan the conference with no open arms for new people to help

You could try, you know, asking... The worst thing that can happen is that they say no.

[Thom]

Welcome to CAPTalk, nothing like making your initial posts accusing your wing staff of incompetence.

I'd be willing to bet that the number of units involved in Memorial day services and activities will be very small, and that participation will be cadet-centric.
Cadets tend to be non-players in wing conferences.
Further, participating in a Memorial Day service does not, necessarily, exclude participating in the wing conference as well - a lot of those things are done and dusted before noon.

On this tangent, I will have to note that Louisiana Wing's recent 2011 Wing Conference had attendance almost evenly divided between SMs and Cadets. It was the first year we've really had this incredible Cadet turnout for the conference, and it worked out great! We certainly plan to try and get that level of Cadet involvement in future years.

If we believe that today's Cadets are really the future of CAP, we need to work to include them in our large activities. In particular, letting them see 'how the sausage is made' will give them a better idea of what to expect when they eventually come to the Senior side.


Now back to our regularly scheduled trolling...



Thom

[Eclipse]

Cadet participation in wing conferences continues to be a challenge for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the logistical realities
of them just getting there, and then who will watch them when they arrive.

Each year I see any number of proposals to come up with compelling presentations and activities to get them to be interested, I have yet to see anything that really "works".  Most wing DCP's tend towards the same time-fillers as the CAC's.  Discussions of retention, recruiting, and activities,
and in a lot of cases don't bother to invite or involve the decision makers in these areas.

I suggested that wings, regions, and national should combine their respective Cadet Competitions with their respective conferences.  I understand there are some challenges to this, but nothing that isn't trivial if you really wanted to do it ("Where would we have the athletics?"  Find a local school). Economies of scale, a captive audience for the finals, leaders to present the awards, etc.

It saves money and increases the draw.  I got a lot of crickets, with the only person who responded telling me "we just like being separate and setting our own schedule".

The other plain fact is that most conferences happen in the Spring or Fall when school is still in session and there are a lot of non-optional school activities vying for cadet's attention.  Anyone who's had to deal with a high-school coach who thinks he's playing in the majors and won't let a cadet
have time off from an extra practice on Memorial Day knows what I mean.

[flyboy53]

Gee, thanx for the notice. I might just sign up!

Sorry, but your post shows an utter lack of knowlege about the organization and about Veteran's Day. I'm willing to bet that having a wing conference during a national holiday weekend won't impede attendance.

I'm a veteran.  My experience with that holiday is that there's a lot of thank yous from civilians and a lot of social events at veteran's clubs. There aren't very many public observances. Therefore, if I were given the opportunity to spend the weekend at a hotel doing something I lke, like CAP as opposed to "boozing up" at a veteran's club, I'd chose the conference. Thanx.

Besides, a three-day weekend such as this gives the individual member an opportunity to relax after an othewise active weekend or still gives him or her a chance to party down as necessary.

[Eclipse]

Besides, a three-day weekend such as this gives the individual member an opportunity to relax after an othewise active weekend or still gives him or her a chance to party down as necessary.

The holiday falls on a Friday this year, so the majority of observances will be over before most participants in a wing conference are even off of work
or out of school.  It is a Federal Holiday, but hasn't been observed as a national day off since the mid-70's when they tried to make it adhere to the UHB.



For some reason I didn't catch this was about Veteran's Day until just now (I know RTFP).

[ol'fido]

Besides, a three-day weekend such as this gives the individual member an opportunity to relax after an othewise active weekend or still gives him or her a chance to party down as necessary.

The holiday falls on a Friday this year, so the majority of observances will be over before most participants in a wing conference are even off of work
or out of school.  It is a Federal Holiday, but hasn't been observed as a national day off since the mid-70's when they tried to make it adhere to the UHB.



For some reason I didn't catch this was about Veteran's Day until just now (I know RTFP).

It is a state holiday as well so I will be off work. Don't know about Chicago but the schools down here are off as well.

[Eclipse]

CPS is closed, but a lot of suburban schools are in session.

[MSG Mac]

The fact is that most of the events of a wing conference are held on the saturday, friday is usually social events in the evening.