Professional Development in Action

[Ned]

I am spending the weekend with 60 or so CAWG members who are attending a combined PD weekend at Vandenberg AFB.

It is truly a pleasure to see all of these dedicated volunteers surrender a beautiful spring-like weekend to sitting in classes and actively improve their CAP skills.  It is a real "battery-recharger" for me. 

CAWG is running a co-located SLS, CLC, and TLC that allows them to leverage facilities and instructors, resulting in significant cost savings for the students and CAP alike.  I'm sure other wings do this as well, but it is particularly helpful in large and active wings.

No Drama, no fights about uniforms, no governance debates.

Just volunteers learning to be better volunteers.

Kinda nice.

[Stroke]

Ned--

That's awesome!  We here in the ALWG do the same thing with our professional development. We meet one weekend and have a combined Senior AND Cadet professional development weekend. It recharges me, too.

I'm glad to see Wings doing PD Weekends.

[Flying Pig]

Have fun.

Thats what I enjoyed most about CAP.  When members all showed up with a mission to perform and a goal.  Ate lunch and dinner together.  Now......Thats not saying they werent still some of the weirdest people Ive ever met, but they'd give you the shirt off of their back if you needed it.

[EMT-83]

I'm writing this from the back of the room at SLS. Instructing and interacting with the students is the best!

[ascorbate]

We just completed a PD Academy (eg. CLC, UCC and TLC) in Maryland Wing on 17-18 February 2012.

[AdAstra]

EMT-83:
2:48 PM? Glad you weren't texting during my presentation.

[GTCommando]

That's awesome! Glad to see members from across their respective wings gathering together to receive training. OHWG has a spring and fall PD weekend, with close to a dozen courses ranging from SLS, UCC, TLC, basic first aid/CPR, ICS 300, scanner/observer courses, IG courses,  Classes for new cadet airmen, NCOs and officers, respectively, and possibly many others, depending on who is available to teach what. I went through the course for Cadet Officers last October, and I'm going through Basic First Aid/CPR this time around.

[EMT-83]

EMT-83:
2:48 PM? Glad you weren't texting during my presentation.

I didn't think you saw me! Actually, class was on break.

SLS remains my favorite PD course; newer members soaking up the information like a sponge. New audience for my old jokes...

[adamblank]

TLC all the way!

[RADIOMAN015]

Don't know much about CA wing, other than it's a large state geographically.  Hopefully they've held these classes throughout the state to minimize the travel time and overall costs that the motivated members must bear to attend.

We've been fortunate in our wing that SLC, CLC have been held in different areas of the state (including my squadron) which has minimized the travel time & cost to the members.

HOWEVER, I personally like the idea of on line professional development being offered also.   There's no reason why EVERY functional area in CAP can't offer some sort of a webinars program to assist with training/updating personnel.  Likely in smaller wings it can be at the wing level.   Larger wings, maybe one or two group levels at a time.
RM       

[Private Investigator]

SLS, CLC, TLC all at one time is a great ideal. Should have thrown in a UCC if you have newby Commanders too.

[davidsinn]

SLS, CLC, TLC all at one time is a great ideal. Should have thrown in a UCC if you have newby Commanders too.

The only problem with this theory is if you have members that need two or three of these courses(TLC,UCC,CLC for example) at the same time and they only do the combined deal once a year.

[Private Investigator]

Don't know much about CA wing, other than it's a large state geographically.  Hopefully they've held these classes throughout the state to minimize the travel time and overall costs that the motivated members must bear to attend.

They use to have three SLS/CLC annually, north, central and south in the spring, summer and fall. Actually a pretty good ideal. 

[Eclipse]

SLS, CLC, TLC all at one time is a great ideal. Should have thrown in a UCC if you have newby Commanders too.

The only problem with this theory is if you have members that need two or three of these courses(TLC,UCC,CLC for example) at the same time and they only do the combined deal once a year.

I agree, there should be multiple instances of all of them over the course of the year.

My wing does 3-4+ of all and a couple UCC's.

Every Group should host at least one TLC every year.  There's enough turn-over in people, changes in the program, and
overall new / different information that it should be considered a mini-CP conference.

[Private Investigator]

SLS, CLC, TLC all at one time is a great ideal. Should have thrown in a UCC if you have newby Commanders too.

The only problem with this theory is if you have members that need two or three of these courses(TLC,UCC,CLC for example) at the same time and they only do the combined deal once a year.

I do not think it is a problem because I am not a big fan of a new senior member taking four courses in one summer. Why take CLC in May when you just had SLS in April? Its my pet peeve.

[davidsinn]

SLS, CLC, TLC all at one time is a great ideal. Should have thrown in a UCC if you have newby Commanders too.

The only problem with this theory is if you have members that need two or three of these courses(TLC,UCC,CLC for example) at the same time and they only do the combined deal once a year.

I do not think it is a problem because I am not a big fan of a new senior member taking four courses in one summer. Why take CLC in May when you just had SLS in April? Its my pet peeve.

Look at the three I mentioned. Those are the courses a new commander would need.

I've been in five years years already and have not had a UCC or a TLC even though I've been a CD/C for four years. I can not afford the hotel I would need to have to stay the night at the once annual courses in Indy.

[a2capt]

In a 14 month period, I was able to do SLS, CLC and staff at two more of them and TLC. All that stuff for Level V eventually, out of the way .. 6 years ago.

..and have not stopped since. There's been some dry spots on the calendar, but CAWG usually plenty of PD opportunities. In fact, there's a TLC going on next weekend too, in Orange County.

Our unit sponsored a TLC first in 2005 after several members were up against the wall and there hadn't been any. With participation from NHQ and Wing HQ, we had 50 students, some came 600 miles for it, and a few out of the Wing even. There was built up demand for sure, and there's been a steady stream of offerings since.

[Private Investigator]

I've been in five years years already and have not had a UCC or a TLC even though I've been a CD/C for four years. I can not afford the hotel I would need to have to stay the night at the once annual courses in Indy.

CD/C = what? You mean CC and CD I believe. The fact you have not had a UCC is a management problem of the next higher Headquarters. Next time the IG comes to inspect I would point that out. Wing or Group needs to provide training at a reasonable location.

[Private Investigator]

In a 14 month period, I was able to do SLS, CLC and staff at two more of them and TLC. All that stuff for Level V eventually, out of the way .. 6 years ago.

..and have not stopped since. ...

But keep it real. How many people do everything in a 1 1/2 year and you never see them again? Its 50/50. I had one guy who requested UCC so I asked him you want to be a Squadron Commander? His answer was, "no, but it will make me more helpful." He just wanted another certificate. 

Keep up the good work sir.

[davidsinn]

I've been in five years years already and have not had a UCC or a TLC even though I've been a CD/C for four years. I can not afford the hotel I would need to have to stay the night at the once annual courses in Indy.

CD/C = what? You mean CC and CD I believe. The fact you have not had a UCC is a management problem of the next higher Headquarters. Next time the IG comes to inspect I would point that out. Wing or Group needs to provide training at a reasonable location.

No, I mean Deputy Commander(CD) for Cadets(/C).