Minor in possession of alcohol

[abdsp51]

A big reason why I became part of CAP is to help young people have a bit of the safety I didn't have.  A big chunk of that, for me, is the zero-tolerance policy on alcohol/drugs.

Same here having spent nearly 8 years seeing and dealing with kids who have no structure etc, I am a firm believer that this program can help keep kids on a decent path.  I saw where my brother went with his life and I wanted nothing to do with it.  CAP and JROTC kept me on the straight and narrow that's why I chose CP for my specialty track.

[bflynn]

But only if they stay in the program.  The past 2-3 pages have been full of "don't let the door hit you in the butt" posts.

A little tolerence and compassion is a good thing.

[a2capt]

Okay, so ...
Signs of concern if CAP will hear about "this", from the OP.
The OP says they don't really want to stay in the program anyway.
But they are "worried" if "CAP" will "find out".

What you really should have said was "will they find out in the next couple months, because after that I don't care. I just don't want to get kicked out now."

For all "we" know, you could actually be in CAWG. Hide in plain sight.  Heck, the whole thing could be one big troll game, too. Several points have been weeded out, unraveled and handed back. No reason to believe any of it.

The only thing I do believe is .. if I had a cadet in my sphere of influence that was demonstrating that exact attitude of "I'm in this until after the the activity and that's it!", I'd be sure to do what I could to get that spot at said activity to someone who is more likely to give back to the program, be it leadership or mentorship, or just showing up and participating. But someone who would appreciate the opportunities given them and understand the value, and uniqueness of it.

Sure, what's to say the one that acts all sincere and grovels to the unit for a scholarship to go to an activity, and just goes poof afterwards... (just like this scenario) ... At least in this scenario there's some "honesty" of the intentions at hand.

[James Shaw]

I would suggest that anyone interested in Juvenile "early" Justice read;

The Little Book of Restorative Justice. It focuses on community outreach programs that work with the LEO and Courts to try and steer youth in the right direction instead of jail time. Great little book.

[lordmonar]

Not necessarily that they will sweep it under the rug or anything but it will likely make things better. Lying makes things worse.

I most likely wont let them know about it, but if it does come up somehow i surely wont lie about it. This is something i would like to keep below their radar

Bad move dude....that the third laps of judgment you have demonstrated here on CAP talk in just 24 hours.

Not a good showing.

[lordmonar]

I personaly think that its better to learn how to drink responsibly when you are in your teens, with the help of your parents, than to try and figure it out on your own in college.

Or, you know.  Just not drink until you're an adult.

Because just say NO works so well...

There is something in what Thatonekid says.....but yes it is illegal.....I just don't think it should be.

[Spaceman3750]

You know, in my area we have something in the paper called "Police Beat" on a daily basis. "Joe Snuffy was cited for underage posession of alcohol." isn't really something you want someone to see for the first time in the newspaper.

[Woodsy]

The only thing I do believe is .. if I had a cadet in my sphere of influence that was demonstrating that exact attitude of "I'm in this until after the the activity and that's it!", I'd be sure to do what I could to get that spot at said activity to someone who is more likely to give back to the program, be it leadership or mentorship, or just showing up and participating. But someone who would appreciate the opportunities given them and understand the value, and uniqueness of it.

Sure, what's to say the one that acts all sincere and grovels to the unit for a scholarship to go to an activity, and just goes poof afterwards... (just like this scenario) ... At least in this scenario there's some "honesty" of the intentions at hand.

Exactly my line of thinking.  The original violation of getting caught with alcohol is completely forgivable in my opinion.  The lack of integrity, attitude, and further actions and statements made in this thread...  Not so much.  Honesty does not equal integrity. 

[Major Lord]

I am sure its evident that all the Senior Members in this room are tea-totalers, never swear, and remained virgins until their wedding day. Right. Drinking alcohol is bad; they let French kids do it and look at France! Notwithstanding, it sounds like the PD grabbed you, seized your evil ETOH, and poured it out. Being thrown in the back of a police car is not the same as being arrested. Police do that so they can run your ID, to make sure you are not a wanted felon, a terrorist, or a methodist of some type, and they also do it to scare the feces out of you if they think you look like a "citizen" and might benefit from a little police-style attitude adjustment. If you had been under the influence, it probably would have been worse. If they did not write you a ticket, or take you in for "booking" ( Taking your prints, photo, and throwing you into a concrete room with a drain in the floor for human fluids) You were not arrested. Remain calm. The Grand Jury is not going to be empaneled and the worst case is that someone might....just might....call your parents or your school. If you were just detained, its no ones business but yours, so forget that part of it.

I think the beating from the group about how bad alcohol is, and why it leads to heroin, obesity, bad breath, and certain death by the age of 18 can stand on its own merits. I personally would urge you not to start the drinking habit. Being in public drunk is like being in public unarmed; It will almost certainly coincide with something bad happening, and if you don't have your wits about you when the merde' strikes the ventillateur, you are just going to be part of the problem, and we hope and expect CAP cadets to be part of the solution. So don't be stupid!

Major Lord

[Eclipse]

I personaly think that its better to learn how to drink responsibly when you are in your teens, with the help of your parents, than to try and figure it out on your own in college.

Or, you know.  Just not drink until you're an adult.

Because just say NO works so we...

Worked for me.  It really isn't that hard if you have a good foundation.

Alcohol consumption is neither necessary not inevitable.

If adults wish to consume responsibly, that is their option, but this idea that it has to be a part of a vibrant social life is literally just a beer commercial.

[123Marine]

Im still on the fence about leaving or not. I am also still on the fence about telling CAP about it. I, personally, believe this is a personal matter. the law requires it to be confidential on their part, so i think i should do the same on mine. I believe integrity in CAP only goes so far.

If i seemed to bash the CP on any level last night I am sorry, I was quite tired and i have a rule with myself to not make any real decisions while tired/angry. I am going through a pretty deep moral dilemma right now. Hell, my situation sounds like one of those stories you read in a moral leadership class.

[123Marine]

I am sure its evident that all the Senior Members in this room are tea-totalers, never swear, and remained virgins until their wedding day. Right. Drinking alcohol is bad; they let French kids do it and look at France! Notwithstanding, it sounds like the PD grabbed you, seized your evil ETOH, and poured it out. Being thrown in the back of a police car is not the same as being arrested. Police do that so they can run your ID, to make sure you are not a wanted felon, a terrorist, or a methodist of some type, and they also do it to scare the feces out of you if they think you look like a "citizen" and might benefit from a little police-style attitude adjustment. If you had been under the influence, it probably would have been worse. If they did not write you a ticket, or take you in for "booking" ( Taking your prints, photo, and throwing you into a concrete room with a drain in the floor for human fluids) You were not arrested. Remain calm. The Grand Jury is not going to be empaneled and the worst case is that someone might....just might....call your parents or your school. If you were just detained, its no ones business but yours, so forget that part of it.

I think the beating from the group about how bad alcohol is, and why it leads to heroin, obesity, bad breath, and certain death by the age of 18 can stand on its own merits. I personally would urge you not to start the drinking habit. Being in public drunk is like being in public unarmed; It will almost certainly coincide with something bad happening, and if you don't have your wits about you when the merde' strikes the ventillateur, you are just going to be part of the problem, and we hope and expect CAP cadets to be part of the solution. So don't be stupid!

Major Lord

I do agree. But I am still unsure if it was an official arrest. The only thing you listed is that i had my photo taken. No fingerprints and nor jail room. The cops were quite relaxed and funny about it. I still managed to use my respect towards the officers and they returned it. I'm not a bad kid, I just mad a stupid decision

[ol'fido]

I am sure its evident that all the Senior Members in this room are tea-totalers, never swear, and remained virgins until their wedding day. Right. Drinking alcohol is bad; they let French kids do it and look at France! Notwithstanding, it sounds like the PD grabbed you, seized your evil ETOH, and poured it out. Being thrown in the back of a police car is not the same as being arrested. Police do that so they can run your ID, to make sure you are not a wanted felon, a terrorist, or a methodist of some type, and they also do it to scare the feces out of you if they think you look like a "citizen" and might benefit from a little police-style attitude adjustment. If you had been under the influence, it probably would have been worse. If they did not write you a ticket, or take you in for "booking" ( Taking your prints, photo, and throwing you into a concrete room with a drain in the floor for human fluids) You were not arrested. Remain calm. The Grand Jury is not going to be empaneled and the worst case is that someone might....just might....call your parents or your school. If you were just detained, its no ones business but yours, so forget that part of it.

I think the beating from the group about how bad alcohol is, and why it leads to heroin, obesity, bad breath, and certain death by the age of 18 can stand on its own merits. I personally would urge you not to start the drinking habit. Being in public drunk is like being in public unarmed; It will almost certainly coincide with something bad happening, and if you don't have your wits about you when the merde' strikes the ventillateur, you are just going to be part of the problem, and we hope and expect CAP cadets to be part of the solution. So don't be stupid!

Major Lord

I do agree. But I am still unsure if it was an official arrest. The only thing you listed is that i had my photo taken. No fingerprints and nor jail room. The cops were quite relaxed and funny about it. I still managed to use my respect towards the officers and they returned it. I'm not a bad kid, I just mad a stupid decision

So don't make another stupid  decision by not telling your commander. Whether you decide to go or stay, he will respect you more if you tell him than if he has to find out from the rumor mill. I realize that you are probably embarassed about it, but teenagers constantly do embarassing stuff and the world doesn't come to an end. If you were a cadet in my squadron and you came to me with this, I would probably ask you to keep me in the loop on what is happening and let me know when it has been resolved. Then we would get back to doing some CAP stuff.

[AngelWings]

Im still on the fence about leaving or not. I am also still on the fence about telling CAP about it. I, personally, believe this is a personal matter. the law requires it to be confidential on their part, so i think i should do the same on mine. I believe integrity in CAP only goes so far.

If i seemed to bash the CP on any level last night I am sorry, I was quite tired and i have a rule with myself to not make any real decisions while tired/angry. I am going through a pretty deep moral dilemma right now. Hell, my situation sounds like one of those stories you read in a moral leadership class.

We all make stupid mistakes (coming from a kid who has done his fair share of stupid things, some of which I regret to this day). Learn and move on.

You need to see what you like about the program, what you don't like, what you can change with some hard work, and what you can't. It's not a long road to get yourself in a leadership position with hard work, and when you're there, you can make changes that'll benifit the program. All you need to do is contribute some dedication, time, and use your sticktoitivness to get there. It's nice to have cadets who learn from screw ups because they can offer a hand to some other cadet who screws up, so I'd say you're valuable enough to be wanted to stick around.

CAP for many is really good for a bit, starts to just outright suck, gets better again, and depending on the person, either keeps getting better through work, or gets worse from a lack of work or a poor attitude. I thought about leaving CAP for a bit, though I never said it. I was fat, anti social, felt like I was never going to make staff, never was going to be important, and worse, I thought that I was dead weight. I was a C/AB for the longest time, and missed encampment twice. Then I got promoted C/Amn a little over a year ago, after I started to work on my weight, and it has been better ever since. I've lost 60 pounds, dropped down to a medium from and XL, am now a C/SrA (would be C/SSgt if I could pass that dang Wright Bro's  ), Alpha Flight Sgt. for my squadron, Wing level CAC, Supply Sgt. (even though I am relieving the job to a newbie so they can get something good for their dedication and maturity), and am very popular with all of the cadets in my squadron. All it took was some dedication and wanting, and here I am.

Whatever you do in life, I wish you the best, and I hope you weigh your options, and most importantly, find what is fun for you and what you like.

[123Marine]

Im still on the fence about leaving or not. I am also still on the fence about telling CAP about it. I, personally, believe this is a personal matter. the law requires it to be confidential on their part, so i think i should do the same on mine. I believe integrity in CAP only goes so far.

If i seemed to bash the CP on any level last night I am sorry, I was quite tired and i have a rule with myself to not make any real decisions while tired/angry. I am going through a pretty deep moral dilemma right now. Hell, my situation sounds like one of those stories you read in a moral leadership class.

We all make stupid mistakes (coming from a kid who has done his fair share of stupid things, some of which I regret to this day). Learn and move on.

You need to see what you like about the program, what you don't like, what you can change with some hard work, and what you can't. It's not a long road to get yourself in a leadership position with hard work, and when you're there, you can make changes that'll benifit the program. All you need to do is contribute some dedication, time, and use your sticktoitivness to get there. It's nice to have cadets who learn from screw ups because they can offer a hand to some other cadet who screws up, so I'd say you're valuable enough to be wanted to stick around.

CAP for many is really good for a bit, starts to just outright suck, gets better again, and depending on the person, either keeps getting better through work, or gets worse from a lack of work or a poor attitude. I thought about leaving CAP for a bit, though I never said it. I was fat, anti social, felt like I was never going to make staff, never was going to be important, and worse, I thought that I was dead weight. I was a C/AB for the longest time, and missed encampment twice. Then I got promoted C/Amn a little over a year ago, after I started to work on my weight, and it has been better ever since. I've lost 60 pounds, dropped down to a medium from and XL, am now a C/SrA (would be C/SSgt if I could pass that dang Wright Bro's  ), Alpha Flight Sgt. for my squadron, Wing level CAC, Supply Sgt. (even though I am relieving the job to a newbie so they can get something good for their dedication and maturity), and am very popular with all of the cadets in my squadron. All it took was some dedication and wanting, and here I am.

Whatever you do in life, I wish you the best, and I hope you weigh your options, and most importantly, find what is fun for you and what you like.

Congrats on loosing weight. Sadly, I'm due for my Mitchell, only waiting on time. I partially dont see what else the CP can do for me anymore. You can only hear the same class on integrity and such so many times.

[SarDragon]

Then be part of the solution. Come up with a class on something that a) interests you, and b) pertains to one of the three missions of CAP.

[AngelWings]

Im still on the fence about leaving or not. I am also still on the fence about telling CAP about it. I, personally, believe this is a personal matter. the law requires it to be confidential on their part, so i think i should do the same on mine. I believe integrity in CAP only goes so far.

If i seemed to bash the CP on any level last night I am sorry, I was quite tired and i have a rule with myself to not make any real decisions while tired/angry. I am going through a pretty deep moral dilemma right now. Hell, my situation sounds like one of those stories you read in a moral leadership class.

We all make stupid mistakes (coming from a kid who has done his fair share of stupid things, some of which I regret to this day). Learn and move on.

You need to see what you like about the program, what you don't like, what you can change with some hard work, and what you can't. It's not a long road to get yourself in a leadership position with hard work, and when you're there, you can make changes that'll benifit the program. All you need to do is contribute some dedication, time, and use your sticktoitivness to get there. It's nice to have cadets who learn from screw ups because they can offer a hand to some other cadet who screws up, so I'd say you're valuable enough to be wanted to stick around.

CAP for many is really good for a bit, starts to just outright suck, gets better again, and depending on the person, either keeps getting better through work, or gets worse from a lack of work or a poor attitude. I thought about leaving CAP for a bit, though I never said it. I was fat, anti social, felt like I was never going to make staff, never was going to be important, and worse, I thought that I was dead weight. I was a C/AB for the longest time, and missed encampment twice. Then I got promoted C/Amn a little over a year ago, after I started to work on my weight, and it has been better ever since. I've lost 60 pounds, dropped down to a medium from and XL, am now a C/SrA (would be C/SSgt if I could pass that dang Wright Bro's  ), Alpha Flight Sgt. for my squadron, Wing level CAC, Supply Sgt. (even though I am relieving the job to a newbie so they can get something good for their dedication and maturity), and am very popular with all of the cadets in my squadron. All it took was some dedication and wanting, and here I am.

Whatever you do in life, I wish you the best, and I hope you weigh your options, and most importantly, find what is fun for you and what you like.

Congrats on loosing weight. Sadly, I'm due for my Mitchell, only waiting on time. I partially dont see what else the CP can do for me anymore. You can only hear the same class on integrity and such so many times.

Has an officer, you get some input on that stuff. You have the right and ability to make it much more interesting. Hell, has a Flight Sgt., I'm trying to get more hands on classes and more work on fun and useful things like SAR, Color Guard, aviation, team building, and training exercise for my cadets. You will be an officer, and have the cadet world at your fingertips. You and your future fellow officers are leaders, and you can actively promote and push for what you want to be done, has long has it is in interest of the cadets (don't push for things that nobody could benifit from like a class on how to get out dating or how to do a wheelie in a jet or something really stupid along that line).

[123Marine]

Then be part of the solution. Come up with a class on something that a) interests you, and b) pertains to one of the three missions of CAP.

I have made several classes in the past few months, and the staff agrees the squadron needs to change direction. I still don't feel as though i can benefit any further. If i do decide to leave CAP I will still keep the values with me

[Eclipse]

When you become an officer you start paying back for the lessons and gifts you were given by others.

[Майор Хаткевич]

What I have found to be true, based on a sample of 15-20 people that I know in the age of 20-23 right now:

Those who did not drink while underage could go one of a few ways: full on drunks, never drink, drink rarely.

Those who did drink before 21, but not often / a lot tend to remain that way afterwards. Whether it is simply a predisposition to drinking less, or whether it is a result of their behavior earlier in life is for the scientists to sort out.

Those who drank a lot. And I mean A LOT. Almost every weekend. Anytime the opportunity came up, etc. Those folks STILL do it after turning 21. I'm going to assume it is out of habit and the lack of anything interesting to do in the suburban world they live in.

Me? I'm 22 now. I've been to 5 bars, on 4 occasions. I left (and arrived) at two of those bars as the driver. I was sober by the time it was time to go (I stop drinking well before we call it a night). I simply don't drink much. I also have a family history of alcoholism, and my mother constantly fears that if I drink I may fall into that problem.  Now, I've been on a bit of a beer tasting in the last year. I like to try different beers, so I do drink at home - sometimes. But I've only been seriously drunk a few times in my life, and I'm sad to say most of them were prior to turning 22.

Alcohol isn't evil. The decision to drink isn't evil. Having a drink under the age of 21 isn't a sin, but it is certainly against the law. You want to do it? No one can really stop you. But you will suffer consequences if you are caught. Do most kids who drink die in a crash/kill someone else/destroy their life? No, but they increase their odds.

I'll tell you this though: everyone tells young people that they think they are invincible. And we deny it. We think, sure I realize some things can kill / hurt me, but the things I do won't cause me harm. Looking back? Me at 14 scares the crap out of me. Me at 16 scares the crap out of me. Me at 18, when I figured, I'm an adult, I'm mature now, scares the crap out of me. I'm 22 now. I'm just about at the age where I feel like I'm turning into an adult, but I realize that 5, 10, 20 years from now I'll look back at my 22 year old self and realize how foolish I was.

I hope you consider the right thing. It may not be telling your CAP leadership, but you DEFINITELY need to tell your parents. They earned the right to know.

I also hope you truly consider what you want out of life, whether CAP is part of that or not. Figure yourself out, and do what you feel is right. But also realize, that ultimately CAP is a "once a week on a weekday, and a weekend sometimes". It truly doesn't cut into your social life - my first date with my fiancee was decided right after my first "find" mission. But CAP does make you a better person all around. I look around at my friends, at my classmates in college, and I think: some of these people would have benefited from the structure and experience CAP gave me. It certainly wouldn't have hurt.