Recruiting

[MajorPayne]

Hello everyone.
I have a few questions about recruiting new members. My squadron is looking forward to, as most other squadrons look forward to, gaining new members. I really would like to do my part. I currently am a part of a little group of our members who were specifically tasked with contacting potential cadets and answering their quetions.

A few months back, I went into my highschools carear center and game a few posters and business cards to our carear leader. I also included my personal phone number and informed her about the program and its goals. Unfortunantly she never called me and I have not seen anything around the school. But thats another story. Other than my friend that I recruited three months ago, we are the only cadets that I am aware of that go to my school. I guess what i am asking for are ideas to fuel the fire. I feel that I could really help our membership grow but I just would like some fresh ideas and some recources that would be useful. In talking with our recruiting officer, I feel that our whole squadron is motivated to make our membership grow.

Thank you in advance for the posts!

[Extremepredjudice]

Try to do a presentation, open house, etc.


A SrA shouldn't be creating a recruitment strategy. Sorta out of your pay-grade

[titanII]

Sorta out of your pay-grade

Wait, we get paid?! 

But in all seriousness, open houses and presentations are great. If you do an open house At your squadron, advertise it at school. Ask your principal to post signs all over your school- hallways, above drinking fountains (bubblers if you're from MAWG), etc. If you do a presentation in front of school, you might want to consider getting a more experienced (higher grade) cadet from your squadron who may be able to speak a bit better towards all the benefits that CAP can offer, some of which you may not necessarily be familiar with as a C/SrA (I know I'm constantly learning new things from higher ranking cadets than I). Or maybe even a Senior Member.
I'm Not saying you shouldn't be involved in the presentation, just that you may want to get some help so you're not doing it all yourself.

[MajorPayne]

I understand how it looks from the outside looking in on a SrA doing the recruiting. We really as a squadron are quite motivated. I am also not trying to put together a strategy for the squadron ( though I can see how that may have been confused, Im sorry). What I am really looking for are ways to spread the word more effectively through out my neighborhood and school. Almost like a personal recruitment plan . I only need one more cadet for my ribbon. thats an exter bonous .

By the way, thank you for the idea about the principle. I hadnt quite originally thaught of taking it that far, but I guess the more I can get it out there the better. As far as the presentation is concerned, we are holing an open house and the higher ranking cadets will most likely speak at that, which I would actually prefer, because I do agree, i constantly am learning from my fellow CAP cadets .

[CAP4117]

above drinking fountains (bubblers if you're from MAWG),

...Or WIWG   

[Extremepredjudice]

above drinking fountains (bubblers if you're from MAWG),

...Or WIWG   

Googled it, came up with bongs. 

[CAP4117]

 
For those of us from WI (or MA, apparently), bubblers=drinking fountains

[Pump Scout]

It's true, in WI, we drink from bubblers.

We just had a lively discussion tonight about recruiting possibilities. What the discussions really boiled down to, other than word of mouth, open houses, and such, was getting the squadron visible to the public.

[titanII]

getting the squadron visible to the public.

+1
This can be huge.
You can do this by having tables at community events/festivals, marching in community parades, and volunteering at community events. For instance, my squadron volunteers to do crowd control/parking at the Boston Marathon, a Collings Foundation Airshow, and a few Revolutionary War reenactments for Patriot's Day. Not only are they great opportunities for recruitment, but it's also a lot of fun to volunteer at those kind of events .