CAP Professional Development - Problems and Solutions

[catrulz]

Once again, not sure why Conference attendance needs to be a PD requirement.

Without it, you probably wouldn't have anybody at the conference...

And the whole world of CAP as Bubba knows it, is at Petticoat Junction Squadron and what Major Gomer and Captain Goober tells him. Some members really do not know about the other 58,000 +/- members. Knowledge is awesome and for some members the Knowledge Base and CAP Talk is the only way to get a straight answer to a question that Gomer or Goober is just guessing at. 

There needs to be a better motivation for attending Conference than requiring it for PD.  If you remove it as a requirement and no one attends, that is symptomatic of not making the membership feel like they value the conference.  Aren't you fond of saying "don't waste my time."  I have been to my share, and I'll be attending conferences in the future (I'm certainly not attending every year). 

Personally, I don't believe CAP Talk is a good source for answers, its a great place for discussion.  Answers come from the regulations, or senior staff officers, when there seems to be gray area, or the NHQ staff when the question doesn't get answered. 

[PHall]

Once again, not sure why Conference attendance needs to be a PD requirement.

Without it, you probably wouldn't have anybody at the conference...

And the whole world of CAP as Bubba knows it, is at Petticoat Junction Squadron and what Major Gomer and Captain Goober tells him. Some members really do not know about the other 58,000 +/- members. Knowledge is awesome and for some members the Knowledge Base and CAP Talk is the only way to get a straight answer to a question that Gomer or Goober is just guessing at. 

There needs to be a better motivation for attending Conference than requiring it for PD.  If you remove it as a requirement and no one attends, that is symptomatic of not making the membership feel like they value the conference.  Aren't you fond of saying "don't waste my time."  I have been to my share, and I'll be attending conferences in the future (I'm certainly not attending every year). 

Personally, I don't believe CAP Talk is a good source for answers, its a great place for discussion.  Answers come from the regulations, or senior staff officers, when there seems to be gray area, or the NHQ staff when the question doesn't get answered.

You want people to go to Wing Conference? Even if it wasn't "required"? Then make it useful and don't waste people's time and money.

[catrulz]

Once again, not sure why Conference attendance needs to be a PD requirement.

Without it, you probably wouldn't have anybody at the conference...

And the whole world of CAP as Bubba knows it, is at Petticoat Junction Squadron and what Major Gomer and Captain Goober tells him. Some members really do not know about the other 58,000 +/- members. Knowledge is awesome and for some members the Knowledge Base and CAP Talk is the only way to get a straight answer to a question that Gomer or Goober is just guessing at. 

There needs to be a better motivation for attending Conference than requiring it for PD.  If you remove it as a requirement and no one attends, that is symptomatic of not making the membership feel like they value the conference.  Aren't you fond of saying "don't waste my time."  I have been to my share, and I'll be attending conferences in the future (I'm certainly not attending every year). 

Personally, I don't believe CAP Talk is a good source for answers, its a great place for discussion.  Answers come from the regulations, or senior staff officers, when there seems to be gray area, or the NHQ staff when the question doesn't get answered.

You want people to go to Wing Conference? Even if it wasn't "required"? Then make it useful and don't waste people's time and money.

You sold me, where do I sign up!

[DoubleSecret]

You want people to go to Wing Conference? Even if it wasn't "required"? Then make it useful and don't waste people's time and money.

I don't care that it's 1/1/2015, this is post of the year.

We do so many unnecessary things just to feed egos and justify the existence of higher echelons/the in-crowd.

I've seen incentives given to units for pushing out a quantity of nominations for wing-level awards.  &#*$ quality, crank out quantity.  Oh, and now all those nominees get invited to the ceremony.  It pushes ticket sales and inflates audience size when the winner gets his or her award. 

We tell people to jump through hoops to certify for aircrew positions, they do it in all good faith, and the same well-connected people get "the call" for the real deal.  If you're not rotating opportunity to apply training on real-world missions, you're creating a paper cadre of aircrew to help justify the existence of the in-crowd.

Ever get one of those short-suspense "hey, we welcome everyone to apply for this position" notes and know immediately that no matter who applied, Captain X was the one who'd get it?  If the decision is made, just appoint Captain X and save everyone else the trouble of even reading the solicitation for applications.

Ever get one of those "I need you to jump through these additional hoops that I haven't bothered to promulgate a written policy for because I know it wouldn't fly" notes?  Mmm hmm.

Just be real.  Respect people's time and money and contributions to the mission.  Don't be a roadblock for the sake of being one.  And by all that's holy, if you're going to hold forth on the importance of adhering to real and imagined CAP policy, don't squeeze your overweight carcass into an unauthorized set of CAP blues while you're doing it.

Oh.  Happy new year, btw.  Be safe and stuff.  When's the group hug?

[PHall]

Oh.  Happy new year, btw.  Be safe and stuff.  When's the group hug?

At the next Wing Conference!

[Eclipse]

Then make it useful and don't waste people's time and money.

This is the most fundamentally missed lesson of CAP.

People will line up around te block to shovel poop into the wind if they think it serves a purpose.

[James Shaw]

Then make it useful and don't waste people's time and money.

This is the most fundamentally missed lesson of CAP.

People will line up around te block to shovel poop into the wind if they think it serves a purpose.

Amen Sir, I honestly believe this 100% accurate and the reason we are slightly above 58k and not above 60k. There is only so much people are willing to do when you waste their time. They eventually go somewhere else. Fundamental premise.

Do you think this will change and how can we help?

[SarDragon]

You want people to go to Wing Conference? Even if it wasn't "required"? Then make it useful and don't waste people's time and money.

You seem to have enjoyed every wing conference I've seen you at. 

[lordmonar]

You want people to go to Wing Conference? Even if it wasn't "required"? Then make it useful and don't waste people's time and money.

You seem to have enjoyed every wing conference I've seen you at. 

Some people make their own fun......but we should not be advertising the conference as "Come party with Phall!"   (not that I don't want to party with your).    The conferences should be a no brainer....no sell week end.  It should be offering things for everyone one, it should be reasonably priced, and it should be fun to go to.

[PHall]

You want people to go to Wing Conference? Even if it wasn't "required"? Then make it useful and don't waste people's time and money.

You seem to have enjoyed every wing conference I've seen you at. 

Some people make their own fun......but we should not be advertising the conference as "Come party with Phall!"   (not that I don't want to party with your).    The conferences should be a no brainer....no sell week end.  It should be offering things for everyone one, it should be reasonably priced, and it should be fun to go to.

I go to them mostly to do Cadet Programs stuff and to "network". But I haven't seen a class that would be useful to me in years.

[flyboy53]

While I understand the whole point of a conference is to network, we are of the era where training is done live via the Internet.

In order to make conferences meaningful, make them really count for something like a real training requirement. Our conferences should really be held on a military base. That way, you can tie in things like base tours and visits to the BX. Make it really feel like you're part of something big.

Banquets could be held at the base club and/or dining hall.

A joint conference with another wing also just sounds so cool to me. At the '09 NSC, students used base facilities which really helped with the cost.

All too often these days, a conference is held at a distant resort center due to requirements set by NHQ, which drives the cost. And while there are all these great things to do at the resort center, nobody ever has time to do it, so it really is a very expensive waste of time -- especially when there are no vendors where things can be had at the last minute to make the trip worthwhile.

The last several wing conferences I've attended were at a resort center seven hours away. With my job, it meant leaving work Friday afternoon, traveling the seven hours and then getting to the conference site late when all of the first day activities have already been wrapped up and you have to check into your room with no idea what will happen the next day. Then it's two days of meetings and another seven hour drive home -- just no fun anymore, given that I'm a disabled veteran and the effect of those injuries caught up with me with a vengeance when I reached age 60.

[Alaric]

We just held in October the Joint NER/CT Wing conference and I must say (though I confess to bias) that it was of value to those in attendance.  ThIs is also the feedback I received from attendees.

[Eclipse]

^ Sorry, a whole bunch of those topics are the examples of the problem - most of it is either
stuff that should be handled at the unit-level, or has a very narrow focus of audience and
those people are likely already current on the topic (another problem with the conference mentality -
the people who need it aren't there and the people who are there don't need it).

The other issue is that it is hard to judge how effective the schedule is / was without seeing it.
I've been to a couple where no thought was given to competing tracks, so you had people
with legit interest who had to make a choice, resulting in empty rooms all over.

[catrulz]

The average CAP member is not going to attend more than one Conference per year.  I would also say, that most CAP members do not attend a Conference their first year in the program. 

I always thought the Conference requirement in PD was to add time and inconvenience to the process.  Our unit (here in Petticoat Junction ) encourage our membership to attend, to support their specialty area seminar (especially finance), and give support to members throughout the Wing that are being recognized. 

I didn't go last year, but will probably go this year.  But, I still contend it lends very little to a members training or quals.

[Майор Хаткевич]

The average CAP member is not going to attend more than one Conference per year.  I would also say, that most CAP members do not attend a Conference their first year in the program. 

I always thought the Conference requirement in PD was to add time and inconvenience to the process.  Our unit (here in Petticoat Junction ) encourage our membership to attend, to support their specialty area seminar (especially finance), and give support to members throughout the Wing that are being recognized. 

I didn't go last year, but will probably go this year.  But, I still contend it lends very little to a members training or quals.

Yea...I went to 1 as a cadet. Didn't count.


So I'll go to 2 more, for a shot at Major, and that's it.

[Alaric]

^ Sorry, a whole bunch of those topics are the examples of the problem - most of it is either
stuff that should be handled at the unit-level, or has a very narrow focus of audience and
those people are likely already current on the topic (another problem with the conference mentality -
the people who need it aren't there and the people who are there don't need it).

The other issue is that it is hard to judge how effective the schedule is / was without seeing it.
I've been to a couple where no thought was given to competing tracks, so you had people
with legit interest who had to make a choice, resulting in empty rooms all over.

Here is a link to the schedule

http://ctwg.cap.gov/uploads/3/0/6/6/3066786/final_seminar_schedule.jpg

I'm sure you are putting your money where your mouth is and are working with Kirk on the IL Conference

[JeffDG]

All too often these days, a conference is held at a distant resort center due to requirements set by NHQ, which drives the cost. And while there are all these great things to do at the resort center, nobody ever has time to do it, so it really is a very expensive waste of time -- especially when there are no vendors where things can be had at the last minute to make the trip worthwhile.

Now, I'm not one to carry water for the Echelons-above-Reality, including NHQ, but what are the "requirements set by NHQ" that require conferences to be at some resort?

Our last conference was at a university, and was a one-day affair (including conference and banquet).  I've not seen anything that indicates NHQ is pushing some standard.

[Ned]

I've been on my fair share of conference planning committtees, and venue selection is a series of compromises concerning factors like capacity, cost, and access.

• Typically, you need a facility that has multiple classrooms / meetings rooms that are reasonably close together, an auditorium sufficiently large to hold everyone, and perhaps a banquet facility for an awards dinner.
  
  
  
• The location has to be within reasonable travel distance for a majority of the members.  (Pity the planners for large wings like Florida, Texas, California, Hawaii, etc.)  It will never be convenient for everyone, so some folks are always going to be unhappy.  Sometimes very unhappy.
   
  
  
• Cost.  Sure,  big hotels can typically handle these kinds of small-to-medium conferences.  They have the rooms and infrastructure to support the meeting.  But they are businesses, and tend to charge "hotel prices" for pretty much everything.  ("Oh, did you wnat wifi access in the meeting rooms, that will cost $$$$.   BTW, you didn't mean high-speed wifi, did you, cuz that's extra.")  Plus hotels typically want you to guarantee renting a minimum of X rooms at their special conference rate.
  
  Military bases can certainly be cheaper than hotels, but are not free.  Beyond the access issues discussed below, military facilities can (and do) bump a CAP conference with little or no notice for a higher priority military customer.  That's a risk factor planners must consider.
  
  
• Access.  Typically only a problem at military facilities.  Member access is usually not a problem, but don't forget that non-member Aunt Sally who wants to watch Cadet Kelly receive the COY award will also need access, and maybe a room.  Not to mention vendors.
  
  
  
  Consider that some wings do not have suitable military facilities to start with.  Now just weigh and balance the competing values and concerns, and make a recommendation to the boss who actually approves the venue.
  
  Then listen patiently to the members who will correctly point out that the conference will be located several hundred miles from home, costs a heck of a lot of money for a room and meals, and that some / most / all of the classes and breakouts do not relate directly to their job at the squadron.
  
  Then gleefully invite them to take your place and serve on the confence committee for next year.   

[Al Sayre]

^^ +1

Sometimes all you can hope for is to make everyone EQUALLY un-happy...

[catrulz]

I've been on my fair share of conference planning committtees, and venue selection is a series of compromises concerning factors like capacity, cost, and access.

• Typically, you need a facility that has multiple classrooms / meetings rooms that are reasonably close together, an auditorium sufficiently large to hold everyone, and perhaps a banquet facility for an awards dinner.
  
  
  
• The location has to be within reasonable travel distance for a majority of the members.  (Pity the planners for large wings like Florida, Texas, California, Hawaii, etc.)  It will never be convenient for everyone, so some folks are always going to be unhappy.  Sometimes very unhappy.
   
  
  
• Cost.  Sure,  big hotels can typically handle these kinds of small-to-medium conferences.  They have the rooms and infrastructure to support the meeting.  But they are businesses, and tend to charge "hotel prices" for pretty much everything.  ("Oh, did you wnat wifi access in the meeting rooms, that will cost $$$$.   BTW, you didn't mean high-speed wifi, did you, cuz that's extra.")  Plus hotels typically want you to guarantee renting a minimum of X rooms at their special conference rate.
  
  Military bases can certainly be cheaper than hotels, but are not free.  Beyond the access issues discussed below, military facilities can (and do) bump a CAP conference with little or no notice for a higher priority military customer.  That's a risk factor planners must consider.
  
  
• Access.  Typically only a problem at military facilities.  Member access is usually not a problem, but don't forget that non-member Aunt Sally who wants to watch Cadet Kelly receive the COY award will also need access, and maybe a room.  Not to mention vendors.
  
  
  
  Consider that some wings do not have suitable military facilities to start with.  Now just weigh and balance the competing values and concerns, and make a recommendation to the boss who actually approves the venue.
  
  Then listen patiently to the members who will correctly point out that the conference will be located several hundred miles from home, costs a heck of a lot of money for a room and meals, and that some / most / all of the classes and breakouts do not relate directly to their job at the squadron.
  
  Then gleefully invite them to take your place and serve on the confence committee for next year.   
  

Yes but cost and access/location only affect conferences for PD effect in terms of members being able to attend.  Hawaii was a great example with multiple islands, you would have to spend airfare of boat fare. 

The pertinent issue is what training value can be assured from conference?  And because of this, why is it a requirement for PD progression?  It would be of greater value to place a varied training requirement in it's place.  Don't misunderstand me, I'm not advocating boycotting Conference.  I still think members should attend when they reasonably can.  PD should not be the motivator to fill seats.  The value of the presentation should be the motivator to fill seats, support of those receiving recognition, and pure networking and social benefits, provide more than enough reason to attend.

We've turned this into why are people unhappy with conference thread, and that's not the discussion.  Conference is fun, and valuable.  It simply has little PD value, IMHO.