[PAO] National Board

Sun Jul 20 16:27:06 CDT 2014

Everyone has raised some very good points. 

I would love to go to the national conference every year. But the way things are, that's not possible. 

I've saved up for this years. Everything locally is more expensive so there is less money for extracurricular activities.

Military airlift…………….. I’ve been checking Base Ops at Scott AFB and there are no scheduled flights.

Any idea where 2015's will be held? 

V/R

PAUL HERTEL, Lt Col, CAP 

Chief of Staff
Public Affairs Officer

Illinois Wing

618-416-5180

From: cap-pao-bounces at lists.sempervigilans.org [mailto:cap-pao-bounces at lists.sempervigilans.org] On Behalf Of Alice Mansell
Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2014 4:04 PM
To: CAP Public Affairs Officers
Subject: Re: [PAO] National Board

Jaime, Thanks for working to improve things for us who will not be there!

I've been a member of CAP since 1987 and gone to a bunch of national conferences since 1998.  Didn't go to one until I had a very specific reason to interact with particular people on ES and legal issues I cared about deeply.  Here are some random thoughts:

- If you want to make an impact on national level, the conventions are almost mandatory, especially for issues which may take years to resolve. It can be very fun to spend time with fellow members working on things you care about together.
- Many go just to tick a box for promotion, silently come and silently leave, while it seems more than half or more who go are the same people with the same ideas and agendas.
- A very high percentage who go wear AF style uniforms covered with ribbons but way out of "weight and balance" the entire conference, sadly, including many National and wing command staffs. Former and current military attendees glower all over the venue.
- The most active local volunteers who do the most work in the the field virtually never take the time and money to go to national conventions unless they can sleep at home or carpool and share hotel rooms with fellow unit members. Most of them go just once and leave disgusted declining to wade in to fix national issues.

- We are most often stuck in a rut of Only Big or Hub Airport Venues.  Why not a smaller airport town in a new location with killer hotel rates? Do smaller airport venues always prove a bust? Vegas airfares are attractive, but hotel rates over $100 are surprising.
- There are some odd written and unwritten rules about who can fly in CAP aircraft from out of state to a convention.  I've never seen CAP try to organize an all-come fly-in with member-provided aircraft with or without help from cheaper military field AvGas and overnight costs. More often than not, most CAP national leadership I've seen wants USAF to disappear down a dark hole instead of building mutually beneficial relationships with each other.

- The ES, AE and Cadet silos have amazingly thick walls and the conventions have very few activities to break those walls. Maybe it will take an Oshkosh-style airlift to punch holes in those walls?
- Nickel and diming members for courses which can be held during the conference must be included in the registration fee to encourage and enable more members to come.
- My local wing members have been offered free registration at somewhat short notice to get enough CAP vehicles and drivers there to "ferry VIPs" and do other "volunteer" jobs.  That offer raises disturbing thoughts...

Regards to all,
Alice

Alice Mansell, LtCol, CAP
California

On Sunday, July 20, 2014, <jaimielhenson at fuse.net> wrote:
> I agree with everything being said on this thread; however, we probably need to talk about it in a more formal way so those making the decision on where to hold Nationals is hearing from the rank and file. I am privileged to get to go to Nationals this year, and will look for an opportunity to address this with the powers that be.
>
> Look for a follow up sometime after Nationals...
>
> Jaimie Henson, Maj.
> Kentucky
>
> ________________________________
> From: "DAVID MOSELEY" <kd4ios at embarqmail.com>
> To: "CAP Public Affairs Officers" <cap-pao at lists.sempervigilans.org>
> Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2014 1:57:51 PM
> Subject: Re: [PAO] National Board
>
> Sadly, this is an example of why people say sarcastically that CAP=Come And Pay.
>
>  
>
> The comments about approaching retirement are true.  I've been retired since 1999 and can't afford to go to the National Boards, or rather, I choose not to spend my resources on something so expensive.
>
>  
>
> My father, a CAP member for years said once when the subject of  the increasing costs of belonging, "The day I pay that kind of money, there will be a band on  Cloud Nine, playing, "Who In The H**** Would Have Thought It!"
>
>  
>
> Looking at the number of our fellow blue suiters who have left our ranks should cause some serious discussions about the costs to members.  We now have less than half the members we had years ago.  Before some gets their panties in a wad because I'm not exactly correct, in the last 59 years that I've been a member, I've seen the numbers drop, and the sad thing is that there is no way to do an exit interview as most members who leave just fold their tent and never tell anybody.  They just don't renew, don't come to meetings, etc.
>
>  
>
> That puts the decision makers in a quandary.  
>
>  
>
> Realizing how many people are gone should tell us that something is seriously wrong. 
>
>  
>
> The problem is above my pay grade.
>
>  
>
> The Lt. said he didn't want to appear to be complaining, but maybe that is exactly what is needed.
>
>  
>
> FWIW.
>
>  
>
> David Moseley, Lt Colonel, CAP
>
> Commander Emeritus, Lake Composite Squadron,
>
> Leesburg, FL
>

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