THE ADVANTAGES OF DOING IT RIGHT:
TECHNIQUES FOR SUCCESSFUL RECRUITING


by Lt Col Gordon W. Odell, Jr, CAP
PACR with special thanks to Major Laura McKeegan, CAW

Introduction and Overview

CAP is the "best kept secret" because spreading the news by word of mouth is, usually, insufficient. Recruiting by the buddy system works, but there is a better way. Cadet recruiting through local middle schools can bring in cadets by the droves and bring them in as long time members, when it is done right.

Plan your recruiting drive with your successful and unsuccessful recruits in mind. Excite the interest of students in the eligible age group. Anticipate their questions and concerns of those of their parents. Address them at the best possible moment. Show them an organized CAP. Get them started and their momentum going before getting their membership forms and money. Provide an organized discipline basic training and advanced program for their first year and they will be members for a long time to come.

Conduct lunch time presentations at local middle schools to show off the Cadet Program and invite those interested to bring their parents to the Open House. Use the Open House to show the Cadet Program to interested students and their parents, to answer fundamental questions, and to invite attendance at the Orientation Meeting. The Orientation Meeting will begin a detailed introduction to CAP, the first part of the Motivation Phase.

Getting Started

Our squadron seemed to have dwindled to an all time low in membership, attendance and activity. We had several experienced and moderately experienced cadets, but that was all. We needed to grow. We needed more cadets. More than that, we needed sustained memberships.

Experience demonstrated that cadets entering the program one at a time - as compared to those entering as a group - were less likely to stay. They seemed to feel lost and disoriented. The cohesiveness needed within the cadet corps was tough to develop with those who straggled in one by one. More than that, without an organized schedule of activities, they had no reason to believe they would ever do much of anything but march and salute.

Lack of activities, organization and advancement had caused most of the attrition. So, before any recruiting activity took place, a basic training staff was formed and they created a basic training program and schedule. The program planning did not stop there. The staff created a loose activity plan for the next year. The plan included two main items: (1) a wide-ranging list of potential activities ranging from simple tours to a week-long survival bivouac and (2) a list of target dates into which we would "plug in" the activities. The cadet basic training staff prepared themselves for the troops our recruiting drive was to bring in.

The cadet staff, with senior insight and counsel, estimated the number of cadets that they could provide effective basic training at once. We increased that number 10 to 25% and set the recruiting goal. If we recruited more than we could handle at one time, we had three options: set a separate meeting time for cadets in basic training, put the overflow on a waiting list and schedule the next class of recruits or tell them to come back at a specific time. Overextending the staff would damage the organized, discipline presentation so important to the group dynamic we sought to create and maintain. Leaving them wanting more would be better than to give them an experience that appeared undisciplined and out of control.

Planning the recruiting drive was "simply complex." The components were simple, but numerous. We listed the reasons people drop out or do not join and made plans to eliminate surprises by providing "timely" information. "Timely" meant informing them after they learned all the rewards and opportunities of CAP of the less delightful aspects. Military discipline, the cost of uniforms and activities and similar details had surprised past recruits. It seems recruiters had sold their recruits on the promise of free flying time and international travel without explaining all the prerequisites. Surprises and frustrations translate into lost members, especially with those just starting in the program.

The local school district was eager to provide a booklet which contained contact names, addresses, telephone numbers and maps of all the middle schools in the area. They simply provided their substitute teacher information packet. We were most interested in those schools within a 30 minute drive of squadron headquarters. We used the information to contact the vice principals of the schools and set up the schedule for the school presentations.

We telephoned and physically called upon the vice-principals to explain the cadet program and what we had in mind for recruiting. Cadets made the contact with vice-principals at schools they attended and seniors made follow up telephone calls. Most schools were "cold calls." All were supportive and enthusiastic. The questions were about "how" we could do the presentation, not "can we" make the presentation. Some school officials were concerned about having a faculty member present. Most were eager to see our cadets give presentations, but wanted assurances that an adult would be present. All were glad to take our sample announcement for their school bulletin and post it for three days to a week before our scheduled presentation.

Question and answer sheets were prepared with responses to all the usual questions. Each basic topic was on a different colored piece of paper. Invitations/maps to squadron headquarters and the Open House were prepared. Answers to the questions about the costs (or sometimes "typical" costs) of membership - from membership dues and fees to encampments, bivouacs and day trips were placed on one sheet. A separate sheet included costs of uniforms and insignia (which would now include a discussion of the chit program.) A sheet giving instructions on how to complete the membership application was stapled with a sample to two application forms. Every "typical" question we could anticipate was answered on paper, each to be handed out at the proper time and each on paper of a different color. CAP's official recruiting pamphlets were acquired and we prepared some of our own.

A separate project officer was assigned to arrange for the Open House (held off site to accommodate more people in more attractive surroundings) and the Orientation Meeting (refreshments and presentations were more like a "Parents Day.")

The recruiting team and cadet basic training staff set the schedule in terms of days before the Orientation Meeting (O Day.) The School presentations took place between 0-21 and 0-14. Follow up post cards went out at 0-14 and phone calls were scheduled for 0-9 and 10. We planned the Open House for 0-7. O Day began the motivation phase, which was planned as the first three meetings of a nine meeting basic training program.

Cadets volunteered to make presentations at various schools. Senior members volunteered to be escorts and provide transportation where necessary. Parents wrote notes with permission for leaving school to put on the presentations at other schools - often noting the educational merits of doing "public speaking." Parents sometimes noted that the child would be picked up by a specific, named, senior member.

A slide show was prepared to show Civil Air Patrol cadet activities at all organizational levels, beginning at the squadron. Visual aids, such as Cadet Program books, posters and a chart depicting the Cadet Program were assembled in a box for ease of transport. Note pads were put in the box so that we could circulate a sign in sheet. Index cards (three by five inches) were put in the box for use as follow up post cards.

The various handouts were collated by group according to the meeting they were to be distributed.

We were ready.

School Presentations

Four business days before each presentation, we called the school to ask about room assignment and our announcement in school bulletins and over the public address system. The bulletins created the greatest turnout. Even when they did not publish the announcement, the word of people in uniform - kids in uniform - on campus spread curiosity and interest sufficient to get a worthwhile crowd.

Model airplanes, CAP uniforms and insignia displays, Cadet Program materials and other visual aids were strategically placed around the room. We placed targets for potential theft closest to where team members were posted.

As a hedge against the stage fright of the younger speakers, the senior member or most senior speaker went first. I introduced the others, myself and CAP in about three sentences. I asked everyone to print their name, address and telephone numbers on the sheet being circulated. Everyone was given two index cards. I asked them to put their mailing address on one card and pass it to the front of the room. On the second card, I asked that they copy what I wrote on the board, the name and telephone number of a CAP contact person. It seems simple, but giving the audience something to do with their hands (other than eating their lunches) quieted the room quickly and got them into listening.

The three presentations were supported by slides, video tape and other visual aids. Aerospace education focused on orientation flights and learning how the plane works. Leadership touched upon marching and saluting, but the ability to get rank and advance seemed to hold a special interest. Emergency services and learning outdoor skills, woodsmanship," caught a lot of interest and produced a lot of questions.

Our goal was not to tell it all. Our goal was to tease and entice them to bring their parents to the open house.

We closed by distributing the pamphlets produced by National Headquarters and a flyer - an invitation to the open house including the date, time, address and a map. The invitation expressly stated "Bring Mom and Dad. Bring a friend." We told them that we would mail a reminder card to them and give them a telephone call in the week before the open house. We mentioned the Orientation Meeting, but did not elaborate.

In one week, we had more than 150 contacts.

Open House

Some of the cadets were nervous about making the telephone calls to remind our candidates about the open house. So I role played. I "called" our cadets as they played the role of the candidate. The nervousness vaporized. I made some of the calls and when it seemed appropriate, I asked to speak with "Mom." If "Mom" answered the telephone, I made it a point to introduce myself and why I was calling before I asked to speak with John Doe. Parents get uncomfortable when an adult calls to speak with their children. Especially, if they might be asking them to go somewhere or buy anything.

The Open House was almost identical to the school presentations. By now, the cadets were comfortable with the process and wanted to do the show entirely by themselves. As cadets gave the presentations, "Mom and Dad" imagined their daughter or son standing in front of such a large audience (With parents, there were more than 100 non-members in the room - a board room for the local water district.) Some seniors augmented the cadet speakers.

We distributed most of the handouts during the Open House reserving lots of extra copies for the Orientation Meeting. We had mixed feelings about distributing information about costs and expenses and agreed there might not be a "right answer." One thought was to NOT present any information that might be discouraging. Papers that talk about expensive items could be discouraging. The other thought was to make sure they had the information before they wrote the check for dues. We distributed the information regarding membership applications, dues and likely activities expenses at the Open House. "Would everyone please look at the green pages in your Open House Information Packets? We'd like to talk with you about what you can expect in terms of yearly costs." Using colored paper really sped the process along.

Questions were fielded by cadets and supplemented by seniors as necessary. Seniors asked questions that weren't being asked: "Excuse me Cadet Smith, I'm not sure it was clear - why would anyone want to go to an encampment?"

We ended with: "If I can bring your attention to the goldenrod sheet in the information packet. I would like to invite you to the orientation meeting. You will see that the meeting is set to begin at 9:00 a.m. and end at noon this coming Saturday morning. We would love to see you Mom's and Dad's there. Would everyone from Deadwood Middle School raise your hands? Thank you. Keep them up. Kids, look for your friends. If you need to car pool, get together with your buddies outside in about five minutes. [We did it for every school.] Thank you everyone for coming this evening. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday. Our staff will be outside in the lobby to answer any other questions."

Even the youngest cadets present were confident and quite articulate as they were approached by parents and potential recruits in the lobby. They had information to offer and were proud to provide it.

Orientation Meeting

Nearly 30 recruits appeared that Saturday. Many of them had their parents in tow. Formal introductions were made of the command staff. Classes were held on CAP history and the Cadet Program. Static displays of emergency services equipment, vehicles, aircraft, and gridded sectional charts were manned for one on one presentations during breaks. We closed with a presentation on uniform care and acquisition followed by a discussion of how to fill out the membership forms.

At the next meeting, the basic training program began in earnest. Membership forms were collected and arrangements were planned to have the group swear in as a unit. Weeks later, we completed the first flight of approximately 25 cadets. That group went on to win at the National Drill Competition more than once.

The Advantages of Doing it Right

By targeting recruiting to schools, you get groups of recruits who are acquainted with one another and who, through cooperation can ease the problems of commuting to meetings and working on assignments together. Targeting schools within a 30 minute drive of squadron headquarters means that there will be fewer parents and cadets who tire rapidly of the commute experience which can exaggerate the occasional frustrations experienced in the program. Recruiting the youngest possible cadets enhances the confidence level of your training staff, but more important, it maximizes the CAP experience and ingrains them with the values of teamwork and cooperation early on and more permanently.

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