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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