Texas Wing
Recruiting Page 2
Every social, service, and community organization
has among its top officer positions: President,
Treasurer, and Membership
Development Officer
Good news travels fast. Bad news even faster. What are people saying about your squadron?
How Important is Recruiting in Your Squadron?
Your squadron probably has some form of ceremony for promotions. You probably have some sort of Cadet of the Month/Quarter/Year. But how much prestige do you give those that earn the Recruiting Ribbon? Everyone enjoys recognition and praise. Make recruiting a priority and reward it handsomely and members will respond. Ignore it and they will, too. Consider making Recruiting Ribbons a regular part of your awards ceremonies. Consider awarding a Recruiter of the Year.
Go Where The "Market" Is
Recruiting in Schools. Access to school campuses varies greatly with political and legal policies. The first step is to find out how receptive your schools are. The best approach is the professional one. Consider each school separately and assess how it might benefit by allowing access to CAP. The Cadet Program can be presented as an excellent "science and technology" influence by virtue of our strong Aerospace Education Program. Other schools will view the structure, discipline, and confidence building of the Cadet Program as valuable for "youths at risk." Make an appointment with the principal or administration official and go in CAP blazer combination or business attire. Be cautious about approaching difficult schools in military style uniforms. We're proud of them, but some schools are suspicious of our motives or may associate us with military recruiters.
What do you ask for if the school is receptive? A student assembly would be a recruiter's dream come true, but not very likely. Most schools are strapped for time and can't afford to allow anything that detracts from the students' scheduled activities. An effective approach is the "cafeteria set-up." Ask to put a table in the cafeteria throughout the entire lunch period. If allowed, place it in a high traffic area where every student must pass. A TV/VCR combo with action footage is an eye catcher. Have plenty of current recruiting materials to hand out. Try to arrange to have a male and female Cadet present who make a good image for CAP. One in blues and one in BDUs generates interest. Most students will pass without paying any attention. Some will taunt and heckle. Keep your cool. Some will stop by to look and ask questions. If there are only one or two at the table at a time, give them all the attention they want. If any crowd develops, tactfully move from one student to the next, spending some time with each. Avoid letting one monopolize your time while others wait patiently, then leave frustrated. Most importantly, try to get names, addresses and phone numbers. Make sure they leave with something that shows your meeting time and place. Stress that parents are invited to visit as well. It is a good idea to hold a visitors open house soon after a successful school visit. Follow up on those that provided contact information and remind them of the open house.
Which grades are the best to
recruit in? For many reasons, Middle, or Junior High Schools are the best.
First, Cadets that join at 12 or 13 have more years available to make the most of the program.
Secondly, older students tend to have already locked into sports, activities, and other organizations that CAP must
compete with. Often CAP gets squeezed out. Younger students may not have become overscheduled yet, and CAP has a chance to
become their favorite activity. It just makes sense to feed your squadron from the bottom up. That way, there is a
healthy distribution of ages and grades between 12 and 21. Statistics show that younger recruits have a much higher
renewal rate than older recruits. High School age recruits are only half as likely to renew as 12 - 14 year olds. Finally, new recruits of
High School age sometime have a problem with Cadet NCOs and Officers two, three, or four years younger than they
are.
Where Imagination Takes Flight