Online presentation in the TRAINING LEADERS of CADETS curriculum

1
Electronic AlmanacDemographics About Cadets
The Cadet Program

• On-line presentation in the TRAINING LEADERS of
  CADETS curriculum
• Strategic Perspective Block ? Lesson S2

2
Overview objectives

• Summarize key demographicsabout cadets and the
  Cadet Program.
• Compare your squadrons statistics with national
  averages to gain a more complete perspective
  aboutyour unit.
• Statistics are current as of June 2005. Some
  data have been rounded.

3
Cadet demographics at a glance

• Cadets
• Median age 14.8
• Gender ratio 80 male 20 female
• The Cadet Program
• Total cadet membership 21,193
• Retention rate 31 first year 47 overall
• Number of cadet units 844 nation-wide, including
  5 overseas units
• School Program units 47
• Average unit size 20 cadets

4
Recruiting
As illustrated by this graph, as senior member
recruiting ebbs and flows, so do the cadets.
Having a number of dedicated senior members to
mentor cadets is an essential ingredient to a
healthy squadron. Historically, the best time to
recruit cadets is in fall, as students go back to
school.
5
Retention
The retention rate the percentage of cadets and
seniors who renew their membership each year is
a key factor in CAPs overall membership
strength. As you will learn in other TLC
seminars, the two most important keys to cadet
retention are strong adult leadership and
challenging activities.
6
Total CAP membership
Although CAPs total membership has seen some
peaks and troughs over the years, when viewed
from a 30-year perspective, membership has
remained relatively constant, with approximately
25,000 cadets and 60,000 total members.
7
Cadet ages
The median age for cadets is 14.5 years, and the
bulk of CAPs cadets are between the 7th and 11th
grades at school. Nevertheless, it is very common
for squadrons to have a one room schoolhouse
consisting of early-adolescents and college-age
cadets.
8
Cadet milestone awards
Since the Wright Brothers Award was created in
2003, 25 of cadets have qualified for it by
completing Phase I. That statistic underlines
the importance of getting new cadets off to a
good start in CAP, and the importance of
squadrons having strong adult leaders and
mentoring programs.
9
Ten largest cadet units

• s Sheldon Cadet Texas 245 cadets
• s Stoddert Middle School Cadet National
  Capital 113
• s Rome City School District Cadet New York 96
• Bethesda-Chevy Chase Composite Maryland 80
• Southside Composite Virginia 77
• Rochester Cadet New York 67
• Sugarland Composite Texas 67
• s Creighton Cadet Pennsylvania 66
• Peachtree City Falcon Field Georgia 65
• Concord Cadet New Hampshire 62
• The CAP School Program is growing. Some of the
  largest cadet units are School Program Squadrons.
  98 of cadet units have fewer than 50 cadets.
• s Denotes CAP School Program squadron

10
FY 08 corporate budget
2,451,265 Total annual budget Corporate
funds are derived from member dues donations,
not tax dollars.
Other196,101 8
PA318,66413
Contingency73,5381
Support612,816 25
ES73,5383
Senior Dues1,299,170 53
Cash Reserve73,5384
Cadet Dues955,993 39
Cadets808,917 33
Special Events73,5385
PD196,1018
Income
Expenses
Development196,1018
11
FY 08 appropriated budget
26,553,000 Total annual budget Appropriated
funds are derived from tax dollars, not member
dues.
CP3,451,89013
Procurement4,086,80015
AE2,920,83011
Admin/Other2,653,30010
Support21,090,20080
Wing Administrators2,387,9709
O M21,722,00082
Missions14,338,62054
PD796,5903
Income
Expenses
12
Other funds

• Grants 0 last year
• State Funding 3,952,349 last year
• Partnerships 10,000 last year

State Funding
Grants
Partnerships
13
Conclusions

• Recruiting seniors is just as important as
  recruiting cadets. Cadets need leaders, and as
  more adults join, more cadets do as well.
• Every squadron can grow by improving cadet
  retention.
• The Cadet Program strongly appeals to the 13-16
  year old age group. Squadrons should target
  students in the 8th and 9th grades during
  recruiting drives.
• CAP needs to do a better job at getting new
  cadets off to a good start and through Phase I.
  Strong adult leadership and effective mentoring
  programs are key.
• CAP is a non-profit that draws its financial
  resources from members, governments, and the
  aerospace community. Squadrons should look for
  partners in their community to help support local
  projects.
• What other conclusions can you draw from the
  data? Discuss your ideas at TLC.