Attention CAP Members!!

Thanks to the e-mail that the Cadet Programs team sent out yesterday regarding NCSA's, I see that an idea of mine had finally came to fruition, and is up and open for everyone!

After the 'Cadet Life Video ' slideshow came out I made the suggestion to our CP team at NHQ that I thought it would be a great idea if we gave our membership a chance to show us how talented they are in the realm of video creation. I've seen just about everything (available online anyways) in regards to 'CAP videos'....some bad, and some REALLY good, and I think if the right effort was made by the right folks, we could have a great recruiting video to use going forward and that video would be created by YOU, the membership!

So, starting yesterday, through 31 Jan 2010, a contest is in place to see who can create the best 'Cadet Recruiting Video'. I'm not sure why the announcement was kept so low key, but I'm here to make some noise about it, since I think it's such a great idea and a great opportunity for our members.

Here is the link to the contest information:
http://www.capmembers.com/cadet_programs/opportunities/video_competition.cfm

Make sure you pay attention to the content restriction rules, i.e. Copyrighted Materials. Yes, cool songs make for cool videos, but if we want to be able to use the videos 'legally', then you need to use original music or find royalty free music. Unless of course you have amazing abilities to convince a record label into letting you use their music for these purposes.

Good luck to those of you who decide to enter! I'm looking forward to seeing what you all come up with! Oh...and remember this is a video contest, not a slideshow contest! ;-)

Well now, I seem to be a couple days late in getting this latest blog post out. Way too many 'irons in the fire' these days! Especially CAP related! To quote a certain cadet commander for an upcoming encampment that I'll be attending; "If I was actually getting paid for all the work I'm doing for CAP lately; money would NOT be a problem!". I know EXACTLY how this cadet feels.

Don't get me wrong though, I'm not complaining in the least, I love every second of every day for what I do that is CAP related, my only problem is that the 'jobs' that actually bring in revenue are not showing up at my doorstep like they should be. Since I launched my home business, C3Designs, I haven't had one solid bite, nor has Monster.com, Dice.Com or Careerbuilder.com presented anything remotely close to what it is I do. So if anyone out there on the 'IntarWebs' has some work they can send my way, I'd be most appreciative.

I keep checking www.usajobs.gov in the hopes there is something I can do that is government or civilian contractor related that I qualify for, but it would seem those don't exist in my 'backyard'. Ah well, all in good time, right?

A couple of weeks ago I was presented with an opportunity to go out to a small municipal airport in Greenville, MI to do some recruiting for CAP at an annual EAA Young Eagles 'Fly Day' event. That was this past Saturday, and short of it being really cold and windy in the morning, the day was pretty great; the Young Eagle folks flew over 160 kids that day! Two of which were my own.

I had no plans of them flying that day since we had planned to recruit hard and heavy, but since things were pretty slow going at the start and finish, both my son and daughter were able to fly. Joshua, who is currently a C/CMSgt is no stranger to flying and loves every chance he has to go up; enjoyed his flight like any other; but my daughter, who has never been off the ground in an airplane before got her first taste of flight this day in a 1966 Cessna 150, Tail Number N2419J.  She was very excited and quite proud of herself when she returned to our display holding her 'Young Eagles Certificate' and photo that was taken of her and the pilot by the airplane. I was proud of her too, for 12 years old, she's quite brave and will try just about anything handed to her. I always imagined her first flight would be in a CAP aircraft, but not anymore and that's just fine by me! I'm just glad I could be there when she did it.