SQUADRON HACKS
(in no particular order)
Civil Air Patrol is a program with vast options, so creating an experience attractive to cadets and other adults can be overwhelming. This list may also feel overwhelming; if so, print it, cut the ideas up, and stick them into some kind of a tickler file so you can bite off a few favorites for now and maybe add something once a week.
To be notified of additions, corrections, and updates, email me and I'll add you to a notification list; find my email address via Operations Qualifications in eServices. If you know of a platform where we can post this kind of knowledge, organize it, tag it, rate it, and comment on it, I will be most grateful for your input. -2LT Tim Nardoni CAP
□ KEEP YOUR OWN KNOWLEDGE BASE. Use a free app/web site like Evernote or Google Keep to collect the vast amount of Civil Air Patrol information you encounter, so you can essentially create your own “knowledge base” and search it. You can even select and copy text from PDFs and web sites. If you want to avoid formatting woes, paste the text into Notepad first, then cut and paste it into Evernote. In hindsight, it might be better to keep this in your squadron's Google Drive, so you can easily pass the information on to whoever is helping you.
□ SAVE BIG ON PRINTING, OFFICE SUPPLIES, ETC. Print b&w copies for 2½¢ or color copies for 22¢ at Office Depot using your SPC card. I got mine in the mail about six months after joining. Buy ink and office supplies there using that card for an enormous discount. Print PDFs as 11"x17" posters on a wide selection of papers for under $1/ea. I email documents with specifications directly to the store rather than using the online tool. Get your card at http://officediscounts.org/cap/
□ SOLICIT ANSWERS AND IDEAS FROM A NATIONWIDE AUDIENCE. It is not uncommon for members to remember things wrong, so you’re likely to get different answers depending on whom you ask. Search the Facebook group Civil Air Patrol Discussion Group for just about any keyword(s). If you can’t find answers from the past, post a new question. Members--currently around 3,800--are active and relatively kind, and self-correction often occurs. I paste the best bits into Evernote so I can find my summaries later. If you want to find your way back to the discussion thread, copy and paste the URL, too.
□ READ REGS AND OTHER OFFICIAL PDFs ON THE GO. Copy CAP PDFs to a Kindle or download them onto your phone and read them using the Amazon Kindle app when you’re standing in line. The free FoxIt Reader for Windows, Mac, and Linux will even read them out loud to you.
□ Use Microsoft Edge to pre-fill obvious blanks in F12, F160, F161, CAP 60-80, and then print a bunch at Office Depot to have on hand when members inevitably forget theirs.
To be notified of additions, corrections, and updates, email me and I'll add you to a notification list; find my email address via Operations Qualifications in eServices. If you know of a platform where we can post this kind of knowledge, organize it, tag it, rate it, and comment on it, I will be most grateful for your input. -2LT Tim Nardoni CAP
□ KEEP YOUR OWN KNOWLEDGE BASE. Use a free app/web site like Evernote or Google Keep to collect the vast amount of Civil Air Patrol information you encounter, so you can essentially create your own “knowledge base” and search it. You can even select and copy text from PDFs and web sites. If you want to avoid formatting woes, paste the text into Notepad first, then cut and paste it into Evernote. In hindsight, it might be better to keep this in your squadron's Google Drive, so you can easily pass the information on to whoever is helping you.
□ SAVE BIG ON PRINTING, OFFICE SUPPLIES, ETC. Print b&w copies for 2½¢ or color copies for 22¢ at Office Depot using your SPC card. I got mine in the mail about six months after joining. Buy ink and office supplies there using that card for an enormous discount. Print PDFs as 11"x17" posters on a wide selection of papers for under $1/ea. I email documents with specifications directly to the store rather than using the online tool. Get your card at http://officediscounts.org/cap/
□ SOLICIT ANSWERS AND IDEAS FROM A NATIONWIDE AUDIENCE. It is not uncommon for members to remember things wrong, so you’re likely to get different answers depending on whom you ask. Search the Facebook group Civil Air Patrol Discussion Group for just about any keyword(s). If you can’t find answers from the past, post a new question. Members--currently around 3,800--are active and relatively kind, and self-correction often occurs. I paste the best bits into Evernote so I can find my summaries later. If you want to find your way back to the discussion thread, copy and paste the URL, too.
□ READ REGS AND OTHER OFFICIAL PDFs ON THE GO. Copy CAP PDFs to a Kindle or download them onto your phone and read them using the Amazon Kindle app when you’re standing in line. The free FoxIt Reader for Windows, Mac, and Linux will even read them out loud to you.
□ Use Microsoft Edge to pre-fill obvious blanks in F12, F160, F161, CAP 60-80, and then print a bunch at Office Depot to have on hand when members inevitably forget theirs.
