Cadet Advisory Council

Overview

Cadet Advisory Council (CAC) provides a forum for Civil Air Patrol cadets to share feedback with commanders at various echelons on issues affecting cadets and "cadet life." 

The purpose of CAC is to: 

• Provide an organization where cadets gain leadership experience at higher organizational levels

• Aid the commander in monitoring and implementing the Cadet Program

• Make recommendations for improving and running the Cadet Program

 

CACs exist at the following levels: 

• National Cadet Advisory Council (NCAC)

Comprised of two representatives appointed by each Region Commander; cadets must be Phase IV or Spaatz Award recipients

• Region Cadet Advisory Council (RCAC) 

Comprised of two cadet officer representatives appointed by each Wing Commander; Ohio Wing represents at the Great Lakes Region Cadet Advisory Council (GLR-CAC) 

• Wing Cadet Advisory Council (WCAC)

Comprised of two cadet representatives from each squadron in the Wing; See below for Ohio Wing Cadet Advisory Council OHWG-CAC)

• Group Cadet Advisory Council (GCAC)

May or may not be utilized in each Group within the Wing

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Ohio Wing Cadet Advisory Council

The OHWG-CAC operates under the Director of Cadet Programs who appoints a Senior Advisor to serve as a program mentor for the CAC Chairperson. 

• Squadron-Level Representation

OHWG-CAC intends to seek representation from each squadron within Ohio Wing with the intent to provide a voice from cadets who are not actively involved at the wing echelon but possess valuable feedback for wing-level leaders (and higher echelons) of matters pertinent to the Cadet Program.

• Group-Level Representation

Groups within Ohio Wing may or may not have active CACs of their own. These CACs are not under the oversight of Ohio Wing leadership; however, the Cadet Programs Team intends to remain of assistance and guidance for Group CACs. 

OHWG-CAC welcomes two representatives from each Group CAC, if actively involved, to serve on the Wing CAC as active members. 

• Additional Wing-Level Participation

The CAC Chairperson, in addition to serving on CAC, is regarded as a critical member component of the Cadet Programs Team and should be regularly involved in relevant discussions and planning matters to ensure that feedback from the CAC is incorporated into wing-level projects/activity curricula. 

 

In addition to appointed representatives to the OHWG-CAC, non-representative cadet members may be regularly involved in CAC activities, including those cadets who serve in wing-level staff positions. 

Ohio Wing representatives to the Great Lakes Region CAC are also invited to attend OHWG-CAC meetings to share information learned at GLR-CAC meetings as well as take feedback from OHWG-CAC to the higher echelon. 

CAC members may also be asked to attend or participate in wing-level functions, such as Wing Conference and open/public forums. 

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Appointing Representatives to OHWG-CAC

CAC permits two representatives from each unit: 

• Primary Representative

​​​​​​​Represents the perspective and best interests of the cadets in their home echelon; regularly attends all CAC meetings; keeps cadets in home echelon informed of CAC activities; serves as the representing vote of the home unit during CAC votes

• Assistant Representative

Serves as a backup to the Primary Representative when the Primary is unavailable; attends as many CAC meetings as feasible; participates in votes when the Primary Representative is absent

 

Each lower echelon commander may appoint one Primary Representative and one Assistant Representative of any cadet grade; however, discretion should be taken to ensure that appointees are reliable in attending, mature enough for pertinent conversations, honest in their feedback, open-minded to critique, and able to serve in representation of others and not just themselves. 

To appoint a representative to OHWG-CAC, commanders should directly contact the Cadet Programs Team at cadetprograms@ohwg.cap.gov. 

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Term Limits

Cadets are expected to serve on CAC for no more than 36 months (3 years). In most cases, it is recommended that cadets rotate out each year unless serving in a CAC Officer position (See below) after their first full year of service. 

Cadets may be removed early from their CAC term if found to fail to meet the expectations of actively serving on CAC (below). 

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OHWG-CAC Officers

Officer positions on CAC include: 

• CAC Chairperson

​​​​​​​Presides over meetings; sets meeting schedules in coordination with the Senior Advisor; sets the agenda for meetings; represents the CAC before the Wing Commander; submits official recommendations to the Commander through the Director of Cadet Programs; assigns cadets to sub-committees as needed

• Vice Chair

​​​​​​​Acts as Chair in their absence; supervises and coordinates work among sub-committees; acts as the Recorder in their absence

• Recorder

Acts as Chair if the Chair and Vice Chair are absent; takes notes during meetings and publishes minutes; compiles and distributes a roster of CAC members and their contact information

 

Cadets appointed to CAC Officer positions are, on appointment, no longer considered an active Representative on the CAC. A new Representative will be sought to replace the vacancy in representation from the home unit. 

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Expectations of Service

Cadets assigned to CAC are expected to be familiar with CAP Pamphlet 52-19 Cadet Advisory Council Guide. It should be noted that this guide serves to provide guidance and best practice for the conduct of the OHWG-CAC; however, deviations may be made at the discretion and approval of the Director of Cadet Program. 

In addition to the above, the following expectations apply: 

• Active participation by attending CAC meetings regularly and engaging during meetings (i.e., participating in forum discussions and votes)

• Active performance of sub-committee functions, to include participation in discussions beyond the regular CAC forum

• Adequate performance of any assigned tasked or work with the intent to meet quality expectations by supervising committee members and/or CAC Officers

• Communication with peers and supervisors when known absences will occur

• Maintaining professionalism and seriousness of affairs when representing one's home unit and/or the Ohio Wing

• Regular engagement with CAC counterparts (i.e., coordination between Primary and Assistant Representatives)

• Representing the voice and opinions of members in the home unit, not just one's self

All cadets participating in CAC are expected to adhere to the Cadet Oath, specifically noting that active participation in home unit activities is essential to one's understanding of the feelings and opinions of unit peers as well as gaining personal advancement. Cadets who are found to be uninvolved and/or stagnant in their home unit, to include failing to adequately advance/promote, may be removed from OHWG-CAC.