Last week, Austin invited his friend Gabe to one of his karate classes. This week, Gabe invited Austin to a Civil Air Patrol meeting. Upon his return in the evening, he was energetic, enthusiastic, and very talkative. I couldn’t believe what was coming out of his mouth:

• Looks like the kitchen floor is dirty. I’m going to take care of it. I need to start having discipline.
• I’m no longer “dirt-blind.”
• I’ll have to cut my hair if I join.

I know the teen who went to the Civil Air Patrol meeting tonight, but who came back? This level of enthusiasm is rare. The behavior was unprecedented. The kitchen floor was done quickly and to the high standards Renee and I have struggled to instill for years.

If you’re having struggles with your child regarding discipline and motivation, I bet your own ADD is temporarily on hold as you’re reading this. Here is an excerpt from their website:

Through their experiences as CAP cadets, young people develop into responsible citizens and become tomorrow’s aerospace leaders. The leadership skills, self-confidence, and discipline cadets gain through CAP prepares them to achieve whatever goals they set for themselves in life.

CAP is the volunteer, non-profit auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. Its three missions are to develop its cadets, educate Americans on the importance of aviation and space, and perform live-saving humanitarian missions.

That sums it up nicely. Back in my high school days, I had a friend who was involved. He shared some details, but it didn’t pique my interest. I caught a little blurb on the Hitler History Channel about it. My investigation continued on their website. From the moment I met Gabe, he presented himself as a young man of good moral character. I’m sure CAP has something to do with it.

The CAP has the makings of an ideal extracurricular activity. The cadets have fun while learning valuable skills and developing into responsible citizens. The adult volunteers are rigorously screened. Good moral character and satisfactory school performance are listed among the requirements to join.

If you are looking for alternatives to music lessons, martial arts, or league sports, Civil Air Patrol warrants a closer look. The dues are nominal. If I’m reading the site correctly, annual dues for a cadet is $44 in the state of Florida. As parents, we can’t do it all. We need trusted partners to outsource to for character building, discipline, and encouragement. You’re not handing off these responsibilities to a third party. The third party is offering an enhancement to the efforts you are already putting forth.

I’m going to test his interest again later in the week. On a Tuesday evening in the near future, I just might check it out for myself. All Civil Air Patrol activities are open to parents wishing to observe.