Character Forums
The Civil Air Patrol character curriculum is designed to instill the virtues of ethical leadership in our cadets through a facilitated learning environment. These lessons are facilitated by senior members in order to prepare cadets to apply those skills in the modern world. Character lessons do not only apply to careers in the military; they are often used for a wider variety of careers and/or scenarios in which cadets must demonstrate the principles they learn.
Most character lessons are based on the Civil Air Patrol core values.
-
Integrity: the foundation of all core values; all cadets must practice the highest standards of discipline and remain constant in their actions even when there is no one to remind them.
-
Volunteer Service: willingly giving of time, energy, and personal resources. Many have made the ultimate sacrifice by losing their lives while serving their neighbors. As a minimum, this core value implies a commitment on the part of all CAP members to place the organization's purposes first and foremost.
-
Excellence: a continuous effort by Civil Air Patrol to be the very best and to consistently improve its humanitarian service to America. From personal appearance to resource management, excellence must be the goal of all CAP members.
-
Respect: treating all others with fairness and dignity. CAP believes it is important to respect both others as well as yourself. This forms the moral compass of all Civil Air Patrol cadets, as they must always carry themselves in an ethical direction.
Character lessons are crucial to CAP's environment as an auxiliary of the US Air Force (USAF) and teach cadets the value of adhering to moral standards and making the right choice both in and out of the squadron.
Themes are covered at squadron meetings each month, typically in a classroom forum, and include the following:
- Integrity
- Excellence
- Vision & Goals
- Perseverance
- Confidence
- Humility
- Patience
- Gratitude
- Counsel
- Temperance
- Resiliency
- Fortitude
- Friendship
- Inclusivity
- Feedback
- Teamwork
- Heroism
- Respectful Disagreement
- and more
For more information and links to lesson plans and resources, visit the Civil Air Patrol Character Forums page.
