TYLER, Texas – Cause and effect may be compared to a target. There is the bull's eye at the center, where the cause can reside, then there are the lesser-valued outlying circles, and those may be considered the remote causes. Often we forget how cause and effect work, we fail to consider that for every cause there is an effect, and for every effect there is a cause.

I sat in college English 1301, my mind running wild. My class was discussing cause and effect, and suddenly I saw clearly that with every cause there’s an effect, and each effect, in turn, by affecting things around it, becomes a causal agent. Within CAP, there are many examples of cause and effect. For instance, in a safety briefing, the cause could be someone getting hurt. Effects could include someone deciding to pass the briefing on to a friend, who in turn would pass it on to someone else. This way, that single safety briefing could save someone much pain and trouble, or perhaps life itself, although this last person might have never attended that safety briefing. 

     With every cause, the effects can be endless. So endless, in fact, that many times we cannot even see them.

This sudden insight brought to light another reason why, as CAP leaders, we are responsible for teaching and mentoring our cadets. Our goal is to make them better persons, help them develop so that they'll choose to be smart, reliable, assertive, and work to acquire the knowledge with which to serve our community, state, and nation, whenever called upon. But then a new thought came to me – by the very act of teaching and mentoring, we are affecting others by what they are learning. Over time, I had forgotten that we aren’t just teaching our cadets.

We want our cadets to be the best. We want them to succeed, not only in CAP but at school, in sports, at whatever they choose to do. So we teach them skills and help them develop traits that can empower them to succeed. We see this in customs and courtesies, being respectful to parents or teachers. It also shows itself in our core values. Respect, revealing itself in the midst of customs and courtesies, while Integrity shows itself by not cheating on a test, doing what we know is right. Through Excellence we encourage them to do their best no matter what, while encouraging others to give their all. And, finally, Volunteer Service – being willing to do a needed task without pay, whether it is mowing an elderly person’s lawn, volunteering at the local library, or anything else that's required. One need only look, and the tasks will soon prove to be abundant.

Those are just a few of the effects that can come out of safety briefings, character development discussions, leadership classes, professional development schools, encampments, and other CAP activities. As I mentor one cadet, I am inspired by the thought that I am not influencing just one person but a multitude of people.

I realize now that there is more than meets the eye when I look at my squadron’s basic flight. I know that what I do, they will do, and in turn will affect others around them through their words and actions. As leaders, we must remember that we are not just affecting our cadets. It is our responsibility to instill in our cadets the knowledge that we have, so that they will be able to pass it on to others. Thus, we are affecting many more people than we can imagine, perhaps even helping to change a culture for the better.

Although not every cause and effect will be good, younger cadets, friends and siblings can become messengers of good things and, that way, become living tools for good change. As peers, leaders, or mentors, we are not just affecting that one person. We are affecting all those around that person, who in turn will be capable of affecting everyone else.