FIRST Indiana License Plates

[Taylor]

The CyberCards have developed a unique response to Dean's homework. To help spread the word to the public about FIRST Robotics, we have designed an FRC license plate which we plan to make available to the public in 2009.
We'll unveil the design at the Engineering and Technology Day event at the Indiana Statehouse on Monday afternoon, 12:30-4. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Gary Gray and Dan Ward, the 4th annual event will allow teams and schools from around Indiana to showcase their accomplishments this past year to state government officials and media.
However, to make the license plates a reality, we'll need some help from the FIRST community.
Among a litany of requirements we'll tackle are two obstacles:
1) Submit petitions containing a minimum of 500 signatures of Indiana residents who will purchase the plate in 2009
2) Submit a $6,000 surety bond to cover manufacturing and other BMV costs

The plan is to kick-off the signature/fund drive this Monday, and finalize everything at the Boilermaker Regional. We're hoping teams can bring in full petitions and donations to the BMR and really get numbers up.

If you'd like to help with finance or signature acquisition, PM or email me - mstaylor@msdpt.k12.in.us - and I'll send you a copy of the petition or any other info you need. I hesitate to post the petition online for bookkeeping reasons.

We're really looking forward to making this a reality. There are currently 70 specialty recognition plates available in Indiana; it is a very competitive thing arena, and we're not guaranteed a spot if we just get the minimum requirements. It won't be easy by any stretch of the imagination, but with the help of the FIRST community, we're very confident that together we can make this work.

http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/5766/plate1oi0.th.png (http://img246.imageshack.us/my.php?image=plate1oi0.png)

[Freddy Schurr]

If only this happen in NJ, I would so get one.

[GaryVoshol]

Cool, especially since the IN plate is R/W/B.

Would it be possible for someone to ask for their own team's number?

I suspect they won't pay any attention to petition signatures from out of state, or else I'd offer.

[DarkFlame145]

If i lived in Indiana I would so get one.

[Viper37]

Good Idea, shame it would never be possible in California due to the sheer amount of people who live here.

I've already got my plate on Order for my truck.

CA - FRC1622

[thefro526]

Hmmm I want one so bad now. Thats a great way to spread the word of first though

[RoXmySoX]

:ahh:
that sounds so awesome.
:D

[Fireworks 234]

I will so try to get one of those!!! Those are awesome!!! Great job Cybercards!!!

Another great replacement for the ugly standard plates we have! :p

[Wayne Doenges]

I want number 1501 :D

[Chris_Elston]

I want number 1501 :D

I am going to get it FIRST...

[IndySam]

Great idea Mike. Will we be able to use the fund raising part of the Indiana license plate program? It would be just the thing to help Indiana FIRST organization do some real good.

[Taylor]

Great idea Mike. Will we be able to use the fund raising part of the Indiana license plate program? It would be just the thing to help Indiana FIRST organization do some real good.

The plan is to distribute any money raised by license plate sales among all Indiana teams. Perhaps we can set some aside strictly for IndianaFIRST, but that may be difficult since right now IndianaFIRST does not, legally, exist.

[Amanda Morrison]

The plan is to distribute any money raised by license plate sales among all Indiana teams. Perhaps we can set some aside strictly for IndianaFIRST, but that may be difficult since right now IndianaFIRST does not, legally, exist.

He's right - Libby Ritchie pitched this idea to the then-newly-forming IndianaFIRST group back in 2002-2003. I was assigned to research it and found that the group needed to be an official 501(c)(3) organization in order to apply, since there is revenue generated that goes back to each organization when someone applies for their license plate.

At that time, we did more research and ended up dropping the effort later. I don't believe anyone took it up afterward and therefore IndianaFIRST is not a legal nonprofit group... currently it is only the umbrella name used when mentors from all Indiana teams are working toward common goals.

I guess the only concern I would have is your method to distribute the funds to other Indiana teams... we originally pitched it to go through IndianaFIRST because we could guarantee the distribution of funds through an umbrella organization and the funding would not be channeled through one team or one individual.

Plates look great- good job on making this happen.

[Travis Hoffman]

Cool, especially since the IN plate is R/W/B.

Would it be possible for someone to ask for their own team's number?



(Wish I had a better picture of the plate [and this be my old car] but....)

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/24881

All I need here in Ohio is the FIRST logo, and I'm set. Well, I'll let Indiana do all the work first. Once you guys get your Indiana FIRST plates, Ohio will get jealous and add a specialized FIRST plate of their own to keep up with the pig farmers. :)

Best of luck pursuing this great idea.

[KathieK]

RJ from RAGE looked into this several years ago also, but at that time we could not get enough signatures indicating interest in the plates so we dropped the project... :( I would have liked one!

[Libby K]

If this were available in NJ, I would do it. For now I'll have to settle with a vanity plate (if my parents allow)- FRC1923.

I know they want Indiana residents to sign, but if there's any way I can help with your effort, please let me know!

[wilsonmw04]

This is such a GREAT idea! so great in fact that i am looking into this for the state of Virginia. We have a few advantages.

1. VirginiaFIRST is already on 501 non-profit.
2. We only need 350 prepaid applications.

If you live in Virginia and would be interested, please contact me atwilsonmw@gmail.com.

[Goober!!!]

I am going to get it FIRST...

1501 is going to be mine!!!:D :D :D lol

[Schnabel]

I call 0045!

[Cartwright]

That's an awesome idea. Good going guys!

[Jay H 237]

RJ from RAGE looked into this several years ago also, but at that time we could not get enough signatures indicating interest in the plates so we dropped the project... :( I would have liked one!

That would have been neat if we could have had them here in CT. :) I would get 2 for my cars. I could get 3 if I included the Mustang but I'm keeping the antique plates on it due to the reduced property tax reason.

[Kyle Love]

I call 0045!

I call TK 0045.

[dubious elise]

If anyone from 135 is interested in this and wants some help getting signatures and whatnot, let me know. I love driving down the highway and seeing all of the crazy specialty plates that Indiana offers up - I think it would be awesome to have a FIRST one!

[Kevin Kolodziej]

Well...I picked a fine time to move out of Indiana. Nice job guys, I'll have to see to it that my parents get a couple.

[David]

If only this happen in NJ, I would so get one.

Why not? We have one for everything else. My sister has one for the pine barrens (they huge sandy pine forest where I live).

[Taylor]

We joined about a dozen Indiana FRC, FVC, FTC teams and PLTW schools at the Indiana Statehouse yesterday for a very nice display of what students are learning and achieving in school. It was nice to see prototypes from 461 and 45, as well as previous years' entries from 1720 and 1501. The Scorpion is always a crowd-pleaser.

There was a caucus yesterday, so we were able to snag some of the legislators as they came through the rotunda. I saw quite a bit of interest and excitement - there's just something about watching a dignified gentleman in a suit & tie, giggling while picking up tennis balls with a VEX robot. We also scored an audience with Dr. Sue Ellen Reed, the State Supt. of Schools, among other dignitaries.

We were pleased by the amount of interest in our license plate design. Andy Baker, Mike Fitzgerald, and Steve Florence each approached me to give their support, which was very appreciated. We were able to collect about 30 signatures on the petition yesterday.

There's a long road ahead of us. In order to meet the minimum requirements, we need 500 signatures of people who intend to purchase the license plate in 2009. In addition, we're still pretty short of the $6,000 necessary, and we could use a lot of help there, too.

Even if we do meet the 500 signature minimum, there is still no guarantee that the BMV will print FIRST plates next year. We need to show the state that we're serious about making these license plates a reality, and that they will be quite popular. I'm thinking we could use 1,000 signatures of individuals who will buy the plates in 2009.

I'm proposing a competition among the 27 Indiana teams. I challenge every team to bring 40 signatures on the petition to the BMR. In fact, there may be a special incentive to the team that generates the most. Keep in mind that if the license plates do come true next year, all funds generated will be distributed among all Indiana FIRST teams, so this is beneficial to all. Also, each signature needs to be authentic - the State takes this very seriously.

For a copy of the petition or to make a monetary donation, send me a PM or email - mstaylor@msdpt.k12.in.us.

[Amanda Aldridge]

Where do I sign???? I want 2 (obviously, one for each car, since it'd be silly just to have an extra license plate...):P

[Jeremiah Johnson]

Ugh... Can I get one for my trips to IRI? LOL.

[IBdrummer]

That is an awesome idea!
I wish it was that easy in Florida,
but there are too many people, and it took teeth pulling just to get a licence plate for education, let alone a student organization

[Taylor]

Our team is excited by the response we've gotten from teams, both in and out of Indiana, about this. I can't wait to see how many signatures and funds you've all gotten at the Boilermaker Regional.

[Nawaid Ladak]

imagine the Indiana robots putting these on! well fake ones at least

[cardinalman86]

imagine the Indiana robots putting these on! well fake ones at least

lol, our robot this year had a one on it, it was pretty awesome, i'll post a pic of it later once i can get it on my computer!

[cardinalman86]

okay, so here's the photo, i finally got it uploaded and working.
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/31013
have fun!:D

[Taylor]

--UPDATE--

The Boilermaker Regional was a very successful event for the license plate project. So far, we've acquired about 400 of the 500 minimum signatures; we've also raised over $200 of the $6,000 needed.

MANY MANY THANKS to Ms. Amanda Morrison, the peerless emcee who championed our cause and mentioned it several times throughout the weekend.

We were also fortunate enough to receive the Judges Award on Saturday.
While we've come a long way, there's still work to be done. We've got a couple fundraising ideas to implement to raise the rest of the money, and we do need more signatures on our petition from Indiana residents who intend to purchase the plate when it is available in 2009. If any of you would like to help, please PM or email me. All funds raised from plate sales will benefit all Indiana FIRST programs.
Thanks again to the great BMR participants and the FIRST community for your support.

[Taylor]

--UPDATE--

I have recently been contacted by the Indiana BMV Commissioner, Mr. Ron Stiver. He told me that our application for a Specialty Recognition Plate had been received and reviewed. He said he was impressed with the design of the plate, and our application was complete and exemplary.
He also told me there are currently 70 SRPs offered in Indiana, and there were eighteen new entries this year. Due to several circumstances beyond our, and his, control, the state will not be able to offer the FRC plate in 2009.

Mr. Stiver was rather complimentary of our efforts, and repeated several times that this experience should not deter us from reapplying for a plate in 2010. To all of you who helped through signing petitions or giving donations, you have our sincere gratitude. Any personal checks will be returned. Look for the CyberCards to bounce back next year when we will make the FRC plates a reality.

If any other teams have plans to implement a license plate in a different state, we'd be happy to help any way we can. From what the commissioner said, we did everything right - it just wasn't in the Cards this year.