From my 3 years on the X-Cats and the past 3 months on 229 I think that changing the chairmans award criteria might be a good idea. 191 didn't have the equitment or money or knowledge to produce a video. In my my high school there were alot of kids who wanted to participate on FIRST but weren't the best at designing and building or working on computers. They were better at writing. I think this really gives people who my have different talents the ability be able to participate in FIRST. How is that a bad thing? Although it does take some creativity away, it doesn't make it any less challenging, it might even make it more challenging just becuase of the fat that many teams don't have the greatest writters on their teams. I'm now the chariman's award leader for 229 and I'm looking foward to the challenge!

188 has always held the Chairman's Award in very high regard. We had a very large subteam working on our submission last year, which was in the form of a video. I wasn't really involved in the video from a direction standpoint, but you could see how much effort went into it through the subteam working away, and in the final product. Now, we write a four-page essay (or if you're really daring, maybe a photoessay or collage), where we can say anything, and where we are judged instead on how good our writing is. I can put out an excellent essay of that length in under two hours with research. Also, one should think about how these will be judged. I can imagine the judges reading one submission after the other and knocking them out by process of elimination. Anyway, this is a direct result of the overexpansion of FIRST; the judges can no longer keep up.

The overall reaction I have seen is that everyone seems to enjoy this change. Everyone says "Oh well our team can write very well" and what not. Well, I also see the problem that teams couldn't afford video equiptment. But think again, FIRST stands for "for INSPIRATION and recognition of science and TECHNOLOGY" This is a big step back from what FIRST is all about. The technology has just been taken away from the Chairman's Award. Now if were not careful FIRST may go all the way back to the stone age and robots will be made out of rocks and dirt. I still firmly believe that this is the wrong choice for FIRST and the teams and team members should do something about it.

I beg to differ.

The Chairman's Award is not about FIRST (Technology). It's about things more than FIRST.

Read the description of the Chairman's Award.

Last I checked the Chairman's Award was the greatest accomplishment next to being a National Champion. If it weren't so great I doubt there would be a picture of BUZZ on the FIRST homepage. If all it takes to accomplish such a feat is to type up a 4 page report, I find that pretty sad and would question the importance of the Chairman's Award.

Not the point
 

The Chairman's award is not about how well a team produces a video or how well they write an essay... it's the content, people!!

For example...
One team writes a very eloquent essay, possilby in poetic form, telling their story on how they mentored 2 First Lego League teams and how they participated in the July 4th parade. This essay has very good pictures and is professionally printed on glossy paper.

Another team simply puts an outline together describing that they did these things, and they write their entry simply, at a 6th grade reading level:
... turned their previous year's robot into a wheelchair for a disabled student
... gave up 1/2 of their sponsorship money to a rookie team
... implemented a science-based cirriculum based on FIRST robotics and FLL
... hosts 2 FIRST workshops per year, helping out area FIRST teams
... gives over 40 presentations per year to elementary schools, nursing homes, and local Kiwanas clubs.
... student team members partner with local Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization to provide science-related workshops for children

My experience tells me that the second team would win out for the Chairman's Award if it comes down to these two teams.

It's not about the award entry... it's about what a team does the rest of the year. For Pete's sake, don't concentrate on the entry itself... concentrate on what your team is doing to make an impact in your community.

Buzz got the Chairman's Award last year because they worked hard all year long to make an impact on the people around them, not because they had a good video. The entry exists to simply tell the story... it just needs to get the message across concisely and clearly.

Andy B.

Listen up,...as usual, Andy is very correct.

Re: Not the point
 

Thank you for putting into clear words what I thought.

YES...
 

YES!!!! Andy is absolutely correct!

(a lot of team miss the point of the Chairman's Award)



:)

As FIRST's biggest mistake seems to be brainwashing the nation, Team 341 shows their content best through audio and video. Now unless they changed this as well, I remember FIRST being about teamwork. Our team is trying to use this teamwork to overcome what we see as more than just a bump in the road.

Video or essay- does it really matter?

Upon reading the description of the award it clearly states that this year more than ever FIRST will be looking for the teams which uphold the FIRST ideals throughout the year.

It seems to me that if your team has been really active and has been doing work in the community on behalf of FIRST then it would be obvious. Whether or not you have a great presentation would be irrelevant.

The Autodesk award rewards a great presentation, the Chairman's Award rewards a great team.

Less worry about the award format and more worry about what it stands for seems to be in order here.

OK- off the soapbox now and back to work....

WC :cool:

The more I think about this, the more I like this new rulling...


<edit> (Basically what Andy said above...) </edit>

I mean, some of the chairmans awards (not bashing anyone) looked really good with their professional videos, slides, etc, but the content wasn't as good as the video looked...

Now this new rulling will focus more on the content of the chairmans award, not how good the video is, or what kind of slide show you can put together..

*gives 2 thumbs up to the rulling*

r-u-l-i-n-g

I still am not sure...I'm a rookie, so I have actually never seen any of the old Chairman's award stuff. I think our Video team was a little disappointed, but I'm sure there will be great submissions either way.

even if FIRST doesn't change Chairmans back to its original format I hope they add a little award for video formatting or something...


what do you think- a 2 min or 3 min video .. thats the least they can do-

-you CAD guys have your inventor award..
-animation dudes have your animation award..
-hey- somebody's left out...