I don't agree with the college only thing at all. I mean, I know that I am addicted to FIRST, and I plan to be starting teams for my team to mentor for next year. I do nothing but FIRST, and I don't think this club should be age discriminatory.

Just because you are in clollege doesn't automatically mean that you are more of an aholic than anybody else.

But as far as evertything else goes, I'm game! I'd even be able to draft up a set of guidelines if you want me to... I have one day of school left and we aren't doing anything...

Amanda

I have to agree with you...

Oh, please don't mistake my post for saying "it should be college only!". In case you don't know, I have the idea of "a club for college FIRST-a-holic" in this thread long ago: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...threadid=17641

I only brought it up as an example for guide lines.

By no means am I saying your idea should only limit to college students. It is an idea in ADDITION to the group of FIRST-a-holic. Well, you can understand more about my idea if you go into that thread and look at it. There are few simple things I plan to do with the group of college students that won't apply to high school students.

Other than that, I have not much opinion about a having a club for general FIRST-a-holics, other than, make sure you are doing something with the club. It will be bad to see a group forming, and died down because nothing ever become anything out of it.

Ok, cool!

Yea, perhaps we shouldn't partition it off to only college kids, or maybe the 'non-college' kids would have a slightly different type of status within the club. But how do you feel about the way of letting people in? About needing 5 or so people to put in a recommendation for you? If you think that is a fair way, I too think that would be the best way to get the FIRSTaholics in and still provide guidelines so it's not a free for all.

Keep throwing out ideas... I'm just brainstorming.


ByE

erin

Hrmn.

I have to go with the college kids on this one... I kind of like the idea of freelanceFIRST being a college thing. My main reasons:

1. High school students have their own dedicated team to work with, and that's a lot to do during build season. For some college kids, they don't have that to tie them down, thereby allowing them much flexibility when it comes to different teams in different states or areas.

2. Some college don't have a team at all, and it's really hard to just start one, especially on your own. It's a lot of responsibility, and it's just much easier lending your time and skills when you have the chance than to commit to a build period of six weeks.

3. High school students don't always have the mobility options that college kids do. I know that when I was in high school, I wasn't allowed to drive outside of neighboring cities. Once I got to college, the whole nation was my oyster (however, I mainly stick to Indiana when it comes to that). How many high school students have their own car and their parents giving them free reign to roam around the US? I never had that, and I don't know how many parents would be comfortable with that. However, on a high school basis, you could always use the Internet.

4. More often than not, college students have a lot of FIRST experience... not to say that high school kids do not, but college students, especially engineers, ... how should I say this without offending anyone... they have the ability and resources for higher learning that maybe high schoolers don't have open to them. Does that make sense? I said that kind of... funky.

5. Last but not least, college students are the type that still want to be in FIRST, but sometimes things get in the way - adjusting to a new school, state, and/or area, different living arrangements, dealing with monetary woes, etc. (The typical college life, for most.) I think freelanceFIRST is an excellent way to still get involved without dedicating long days and sleepless - though fun! - nights for six weeks.

I didn't write this to offend, so please don't take it that way. I'm simply giving reasons as to why I think the way I do.

I completely agree with your thoughts, that is why I am still thinking it through instead of dropping it.

Just take a look at the thread about a club for College FIRST-a-holics. There are a lot of people saying they are interested. It's just a matter of how. All we need, now, is a webmaster, capable of doing a simple website that works. Then people can start signing up.

As far as having freelanceFIRST being a college thing, it is for your group to decide. The college FIRST-a-holic club will do whatever it can to support you if you guys decide to do that.

Consider the club for college FIRST-a-holic a seperate and additional to the idea mentioned in this thread, and Freelance FIRST. Just do whatever you think is best for your idea. I am sure everyone interested will be willing to help out with the effort.

This is what I am thinking: since you college kids are pretty deterined to have a FIRST-a-holic thing dedicated to you, why don't we just make two different sects. You know, kinda like FLL and FRC. That way High School kids can get involved, but they are still seperated from College people. It just seems to be the easiest and least painful way to do things

That's exactly why it is so complicated - freelanceFIRST is exactly the thing that college students are looking for.

But maybe this FIRST-a-holic thing should be a club all on it's own. :)

Well, I posted a set of possible guidelines. Figured I'd give it a try. Take a look:

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...threadid=20765

Yes, sorry to get off track. This thread was meant to recognize upcoming FIRST-a-holics, so please respond with any ideas regarding a FIRST-a-holic club in the thread mentioned above.

I too would like to recognize "The Lucas" from MOE as a FIRST-a-holic. I got to know him rather well the night before PARC when me, him, and another MOE guy, Kyle, all took a midnight hike to a blinking red light on top of a hill. Needless to say after braving thorn groves, thick trees, 6 inch deep mud, following riverbeds, and bear infested woods... we arrived back at the hotel around 1 am after 2.5 hours of pure insane enjoyment in the outdoors.

After I tell this story everybody asks me... What was the red blinking light? It was what we suspected, a cell phone tower or something, but the hike resembled a lot more. We picked a goal and aimed for it... and it was the journey that mattered most.

I must thank you all for recognizing me as a FIRST-a-holic. I am truely addicted, and I love it perhaps because this is a group that I feel that I can... belong to, and make a difference in. It's just something that can't be explained... but I'm sure you all know the feeling.

I'd also say that Cliff from 222, "camtunkpa," is an upcoming FIRST-a-holic as well. He is nearing 5000th robot-purpose driven mile on his car. That's a lot of gas money! He's also a great guy and puts forth a lot of effort within his team.


ByE

erin

Sorry. I kind of started thinking about freelanceFIRST, and just ended up going off on a tangent.

I had an idea - why not have CD here vote on a 'FIRST-a-holic of the year'? or maybe a couple times a year... maybe twice a year. It would be a great honor, give people something to strive for... and most of all, get more people even more actively involved in FIRST and FIRST activities.

Whaddaya think?!

Guys,
Again I ask, how can you define something like this?
There are so many people (both on and off these forums, both sung and unsung) who have given so much to this program.

To recognize some, and not others seems like a great injustice to me.

I mean, what's next "FIRSTer of the Month"?
Every month you get a new FIRSTer bio delivered to your email, as well as contact information, and their favorite color.

The list of people I've met in this competition deserving such recognition goes out the door, and around the block... and I haven't met CLOSE to everyone...

I think this is more of a " FIRST people who I know who I think are cool" type thing really. A popularity contest. Nothing wrong with it, but nothing more to it neither.
The Chiefdelphi community is great and all. I think it's the truest barometer of the FIRST community but it doesn't encompass all that is FIRST neither. Not all teams come here. not all team members come here. Does that mean they're not as into FIRST as people who do?
No.
It's just a club where people can come and talk about all things FIRST with an open-ended membership. Anyone who thinks that how much you participate at Chiefdelph justifies how loyal you are to FIRST is being just plain goofy.

Thank you Mike and Erin. I will try to uphold all the virtues associated with being a FIRST-a-holic (whatever we might define them to be by the end of this thread:)). I have to thank my mentor Dave Beers for teaching me everything I know about building robot control systems and most importantly for teaching me how not to build them. For two years, I was electrical pit crew, trained to quickly diagnose and repair any problems with any bot that needed it. Then after graduation, I came back as mentor but old habits die hard. He made sure I didn't touch the bot and interfere with the training of the young electrical team. Dave has decided to retire after 4 years as Miracle Workerz Electrical Team leader.

Now I have inherited a skilled electrical team and the ability to train more from Dave, being a college mentor is great. When I was still at UD taking a test on Thursday of our first regional, my students, with no mentor help, not only fulfilled all their pit duties but actually helped several other teams. It is amazing to see them exhibiting the spirit of FIRST. Also, I can actually take time away the pit now to enjoy the competition. Now, I think I need to teach them how to enjoy the competition more :D (like we need more cheerleaders). I will keep coming back for my 4th year and on as long as there are students to mentor.

Now as for some I believe is a FIRST-a-holic but has not been mentioned previously, I think Joe Ross from 73 ans 330 is a good candidate. Maybe he fits more into the veteran FIRST-a-holic catagory. Mike already mentioned Ashlee Snodgrass who I think definitely fits into this category. I think a new college student to watch for next year would have to be Stephen Rawls from 122. He is just graduating (and going to Carnegie Mellon University?) but has already been in FIRST for a long time.

PS: I do realize that there is no definitive way to measure the dedication of of all the FIRSTers out there. There is no real complete list. This is very much related to the changes that come from graduating a team and still being heavily involved in the program. An addiction to CD forums is one indication of this involvement. Your networking with others like you is another. However, since there is no true test, isn't it nice to recognize the dedication you see in others. That is what I think this thread is about. Recognition doesn't always go to the most deserving but it rarely goes to the least deserving.