Unusual Place for Spreading FIRST?
 

I'm curious as to where people get into discussions about FIRST that aren't the usual locales.

The first day I had physical therapy for my arm, I was asked what happened. Since I think that loading the sizing box into its crate may have been a culprit, a discussion came up about FIRST. It turned out that the therapist's son is into hands-on stuff and will now be doing a Lego League summer camp. And, the therapist and I were talking about all of the different programs for the various age levels. Her son is just starting middle school this year.

indieFan

Re: Unusual Place for Spreading FIRST?
 

Well I never discussed it, but while I was on an Air Force base tour I saw a bottle of FIRST water (you know the ones with the FIRST logo that they sold at the championships) in their cafeteria.

Re: Unusual Place for Spreading FIRST?
 

Yep, my school had those.

Re: Unusual Place for Spreading FIRST?
 

At a bunch of our carwashes we talk to people about robotcs while we wash their car. We actually picked up a sponsor while our mentor was speaking with his chiropracter(sp) about FIRST Robotics.

Re: Unusual Place for Spreading FIRST?
 

I was on an airplane to Oklahoma, and there was a boy in the seat next to me. we had a small conversation and he seemed pretty interested in what I had to say about robotics. I gave him my email address and told him that if he would like some information on starting a lego league at his middle school he could contact me. Sadly I haven't heard from the cool little dude again.

Re: Unusual Place for Spreading FIRST?
 

A couple of times I've gotten into long conversations about FIRST with homeowners who have come in to see me after I've cited them for violations, which is kind of odd.

I almost feel sorry for people who ask be about it, because once I get started, it's really hard to get me to shut up. The last time went to my dentist for a cleaning, I thought they were going to tell me to close my mouth rather than the usual "open wide"!

You know how grandmothers get shirts that say "Ask my about my grandchildren"? I want one that says "Ask me about my robotics team."

Heidi

Re: Unusual Place for Spreading FIRST?
 

Camping up north in Newaygo, MI last year, the neighboring campers included someone who had a friend camping who was (and probably still is) in a local team. After bringing that up, the discussion started about and only about the organization around the campfire. There was little to no discussion on starting another team.

Also, in session 2 of driver's edumacation (yes, its misspelled for humorous reasons) at a school in Ann Arbor, I asked someone if they had a team. She responded they had a club :rolleyes:. I further questioned her on what they had demonstrated in school and that confirmed it was a FIRST robotics team. I tried to get her into it. She declined the offer. :(

And the word continues to spread. :cool:

Re: Unusual Place for Spreading FIRST?
 

First off, There is never an Odd place to Spread FIRST.

The oddest place I have ended up talking about First would have to be at my Dad's office. Now he's an accountant and everyone that he works around has business degrees and work with the stock market. But you'd be surprised how interested they are in Robotics. They tended to be interested in how the robot came about and how the competition was designed. It was pretty cool and a great conversation topic. And as the day went on more people came by his office where I was trying to get work done.

But I guess FIRST spreads like SARS, cases of it Multiply, people are interested in it, and there is no way to really prevent it effectively.

Re: Unusual Place for Spreading FIRST?
 

Actually Heidi, there is one, her name is Edith and she volunteers quite a bit of her time working as a FIRST referee, driving all the way down to Atlanta to ref there. And she is very proud of her FIRST team! :D

Re: Unusual Place for Spreading FIRST?
 

Talking to my coast guard recruiter he asked what I do in my spare time and I told him I build robotics. After about an hour after talking to him about FIRST he started to tell me about his sons interest in Lego's. I hope on my next visit to him I can get his kid on an FLL team.

Re: Unusual Place for Spreading FIRST?
 

I've had discussions about FIRST with random people in random places... When I was taking my SATs or ACTs, the guy next to me and I started talking, and we talked about FIRST. Airplane's not that odd either; some of the best conversations come from the person sitting next to you on an airplane. Company picnics and weddings are also great places to talk about robotics.

Re: Unusual Place for Spreading FIRST?
 

Might I interest you in a program that my old team (384) and I created, called careFIRST? It's heart is about spreading the word of FIRST to those who cannot participate in traditional FIRST programs and giving them a new way to interact and participate in the world. There is a link in my signature.

Re: Unusual Place for Spreading FIRST?
 

Arbitrary coffee shops. My babbling even managed to pick up a large local sponsor that we had somehow overlooked in our quest for support. Well, that or we just didn't know where the front door was...
As for airplanes, I've never had much luck. The person next to me, be they a teammate, family member, or complete stranger, never fails to fall asleep within minutes of takeoff.
It has never ceased to amuse me to find out who is really interested in what you have to say and who is not. For example, my village police chief (and newly elected school board president) loves hearing stories about where the team has been and how we have fared in competitions. On the other hand, explaining why I have to leave work or practice early never seems to hold the weight or interest that I feel it should with my tennis coaches.

Re: Unusual Place for Spreading FIRST?
 

Family cookouts...my cousins seem somewhat interested so look for 2 or so new IN teams in the future! I think I have 'em wanting to do it...I hope! :cool:

Re: Unusual Place for Spreading FIRST?
 

I always engage people in conversations about the benefits of FIRST. Sometimes I get the glazed over look and other times they are genuinely interested.

Re: Unusual Place for Spreading FIRST?
 

Heidi, my "Ask Me About FIRST" button that I usually wear on my jacket has generated a lot of conversations. Along with the "I Support Connecticut FLL" and "I Found NEMO" buttons. And then there's the classic RAGE "Git 'R' Done!" button... all conversation starters. Buttons are not for competitions alone! :)

Re: Unusual Place for Spreading FIRST?
 

When I was on my way to San Jose for the regional in 2003, I happened to have a seat next to Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton(DC). She thought it sounded like a great program and that DC schools should have them. Consumate politician, eh? :rolleyes:

I think there are three DC teams now, but DC still doesn't have a spot on the interactive map. :-/

Wetzel

Re: Unusual Place for Spreading FIRST?
 

That's not to odd... I work in Property Management and write Violations too and I had a guy just literally 5 minutes ago ask me if I could wave a violation from April for garbage or something... He started chatting with me and all of a sudden he goes "I was in Atlanta to see this a FIRST competition." I just about flipped out in my office and needless to say the violation went away.

The oddest place I have chatted about FIRST had to have been NCA cheerleading camp... It's always odd to have another FIRSTer, much less a cheerleader, notice a random button you have on your duffel bag and start up a conversation.

In DC for JSA I talked with none other than Ralph Nader about WildStang and FIRST after he spoke to us and he seemed interested in it... but then again he is a really quarky guy so you never know.

Re: Unusual Place for Spreading FIRST?
 

Oh, another odd place I have talked bot is on my Alaskan cruise last summer, especially at dinner time. We chose the option for anytime seating, which meant we could eat at different times each meal, but that we would be at a different table each night with different people. So while people sipped champagne cocktails and dined on meals such as Beef Wellington, Alaskan King Crab Legs, lobster, grilled swordfish steaks, and pan-seared tilapia in a light garlic sauce, I enthralled them with tales of FIRST, the teams, the game, the bratty teens and how much I adore them… well, at least I like to think they were enthralled… one elderly gent would wink at me whenever he saw me on the ship after our dinner together…

And on the train from Fairbanks to Denali National Park, we shared a table with a family from a town somewhere in the vicinity of Grundy, and I had to tell them all about what a wonderful team Grundy has… and when I found out their son would be attending VCU in the fall, I told him about all of our former students who were attending VCU and all about the VCU Regional… Okay, so I talk a lot. A whole lot. But I did pause a few times to let Eric say a word or two.

And just last week, I talked bot while donating blood at the Reston Town Center. The topic came up because our team captain and I made appointments together but she forgot her ID and had to wait for her mother to bring it, I tried waiting with her, but they wanted me to meet my appointment. So I talked about robotics with the lady who pricked my finger for the iron test, and I told FIRST facts to the guy who iodined my arm and put the needle in… and I chatted about team 116 and our bratlings with the people laying around me in various stages of donating… if their eyes were glazed over, I attributed it to the blood they were losing… Did I mention I talk a lot?


My bestest friend in the whole world is a Morris dancer and a typical Morris dance wears buttons and pins all over their vests. Amongst her many attachments, she sports our team buttons and the Dave says 'That's Pimp' and 'That's Pimp too' buttons. So she always gets people asking her about the buttons (most popular is "Who's Dave and why is he saying that's pimp") so she has to talk about FIRST all the time too! Luckily, she's attended a few competitions and if very knowledgeable of FIRST because I won't shut-up about it!

Heidi

Re: Unusual Place for Spreading FIRST?
 

The other week I was at a leadership camp for scouts, and we were introdicing our selves at lunch and say what school we went to when i said Wissahickon this cool kid named Dan said that he and his team(484) had been there for ramp riot, I found it cool that I could be amoungst total strangers and still find someone on a FIRST team

Re: Unusual Place for Spreading FIRST?
 

At the orientation day for engineering students at University of Toronto, I was talking to the head of one of the teams and she was saying that they were going to do RoboCup next year. And I remembered reading a thread about RoboCup on cd a year (at least) ago and so I started talking about FIRST and my experience and she told me that I "had" to join next year.