Re: Hall of Fame Input
 

A suggestion for HOF teams if space is limited -

How about a user-navigable "information kiosk" powered by a laptop/PC running PowerPoint or what have you?

You could create an almost unlimited number of presentations on not only who you were but who you are, what you do now, and how you do it. A simple hyperlink menu would let people choose which information they wish to access.

You could also embed pictures and video and such in this kiosk - run your "de facto" video when people aren't there to access the other information.

We are investigating this method as a way to concatenate all the information and reclaim all the pit real estate we used to consume by hanging banners, bringing an easel with posters, etc.

In addition, in Atlanta, Team 48, in conjunction with the other 3 Northeast Ohio FIRST Robotics Alliance (NEOFRA) FRC teams, handed out flyers to other teams describing some of the ways our regional partnership benefitted our teams, encouraging others to form similar partnerships and providing contact information if they sought more information. That would be another active method of getting your most useful HOF ideas in the hands of other teams looking for such guidance.

Re: Hall of Fame Input
 

My view of what the Hall of Fame comes from the speeches given every year at kickoff. Here is the excerpt from 2007's speech.
What I interpreted from "serve as examples for the rest of us to follow" meant that the teams that get in the HoF are teams that other teams should try to emulate. By being in the HoF, it was my interpretation, you had the opportunity to have teams emulate your success in the community.

I know have more knowledge on what goes on with the HoF (thanks to your post) and some of my views have swayed. I do believe that the DVDs and the other things teams show are important, but I believe helping others spread the message of FIRST is the bigger idea of the HoF. To provide a place where teams can see other teams that they can emulate or bounce ideas off of that have already had great success and been recognized by FIRST.

I apologize to you and others who might have taken my remarks as accusatory. I have tremendous respect for all of the HoF teams because they have all have greatly impacted their community and continue to do so. I just wanted some more information as to how I could impact my community the same way they impact their community by implementing programs, restructuring teams, etc.



Pavan

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Re: Hall of Fame Input
 

Actually FIRST doesn't currently provide much guidance on HoF displays (which is not necessarily bad) and the DVD is optional (I'm not sure what happens to it). The only requirement to maintain "star status" is a Chairman's Award entry - see Section 5.14 of the manual.

I believe Pavan's frustration is representative of a lot of the FIRST community and the HoF teams, and that is why we are trying to define the mission.

I am working on some ideas to send to FIRST. One of the things they are asking is: How would you define the mission of the HOF Community in one sentence?

Any suggestions? (One sentance, Pavan:P )

Re: Hall of Fame Input
 

The mission of the HoF community is to showcase the impact that these teams have had on their community and potentially - our culture and society on a global level - as they reflect their continual achievements from the past, the present, and their plans for the future, in the display.

(you didn't say it could not be a run-on sentence, Meredith. :D )


This could also be a part of the mission of the individuals that Rich has suggested, such as an added visibility of the achievements and recognition of our WFAs, etc.

Re: Hall of Fame Input
 

Given that the Hall of Fame teams are there because they have won the highest honor in FRC, and given that the honor is bestowed on the team that best embodies the goals of FIRST, I think the mission is obvious.

The Hall of Fame Community is tasked with showcasing the actions, accomplishments, and attitudes of Chairman's-Award-winning teams, in order to give other teams a clear view of what FIRST wants them to aspire to.

Re: Hall of Fame Input
 

@ Meredith - My suggestion would be to add a word limit next time ;)
@ Jane - Doesn't Dave tell us not to lawyer the rules? :)

...

How would you define the mission of the HOF Community in one sentence?

To help teams across the world better support their communities' needs for robotics education/outreach by being a resource and helping guide these teams by providing them with information about new programs, partnerships, etc., so they can emulate these programs, partnerships, etc., which have been proven successful.


Pavan


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Re: Hall of Fame Input
 

[quote=Pavan Dave

How would you define the mission of the HOF Community in one sentence?

Pavan


QUOTE]

How about if the next 9 year old that discovers one of these incredible teams says out loud.


"WOW!!"

Sorry Jane, I guess "quote" is in my future vocabulary

Re: Hall of Fame Input
 

Whoops ..... sorry about that. The DVD is currently optional and the entry is mandatory .... a recent change .. . I am getting old :)...

Re: Hall of Fame Input
 

For about 3 or 4 years I sat in the HOF at nationals. Needless to say, it wasn't fun. It was an honor to see that the hard work that my team had done was still being recognized, but the way that the HOF is set up and run needs to be changed. On my old team (175), we'd take very few kids to the championship event. And after splitting the team up between the drive team, scouting, and pit crew, we were spread very thin, and then on top of that, we had to put people in the HOF. Sitting in the HOF during the event, not being able to really see my team in action, or even see a screen that the matches were being displayed on stunk. It just felt like the kids that were in the HOF were more or less separated from the rest of the event.

What would be a great alternative to the HOF I think would be putting all of the HOF teams in their own pit row. Give them bigger pit spaces to accommodate not only their team, and their robot, but also so they can set up their HOF display in the pit. This would not only allow the teams to be together and not so separated, but it would also allow people passing through to look at HOF to view their robot, their team dynamic skills, and all of the other fancy stuff that goes into the HOF displays.

I honestly don't understand why FIRST won't do this.
Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of the hall of fame, I just know for a fact if you asked any student that has to sit there all day how they felt about it, they'd probably feel the same way (at least a little) I do/did.

Not to be a Debbie Downer or anything, but FIRST really needs to step up their game when it comes to the HOF. It's been like this for too long, and it's not fair to the teams for having to rotate people in and out of the displays, or to the students are stuck there.

Because honestly, in the what...3 days I was in the HOF every year, only about 20 people (including judges) really asked about what my team had done that got us the award, or asked for advice on what to do. The rest were just people getting pins. Which is why it'd be great if FIRST would go with the idea that I, and many others have had about combining HOF team's pits and their display into one place.

Anyone else agree or disagree?

Re: Hall of Fame Input
 

Call it a necessary evil or even a noble sacrifice for the cause.
I just wish that FIRST would do the same for the HOF. If they can't or won't then give it to the HOF teams to run. These are proud capable teams and I bet you they'll make it right.

Re: Hall of Fame Input
 

I feel like a bum for just responding to this all now, but in April I hadn't planned on making it to the championships, so I didn't get around to reading this until now.

But this statement is quite possibly the most irrational thing to demand out of teams that win the Chairman's Award. It'd be like looking at someone after an iron man competition and telling them "Oh hey, congrats, but now what we're going to have you do, right now, and for every year for the rest of your existence, is basically re-do and document what you just did". Any CA winning team (both regional and national), would tell you that the amount of work you put into your Chairman's submittal is exhausting.

It's more or less impossible to document everything, but I'm more than certain if you simply went and ASKED any Chairman's Award winning team member in the HOF what it took for them to get there, they'd gladly tell you what they did in full detail. Because that's what they're sitting there in the HOF for, to talk to other people and share ideas.
I don't know where you get the idea that teams that are in the HOF should be spoon feeding teams that can't quite figure out how to get there. Any team that is trying to win Chairman's should be and is more than likely so far out and driven on their own path that they don't need directions from past winners to succeed.

Re: Hall of Fame Input
 

There also was a meeting recently in NH of representatives from HOF teams (some dialed in) to discuss these and other issues. As Rich said, our suggestions had no official authority but FIRST was very interested in our views. And interestingly, most of the suggestions/comments made in this thread were echoed at that meeting - great minds think alike!

Re: Hall of Fame Input
 

Being in the HoF means you did something right. By being in it and having a booth and people doesn't mean much. NOT everyone I talked to knew what they were talking about. Many times they would say "you may want to talk to ____ (s)/he is on the field but maybe you can catch them" or something along those lines. THE people I wanted to talk to were not there.

Being in the HoF means you did something right at one point and time. I want to know this information to better help my community. I don't care about the award. I will try to impact my community regardless if FIRST wants me spreading jFLL instead of EARLY or FLL instead of GEAR. I will do what my community needs me to do and by winning Chairmans and them recognizing that I am "worthy" of this "honor" means nothing to ME if tomorrow one of the students I host at the EARLY or GEAR or ANY competition tells me he wants to be an engineer and work on robots instead of being the next Michael Jordan or Muse.

Its about doing something without a care for whatever recognition you might or might not get.

However since these teams have demonstrated at one point in time they were the best example in their community, maybe I could adopt one of those programs to make my impact in the community even GREATER.

I want the HoF teams to help me spread STEM more efficiently by showing me what they did to deserve the "honor" of being in the HoF.

I don't care about the award. That is my position. From now, till the end. I would however like to be spoonfed or just fed all of the information that have made other communities successful. I think it IS the spirit of FIRST and of GP to spread your knowledge of spreading STEM efficiently.

Deleted the rest. The people who I am talking to know already what I am trying to say.

Re: Hall of Fame Input
 

Our '92 entry is lost forever after numerous moves. It's was a game with a board and everything.