Quote:
Originally Posted by compwiztobe
Despite what people might think, FIRST does little more than issue guidelines for how to participate in their global competition structure. They don't actually make any of it happen, it's the volunteers, students, parents, teachers, and the rest at home who do all the work of organizing events, venues, volunteers, team funding, etc.
The other thing local organizations need to think about is the health of the teams in their area. It's not just about starting lots of teams and getting events and recruiting as many volunteers as possible. We want this to be a quality experience for our kids. Poorly trained volunteers and a large number of floundering teams don't help.
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I just want to re-stress this part to everyone talking about the flip to districts in their area. A large part of the district system that people tend to forget about, is that it is taking functions and responsibilities on the back end that were handled by HQ in the regional system, and transferring those to the local NPO and leadership. Even from an event planning perspective, things HQ would carry out on a regional, become the DPC's responsibility. Districts shift a large responsibility on volunteers backs.
I'm okay with FIRST doing this, as it is a nescearry step in our growth. My point is this though, above all the other factors, having the right group of people to organize and run a district is the most important part to an areas success in transition. As these discussions continue, just keep that in mind.
Side note: As for Indiana, congrats on going to districts, your going to love it! IndianaFIRST has a great local support structure in place, so I know you'll have a stellar inaugural year!
