[alephzer0]

This is a topic that I care a lot about, so I apologize in advance for any ranting that I may do or radical statements that I may make.
I am personally of the opinion that the right to decide the balance of activities in the life of a student lies entirely in the hands of the student. Meaning, parents can have input, but the student should make the final choice. Yes, this means I reject permission slips and parental consent forms for high schoolers in concept. I believe that if a student wants to be a part of something that is not illegal, the parents have no right to say "no."
That being said, there is only so much parents can do to restrict you. If you find a way, defy them. MLK and Ghandi did not just get their way; they showed civil disobedience, and I think that concept can be applied, to a lesser extent, to parents who try to hold you back from your dreams. There is only so far they can go to punish you before they are hurting your well-being, which parents try to avoid.
I'm not saying to not listen to anything they say. But if they try to restrict your meeting time, find another ride home; if your dad does not want you to give away his contact info to anyone at robotics, do it anyway and have them say they used the school directory.
In other words, don't let them impose unfair restrictions on you. Good luck, and I hope your parents realize that they need to let you do this.
EDIT: I realize now that permission slips have to do with liability. I still think they allow parents to impose their will upon you.
Also, read the FAQ, specifically the section that says "good and bad reasons to give negative reputation", before you attack my reputation based on the fact that you disagree with my point of view. I understand that this is radical. It doesn't mean I can't express it.