[D.gimon]

Hello Everyone,

Intriguing thread.

FRC prepares High School kids for the real world (and I believe that all aspects of the literal program do that)......."Coopertition, Gracious Professionalism, Safety Regimen, Honour System (bagging), etc.

Truly great ideals to be teaching our kids (and reminding ourselves of).

So FRC is, in essence, a microcosm of the world around us (Rules, Guidelines, Philosophies).

However, the world is comprised of a vast multitude of personalities with the same number of opinions and interpretations of the Rules, Guidelines, and Philosophies.

The ultimate goals of these opinions and interpretations vary widely (some hold on to the literal intentions while others do not).

One only has to attend any of the events and look closely at the various robots to see what I mean.

FRC (Rules, Guidelines, Philosophies) mirrors the real world (Laws, Constitutions, Charters of Rights and Freedoms, etc).

Have a close look at the real world and honestly come to your own conclusions regarding this thread.

As much as a level playing field is stressed in FRC, "It ain't there!", and it's no fault of FIRST. Not every team has the same funding or mentor resources. Not every team will embrace the literal meanings of the FIRST principles (once again, look at what's going on in the real world).

On the bright side, we pride ourselves (regardless of our regional finishes) on being one of the many teams that abides by the intended interpretations of the FIRST principles and continue to churn out (as many of you do) honest, hard working, safety oriented, and proud graduates of this worthwhile program who will make a difference in the real world.

Sincerely,
DG