Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Anderson
I don't see anything disturbing or off-putting about that document. It seems quite reasonable to me. It basically says not to think that you "deserve" a Key Volunteer position before you've demonstrated yourself, and suggests how you can go about doing that. Unless there's something else that people are being told beyond what it says, I do not understand why anyone would be upset by it.
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Here's what was off-putting to me.
As a college student, I am unbelievably lucky to live 2 blocks from an FRC team. However, not every student has that opportunity. Their only lasting connection to FIRST may be volunteering.
Like I said in my post, I am not saying that this post is blatantly saying "We don't want you."
HOWEVER, what this document does do is make a college student like me feel not welcome. The sheer tone of this is terribly off-putting.
A region (especially one that is hoping/should be hoping to move to districts) should always be actively seeking volunteers. Beyond the active seeking of volunteers, they should be actively training new people to fill new jobs, as more events will require more key volunteers.
Furthermore, I have countless friends my age, or just older than me, that ARE key volunteers in their areas (FTAs, Refs, planning committee members). There is no reason to discourage a student from seeking a position like this. While not every college student is as great as Dave Givens (New England FIRST'S future), we can still contribute and (apparently contrary to popular belief) be leaders with key positions.