[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by EricLeifermann

... Michigan requires each team at each competition they attend to supply 2 volunteers, this is another fantastic way to build up the volunteer base. I can speak from experience that parents love to volunteer if your team isn't big enough to sacrifice 2 members.

Another plug for this, because I know it works. My team's volunteer corps has grown steadily, from one person six years ago, to twenty-three in 2016: One LRI, one CSA, one judge advisor, one game announcer, four referees, five robot inspectors, four field resetters, three pit admins, two event coordinators and one VC. No FTAs or Head Refs, yet -- but I can see that coming also.

We became a district event host team in 2013, and have no plans to stop doing that. Our volunteer presence is a little above average, but not all that unusual in Michigan. I know there are at least a dozen FiM teams with even more volunteer commitment, and more than that who will gladly arrive early and/or stay late to help with set-up and pack-up.