[IKE]

I am very excited to hear Ontario is making the transition.

Some tips:

1. Have at least 1 mentor or former student from your team sign up to be an inspector. Commitments for inspecting can be relatively light, and a lot of inspectors make light work. Students heavily involved in build (typically electrical or mechanical) tend to work out well.
2. Refs are also typically of high demand. I will not pretend I know what it takes, but I know a lot of former students a couple years out of the program tend to do a good job for us in Michigan. This is a higher pressure role than inspecting. I have heard former competition team students do well in this role as long as they do not hold grudges.
3. Try to get parents involved with some of the other non-key volunteer roles for events. I smile every year that I see one parent of students that graduated in 2009 still helping with scoring table at a couple events each year.
4. Talk with your sponsors about whether or not they could spare someone for Judging.


For many regions, the switch to District system can be a great spur for growth. Keep this in mind and have key volunteers look for other prospects to help in their roles for future years.

Congratulations again. The first year can be very scary and will be a lot of hard work, but once you have completed a District Championship, it is hard to imagine going back.

Hopefully I will see a couple teams from Canada next year at my Michigan events.