We've found ourselves scrambling once too often because we forgot about SOMETHING on our annual "things with deadlines" list! SO... As a part of "getting our act together now that the rush is over", I'm trying to formalize a "typical team's" ENTIRE year's calendar, to a SIGNIFICANT resolution, and need some help and suggestions, so I don't miss anything.
***IGNORING THE BUILD***, in ADDITION to the basic FIRST season's "Calendar of Important Deadlines" at:
=
http://www.usfirst.org/robotics/frc_time.htm
we wish to add what ELSE a "typical team" would have, THEIR deadline(s) or dates, all sorted by calendar month.
Examples might include when fundraisers are scheduled, various artworks must be developed/submitted (T-shirts, buttons), newsletters released, number & timing of typical community relations and recruiting events, etc.
*** SAMPLE CALENDAR SNIPPET ***
(Summer)
August
Week 3 - "Ourtown Summer Festival" demo (community relations)
September
Week 2 - team recruitment demo(s), 9th grade XXX classes (or lunchroom demo)
...
October
Week N - Button design deadline
...
April
Week N - 8th grade recruitment demos at JHS
...
May
Week xx - Fall Student Officer Election
(Note: If you have a FIRST Robotics Class acting as a team feeder, the JHS demos might be set a few weeks before their Freshman Course Selection sheets are due, so it's fresh in their minds.)
A good date list might include dates at this fine resolution:
- Button (T-shirt) "design contest" submission deadline
- Button (T-shirt) winners announced
- T-shirt artwork complete
- T-shirt sizes known
- T-shirt order in
- T-shirts received
- Button - artwork started
- Button - artwork deadline
- Button - order in
- Button - order received
- Fall student officer nominations due
- [release date] Newsletter submission deadline
- FedEx call deadline date, to schedule robot crate pickup
Or just plain decent ideas, like:
- Current Robot in lobby case display at sponsor's factory site for [length] (or if multiple sponsors, the "traveling road show demo week")
Hopefully, you get the idea. We want this REALLY detailed, so we don't forget anything we need to do. Even a generic list of "other" things (and their typical lead times) would help.
So... what TYPES of things does YOUR team have on ITS calendar of deadlines & events over and above the basic FIRST calendar, and when are THEY due (or scheduled) each year?
Please contribute your lists as soon as possible. I'm trying to compile a decent "first pass list" for an upcoming meeting., and I KNOW I'm missing a lot of trivial, yet important items.
[EDIT]
BTW, If you have a URL with this on your website, please just post THAT instead of typing it all in.
[/EDIT]
Thanks!
- Keith