[Warren Boudreau]

The easiest way to get an engineer on board is to take them to a competition. After that they are hooked. Unfortunately, there are none in the near future.

Here are a few recommendations from the school of hard knocks.
1). See if there is a local organization of machine shop owners. For us it is called the Manufacturers Roundtable. Petition them for donations of time, material, and money.
2). I know this will sound like heresy to some, but you don't really need an engineer to make a robot. The kit of parts usually has enough things in it for a running robot.
3). If you can't find a place to build, try a storage unit business. South Florida's equivalent to basements. Maybe you can talk your way in to an unused unit for the season.
4). Keep it simple. With limited resources, you have to be careful not to bite off more than you can chew.

Demolition Squad has always fielded a good team. The veteran members can look at this as an opportunity to build a robot and show the rookies how it's done. It may not be as impressive as in previous years, but they can say that they designed and built it. As long as they all learn something, then the season is a success.