Some Helpful threads:
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...5&page=1&pp=15
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...7&page=1&pp=15
I've also uploaded my college essay that I wrote ages ago (you will see by the dated song Will Smith's Gettin Jiggy Wit' It)
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=31680
(There are some other links and stories on that forum that might help you as well)
I think you are on track with how to get your team inspired, but remember, as your new members are much like rookies, they only have your stories to go from, and FIRST wont truely affect them (or at least they wont realize it) until they see a competition live. I am dealing with much the same issues right now. While my new team (the second team I have started), is excited and dedicated, they are young, and have yet to really see FIRST. I have some of them saying "oh well im not sure if I really feel like going to competition" or "I thought I would just do fundraising next year"... This happens. They havent seen the competition yet, they havent met the hundreds of other teams we will meet, they can only go on my word.
Your little tutorials might help, but what will truely help the most is getting them to trust you. If you can form trust and friendship, they will believe that FIRST can have the effect that you preach, and they will trust that it is worth it. Talk to each one on an individual basis as often as you can. Get to know more about each of them and what drives them, and then use that to figure out how FIRST can work for them, what they would be best at, or what they might be interested in trying. That is where the inspiration comes in
And the hard work and dedication comes when they are inspired.
Good Luck, and remember to have fun! While FIRST is a lot of hard work, it is supposed to be fun and rewarding. It will not affect everyone the same way, but as long as you are able to provide the opportunities, they will come around.