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Re: Who do you think is the best bet to win the Chairman's Award at the Championship?
As far as winning the Championship and winning Chairman's, these are two separate awards controlled by two separate sets of people. Once the judges make their decision on the Chairman's Award winner (I'm guessing this would happen on Saturday morning sometime), there's no changing it regardless of who wins on the field of play. While it makes sense to spread the awards around to as many deserving teams as possible, it does not make sense to create a contingency plan for FIRST's highest honor, in case someone wins the Championship on the field.
I may be way out on a limb here, but I don't think "team number bias" has any part in this discussion at all. A team that has been around longer AND that has exhibited Chairman's Award qualities obviously has an advantage over a newer team that exhibits those same qualities, but hasn't been doing it as long. This DOESN'T mean that the Chairman's Award is being given to teams simply because they're older. A review of the Chairman's Award section in the manual clearly states (in 9.2.2), "...the Chairman’s Award recognizes sustained excellence and impact." It would stand to reason that more veteran teams would fair better in this area, but it's also not a surprise that some four-digit teams are winning at the regional level due to the depth of their outreach and culture-transforming efforts.
Also know that Championship Winners have not gone in numerical order. For instance, Team 67 won AFTER 175, 103, and 254 even though 67 has been around longer. Further evidence exists when you consider 111 as one of thirty candidates in 2005, yet it was 118, 341, and 365 that impressed the judges enough to win honorable mention.
All of this brings me to the meat of what I want to say. Wanting to win a Chairman's Award is a fine external motivator. If that is your ONLY motivation for reaching out, building community, and preparing an entry then it becomes easy to say, "Why bother, we can't win anyway because of ... (plug in your favorite criticism of the Chairman's Award here)."
Now why prepare an entry, even in your Rookie Year?
-It's a great way to document achievement and growth.
-These documents and materials are great ways to promote your team in your community and foster growth in a number of ways.
-They are roadmaps for the future
-The interview process is a valuable experience for students
-The journey is the reward, remember? Read your Chairman's entry from this year and compare it to last year, the year before, and so on. Look at the growth and the culture shift and the changed lives. Isn't that why we do this? Am I missing something?
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technology, innovation, and invention without a social conscience will only allow us to destroy ourselves in more creative ways
Last edited by Rich Kressly : 29-04-2005 at 13:13.
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