Quote:
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Originally Posted by Mike
The question is:
Are these people volunteers because they are NERDs, or are they NERDs because they volunteer?
What I'm trying to say... is that NERDs seem to be those that are active in everything in FIRST. Is this a bad thing? Yes and no. Yes, it is collecting the "best and the brightest" so to speak, however is it excluding those who do not have those hours to put in?
e‧lit‧ism /ɪˈli  tɪz əm, eɪˈli-/ [i- lee-tiz- uhm, ey- lee-]–noun
1.practice of or belief in rule by an elite.
2. consciousness of or pride in belonging to a select or favored group. |
Being a NERD, I can say that I feel glad to be part of the organization, but
not because I feel that means I did anything better than anyone else. The happiness I feel is a result of the fact that I am part of an organization which is doing good things for a community I care about.
NERD is no more "elitist" than FIRST itself - FIRSTers don't think they are holier than anyone in the non-FIRST world; FIRSTers are just happy to be making positive changes to society. Same goes for NERD - NERDS don't feel that they are "better" than any non-NERD; they are just glad to have the opportunity to help their fellow teams.
It's not the individual people who make NERD what it is, it's the things those people do
together as a team which makes the organization respectable. NERD isn't good because the individuals are "better" than everyone else in any way (I can also tell you with great assurance that the members aren't NERDS just because of some affiliation with Andy - I didn't even know Andy when he asked me to join, nor did he know my friend Dillon Greenberg when he joined).
I am happy to be a NERD
only because it is an organization which does good work for the benefit of the the New England FIRST community - a community which I feel tied to because that is the community which nurtured me. The function of NERD isn't to recognize or "select" outstanding volunteers for recognition. Being inducted into NERD shouldn't be viewed as winning some sort of award, or as being a sign of showing more "dedication" than everyone else. All NERDS have an appreciable dedication to FIRST, but that doesn't mean they are the
only ones dedicated to FIRST.
There are all sorts of people who are a part of NERD. The amount of time allotted by each member to NERD varies greatly from person to person. Personally, I have been unable to contribute much of my time as of late because of the fact that I have had to go to college, get adjusted, do schoolwork, work my job, etc. Others, as I have seen when reading NERD group emails or reading the transcripts of the chats, have been considerably active this year. I still support them, and I will still lend a hand when possible, but I am not Wonder Woman. Does that mean that I can't be a part of it? Of course not!
Lets focus on the good work that is being done. Andy has made many articulate posts which clearly indicate to me that no one is being put down, turned away, or considered "not good enough" to share in what the organization has to offer. Until I can find a clear example of NERD hurting someone or doing bad, I will stand behind it with all of my heart, because
I believe in what it is doing.
-- Jaine