Quote:
Originally Posted by jgannon
... it would be very helpful for those of us who believe in FIRST but aren't familiar with the specifics of FTC if someone more familiar could explain the purpose of the Affiliate Partner system, particularly why it would be structured in such a way that seems to discourage students (most notably in Michigan and near Worcester) from participating. I suspect that that's the source of frustration for many; a lot of us volunteer a lot of time to expand the reach of the FIRST programs, so it seems reasonable to search for answers when FIRST makes decisions that counteract this.
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The Affiliate Partners are individuals or organizations which sign a contract legally agreeing to hold FTC Championship Tournaments (and leagues and Qualifying events if necessary) in their area which will adhere to the guidelines and standards put forth by FIRST. We are not employees. We are volunteers like everyone else. Some of us chair the FTC Tournament Planning Committees and some choose other people to chair them. Some of us have decided to work on promoting the FTC program in our areas as well. Most of us work on this program year-round.
FIRST is not discouraging students from participating; last year's Affiliate Partner for Massachusetts left FIRST last spring and a new AP is holding an event in Palmer, MA (less than 45 minutes from Worcester). The CT event is less than an hour away from Worcester. There are now two unofficial events using the Vex Robotics Design System being held right in Worcester. I would say that Worcester is an area that is providing more opportunities for students to participate than most areas of the country!