[EricH]

Originally Posted by Martinez

Here is another example of how I see FIRST as a Movement:
1) Our goal is to start a forest fire
2) We only have a box full of matches
3) Often we try to light full thick logs of wood
4) Then we wonder why it doesn't catch on.

If we REALLY want to get this off the ground, smaller scales and smaller regions are critical. I'm not say we should end things as they are now. Far from it. How ever there must be some middle ground so that new institutions can feed and grow into what exists today. What was VEX I see as a good beginning step, but lets face it, there is a massive difference between it and FIRST Robotics.

But drop one match on the ground in the dead leaves and small, rotting wood and what happens?

That's what happened with VEX/FVC/possibly FTC. We went to a smaller scale, lower cost and it caught on like wildfire. But, as fires go, it needs fresh fuel.