Quote:
Originally Posted by thehurd03
wow I really pulled this thread out of the attic, funny thing is heritage fest is next weekend.
Anyways I was wondering does any body know if Yaaarc is still meeting? their homepage is pretty ancient.....
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<EDIT>
I've just heard that we're not done yet!!! Both Ann Arbor schools (Pioneer HS - PI HI Samurai 1015, and Huron HS - Rat Pack 830) have just let me know that they BOTH are in need of more sponsorship, and/or more engineering mentors! So if anyone knows about more of either, please let me know so I can pass that on. THANKS!
</EDIT>
LOL! --WOW--, you're right! This is an -OLD- thread!!! (Holy cow, what a memory trip... I first became involved in FIRST last century!
This thread was one of the first ones I posted when I finally started ORGANIZING teams!)
Thinking back - Since I started this thread, I've had the honor of helping to bootstrap
four different teams (830, 1015, 1502, 1549). I've helped organize, finance and operate them, and over the years at one time or another been involved in all aspects of the operation, as: a grant writer, sponsor finder, Mentor, Tech Trainer, Chief Engineer, or Team Contact (ad nausium... whatever was needed). In addition, in recent years I've been given the privilege of becoming a consultant to a number of other teams & people, either helping them understand the steps required to get a team started, or helping them solve their startup related technical or team issues.
In fact, I
just finished handing off the
last of my duties at my latest team to a sponsor. All of the teams listed above are up and running now
(BUT COULD USE MORE HELP - SEE EDIT ABOVE), so after ten years I'm
finally a free agent again! <HOORAY!>
I'd really like to take this opportunity to thank EVERYONE that has helped get these teams going: students, teachers, administrators, parents, sponsors, mentors, schools, the communities that have turned out to help the teams over the years, NASA for helping to bootstrap several of them, other neighboring teams that have assisted us (too many to name!) and most of all FIRST, for starting this great program.
My goal has always been to help get teams
started and RUNNING,
not to be the one running them! Heck - I'm an Engineer & Mentor at heart... I'm happiest once we get it started and
others have learned to finance and
run the team! Once a team is up and running, and has acquired a good set of leaders, sponsors and mentors, my work is typically done. (Wow... It sure costs a LOT to volunteer to be an organizer, or a team administrator,
especially if the team is located far away!)
Honestly, I just want to teach kids technology, play Basic Engineer under someone else and solve game problems with them, and get to play with all of the neat hardware and software along with the other people! (Yea, right! Gee... I'm still looking for
that situation! <LOL> I've always seemed to be put in charge of something, be a "system/team wide" problem solver, or have been cast as some kind of an administrator!)
(Enough reminiscing... On to your questions.)
YAAARC - The Ypsilanti Ann Arbor Area Robotics Club
Yes, YAAARC is still meeting, 11 times a year, at Corsa Instruments, Inc. 2370 Abbott Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
FYI, we simply lost our Webmaster a while ago when he had to move, and no one has stepped up yet to take over updating the site:
http://www.yaaarc.org/index.php/Main_Page
YAAARC Meeting Schedule:
- Jan thru Oct = Fourth Wednesdays of the month @ 7PM.
- Nov&Dec = One combined meeting on the 2nd Wed of December @ 7PM
(because we kept running into the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays!)
Map link:
http://www.yaaarc.org/index.php/Map
GO-TECH MAKERS CLUB
BTW - In addition, there's a new **MAKER'S CLUB** in Ann Arbor as well.
The "GO-Tech Makers Club" meets @ 8PM, 2nd Tuesday of the month (tomorrow!)
We meet at Great Oaks Co-Housing (common house), 500 Little Lake Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
http://www.gocoho.org/ http://www.gocoho.org/location/directions/
(BTW, Frog Force came out and visited us last month!)
This group is of interest to Makers of all flavors - machinists, programmers, electronics nuts, roboticists, ham radio fans, home foundry guys (etc). In general, if you like MAKE Magazine (
http://www.makezine.com/), this club is for you! We teach each other how to hack in any material or technology, to allow members to make whatever they can dream up. (The Show and Tell period at each meeting can be awesome!)
BTW... Next month (Sep 08), I plan to be presenting a "FIRST Pneumatics" session, to introduce the GO-Techies to basic FIRST Pneumatics Technology for all of their "widget" needs. If your team is in the area and has Pneumatics Newbies that want to learn all about the subject (including some cool tricks) I'll be demoing the hardware, so come on out!
YPSILANTI HERITAGE FESTIVAL (Ypsi, MI - THIS weekend - 8/15-17, 2008)
http://www.ypsilantiheritagefestival.com/
Speaking of the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival, we want FLL/FTC/FRC teams to bring their robots to play at it this weekend! (gee--- this should be THREE threads now!)
FRC470 is hosting, with a tent and a partial FRC field setup at our usual place, by Cross St and River St intersection. (IOW, we're by the Freighthouse in Depot Town - NW corner of Cross St and the railroad tracks...)
Contact Steve Martin at 470 (CDF:emusteve) to coordinate when you think your team can show up with your robot, and come have fun with lots of other teams at the Festival!
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/member.php?u=6178
I hope that answers your questions!
- Keith