[Al Skierkiewicz]

I know in my heart that students benefit by being on a FIRST team. With that in mind, stopping a team is not an option. In a perfect world, everyone would want to work, would be self starting, interested in research, etc. We are not in a real world so we will need to teach them how work can be fun and rewarding, how they can see what needs to be done and do it, and how valuable research is. Have your students PM me with an electrical question and I will respond. Ask me anything and we will find out together.
All teams have good years and bad years, good students and not so good. We have to live with that. So where to go from here. It sounds like you need a plan. If the students don't come up with on their own, step in. Ask "What do we need first?" The Boy Scouts say "A failure to plan is a plan to fail". Sometimes you need to shake things up. Have each student make a statement on why they want to be on the team. What do they hope to get out of it, what do they want to do when they grow up. Anything to get them thinking of something. I know it sounds like I am putting a lot on your shoulders but you are the mentor who is interested in making this work. It might take a little more than you bargained for but I bet you can do it. Have you had strategy sessions, played the game with students as the robots, brainstormed on how to play the game and what other teams might do? How about a little team building, play ball, bowl, go for a walk together? Sometimes assigning responsibility works as well. From an outsider's point of view, and from the little you have related, it doesn't seem you are in big trouble just a little bump in the road. If you still don't have a driving base then that is today's goal. Get something driving and then everyone gets a chance to drive including the adults. Then get the driving pulling something by tomorrow. Then get ideas for a ball picker or whatever else your strategy has shown you should be doing.
As to fund raising, I would set a second event as a goal for fundraising. If you don't fundraise you don't travel to either event. There are students out there that are not yet in high school that are depending on what you do today. Good luck!