[ebarker]

I’m trying to get my head around what is the 'question zero'.

There are lot of topics in this thread but it seems there 2 basic issues. I suppose that makes it question zero and question one. 1st are the personal ones regarding the alleged blacklisted folks and the FiM. 2nd are the institutional definitions of who does what, the care and feeding of FIRST employees, volunteers, and other participants.

There are some basic truisms in this world.

1) If you are a volunteer, expect no gratitude or recognition because on average you will likely not get it from those you most expect it from. Corollary: a person with a sense of entitlement is a disaster.

2) If you have volunteers serving you or your organization then make sure and thank them because without their help nothing would happen and your efforts would fail. Corollary: a manager with an unfound sense of power and authority is another disaster.

3) If you are in conflict with a person or organization you can fix it, leave it, or tolerate it. Your choice. Don and Sancho rides again.

4) If you are a customer and cannot get a phone call returned or a questioned answered then it is likely to anger you even though the delay may be valid. Face to face meetings are much better when possible. Impersonal phone and email communication don't help the situation. Ask any sales representative.

5) The world did not end with this posting. The only question is where this goes next. If each side digs in and takes a take no prisoners / winner take all stances then everyone loses. If each side can step back and inhale and come to terms then we can all more forward, correct the root cause and put this behind us.

A personal note:

This is my 5th year of this madness called FIRST. I’ve come to develop my own inner sense of what I would like to accomplish as a mentor and a pretty fair idea of how that success is defined.

My interests and the interests of FIRST have aligned like a compass. If for whatever reason these interests diverge I have already ‘pre-settled’ the issue. That is one of the advantages of being very old, experienced, and opinionated. I may be right or wrong but I’ll be happily senile doing it.

Winning medals and awards, being on TV or in a magazine while cool doesn’t even begin to compare to the relationships I’ve developed working with a bunch of great students. Helping these kids get along is where the rewards really exist. It makes all the silly petty stuff the adults do pale into insignificance.

That still doesn’t mean the adult personality and organizational problem doesn’t need solving.