[BEEKMAN]

Our team has been in similar situations before. We too have no staff on the team. To say it bluntly, it sucks. We got lucky however...

Our head advisor, "Mike" as we call him, has spent his past 7 years on the team gaining the respect of our school district.

The biggest thing I can say to that team is: Stay respectful. Know that they are still in charge, and what they say goes. HOWEVER, this is your game. You're the FIRST masters, not them. They want to look good to the townspeople, and to the state. Show them otherwise. Shutting down a FIRST Team for small, fixable reasons makes them look bad, very, very bad. But no one knows that yet, show them!!!! Even by simply going door-to-door teaching about FIRST and getting recognition--it helps. Talk to your local government officials, ask how to get a petition going. Don't forget, the school runs you, but the town runs the school. You gain respect from the town--you've won.

As for the money and supplies--that is a very fine line, but unfortunately, there is little that can be done once the line has been drawn (outside of playing your cards right). My team learned a while ago, that, because we are a school team (yeah, we straightened that one out last year, we're no longer a "club" on paper) whatever is bought with the team's money, or donated to the team, becomes property of the school. So you have to be careful as to what is property of the team/school, and what are "loaned items from students and parents" ie) Our team laptop is "on paper" as being my personal laptop that I approve of the team for using.

I hope other teams can help them with this, it truly stinks...