This Is Appalling Behavior At A FIRST Event

[yarb65]

My wheel chair story. Last year at SVR I was made to go all the way around the building because the door I was standing next to was for VIPs only. When ask where the elevator was I was told there wasn't one. I informed them that according ADA they had to have one. TI was then told where it was. They knew all the time.

[Jaxom]

Originally Posted by DonRotolo

Completely agreed, one of my biggest peeves. The entire season, when someone yelled "Robot" I would yell back "Human" and stand my ground.

I knew I like you, Don. I've been yelling "Person" instead of "Human," but I like yours better. I'll change for next season.

[jon-s]

Originally Posted by Wayne Doenges

One thing that would help the crowding of the aisles would be to not stand in them when you are talking to others. I lost count of how many times I had to go around a group of people (students and adults alike) who were standing in the middle of the aisle and just talking. If you need to stop, move over to the side and let people by.
Also, why does the WHOLE team need to be at the pit. If you don't need to be there move somewhere else.

Thank you

This has been a Public Service Announcement

* I will now quiently move over to the side and let people pass *

Maybe they should have a general limit on the number of people allowed in your pit area at any one time, like at the world champs on the first day?

[JNelson]

Originally Posted by Mr. Van

"FIRST is about changing the culture." Unfortunately, many people believe that the culture that needs changing is the "nerds are uncool outcasts to be shunned until you need them". That change is well on its way.

The culture that needs to be changed is "my/our needs are more important than your/their needs". It is the "win at all costs" attitude that we need to be careful of - and yes, leaping over barriers, saving seats in the stands, being rude to the volunteer who is looking out for your safety are all just as bad as using an illegal motor on the robot. Many teams put a great deal of emphasis on the latter and not enough on the former.

- Mr. Van
Coach, Robodox

I really like your observation, Mr. Van. This is perhaps the time to take advantage of a 'teachable moment' in order to grow and to have an impact. Each FIRST team has an opportunity to formulate their own set of values and infuse them into the team culture. That strong value system, lived and breathed, will allow that team to then influence those they come in contact with. My team is not perfect, and I am not even close, so it really helps us to revisit those values week-by-week, and day-by-day, to keep them on our radar.

[RoboMom]

Originally Posted by Jaxom

I knew I like you, Don. I've been yelling "Person" instead of "Human," but I like yours better. I'll change for next season.

With all due respect you are just contributing to part of the problem.
The goal is not to see who has the better yell.

[xitaqua]

Changing the culture is not something that can be changed overnight without knowing what is driving the behaviors. Many of the comments mentioned the "win at all cost" mentality, and I don't think that will ever change until there is a change on the cost structure of the program.

When you have such a high level of resources committed to something, obviously success becomes key. When you have companies investing millions of dollars and mentors investing hundreds of hours on teams, the behavior that will be rewarded will be the behaviors that will get the team to win.

If you want a program to be like a "business" or a "sport" you will have winners and losers, and when you have that, you will have non-sportsmanship behavior.

I think we should have a limit of how much a given organization can give and how much time a volunteer can give. Setting a limit would allow the teams to have a much more collaborative and community engagement focused culture.

Cheers,
Marcos.

[Tristan Lall]

Originally Posted by xitaqua

Changing the culture is not something that can be changed overnight without knowing what is driving the behaviors. Many of the comments mentioned the "win at all cost" mentality, and I don't think that will ever change until there is a change on the cost structure of the program.

When you have such a high level of resources committed to something, obviously success becomes key. When you have companies investing millions of dollars and mentors investing hundreds of hours on teams, the behavior that will be rewarded will be the behaviors that will get the team to win.

If you want a program to be like a "business" or a "sport" you will have winners and losers, and when you have that, you will have non-sportsmanship behavior.

I think we should have a limit of how much a given organization can give and how much time a volunteer can give. Setting a limit would allow the teams to have a much more collaborative and community engagement focused culture.

Any thoughts on a mechanism to encourage sponsors/volunteers to reach (but not exceed) that threshold? Would you use incentives and/or penalties to try to encourage that behaviour? (Or do you have any alternative structures that might accomplish the same thing?)

[xitaqua]

I have seen some companies provide money to the team up to a certain amount, depending how many hours the mentor volunteer. Example would be up to $500 for every 25 hours of volunteer ($250 each).

Professionals organizations that has formed an outreach arm, give an amount such as $100 to $500 for each member mentor.

The key is that it is a "matching" and not a incentive/penalty that has a limit and the behavior will settle normally.

We should not be providing an incentive for something that should be a volunteering activity, rather it is a "matching benefit" for a behavior that would have happened anyway.

Also it needs to be an amount that an organization, can give to many teams that are eligible applies for. If there is a professional organization with 100 members, and 10 members apply to get the grant, all 10 should get the grant. If the budget is $1000, everybody gets $100.

It is more an act of saying "thank you", and the behavior will continue. In the case of the "glass giving volunteer", that's a very thankless job, and if someone is doing year after year, they are probably going to get burn out and "appalling behavior" will happen. Either require EVERY volunteer that first start with the organization to do one slot, and one slot only, or make it a paid position.

Cheers,
Marcos.

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by xitaqua

It is more an act of saying "thank you", and the behavior will continue. In the case of the "glass giving volunteer", that's a very thankless job, and if someone is doing year after year, they are probably going to get burn out and "appalling behavior" will happen. Either require EVERY volunteer that first start with the organization to do one slot, and one slot only, or make it a paid position.

This thread is about a wheelchair that is run into by a robot and jumped over by people and and a cane that is knocked out from under the person using it. The safety glasses volunteer discussion belongs in the other thread. If you have suggestions about paying positions in place of volunteers, please put those suggestions in that thread, too.

Jane

[jman4747]

First of all I don't know how people feel about reviveing old threads but if one diserved it than this is it. Second to the topic at hand, we must remember that this community is constantly growing and just because the description of gratuitous professionalism is posted under the about us section of the FIRST webste dosn't mean every new student will read it. The way I see it FIRST is like hot water on a stove. If you add a drop of cold water t the pot every minute it's going to stay the same temperature, but when you pour a gallon in all at once it's going to cool down in an instant. If we want to maintain our temperature that is maintain or Gracious Professionalism culture with this growth we and FIRST need turn up the heat. We can't change the culture if it changes us. As for the wheelchair incidents, people especially the disabled always have the right of way. To disregard this just because you have a machine on a cart or any other reason is highly deplorable and ignorant.

[DELurker]

Originally Posted by jman4747

First of all I don't know how people feel about reviveing old threads but if one diserved it than this is it.

Necro-ing posts from 15 months ago probably isn't the way to go. A (possibly) better way would be to start a new thread asking if things have improved while including a link to the previous thread.

As for what became the core element to the thread, yes, it was deplorably terrible behavior. Karma, Golden Rule, etc all describe the concept that you will eventually be in the other person's shoes. Being rude, discourteous, or inconsiderate towards people who maybe move slower than you, have balance issues, have mobility issues ... all negative behavior there is unacceptable.

However, this needs to be addressed from the coaches, the mentors, the parents, and the team leadership. No matter how exciting FIRST is, no matter what the deadline might be, slowing down to be courteous can never be a bad thing.