Why even bother submitting a Chairman's Award if we're not gonna win?

[Carolyn_Grace]

I want to briefly talk about a team who finally won the Chairman's Award, but would never post on Chief Delphi talking about it. I was hoping that someone else would share their story, but since no one else has yet, I will:

Their motto: "When you lose, say nothing. When you win, say even less."

Team 2337, the EngiNERDs, is a Michigan State Championship Chairman's Award winning team. To win the Chairman's Award in Michigan at a District event is a feat. To win at the MSC is outstanding.

Think of it this way: Every single team eligible for CA at MSC already won DCA, so you are competing against 11 other accomplished teams. Only three of those 11 amazing teams get the honor of moving up to the next level. This year, 2337 was *finally* one of those teams.

That emphasis on finally is my own. For the past three years, I've seen this team as a huge contender for the award, yet they kept getting bypassed by other awesome teams.

This year, the EngiNERDs took a different path for their presentation. I hope after Worlds they show a video of it, because it's edgy, risky and all sorts of wonderful.

Instead of emphasizing the #,###,### people they impacted, 2337 emphasized the inspiration and impact they've had. Because, how can inspiration and impact be measured by stating a number?

In their video, watch carefully, you'll notice one important fact: not ONE person in the video is a member of their team. They have people from other teams, at their school and in their community talking for them. It's creative, simple and very well-produced. Seeing videos like it makes me think how much of a shame it is that CA videos aren't judged.

If you're going to Worlds, and you have a spare moment, track down 2337 in the Galileo pits. Talk to some of their students (doing that always makes me smile) and chat with their mentors, especially Clint and Brandi. Ask them about their FIRST philosophy, and listen. What they have to say is usually worth listening to.

[KeatonM]

Originally Posted by Carolyn_Grace

If you're going to Worlds, and you have a spare moment, track down 2337 in the Galileo pits. Talk to some of their students (doing that always makes me smile) and chat with their mentors, especially Clint and Brandi. Ask them about their FIRST philosophy, and listen. What they have to say is usually worth listening to.

I second this notion. The EngiNERDs are one of my favorite FiM teams, not only because they have some pretty awesome members, mentors and alumni, but because they get it. They're certainly not a new team, but they remind me of teams that have been around for much longer.

I had the pleasure of working with them pretty closely when I was still on a team, and they really have a different outlook on FIRST (in a good way).

I definitely see them going places in FIRST, and not just because of their robot.

Also, if they have their Chairman's video playing, watch it. Like Carolyn said, it's very unique.

[IKE]

My favorite moment of MSC2013 was 2337 winning their first State Chairman's Award. This isn't a knock on the others that won or submitted, but I love to see a team make it to that level for the first time.

[kmusa]

My first reaction to this thread was that I've always been frustrated by the fact that, unlike the Gracious Professionalism and Engineering Inspiration awards, the Chairman's Award has to be applied for, even though it is also a recognition award.

Luckily, I had a chance for my thoughts to percolate.

Just as FIRST uses robots to inspire students (and everyone involved), I realized that FIRST uses the Chairman's Award to inspire teams.

Many teams initially focus on the robot. In time, some (hopefully, most) of those will start wondering about the Chairman's Award. They look at the process, what other teams are doing, etc. And they start to expand beyond robot build season.

Maybe they actually make submissions. Most likely, they increase their efforts and continue to get more involved with their community.

At some point, I believe that the focus begins to shift away from the Chairman's Award itself, and toward the actual activities of and interactions by the team (and their impact).

If it does, then the original question becomes moot. As Simon and others mentioned, reporting on the state of the team is important. Submitting it is up to the team (awkward as it is, FIRST has yet to come up with a practical alternative to self-nomination). If the judges decide that a team is worthy of recognition, so be it.

I don't have a feel for the percentage of teams that become disillusioned enough to seriously ask the question. My guess is fairly small - since these teams would need to be expending serious effort to inspire the community, while keeping CA as a significant goal - it just doesn't make sense to me.

I will say that it's been my privilege to watch our team go through a significant part of this process over the last number of years - from a team where people were only willing to commit to build season and actual competition, to a team active year round.

[Elong451]

As captain and one of the members who submitted chairman's award for three years: I can see how chairman's award benefits First as well as the community.

Some of the things we wouldn't have considered doing if we weren't applying for chairman's award:
1- Making a therapy device to help a toddler sit on his own. It took only took a week to build and he was able to sit up on his own *he has muscular dystrophy* in five weeks of therapy. The original amount of therapy for this type of disability is longer than five years.
2-Pecan Festival- We go to a local agricultural festival and educate people about the local robotics teams and what First is. We also demonstrate that years game and we hand out buttons to the kids.
3-Asking legislative officials to come to robotics events. We sent out emails and snail mail asking senators and representatives to come to local events for robotics. It was arduous and we only had one official respond to an email.
4- harvest hope food drives.
5- off season robot builds, cart improvements, and sponsor out reach.
6- bringing three rivaling high schools together for the greater good.

All this and much much more in six years and we haven't won. Though it may be a requirement for us being sponsored by it's also a massive benefit and I wont forget the stress and nervous interviews for three years and finally seeing the light in some of these forum posts on how to improve ourselves.
I am graduating this year and it disheartens me to know my team will become smaller after losses, but I know the more passionate members who are staying will improve us and work like i did for three or four years to win this award.

For our community and for First we dedicate our free time and work towards a better future.

[team4384]

Team 27 (RUSH), 2337(Enginerds), 503 (FrogForce), 245 (Adambots) 33 (Killer Bees) are some of the great teams, and in my view they are not great because they win CA or some other award, they are great because they do great things...inspiring their own team and others, which is not easy. The conduct workshop, promote FIRST, inspire others. It's not just about video or the essay, it is what they do. Essay and video are the medium they are informing judges and rest of the world.

MI is the tough state, we feel honored to submit our material and see if we have a chance. BTW, for any judges award, you don't compete, you just present your case and supporting materials to judges, these things are subjective. The competition is on the field where everything you do has a some points.

Yeah, we will continue to submit our essays and videos and try to do more than what we did in previous year.