Volunteering at an event you have a team at?

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

Really GOOD free food (especially at the championships)!

I agree -- have been at several regionals and some districts where the volunteer food was better than what we've had at some Championships. However, I think venue contracts may restrict the Championship options.

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

I wholeheartedly suggest to anyone who has not tried volunteering at an event to do so. You won't regret it.

Well said. Volunteers with team perspective help to make everyone's event experience better, and participants with volunteer experience help build stronger teams.

[brandon.cottrell]

Would volunteering for a job like field reset or assistant MC (Jobs with minimal to no impact on the actual game), and scouting for teams at the event be considered non-GP?

[rsisk]

Originally Posted by brandon.cottrell

Would volunteering for a job like field reset or assistant MC (Jobs with minimal to no impact on the actual game), and scouting for teams at the event be considered non-GP?

GP or not it's wrong. You are either a volunteer or you are working with your team, not both. See ToddF posts earlier in the thread.

[Jon Stratis]

Originally Posted by brandon.cottrell

Would volunteering for a job like field reset or assistant MC (Jobs with minimal to no impact on the actual game), and scouting for teams at the event be considered non-GP?

I think it would be wrong to intentionally try to do both. At the same time, it's natural as your seeing teams come through and watching them to form opinions on which one is best. Half the time I'm up at the field between matches, I'm chatting with the MC and game announcer about the relative merits of different robots (it helps that I know both of those individuals very well). But despite forming those opinions, I don't collect any actual data to back them up. That's the job of the people actually tasked with scouting on my team, sitting up in the stands. Since the team alliance decisions are based solely on hard data and not opinions, my opinions never really seem to come up during the teams Friday evening meeting.

[Conor Ryan]

Originally Posted by mklinker

......and you get free food......what could be better?

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

Really GOOD free food (especially at the championships)!

i think there should be another thread devoted to finding which event has the BEST Volunteer Food. Food sometimes is a good example of exceptional attention to detail by the event planning committee.

Smoky Mountain was exceptional (great variety of bbq, menu changed daily), Buckeye is usually above average, Pittsburgh was mostly hot dogs, Lake Superior/Northern Lights is ok, I think I remember a lot of pasta, District Events generally don't have exceptional food, but since they are shorter events you don't eat as much, 3 days of regional events mean you get to eat a lot. Some off seasons have exceptional food, others do pizza and call it quits easily. I've heard from a couple of volunteers that Hawaii, Wisconsin and Las Vegas have had some of the best food around.

Food is also a year to year thing, sometimes its good sometimes your stuck with the venue that is hosting the event, but the event committee usually gets to pick the menu. Day to Day variety is key.

Running a new event and need to grow your volunteer base? Have exceptional food and you'll have a happy staff. Field side cookie delivery service is a bonus.


As for volunteering at an event your team is at, try the food, if its good stick around, or stick around because you like it. Then excuse yourself from any decisions where there are conflicts of interest, your fellow volunteers are allowed to ask for your help, but let them make the call.

[Shrub]

It's also great for CAS (IB Diploma) or NHS volunteering hours, if you're still in high school. You won't get to be with your team as much, but you meet a lot of cool nice people. I think I got 21 hours over all three days on Field Reset. That's rounding down.
It's also been pointed out that free food is available, which is always good.

[Carol]

I have found the hardest part of volunteering at an event where your team is competing is paying attention to your assignment, to your part of field, to others interacting with you, when your team is on the field. It is very hard NOT to watch your team when it is competing.

Also, you need to develop a thick skin. When you hear someone hotly proclaiming (rightly or wrongly, usually wrongly) "so and so is with team xyz and he/she caused us to lose the match!", can you shake it off? It is more common than you think.

Can you avoid the temptation of talking to your team about certain events or people, to avoid breaking confidences or giving your team an unfair advantage?

But I encourage you to start volunteering. It does take time to "prove" yourself that you are mature and skilled enough to be a key volunteer, so don't get frustrated if you aren't assigned to your preferred position initially. Volunteering does give you a different perception of FIRST than you get as a team member, and you meet and become friends with a wider group of great people.

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by rsisk

GP or not it's wrong. You are either a volunteer or you are working with your team, not both. See ToddF posts earlier in the thread.

I agree for most roles, but there are some reasonable exceptions.

I volunteer as an inspector at pretty much every event we go to in case they need help.

Sometimes I inspect zero teams, sometimes I inspect a bunch...

I always tell the VC and LRI ahead of time.

[Metonym]

Originally Posted by Conor Ryan

Food sometimes is a good example of exceptional attention to detail by the event planning committee.

Food at the PNW district events is taken very seriously. The best food is obviously at CMP, but the local co-op at Mount Vernon provided some of the best lunches ever.

Just to add to the actual discussion, I'm a student that volunteers at a few too many events. Volunteering when your team is there is normal here in a district system because we need more volunteers, but might not make sense at a regional where they are likely to have an abundance of people, unless the VC specifically asks for more volunteers for certain positions. If you really want to volunteer go ahead, but remember that you can't be there to help your team, you are there for the entire event.

[IndySam]

The best volunteer food I ever had was at Wisconsin, hands down.

[The other Gabe]

My team has an alumni from a few years ago that routinely refs, even at our competitions. Our Lead Mentor is often a Robot Inspector, My father was a queueer, and we usually have a few current team members doing various volunteerism jobs (especially at PNW Mount Vernon there were a lot of our guys)... as long as you can stay impartial, it really doesnt matter much

[The other Gabe]

Originally Posted by rsisk

GP or not it's wrong. You are either a volunteer or you are working with your team, not both. See ToddF posts earlier in the thread.

not to mention that you wouldnt have time to do that... or it would at least be quite difficult

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by Conor Ryan

i think there should be another thread devoted to finding which event has the BEST Volunteer Food. Food sometimes is a good example of exceptional attention to detail by the event planning committee.

Dallas had the most memorable dinner I had this year with barbecue beef brisket, ranch beans and mashed potatoes with this Italian Confetti cake for desert.

2012 Montreal was probably the best overall. They even had drinks in a cooler that I took whole liters of Passion fruit juice to the field. The red velvet cupcakes were insane.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Ed,
You are easily pleased...Red Velvet cupcakes.

[KelliV]

Originally Posted by Conor Ryan

i think there should be another thread devoted to finding which event has the BEST Volunteer Food.

I believe that once upon a time we had a DESSERT CART FIELD SIDE at the Connecticut. Probably the best food hands down.