What makes a Team a full "FIRST Team"?

[BlueLipstick]

Originally Posted by mrnoble

Maybe we should have a schism, and form new denominations of FRC. Reformed, Chairman's Only, New Disciples of 254, Orthodox Kamenites. The Kamenites could wear all denim...

I second this motion

[BrendanB]

Originally Posted by mrnoble

Maybe we should have a schism, and form new denominations of FRC. Reformed, Chairman's Only, New Disciples of 254, Orthodox Kamenites. The Kamenites could wear all denim...

Where do we put all the "Free Hugs" kids?

[mrnoble]

Originally Posted by BrendanB

Where do we put all the "Free Hugs" kids?

We could call them the (Woody) Flower(s) Children.

[SpaceBiz]

I would first like to point out the flaw in the wording of my question. I in no way meant for the question to be translated literally. I wanted to discuss things that we like to see teams practice, so they can fully embrace the spirit of first. (post 10 understands my question)

Originally Posted by BlueLipstick

Precisely! I think we should be focusing less on making teams conform to the ideals and more supporting each other in the extent we choose the embody FIRST. If a team only wants to do robot stuff and go home, we should be supportive. If a team has a weak robot but loves doing all the extra stuff associated with FIRST, we should be supportive. FIRST is about the community as much as it is the 'true FIRST Team'.

I don't see encouraging teams to embrace the first ideals as a bad thing. I am for encouraging teams to build a great robot, and for enabling as many people as possible to gain that invaluable experience, but "first is more than just robots". There is a reason first emphasizes the fact that chairmans is the most prestigious award at first.

I am the business/marketing lead on my team. I have gained invaluable experience in business not comparable to any of the other 71 clubs at my school. (We are a club according to the school system) I want other people interested in things other than computer science and engineering to gain the same experience first provides to me as well.

[Christopher149]

Originally Posted by SpaceBiz

-leaving before awards ceremonies (personal pet peeve of mine)

I agree that this is something I'd like to see less of. In my opinion, so long as you don't have a scheduling conflict forcing an early departure, the gracious and respectful thing is to stay through awards, even if you aren't in elims/playoffs. It's also a bit awkward when a team earns an award but has already left.

[GeeTwo]

I don't really like the title, but as with any widespread organization with independently operated teams/locals/chapters/congregations, there are going to be some teams which just go through the basic motions and those which exemplify the parent organization's purposes. Good examples of FIRST teams:

• Inspire and teach student members to STEM and related careers
• Show team spirit and pride, without any rancor to other teams
• Teach leadership skills to members (and mentors and other teams)
• Exhibit gracious professionalism, on and off the field, year round
  • Mentoring outside teams/clubs/individuals
  • Lending tools, parts, and labor to other teams - not just alliance partners
  • Cheering for other teams, just because they're really trying
  • Exhibit thankfulness, humility, and poise
• Do community outreach and service (over and above fundraising and recruitment activities!)
• Work to change the community of their school, neighborhood, city, state, country, world
• Reach across and bridge the factors which keep people apart, whether gender, race, creed, color, affluence, popularity, athleticism, or whatever
• Generally build their program over the years
• Have fun doing all of the above

(This list is not exhaustive, just the first few things I thought of.)

[gblake]

Originally Posted by Anupam Goli

... Personally, I'm kinda getting tired of seeing teams who don't field a decent robot and don't seem to have a strong FRC program, but win the chairman's award due to their outreach and FLL programs. That may just be me, though.

Perhaps you need to re-read the full criteria used to decide who has earned the Chairman's Award, and also reflect on why FIRST was created (inspiring students, changing culture(s), ...). The robots are the tools, not the purposes.

[GreyingJay]

Originally Posted by Christopher149

I agree that this is something I'd like to see less of. In my opinion, so long as you don't have a scheduling conflict forcing an early departure, the gracious and respectful thing is to stay through awards, even if you aren't in elims/playoffs. It's also a bit awkward when a team earns an award but has already left.

Agreed. Saw a few of those awards at GTR Central. Lots of applause, then awkward applause, then... "Oh well, looks like they've left."

It would have to be a pretty tight schedule to have to leave early though. What if you had been on the winning alliance? You'd have left early and not collected your award? No, you would have made time to stay... so you can make time and stay.

[orangemoore]

Originally Posted by GreyingJay

Agreed. Saw a few of those awards at GTR Central. Lots of applause, then awkward applause, then... "Oh well, looks like they've left."

It would have to be a pretty tight schedule to have to leave early though. What if you had been on the winning alliance? You'd have left early and not collected your award? No, you would have made time to stay... so you can make time and stay.

I can understand why a team would do that. Let's say were Bomb Squad coming from Arkansas to Chicago for the Midwest Regional, they left on Thursday at 2am and arrived around noon. That is a 10 hour drive. If I had to make that drive back and wasn't staying in Chicago on Saturday I would leave as early as possible. (Bomb Squad didn't leave early, I'm just making a point)

I'm just saying for some teams they have a reason they might want to leave early, others don't.

[Christopher149]

Originally Posted by orangemoore

...That is a 10 hour drive...

I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but we had a 10 hour drive to one of our two district events, and it will be 10 hours to the district championship.

Now, there was a chance in week 5 that a lift bridge might have been closed for 13 hours, cutting two local teams off from getting home, and they might have decided to leave early to get home before that (which I'm totally cool with). Thankfully the closure didn't take place, and those two teams also earned awards.