Current Districts Map. Who is next?

[Gregor]

Originally Posted by jajabinx124

I understand your opinion and the districts system would be awesome here in MN, but IMO Minnesota isn't going to districts anytime soon. From what I've heard, MN has issues getting enough volunteers for the 4 regionals we have in our state, so thinking about districts and the number of events that may need to be put up for districts here is insane.

Maybe in the next 5 or so years it may switch to districts.. but that's just my guess.

Half the issue of volunteers in Minnesota is that there are only 2 weekends available. Many volunteers won't compete at an event their team is at, so they can't volunteer anywhere if their team does 2 Minnesota events. If the 4 regionals were on four separate weeks I'd better you'd see many more volunteers appear.

The fifth Minnesota regional will probably help disperse the teams and actually free up some volunteers.

[jajabinx124]

Originally Posted by Gregor

Half the issue of volunteers in Minnesota is that there are only 2 weekends available. Many volunteers won't compete at an event their team is at, so they can't volunteer anywhere if their team does 2 Minnesota events. If the 4 regionals were on four separate weeks I'd better you'd see many more volunteers appear.

The fifth Minnesota regional will probably help disperse the teams and actually free up some volunteers.

I don't know whether there will be a 5th MN regional. The new Iowa regional is technically the "5th MN regional" I think.. I think the MN volunteer base is going to be heavily involved with helping set up/run the new Iowa regional, but this will help free up some volunteers hopefully and give IO, MN, MO, etc. teams another choice for a regional to attend.

[runneals]

Originally Posted by jajabinx124

I don't know whether there will be a 5th MN regional. The new Iowa regional is technically the "5th MN regional" I think.. I think the MN volunteer base is going to be heavily involved with helping set up/run the new Iowa regional, but this will help free up some volunteers hopefully and give IO, MN, MO, etc. teams another choice for a regional to attend.

It's not the 5th MN regional, otherwise it'd be in Minnesota *in Minnesotan accent*. I have a feeling that the Iowa regional will draw some power house teams from across the country, and will primarily end up being a regional for IL, IA, WI, MO, MN, and maybe NE for it's centralized location. Also, I would kinda doubt that it is going to be primarily minnesotans. We have quite a few places (Rockwell Collins, John Deere, etc) that have lots of volunteers in FIRST and I would imagine send over to help out.

PS while you're here, you can visit the ORIGINAL place in Waterloo where John Deere first started

[Ginger Power]

Originally Posted by runneals

It's not the 5th MN regional, otherwise it'd be in Minnesota *in Minnesotan accent*. I have a feeling that the Iowa regional will draw some power house teams from across the country, and will primarily end up being a regional for IL, IA, WI, MO, MN, and maybe NE for it's centralized location. Also, I would kinda doubt that it is going to be primarily minnesotans. We have quite a few places (Rockwell Collins, John Deere, etc) that have lots of volunteers in FIRST and I would imagine send over to help out.

PS while you're here, you can visit the ORIGINAL place in Waterloo where John Deere first started

I think what Jajabinx124 meant was that a lot of the MN leadership worked hard to get the Iowa Regional started, rather than focusing on starting a 5th Regional within MN.

[Pauline Tasci]

This has been said about 50 times in this thread, but I'll always be voting for California to go into districts sooner than later.

[jajabinx124]

Originally Posted by Ginger Power

I think what Jajabinx124 meant was that a lot of the MN leadership worked hard to get the Iowa Regional started, rather than focusing on starting a 5th Regional within MN.

Yeah that's what I meant.

Originally Posted by runneals

I have a feeling that the Iowa regional will draw some power house teams from across the country, and will primarily end up being a regional for IL, IA, WI, MO, MN, and maybe NE for it's centralized location.

Don't mean to nitpick here, but FYI Nebraska doesn't have any FRC teams.

[runneals]

Originally Posted by jajabinx124

Yeah that's what I meant.



Don't mean to nitpick here, but FYI Nebraska doesn't have any FRC teams.

They don't have any *YET*! We are working with people over there, to get one started next year I believe

[Ginger Power]

Originally Posted by Gregor

Half the issue of volunteers in Minnesota is that there are only 2 weekends available. Many volunteers won't compete at an event their team is at, so they can't volunteer anywhere if their team does 2 Minnesota events. If the 4 regionals were on four separate weeks I'd better you'd see many more volunteers appear.

The fifth Minnesota regional will probably help disperse the teams and actually free up some volunteers.

The other half of the issue is that we have such a young volunteer base. While having more volunteer weekends available increase the number of raw volunteers, it won't change the fact that we only have so many key volunteers. I just don't see us getting enough key volunteers in just 2 years... and this from somebody who desperately wants to change to districts.