FIRST Chesapeake Districts

[wilsonmw04]

Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery

Perhaps "graciousness" would be better substituted for GP there, but I see nothing unprofessional about that email. Certainly nothing to suggest anyone is being guilted into changing events.

interesting perspective, but you aren't being asked to move are you? I can see were someone could read into this that you are not showing GP by not moving.

The issue I have is that this is exactly what I feared would happen. Folks in VA are scrambling to minimize travel expenses. The demand for the central event should have been anticipated. This is why I suggested moving one of the NOVA/DC events farther south to Fredricksburg or New Kent/Williamsburg.

[wilsonmw04]

Originally Posted by JesseK

It could literally take two different team infrastructures to do both given the planning & execution involved.

How much are you involved in this? I was under the impression that CHP would be doing all the planning and execution, "hosts" would only provide manpower.

[JesseK]

Originally Posted by wilsonmw04

How much are you involved in this? I was under the impression that CHP would be doing all the planning and execution, "hosts" would only provide manpower.

Don't underestimate what it takes to pull off an event that teams enjoy. Some spots in volunteering cannot be filled by students, so even with a big team we're still going to find volunteers. Other spots shouldn't be filled by students who can't handle egos. Then there are little things like

• Parking estimation (especially on a SAT weekend)
• Signage
• Communication between volunteers
• Load-in/out flow
• Providing power to the room (understanding the outlet situation, etc),
• Internet availability (streaming the event, FMS tweets/HQ comms, etc)
• Understanding/testing available infrastructure (speakers, etc)
• Where specifically volunteers should be in order to manage their portion of the event, etc.
• Team social
• Event coordinators need X, where do they go to get it? (liason, e.g.)

Competitively, certain adult roles are key to success in keeping students engaged throughout an event, so we really don't want anyone in those roles 'dual-hatted'. There are also some roles only fillable by adults at a typical event, though there are sometimes exceptions to this rule (buying/assembling team lunch, mediation of various decisions/conflicts/ambitions, encouraging kids to go beyond their comfort zones, coaching kids through pressure points, running to the store for a needed material/tool).

[wilsonmw04]

Originally Posted by JesseK

Don't underestimate

Sorry, I worded the question poorly. It was not my intent to underestimate the work you and your team is doing. Thank you for the information.

[JesseK]

Originally Posted by wilsonmw04

Sorry, I worded the question poorly. It was not my intent to underestimate the work you and your team is doing. Thank you for the information.

Sorry, it wasn't meant as "DON'T" and more like 'there is more to it'.

By the way, who's not stressing out that he got back 3 minutes late from lunch on the day of 2nd registration?
<---- this guy

[Michael Kaurich]

Originally Posted by 346CADmen

I think the District should consider reaching out to schools without teams as hosts. Allows those schools to build excitement thus possibly a team and eliminates the host vs compete scenario.

This has occurred in Maryland this year with Harford Tech. The school previously had a team years ago but hasn't been active for a while. They are excited about having an event at their facility.

However, getting to this stage with the school required us to have a contact from a FIRST community member and a bit of a past history. Getting buy in on the administrative level for the school and the district is more difficult when teams are not present as they don't see the direct impact right away.

This being said, if there are locations, with or without team(s), in CHP District that anyone has contacts with please forward them to your RDs. We are starting the planning process for events next year and the more sites we can look at the merrier.

[zcohen]

Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery

I see 1111 isn't registered to compete in their host event, either. I'm curious if CHP advised these teams to stay away form their own events, or each of these teams decided to be cautious on their own.

We discussed attending our own event, but decided against it. While we're not running the event, the district is doing that, I wanted to make sure our students were available for volunteers if need be. Additionally 1111 will be taking care of concessions and we're hopefully going to be running our shop as a machine shop, so I didnt want to pull students away from those roles in order to compete. Also, while we never would exploit it, and I dont think any other team would either, I dont like even the idea of a perceived home team advantage, so we made the decision to not compete between that possible but unlikely perception and because I wanted my students and parents to be available as volunteers.

[zcohen]

I forgot about this thread for a bit until one of my students asked me about it. They asked me word for word, "why are there mentors on CD that just keep bashing every decision on going to districts?" This got me to read through the thread a bit and I can totally see where they're coming from. A lot of the posts come off extremely accusatory against the planning committees and steering committee, and many could have been figured out with a simple email to the team's RD instead of going through and complaining about what seems like half the things said by the steering committee. Remember students read these posts too, and if my kids are actively asking me why all the negativity, there must be many more thinking it too.
Many people seem to forget how difficult it must be to switch to districts. Your taking so much that was done by FIRST HQ and, and putting on the backs of largely a volunteer group. While there are paid staff, they still have to do everything they had to do before with running all four programs in their states in addition to the added workload on districts. Instead of complaining about things, how about we help each other out. Instead of saying just "the district should have done this", how about asking, "hey, I think this could have gone better this way, have you looked into it that way, and if not, could I do so?"

Maybe I'm just reading into these posts too much, but again, this is a public forum that our kids are reading, and I know they're having at least the same thoughts as I am on my team.

[PayneTrain]

Originally Posted by zcohen

Maybe I'm just reading into these posts too much, but again, this is a public forum that our kids are reading, and I know they're having at least the same thoughts as I am on my team.

I just re-read the thread, and outside of the relative inanity over the logo and terminology (which is standard Chief affair; go look at the tired thread about FIRST changing their logo and then please bleach both pairs of our eyes) it's reasoned thought from mentors who have been in FIRST for a long time and I don't think there is any push back moving to the district system within the teams who have posted here. In fact, this is something some of us have been pushing for for 5-6 years. We have had issues of growing FRC in places where it should thrive (I would love to see a day where Hampton Roads has as many teams as NoVA) and it's outside the scope of my team or any individual team to easily remedy something like that. On top of that, competitive drive and team camaraderie are also pretty lousy in the area, and maybe districts can fix that.

I don't doubt that everyone in this thread is also not aware of the sacrifices that have to be made in transitioning to the district system. I know my team has financially and logistically prepared itself to undertake reasonable inherent difficulties. Any perceived shortcoming I see as with lines of communication are usually channeled into private discussions that you don't see and public posts that you do see. It's not a complaint, a diatribe, a long winded litany, a Shakesperean tragedy, or a Homeric epic, it's usually just a question with possible criticism that I want answered.

My perception is that no one here has bashed the inherent idea of districts, but some people who have been around the block with some others before feel their voice is not heard through the proper primary channels and decide to bolster their voice through this forum. No one is dressing down FIRST Chesapeake or VirginiaFIRST/DC FIRST/ Maryland FIRST here. But perception is reality, and if there is a different reality somewhere else there is not much I can do to change it.

[notmattlythgoe]

Originally Posted by PayneTrain

On top of that, competitive drive and team camaraderie are also pretty lousy in the area, and maybe districts can fix that.

Hey now!! I take offense to that...oh wait, it's true.

[wilsonmw04]

Originally Posted by zcohen

Instead of complaining about things, how about we help each other out. Instead of saying just "the district should have done this", how about asking, "hey, I think this could have gone better this way, have you looked into it that way, and if not, could I do so?"

Greetings Zach,
You are coming in at the tail end of a conversation that has been going on for well over a year. Many of us have done those things that you have mentioned. Many of us were worried about being able to complete the needed changes in a short period of time, but we were willing and able to assist in the transition. We were then told we would not have a seat at the table in planning the events.

There is a HUGE wealth of knowledge and people-power that is not being tapped into. This is very frustrating. I think what you are sensing is frustration. I know I am frustrated. With that being said, I am still willing are able to assist in these events. If anyone from CHP is reading, this all you have to do is ask.

[wilsonmw04]

Originally Posted by notmattlythgoe

Hey now!! I take offense to that...oh wait, it's true.

:-)

[PayneTrain]

Originally Posted by notmattlythgoe

Hey now!! I take offense to that...oh wait, it's true.

Originally Posted by wilsonmw04

:-)

: (

[notmattlythgoe]

Originally Posted by wilsonmw04

There is a HUGE wealth of knowledge and people-power that is not being tapped into. This is very frustrating. I think what you are sensing is frustration. I know I am frustrated.

This right here. There are 3 separate groups with experience running semi-district size events in a high school. And I know for a fact that one of those groups is not being utilized. I'm, sure the same is true for the other 2.

On top of that there are some of us that feel the priorities that have been utilized in deciding how much to spend on each event are way out of wack.

[wilsonmw04]

Originally Posted by PayneTrain

: (

Sorry, dude. Just smiling through the pain.

(the pun. it hurts! but I can't resist)