how to expand our team????

[Katie Reynolds]

It has been my experience in FIRST that, on a team, you want quality -- not necessarily quantity. In 2000, (the year before I joined 93) the team consisted of 15-20 active members. In 2001, that number jumped to about 40 active members!. Things did not go well for us that year, mainly because there was so many people! It was great that that many students were interested in FIRST, but the team simply did not have the need for that many students to be involved. In 2002, we had 20 dedicated members. This was my best year on the team. Everyone was always just busy enough, and there was always something to do.

Wanting to share the "FIRST experience" with those who know little about the program is awesome! But just be careful when recruiting people. Get people on the team who want to be there. Remember, going from five members to 30 is a huge jump!

</end_semi-rant>

Managing a team so large usually calls for a 'business plan' of sorts. Figure out who is doing what before the season starts, rather than waiting until build time! Decide whether or not your team will be doing Chairman's, animation, PR, swappables, etc. Get your crate built and decorated during the off-season so it isn't forgotten about until the last minute. If you have a lot of new members who need training in the machine shop, nominate an experienced team veteran who can train the rookies and show them what needs to be done. Have your electrical lead go over the electrical components of past years with the rookies interested in that. The key to managing any team is organization!

Good luck!

- Katie