A FIRST Warning From VA

[KenWittlief]

I emphasize with Joseph M about the loss of support for teams in your area. I can understand why you are upset.

I dont think its fair to any sponsor to expect them to continue to support a FIRST team for more than one year at a time.

For a corporate sponsor being involved with a FIRST team is a community service, a way to give something back to the people in your area, a way to invest in your future.

But we have to accept that individual companies dont always prosper, dont always make a profit - some dont even stay in business!

If you have a corporate sponsor this year, be thankfull and gratefull, and hope for the best for next year. I dont see any reason to be upset with FIRST for allowing the program to expand too fast, allowing too many new teams

?!

how could FIRST possibly tell a company that wants to be a sponsor no! ? Would we demand that they put up money for 3 or 5 years before we allow them to start a team? Would we hold them responsible to find a replacement sponsor if they are no longer able?

Ive seen several corporations over the years go through a downturn, and lay off MANY employees, and still keep sponsoring their FIRST team. In fact I know of one that kept its team under wraps, kept it secret as much as they could (no media coverage, ect) so that people who had lost their jobs would not have to deal with the idea of the company spending money on highschool students, instead of keeping them on as employees.

If a high school and a sponsor are able to get together for one year, and have a team for one year, I think thats wonderful. If they are not able to do it again the following year, that will not take away anything from the experience those students had when they were on the team.

There are no guarentees in life. Cherish what you have while you have it. None of us knows what tomorrow will bring.