[WRRF]: 7/08 CalGames Planning Meeting #2 notes

[Ken Leung]

The following are notes taken by Ceal Craig at the 2nd planning meeting on 7/08.

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Teams present: 100, 114, 115, 581, 668, 675, 766, 1120, 1351, 1700

Introductions & Beginning
Thanks to Ken Krieger and Google for hosting the meeting (and the next
planned one).
Overview of how we got here: planning committee, site selection, date
selection, email address bounces

Ken provided a macro view of the schedule, sharing the needs for volunteers.
Unload by 12 noon; begin putting carpet down at 3PM. Couple of hours to do
carpet. Seemed to be a strong interest to have side events Friday night. Gym
available on 8PM Thursday night through Sunday.

Five qualifying matches, one practice or six qualifying matches? Consensus
in this meeting was to go with six qualifying matches. ACTION (C2): Need to
confirm with community list.
Idea for future: accept carpet from Silicon Valley in future? This
might help us retire some of the older carpet.

Email to community with names of schools where we are missing contacts
(DONE).

Registration by next week (that's now this week) sent to list.

Ken will provide people a link to join community@wrrf.org to all those who
gave emails for last two meetings.
Ceal described the pieces available at NASA. ACTION: message to teams about
what elements are available for use in October. Allen Steel, Redwood City,
might donate/provide low cost aluminum diamond plate.

Game Discussion
Game Needs
Reconfirmed Exception 1 & 2 stated before. Dialogue on removing the chains
behind the center goal; Net might be a feasible alternative vs. the chains
used. Limit no more than 35 feet at 30 degrees as stated in the field. Speed
validation: can't take time to do the measurement and can't cost us (much).
Is this something we need to do or not? Consensus seems to be this is not a
large issue: Inspection can take this as a goal to evaluate at some level.
Also, reinforce the rules. Chains/soccer netting is OK.

ACTION: does anybody have a radar device calibrated for balls (vs. cars).

ACTION: Dave Sheridan (766) will help corral the field elements.

ACTION: Ken Krieger try to obtain names for Google sponsored teams.

ACTION: Ask about alliance selection process: keep 2006 rules or use prior
year's rule. Consensus at this meeting was stay with 2006, provides a more
level playing fields between alliances

Side Events
Shared ideas from previous meeting. Concern w/ side events on Saturday to
conflict with running the Game itself. Side events are difficult to manage,
participate (be aware they exist), can be a distraction from main game.
However, good spectator sports have been held (aim for more crowd pleaser
events, a la Truck Pull event), maybe during lunch, Friday night. Having too
many has been a distracter in the past. Skipping these might be ok too.
Having side events off in a room might defeat the purpose. Side Events might
not be as useful if held on Friday night.
Audience participation, crowd pleasers, not using the robot itself.
Consensus split. Keep on Saturday. VEX robot build in an area. Hill climb:
crowd pleaser.

Purposes: audience participation, crowd pleasing things; a recognition for a
team's efforts at something. Help to bring in the freshman with a VEX
challenge. Obstacle course of some sort (Playing with Learning people could
run this maybe?). Side events: fund raiser to have spectators to run old
robots.
Awards
Money and time, both preparation and awarding time. How much is too much? 9"
silicon wafer with CalGames logo w/ year, engraved plaque was previous
award.
ACTION: Awards Team: Team Pavan Datta (team 115) agreed to lead committee;
Ken Krieger volunteered to help on award committee; post meeting Maria
Balangue from Team 1120 volunteered to craft awards.

Human Player award could be tough to watch and score. Autonomous award for
most balls by robot (not alliance). Team Spirit, Pit Design.
Publicity
Focus? More spectators vs. more school support (administrators, parents,
etc.). Help WRRF grow deeper roots (foundational funding, corporate
sponsorship, etc.). Laura Rhodes is on committee. Suggest publicity to FLL
and Playing with Learning (VEX). Laura Hall will reach out to FLL Silicon
Valley Regional Chair.
Fund Raising
LAN party? "For every one robotics student, 10 others play games."

What does it take to keep WRRF afloat? Storage facility: $150/month.
Insurance: $2-3K a year. Web site hosting: $1K a year maybe. Taxes,
accounting, fees, etc. $20-30K typically.

Grant writing (Honda? Others?)

NEXT MEETING: 7/29, 1-3, Google, Building 40, same place

Respectfully submitted,
Ceal


Ceal Craig
WRRF BOD Liaison
Ceal@WRRF.org

[sanddrag]

One thousand dollars per year for website hosting? Is that a typo?