Commitment

[smurfgirl]

During our "offseason" period, (September-December, May-June), we meet regularly once a week for two hours, with extra events like fundraisers, offseason competitions, and community activities.

During our "main season", we hold meetings six days a week regularly, with some Fridays (the seventh day). Monday through Thursday are 3-4 hours each, Saturday is 8 hours, Sunday is 5 hours, and the some Fridays are usually 5 hours. This is a total of up to 34 hours a week, not including fundraisers, competitions, and other events.

However, we only require 60% attendance to go to competitions, and we offer opportunities to receive what is, in effect, "extra credit", for attending specific meetings to clean up our workshop, etc. (We try to be flexible, and there are exceptions in extenuating circumstances, such as one kid whose mom died of cancer.)

Despite the attendance requirement, you see the dedicated members at robotics nightly, often with >100% attendance because of our "extra credit" opportunities. I've seen as low as 3% attendance, as well, with the people who you wonder why they stick around on the team.

[synth3tk]

As mentioned earlier, our team is moving to a new schedule this year (which still has yet to be determined). There will be mandatory meetings for the whole team about twice a week, and then sub-team meetings different nights.

Last season we did Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays & Saturdays. Weekdays from 2:20 - 5-ish and weekends from 7a - 2. Of course when crunch time comes around it'll be modified, believe me.

Yeah, there are things that prevent some students from attending. We had a member last year who was also in band, and it conflicted big time. But like smurfgirl and lukevanoort said, there will probably be some people whose motives have to be questioned. They show up, you set a mandatory attendance, then they disappear into the mist. Try to see what's up, but if they're just whatever, then forget about it.

[ebarker]

During the 45 day build season our schedule is:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday - 4-7pm
Saturday 9am - 4pm plus or minus an hour

We want each student there 2 weekday afternoons or 1 Saturday during any given week. There will be a few students there every session and a few that will make it only once a week, for good cause.

If someone thinks that they can show up for a couple of sessions and then go on a trip, nope, it ain't gonna happen.

We work two major objectives - make sure the student gets some quality hours during the week, and make sure the student can get their other non-robotics bases covered.

[DonRotolo]

Team 1676 generally meets weekdays 3:15 - 9 pm, Saturday 9 am to 7 pm-ish, Sundays off. This year we're probably going to take a day off during the week, too.

Some kids take their homework to meetings and they get it (or much of it) out of the way in a larger group, things go faster when people can explain it, then they put the saw to the metal.

2 days a week really isn't enough, unless you make 2 shifts (total time is 4 days a week), vbut there are other problems with that, as in how to hand off work from one shift to the next...

Don

[wilmo]

6 days a week
6-9 (vets stay from 3-9) Mon, Wed, Fri
3-6 Tues, Thurs
8-8 Sat
+SRT (study hall every other day) 1.5 hours

[Joe J.]

We run three hours a day 6-9 on weekdays
Saturdays can very usually 9-5.
Sundays are reserved for emergencies

These are the set times there are members who arrive early and leave late

One weekend in 2004 we worked 5 hours Friday night, 15 hours Saturday, then another 9 on Sunday, so you can never really plan exactly how much time yours going to need. If your design & build run smoothly you might not need to meet everyday or if something goes wrong you could end up working extra long hours.

If you have members who can only meet a few times a week try setting a schedule up so they are spread out throughout the week, that way you can remain productive every day instead of having tons of people there one day then nobody show up the next. Either way make sure there is communication between everybody so you know who will be there when and what was accomplished the previous few days, We have learned from past experience that if only one person know whats going on with a certain design/device then they don't show up alot of efforts end up getting duplicated.

[Molten]

We always struggle with a similar problem because we never seem to have enough members. Our solution is to make it so that the team meets every night for two hours. Not everyone has to show up every night. Some only make one every other week. Instead of using excess hours in the shop, we are always thinking about it. I was the rules person and carried the manual with me everywhere. I couldn't even sleep for a few days after kickoff because I had numbers, rules, and designs running through my head. When we do see someone in the halls, who hasn't been to the meetings, we find out where they have been and ask what ideas they have for the robot. Sometimes, they will get the grunt work because they do not have the time to choose, but they keep coming back.

[AndyB]

269 has generally been every week night for the first two or three weeks from 5pm and most people stay until at least 9. Some nights it goes to 10:30 or 11.

Once you the second half of the build season starts, we start meeting on Saturdays and Sundays. If I remember correctly it was about 9am till the late afternoon.

Every team is different, and every student on every team is different. You are going to see a solid group of a couple kids who get really into it and are there every hour they can, and then there will be the kids who are there 2 or 3 nights a week and tend to make less of a commitment.

If this is your first year, it could be tough and you may lose some attraction between now and January but you just need to hang in there. Rookie years can be bad, but going into next year, if you can get a group of a students who are coming back and can serve as veterans on the team, you should be ok.

Robotics will draw attention to new students. I have no doubt that your first meeting probably had a significant turnout. The key is to keep interest.

[Billfred]

For this season, 1618 will be meeting three days during the week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday) after school, and Saturdays. To qualify to travel to Chesapeake, our sole regional this year, students have to make a percentage of both sets of meetings (the exact figures escape me; I think it's around 60%), and chip in $100 towards the trip (which, we hope, will be offset at least partially by fundraising events).

We're going great lengths to make the kids and their parents aware of the requirements this year, as a little less awareness last season left us with seven kids that traveled to Palmetto. The addition of a travel money requirement also necessitates more awareness, since the team hasn't needed it before (compare our 2007 travel to our 2008 travel).

[BigJ]

Team 1675 worked every day after school except Thursdays until 8, 'til 9 on Fridays.

Saturdays we work 8 to 4. Any off school days where teachers are still expected to show up we also work from approximately 8 to 4.

Near the end of the season the schedule sometimes differs.