Commitment

[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.