2008 National Chairman's Award: Who will be THE ONE?

[JYang]

does LookingForward have anything to say about this topic?

[Barry Bonzack]

I would like to sing the praises of 476.

This is a team that has won an award every year they have competed since 2000, but this is the first year they have ever won the RCA even though they do an excellent submission every year.

They have been working hard over the past few years because they had a dream of having a regional in their own state of Oklahoma, Houston is quite a drive for them. They provided great assistance to me when I was trying to get a team off the ground, it took a couple of years but that team is now 2165 in Bartlesville Oklahoma. At the time, I believe it was only the 8th team to spring up in the state. This year, they made their dreams a reality. They were able to get the Oklahoma Legislature to pass $100,000 to start new FIRST teams. This made the FIRST community in Oklahoma explode! there were over 25 rookie teams this year, enough for Oklahoma to be able to have its own regional. Guess which team has been there the entire way to push this regional into a reality? 476.

What about those some 25+ rookie teams? How did they fair? well 476 hosted a satellite kickoff at Oklahoma State University. After all the teams had their kit of parts, they hosted a workshop so every team could go home with a working drivetrain on the first day of buildseason. There were no robots at the Oklahoma regional that sat in the corner the entire competition and did nothing.

Team 932 is also from Oklahoma, they won the Chairmans at the St. Louis Regional. I do not know anything from their story, but I don't want to leave them out completely. I'm sure they also have had their hand in this magic.


I am rooting hard for my friends over on 476, but I doubt that a 1st year chairmans award winner will go home with the clock. That being said, you'll be hardpressed to find a team that has done significantly more than the Wildcats of Ponca City.


I'm also rooting for 1676, simply because it would be fun to see Zara go absolutely nuts.

[Graham Donaldson]

Originally Posted by Barry Bonzack

I'm also rooting for 1676, simply because it would be fun to see Zara go absolutely nuts.

Yeah, that's ALWAYS fun!

But on a more serious note, as much as I obviously would love to see us (1676) win, I get the feeling there will be teams in contention for NCA that deserve it much more than we do. But, good luck to everyone!

Three days until the madness begins!

[Tetraman]

I'm rooting for 340 so FLR can have even more hall of fame teams.

But seeing any of the teams win is exciting to think about.

[ngreen]

Originally Posted by Barry Bonzack

I would like to sing the praises of 476.

I agree about 476. They are one of the teams that helped mentor my team (1108) in our rookie year (I would also like to mention 938 from central heights, ks which mentored us that year also). Anyways, without Ponca City I don't think we would have won the National Rookie All-Star that year and be as successful as we have been since then (competing against them with our own RCA). We're very grateful for the support they gave us that first year.

On another note, I'm also rooting for 1108. Their accomplishments every year make me very proud to be on the founding team.

[Tonya Scott 476]

Nelson & Barry are very kind with their support for team 476. We are very proud to say that we are competing for the National Chairman's Award with 2 teams that we have helped throughout the years.

It is true that we spent a lot of hours on the phone and other ways mentoring 1108 & 932. It is quite an honor to be part of other's success!

Can any other Chairman's team this year tell us if other Chairman's teams are teams they have mentored?

We also helped 24 rookie Oklahoma teams this year. So did 932.

It is wonderful to be a part of helping FIRST come to Oklahoma. We hope to have state funding in place to sponsor 20 2nd year teams, and 10 more rookies. That would take us to 44 teams next year (provided all 34 existing teams are sustained) in reality, we might lose a couple of teams. But most of our rookies were really pumped at the OKC regional. They are already planning for next year.

Barry--you are awesome--see you in Atlanta.

Team 476 is having a great year, and as of the OKC regional, we have earned 22 awards in 9 years. Our very first award, 2000 LS Leadership in Control Award was given to us by Astronaut David Brown, one of the astronauts that didn't return from Shuttle Columbia. It is very memorable to those of us who remember that day.

We are coming to Atlanta to have some serious fun, and meet lots of great people that also love FIRST. Focusing on the awards too much takes the fun out of it. There are 13 seniors on our team, and we are going to have a great time!

2008 Oklahoma City Regional Chairman’s Award Winner
2008 Oklahoma City Leadership in Control
2008 Kansas City KPC&B Entrepreneurship
2008 Kansas City UL Industrial Safety Award
2008 Kansas City Regional Champion
2007 Kansas City GM Industrial Design
2007 Kansas City UL Industrial Safety Award
2007 Houston Motorola Quality
2007 Houston Regional Champion
2007 Houston UL Industrial Safety Award
2006 Houston Engineering Inspiration Award
2006 Houston UL Industrial Safety Award
2005 Houston Judge's Award
2004 Houston Imagery
2003 St. Louis Imagery
2002 Houston Judge's Award
2002 St. Louis KPC&B Entrepreneurship
2001 National Imagery
2001 Houston Delphi "Driving Tomorrow's Technology"
2001 Houston Regional Champion
2000 National Rookie All-Star Award
2000 Houston Leadership in Control Award

[Lil' Lavery]

Originally Posted by Tonya Scott 476

Can any other Chairman's team this year tell us if other Chairman's teams are teams they have mentored?

116 helped start and mentor 612, who has won RCAs in 2006-08. 116 was also instrumental in the founding of all NASA base teams and the creation of the NASA grants, which have resulted in countless Chairman's winners (including HoF team 254).

[Tonya Scott 476]

Lucien Junkin from team 118 (Robonauts) is the one that long-distance mentored us in 2000 from Houston.

[65_Xero_Huskie]

Im gonna have to put my money on 27, or 71.
Just a feeling.

[The Lucas]

Using Sean Lavery's division spreadsheet and Imad numbers for total RCA wins, I broke the Chairman's candidates down by division. Each Division is listed by number of RCA winners (Chairman's candidates) and Total RCA (for those candidates)

Division	RCA winners	Total RCA
Archimedes	10		24
Curie		5		9
Galileo		13		22	
Newton		12		22

Galileo has the most (13) Chairman's candidates (it is stacked with more than just Regional Champions). However, Archimedes has 24 total RCA over the history of their 10 Chairman's candidates, which I think indicates it has more "favorites". Still, only one team can win it and the judges don't look at division. Good luck to all!

[ngreen]

Originally Posted by The Lucas

Division	RCA winners	Total RCA
Archimedes	10		24
Curie		5		9
Galileo		13		22	
Newton		12		22

If you look at archimedes you will notice that they have 236, a six time RCA winner in the division, congrats. There are 0 five time winners and 5 four time winners.

So basically everything is even between archimedes, newton, and galileo, with the exception being 236. Some reason curie just is short in RCA winners.

[The Lucas]

Originally Posted by ngreen

If you look at archimedes you will notice that they have 236, a six time RCA winner in the division, congrats. There are 0 five time winners and 5 four time winners.

Even if you take 236 out, Archimedes still has 842 (4), 27 (3), 71 (3), 476 (2), 1398 (2) etc.. totaling 9 winners with 18 total RCA. That is an average of 2 per winner and still higher than any of the other division averages (Newton is next with 1.83). Archimedes really has some major contenders, which is why I think they have the edge in the odds.

But again it is wide open (no honorable mentions last year), the judges probably don't even notice division. You cant count a Curie of 340 (3), 126 (2), 604 (2), 768 (1) and 1860 (1), simply because the numbers are against Curie (it is just less probable for the whole division not any particular team).

Personally, I have plenty of rooting interests (at least 1 in each division) from teams I have met through the years (aka regional bias). Most of them are not in Archimedes, but I still think Archi has the best odds.

[DCA Fan]

Going strictly off of the fact that the trend in national Chairman's seems to be awarding older teams to encourage rookies to keep up the hard work, my guess would be a team that is under team #400. I'm rooting for 399, but I'm biased because I'm a West Coaster...any team that wins national Chairmans is without a doubt, worthy of the recognition.

I would keep my eye on 1714 out of Milwaukee...Very strong in the community.

[rsilverstein]

The most congratulations to Team 842. Great team. Great program.