Where was the GP at Championships?

[ebarker]

Originally Posted by Kim Masi

Being safe and being GP is not about getting the points, the award or the recognition, its about doing it because it's the right thing to do, and is what FIRST stands for.

I completely agree. What I was trying to say and not doing a good job is it seems like some groups are not seriously interested in GP or Safety.

You don't do GP and Safety for the award. You do it because it is the right thing to do.

[JohnBoucher]

Originally Posted by KathieK

Many people were wearing team Media badges with no intent on taking photos or writing articles about their teams... but were OK when I asked them to leave the field unless they were truly media people (I think that's horrible that someone would try and use that badge just to have access to the field so they can coach their teams or scout).

I abuse this. If a parent of a senior is on the field at a regional or championships, I give them the media badge to go out with their student. I feel that they should experience this. I ask them to make it look good. I'll even give them my camera. It's one of the few things I can do for the parents.

[KathieK]

Originally Posted by JohnBoucher

I abuse this. If a parent of a senior is on the field at a regional or championships, I give them the media badge to go out with their student. I feel that they should experience this. I ask them to make it look good. I'll even give them my camera. It's one of the few things I can do for the parents.

John, this is a very nice gesture to make to parents. I have been on both sides - being "stuck" in the stands for an entire competition as well as working on the fields, and it IS cool to be down on the Dome floor. But from the standpoint of a Vol Coord, it's a lot of work to do traffic control. At any one time I have about 20 volunteers (times 2 divisions), plus VIPs, FIRST staff, students and coaches for many teams who are queued up and/or competing, judges, AND the media people all on the fields. When the Head Referee asks you to please keeo media off of the carpet because he keeps backing into them during matches, then you know you have a problem. When "media" are coaching from the sidelines, or scouting from the sidelines, then you know you have a problem.

[GaryVoshol]

Originally Posted by JohnBoucher

I abuse this. If a parent of a senior is on the field at a regional or championships, I give them the media badge to go out with their student. I feel that they should experience this. I ask them to make it look good. I'll even give them my camera. It's one of the few things I can do for the parents.

I don't think that's an abuse of the system, especially if the parent is taking pictures. Isn't that kind of the point of media, to take close-up pictures of your team? So what if the pictures focus on one senior member of the team.

I personally somewhat used my position this weekend, and if it was wrong I apologize. After we finished up with FLL on Einstein on Thursday and Friday afternoons, I wandered over to Curie to see how my daughter's FRC team was doing. Thursday I talked to the queuer and found they weren't scheduled for over an hour, so I wandered back off and went to the stands. Friday the team was in the "on deck" area, so I went to speak with them for a moment, and then stood off to the side near the AV booth to watch the match. I don't see either as abuse of the system. Even though I was an extra person on the floor, not needing to be there, that was the only way I would have seen their match. After volunteering for 2 days, not being able to see them at all, I wanted to take advantage of my opportunity to see them once. Had I made a nuisance of myself, getting in the way of robot paths and such, I could see how that would be a problem. I don't think that's what we're talking about; it's just like having the parent use the media pass to get a closer view.

[Qbranch]

I can't believe this happened...

I could maybe understand if it was non-FIRST people that thought they'd see what all the to do was about but... FIRST kids? Wow. I only hope that none of our team was the instigator of any of this stuff... though I guess that'll always be a mystery since probably nobody would say anything even if it was them.

BUT! On the positive side, I think there was a LOT of GP at the Championship. Many times teams went out of their way to assist other teams... and I know I saw many 'tour groups' of people that were originally going to go to the auto show being led by students in their team shirts...

...team 1108 had their warehouse-like pit that had everything from Allen Wrenches to Zip Ties. (including CIM motors! )

...team 48 the Delphi Elite had their safety escorts on the prowl (ALL DAY I might add... you all deserve a massage. )

...Many teams helped out our Israel teams as their tools were all 220v.

There are many more, I'm sure, but these four are the ones that stand out most. We at 1024 did our part as well, lending tools, hands, and expertise... and whenever not busy, wandering the pits and looking for eager looking roboticists that'd love to tell you all about their machine. (though personally I tend to go for the pits where people don't look like they're having the best day ever).

Yes, people screwed up at Championships, and it's not something to be overlooked. Swearing at a volunteer is not acceptable.

But, also remember there's a ton of FIRST people that did a GP job last weekend in Atlanta.

-q

[JaneYoung]

I'd like to just take it back to the OP's message about the staff of the event.
They are not FIRSTers. They are staff hired to do their job. It is their livelihood.

The 2 elevator staff I saw had stools in their corner of the world while they pushed buttons to go up and down all day. I'm sure they have to manage their time and follow the company's guidelines and rules regarding personal breaks and meals. They are basically stuck in the elevator with the people they are servicing.That is no reason whatsoever, for anyone associated with a FIRST team to call them names or verbally abuse them. It's wrong.

We can talk about the good things teams do. I can talk for days without stopping. That was not the point of this thread. It was to address how the staff were treated at the event. There should be a system in place (if there is not already) for them to summon their supervisor and for the supervisor to report the troubles to the appropriate FIRST staff person to get this behavior nipped in the bud.

[Andy Baker]

Originally Posted by JaneYoung

It's wrong.

Hearing about these actions is saddening. I have been thinking about how we can alleviate this. Maybe we can offset the bad things by increasing the good things that we do.

Next year, many of these same Dome staffers will be working our event. I suggest that we spread the word and make a concentrated effort to do random acts of kindness toward these people.

We've got a year to think about what things we can do. What are some ideas?

Andy

[DUCKIE]

As much as I usually despise signage, It might be useful for FIRST to place the "approved to use this" signs
(The ones that had pictures of the red and yellow volunteer badges, Media badges, Production company badges, ect... of all those approved to enter an area.)
by the elevators and limited access doors. Then the Dome staff could simply point unapproved badge holders' attention to the sign. But the only place I saw them was deep in the bowels of the Dome under the Newton stands where unapproved access was not really a problem.

---------------------------

I would like to give kudos to the two students (from 703 I believe) who on their way to the dome one morning, noticed that the American flag outside of GWCC - Bldg. A had come down, and they stopped to re-post the colors and properly tie off the rope before continuing on to the dome/pits.

[jtdowney]

Originally Posted by Andy Baker

We've got a year to think about what things we can do. What are some ideas?

How about giving out team t-shirts, buttons, and other items. I know it doesn't make up for past transgressions but maybe if we try to include them our relationship would be better. There will be those who don't care and just want to finish their day so they can go home but I imagine more then a few will be interested, feel more involved, and not just be a bystander.

[GaryVoshol]

There's something we can do right now: Tell their bosses how much we appreciated them. http://www.gwcc.com/feedback.html

[Travis Hoffman]

Originally Posted by Andy Baker

We've got a year to think about what things we can do. What are some ideas?

Andy

How about all of us simply be polite by acknowledging their existence and the job they are doing? It doesn't take a Herculean effort on the part of any one person if all of us contribute to the effort. I don't think it would take much more than that. Hundreds of simple thank you's and short conversations adding a little variety to otherwise monotonous job responsibilities would serve to drown out the negative effects of a few elitists making idiots of themselves.

I definitely noticed how many employees were smiling and cheerful as I walked in various sections of the complex. I thought this was an unusually high occurence relative to other places I typically frequent. I got the feeling that these were genuine pleasantries and not some mannerisms forced upon them by their superiors. I thought this was pretty dang neat. Security, elevator operators, etc. were all pleasant. I made sure to return the favor with a "Good Morning!" or "Hi, how ya doin?".

That's all that is needed, I feel.

[Andy Baker]

Originally Posted by GaryVoshol

There's something we can do right now: Tell their bosses how much we appreciated them. http://www.gwcc.com/feedback.html

Good idea, Gary... my survey is done.

Andy

[ebarker]

Originally Posted by Andy Baker

Good idea, Gary... my survey is done.

Andy

No, No, not yet !!

There acronyms and monikers that describe things at FIRST, like GP for example.

Would it be useful to have something that helped encourage students to consciously reached out to the staff with some love and support ? (I know we are supposed to do that anyway, but)

Probably it would be best if GP was extended to incorporate this. Of course it is there implicitly we we can do a little nudging.

We want the staff think of the event as not just another bunch of people but WOW, what a really cool bunch of people !!!

[Mark McLeod]

It'd go a long way just to take time to stop and chat briefly with the volunteers who have to sit in the same spot all day doing the thankless jobs that go unnoticed by most passersby. Especially the volunteers we are constantly passing going back and forth from the pits to the dome. The elevator operators, queuers, those directing traffic at the crossways of FRC/FTC/FLL teams, overworked volunteer coordinators,... We may not have time rushing to make a match, but the return journey isn't too hectic to slow down and exchange a few words, hand them a button or team giveaway.
Common courtesy is always appreciated.

It helps to understand the abuse they may be exposed to and to think about countering any bad experiences they have.

We had a volunteer policing the robot team exit from the pits and she felt emotionally abused by all the people who'd ignore her polite requests. People without passes or badges of any sort who walked right past her. A teacher with a pack of young school children trailing behind her who was stopped then barged through the trundling robot traffic. Our volunteer and another young college woman just couldn't take it by the end of the first day. I noticed FIRST replaced them with larger male volunteers better able to refuse entrance to perennial gate crashers.

Did my survey too.

[Rick TYler]

Originally Posted by jtdowney

How about giving out team t-shirts, buttons, and other items.

My son covered his t-shirt with team buttons, then started handing them out -- servers in restaurants, workers in the dome, people working in our hotel, other FIRST participants. I was surprised how many happy "thank yous" he got. And the pins were all ones he'd picked up in the pits, so it didn't even cost anything. I noticed that the desk clerks at the hotel ended up wearing more pins than my son had given them, so I suppose it caught on in at least a small way.