Chairman's Award

[Nastassja M]

Due to a series of irritating events, I could not meet the deadline for the Chairman's and Woodie Flowers Award.

However! I still have the actual essays. Is there anything I can do? Can I still do the presentation?

Thanks for the help!

[EricH]

Contact FRC HQ. Explain your situation. If they say you can present/submit, that's their call. If they don't, then you've learned a valuable lesson on why you want to get everything done early--in case stuff happens.

However, let me warn you: if the problem was on your end, I don't think you'll get anything. The only way you'd get any form of extension would be if the problem was something completely out of your control, or at FIRST's end. With it being several days after the deadline, I doubt that they'll say you can submit/present.

I highly doubt that you'll get a presentation without the essays submitted.

[Nastassja M]

Thank you for the reply. And yes, I take the blame completely. There's been a lot of medical appointments and it's completely my fault for losing track of the time and getting caught up with school.

However, if a team does a video instead, does that mean they still have to do an essay?

[R.C.]

Originally Posted by EricH

Contact FRC HQ. Explain your situation. If they say you can present/submit, that's their call. If they don't, then you've learned a valuable lesson on why you want to get everything done early--in case stuff happens.

However, let me warn you: if the problem was on your end, I don't think you'll get anything. The only way you'd get any form of extension would be if the problem was something completely out of your control, or at FIRST's end. With it being several days after the deadline, I doubt that they'll say you can submit/present.

I highly doubt that you'll get a presentation without the essays submitted.

I agree with Eric, for some reason the TIMS wouldn't let us submit our team essays. We contact FRC HQ and they did them for us.

FIRST will work with you if you work with them. Have fun.

-RC

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Nastassja M

However, if a team does a video instead, does that mean they still have to do an essay?

Yes.

There are 3 parts to the Chairman's Award: the essay (submitted online), the video (handed in on DVD at the event, but not judged), and the presentation (at the event).

All three have to be done.

[Nastassja M]

Okay I understand. I tried submitting the essay a couple of days ago before the 18th but it didn't work so I just figured something was wrong with my computer/internet or something so I decided to wait some time before submitting it. Long story short after medical appointments, it's past the due date.

What is their number in order for me to call them and discuss it?

[EricH]

http://usfirst.org/contactform.aspx has the info down near the bottom. There is a request that you use the email link near the top, though.

Searching the website of the organization you want to contact--there's a novel idea...

[Nastassja M]

Indeed it is
I'll make use of that information from now on

Thanks for the help!

[hg273]

Something to mull over... the engineering inspiration award is judged on the same criteria as the chairmans award. I know of at least one team (2550, OCPRO) that, last year, did not win the chairman's award at the regional they submitted it to, but, at their 2nd regional, put on a fantastic pit presentation and they walked away with the EI, and a trip to Atlanta. If FIRST does reject your essay and presentation, don't despair! You can still put all of that hard work to good use.

Best of luck!

[Salbert]

Originally Posted by EricH

Yes.

There are 3 parts to the Chairman's Award: the essay (submitted online), the video (handed in on DVD at the event, but not judged), and the presentation (at the event).

All three have to be done.

The video IS judged. When they narrow down the Chairman's selection to 3 teams, they watch the videos, and a bad video will stick out.

Also, when MARS presented last year, we brought a laptop in and they asked to see the video before anything else.

[Lil' Lavery]

Originally Posted by hg273

Something to mull over... the engineering inspiration award is judged on the same criteria as the chairmans award. I know of at least one team (2550, OCPRO) that, last year, did not win the chairman's award at the regional they submitted it to, but, at their 2nd regional, put on a fantastic pit presentation and they walked away with the EI, and a trip to Atlanta. If FIRST does reject your essay and presentation, don't despair! You can still put all of that hard work to good use.

Best of luck!

No, it isn't. It has similar criteria, but they are NOT the same. Many aspects cross over between the two awards, and teams who are competitive for one are typically competitive for the other as well. But Chairman's has a much broader scope and encompasses many areas that are not addressed by the EI award.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Salbert

The video IS judged. When they narrow down the Chairman's selection to 3 teams, they watch the videos, and a bad video will stick out.

Also, when MARS presented last year, we brought a laptop in and they asked to see the video before anything else.

According to the Manual, the video is NOT judged. It is viewed, but not judged. If you were told that it is judged, then whoever told you is on the worst of all officiating-type groups: the one that adds requirements.

[waialua359]

IMO,
the video to some degree has an effect on the final selection at either a regional or CMP. I realize that its just an opinion, and the rules explicitly says it doesnt.
However, now that teams have to create their own video prior to having a chance at winning, the quality better be there, otherwise, you wont win, especially at CMP. I cant see thousands of people watching a video in the Georgia Dome that is either inappropriate, or doesnt reflect a shining example of a CMP CA team.

[waialua359]

Originally Posted by hg273

Something to mull over... the engineering inspiration award is judged on the same criteria as the chairmans award. I know of at least one team (2550, OCPRO) that, last year, did not win the chairman's award at the regional they submitted it to, but, at their 2nd regional, put on a fantastic pit presentation and they walked away with the EI, and a trip to Atlanta. If FIRST does reject your essay and presentation, don't despair! You can still put all of that hard work to good use.

Best of luck!

While this may be true based on your experience, I cant see it as an absolute criteria in all regional competitions.
Judging an EI or CA winning entry isnt black and white, and different sets of judges judge at their respective regionals. I've seen head judges in charge of a set of regionals, but ultimately, its the judges volunteering for a specific event that make the final decisions, whatever criteria they use, following FIRST guidelines/rules.