Off Season Event Passport Stamps

[Koko Ed]

Unless you guys volunteer, you're probably not going to understand what the subject is about.
Anyways I love that FIRST gives out passports to long term volunteers and stamp them at each event they attend (I got my passport at Florida so I did not get my FLR stamp so I have 5 out of six events). I have two passports now (I got one at GTR as well) and I would love to fill them up with off season events as well. I know at Ruckus we talked about making a stamp for the passports. I hope other off season events make one as well.

[KathieK]

Great idea! I hope they do, also!

[RoboMom]

We probably won't have a stamp at the Battle O'Baltimore, but look for little crab stickers

[Tanner]

Seeing as I've never volunteered I've never known about this and find it quite cool for volunteers. Out of curiosity, could you or someone post a picture of a password with a page?

I think it'd be quite cool if off-season events had stamps. It'd be like a little FIRST visitation history guide. Cool.

-Tanner

[yodameister]

Wow! I have volunteered at various events since 2007 and never heard of passports. When was this started?

[rspurlin]

The passports were started last year. They were given to long time volunteers as a way to recognize those who return event after event and year after year. I'm not sure how they selected who got hem, but a couple of events or the same event for a couple of years probably isn't going to do it. The idea was that they would be used as the volunteers ID badge in place of the standard one, allowing everyone to notice the long service of these individuals. As they now use the bar code printed on the lower half of the standard badge to check you in each morning and track meals, it isn't all that practical. But that doesn't mean I'm giving up mine.

The stamp is relatively simple and much the same as a postmark used to cancel a stamped letter.

[rsisk]

Here is a picture of the pages of the passport. Got my first stamp in Atlanta this weekend

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by rspurlin

The passports were started last year. They were given to long time volunteers as a way to recognize those who return event after event and year after year. I'm not sure how they selected who got hem, but a couple of events or the same event for a couple of years probably isn't going to do it. The idea was that they would be used as the volunteers ID badge in place of the standard one, allowing everyone to notice the long service of these individuals. As they now use the bar code printed on the lower half of the standard badge to check you in each morning and track meals, it isn't all that practical. But that doesn't mean I'm giving up mine.

The stamp is relatively simple and much the same as a postmark used to cancel a stamped letter.

You have to volunteer at an event three consecutive years to get one.

[David Brinza]

I've volunteered at two or more FRC events events since 2004 and have never been offered a passport. Do I need to request one?

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by David Brinza

I've volunteered at two or more FRC events events since 2004 and have never been offered a passport. Do I need to request one?

If you've done the events for three years they should have your passport.
Ask and see if they happen too have it because sometimes they forget.

[RoboMom]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

You have to volunteer at an event three consecutive years to get one.

Ed, this was the first year I ever saw them at our local event, so I'm guessing these might have been rolled out differently across the country.

The passports made me smile when I saw them for the first time in March. I'm wearing the one I got at Chesapeake this year in my WAI photo which you can sort-of see behind the other badge.

Every summer while my kids were growing up, this ex-forest ranger dragged them to National Parks. The main souvenir from those years is the "Passport to Your National Parks." And the Junior Ranger patches.
The stamp looks the same, and you got your passport stamped at every park. (There are almost 400 of them!) There were stickers too. We made decisions to stop at little out of the way parks so we could get the stamps, and always ended up learning something. Great memories.

NEMO discussed this idea back in 2008, only for teams.