Has anyone noticing changes in Regional Chairman's Award, now that you can compete at

[Wendy Holladay]

Just putting this out there wanting others thoughts. This last weekend the team my daughter mentors competed hard for RCA at their home regional. Last weekend they competed at an away regional. They won Engineering Inspiration at the away regional, nothing at home.

At both regionals, the RCA winners were amazing. They had fantastic material. But did the changes in the RCA rule (you can compete in every regional) change the outcome? Both RCA winners at those regional were not local teams. Both had won RCA several times before, but at what could be considered their home regionals.

If you are, like I am, at what would not be considered a difficult regional, Bayou, is your "home team advantage" now lost for RCA competition? My daughter told me that typically 10-15 competed for RCA at the regional, last week there were well over 30 and the interviews had to run into Saturday.

The outcome of Bayou is often greatly influenced by what week Lone Star is. We have great Lone Star friends, but our local teams know that when the Texas powerhouses attend, I think it makes for a great regional, many others think, ok, we can't win there. Is RCA now the same way??

For the record, I welcome the change and think it's a good one. I would also make the same change to Woodie Flowers and Dean's List. So if anyone is still reading, what are your thoughts on this change?