Chairman's Award -- is the bar too high now?

[gvarndell]

Has 341 raised the chairman's bar so high as to represent a disincentive to even compete for it?
Or have they simply shown the rest of us how it's done?

side-note:
I'm very impressed that international efforts are part of Miss Daisy's resume.
I dream of the day when great world cities compete for the honor of hosting world champs.

[Carolyn_Grace]

This is a good question to think about. I'm sure there are many teams out there who don't bother compiling a Chairman's Award submission because they feel they have absolutely no chance at ever winning.

Honestly, we used to feel that way as well. We used to joke that we will never win the Chairman's Award, because as a team we haven't had to overcome a major obstacle (We are blessed to have an amazing group of students from a private school, and we are sponsored by a wonderful Major sponsor, AND we have -in my own opinion- the greatest engineers as mentors) and so the bar is set high for us. Yet, we have had our own internal struggles at times, and in the past our community outreach was at a minimum.

Over the past couple years, our Chairman's effort was launched into a much higher level than it ever was before, due to an awesome group of kids who started to believe that it was important! For the past two years, we've won districts and states Chairman's. It's been wonderful.

And yet, we still felt that we were missing something. We're getting there, we're competitors, but we're still not quite there.

Now, we have a new philosophy.

We are no longer going to compete for the Chairman's Award.
Winning this award soley so we can become a Hall of Fame team is not our goal.
We aren't looking for the prestige and recognition of what we accomplish.
We've decided that isn't what participating in the Chairman's Award is all about.

Instead, we're looking to spread the message that FIRST has taught all of us: That science and technology is cool! That they create jobs! That people can do this stuff and making a living having fun!

Instead, we're looking to help our community around us. Yes, there's a lot of talk about FIRST in Michigan...one of the reasons why we like it so much is that it saves us money. Something that EVERYONE in Michigan needs right now. And we feel that participating in a program like FIRST, in which we need to get sponsors and funding and ask the community to donate to us, brings about a responsibility to help the community in turn. So, we participate in events like the Pontiac Hunger Walk (May 1).

Will we compile a Chairman's presentation/paper/video? Of course! And we'll still hope that we win. But, are we compiling this together for the purpose of competing to win? Not anymore.

And...actually...we've found that it's a lot easier and more fun this way. We're still competitors for the award...but when you focus your goal to make an impact on the community, you find that is a much bigger reward than the blue banner you crave.

[Dantvman27]

The bar is set pretty high, but doesn't mean we still won't try and continue to do everything we do to better the community we live in. It's not about winning, its about making the world a better place.




The running gag on our team is next year as part of our chairman's effort is we are all donating kidneys and adopting children from 3rd world countries.

[Sperkowsky]

Originally Posted by Dantvman27

The bar is set pretty high, but doesn't mean we still won't try and continue to do everything we do to better the community we live in. It's not about winning, its about making the world a better place.




The running gag on our team is next year as part of our chairman's effort is we are all donating kidneys and adopting children from 3rd world countries.

can we adopt some children from third world countries and get them to join our team. We need more students.

putting that in a sentence sounds very bad.

[GeeTwo]

We put in a chairman's award presentation not because we believe that we will win it in any given year, but because it focuses us as a team on tallying up what we have and have not done this year in terms of making the world a better place, and serves as a launch pad for community service for the coming year.

[Jared Russell]

Wow! Quite the thread revival...

Originally Posted by GeeTwo

We put in a chairman's award presentation not because we believe that we will win it in any given year, but because it focuses us as a team on tallying up what we have and have not done this year in terms of making the world a better place, and serves as a launch pad for community service for the coming year.

...but glad it was revived, because this is great advice.

[Steve W]

I have believed that the most important thing about the Chairmans award is what you get out of the process. It is great to win of course but that is not the thing that should drive teams. The fact that we are forced to look at our team yearly and say "What have we done this year?" keeps us on track. The team that I am on is not a large team ( average 30 ) but we have a team to be proud of. The kids start with VEX and mentor the new students on the team in how to build. At the same time they are going to the grade schools in our area and mentoring the kids in Lego. This stretches our team a lot but the kids do it without any help from the mentors.

There are times that we do community events but not to win awards but because the kids feel that it is important. They are proud to show their team colors when doing it. They do demos for TV, the Premier, other schools and anywhere that they are invited. They are always willing to give others a hand before, during and after build season.

When they look back on what the team has done in the past ten years they see a legacy that they all want to improve on and continue. The amount of teams, volunteers, mentors, RWFA and WFA that have come from this team is inspiring in itself. The fact that when they do the submission they see how FIRST has impacted so many lives and that they are continuing the great work started so many years ago makes them want to do better. Not for the medal but for others.

The Chairmans award should be done by all teams every year. Even past winners should be looking back at how they got there and what are they doing now to retain that level of excellence.

It's not about a team having lots of money to spend to travel the world to share FIRST but how the team draws the world into their FIRST experience.

[JaneYoung]

There can be a fine line between intimidation and inspiration when it come to the elite in FIRST. Those teams who have committed to setting the bar for excellence in ways that change the culture, help to draw that line and deepen it.

Just as not every team is destined for Einstein, not every team is destined for the Championship Chairman's Award. Does that mean they should quit making inroads of change in their team and in their community? Does that mean they should cap their potential? Does that mean that inspiration is limited to an award? No.

Does it mean that teams should assess their efforts each year and perhaps, realign and adjust their goals to match their progress? Yes. Does that mean that teams will change as they season and develop? Yes. Does that mean that as teams season and develop that so does their potential for impact and changing the culture by - increasing? Absolutely.

Where is the reward in this? In the students who move on to graduate and carry the team development and the inspiration they've received - with them.

If Miss Daisy's achievement - after several attempts - becomes a disincentive, then that reaction would be the total opposite of what 341 or ANY of the Hall Of Fame teams would want, desire, or hope for. They would want teams to continue to dig in, inspire, bring change, and - document it, with the potential opportunity of garnering a Championship Chairman's.

Jane

Edit: To be clear - I meant that every team who submits for Chairman's will not win the Championship Chairman's. It is my personal philosophy that every FRC team that qualifies should submit for the Chairman's Award and the Woodie Flowers Award. It is also very rewarding for rookies to submit for the Rookie All Star. The journey is full of win.

[kjolana1124]

This is actually an interesting point. Also one I have a little bit of personal experience with. This year was my team's first year submitting Chairman's at the Championship (second year presenting the award overall). And, throughout the presentation process, I noticed many things:

• Last year, we submitted in Hartford. Because it was only our first year, we were just looking for feedback. However, many (if not all) teams there seemed to have the same mindset when I talked to them "Oh, it's going to be 236. It's not even a contest."
• After Atlanta last year, many people on many CT teams (ours included, truth me told myself included a little bit...not that I'm proud of this), were happy for 236. Not so much that they won, but that now other CT teams actually had a chance to submit.
• As I was working on our Chairman's binder on the way to the WPI regioanl this year, one of our mentors asked me what I thought. I told him I was unsure, but we may have had a slight chance to at least make an impression. He then asked me what planet I lived on.
• In the hotel in Atlanta, when our Chairman's presenters were going over our presentation, we seemed to get off task a lot. A few times I tried to get us back into focus, to which they responded "We're not going to win anyway, why does it matter?"

The Chairman's award is known as the most prestigious award in FIRST. It doesn't award a team that builds a good robot, nor a team that does a million and a half things for the community and the world. It's about being a model for other teams to emulate: finding a balance that all teams can celebrate and appreciate. However, it does create an insane amount of pressure of teams. But not the teams that do end up winning Chairman's. Rather, the pressure it put upon the teams that aren't at full Chairman's caliber...yet. They see what other teams have done and either become discouraged because they assume that they can't do the things other teams do. Or they become inspired to do better than those teams. Neither of these should be occurring. A team should see a Chairman's winner and feel the same way that we want kids to see when we demo for them, "I want to do that when I grow up."

That being said, kids don't just decide they want to build robots then build the next Einstein champion the next year. They tinker, they experiment, they get feedback, they learn. Yes, it's frustrating at times because it may seem like there's always the kid that can do it better and faster, but it will come.

Like Jane said, not every team is ready to submit Chairman's right away. They need to tinker and learn and get feedback for themselves. But, if we want to show kids that we're good role models for them, we first have to prove to ourselves that we can appreciate other good role models- not compete with them.

Congratulations to team 341, your work is nothing short of what I want to do when I grow up.

[gvarndell]

Originally Posted by kjolana1124

In the hotel in Atlanta, when our Chairman's presenters were going over our presentation, we seemed to get off task a lot. A few times I tried to get us back into focus, to which they responded "We're not going to win anyway, why does it matter?"

And this is what I'm preparing myself for -- to help inspire kids who I fear may be intimidated by the enormity of the Miss Daisy win.
As I sat and listened to what Daisy had done, where they did it, etc., I was humbled.
I felt like -- jeesh, these guys are akin to a global conglomerate and we're just a bunch of hayseeds on a beer budget from Western Maryland.
Kids are extremely competitive.
They don't like pursuing unattainable goals.

Clearly, keeping them focused on the ideals rather than the award is the right thing to do -- as all responders have pointed out.
I hope nobody read anything other that into my post.
I am awe of Daisy and I want our kids to be inspired by them -- not intimidated.

[smurfgirl]

Originally Posted by gvarndell

Clearly, keeping them focused on the ideals rather than the award is the right thing to do -- as all responders have pointed out.
I hope nobody read anything other that into my post.
I am awe of Daisy and I want our kids to be inspired by them -- not intimidated.

I know that it's a really hard lesson to explain. You're right, kids are competitive. It might take a while for them to catch on, but it will happen. Eventually they will "get it", and they will pursue Chairman's for the benefit of their community and themselves through the process. I don't think there's any one right way to pass this concept on. You know the students you're working with the best- try and find something that will strike a chord with them.

[pfreivald]

Originally Posted by smurfgirl

I know that it's a really hard lesson to explain. You're right, kids are competitive.

The philosophy summed up as "There is no way we could ever catch them. Let's do it!" sums up what I try to achieve with my kids. Kids *are* competitive, and one of the most important lessons that FIRST teaches (IMNHO) is that no matter how good you are, or how hard you try, or how much you do, there are others out there who want it just as badly or more, who may or may not have the same or greater advantages that you have, so you'd better step up!

[rmyoung]

This thread has really helped me with the message for my team next year. We went from doing the minimum because we had to write a submission for the NASA grant as rookies to a serious effort in the last two years (four year team). But hearing about the winners can be crushing to those kids who pour their hearts out and get good feedback from the judges and just can't win.

As much as I tell them it's not about winning, they care and are hurt. As many times as I say we don't do things to 'look good on the Chariman's submission', I still hear it.

My take-away from this is that we need to keep working on Chairman's every year because it does make us better, and we need to keep celebrating the teams that show us the next level. Preparing a Chairman's award submission is a great focussing tool for part of the team that may not touch the robot, but they really understand the greater goal of inspiration and outreach. I'm not going to let them quit.

Is it worth suggesting some way to recognize the next tier teams, the 'almost there, keep going'? Not adding more awards or taking away from Chairman's, but sending the message that you're on the right track, or that you reached a milestone? Judge's feedback is nice but very brief and a bit vague, and ours has almost always been the same - nice job, keep it up, start some new teams.

[JaneYoung]

I'm not so sure that I agree with the term, selfless, completely, although I understand the thinking behind it. Let me explain (or try to) what I mean. Although it is true that many teams donate hundreds and thousands of hours towards achieving their take on the vision, mission, and goals of FIRST - what they are actually doing is building a more robust community, strengthening their area, and sometimes, having far-reaching effects. Profound effects. The actions of the individuals on the team may be selfless but I don't think that is necessarily the motivation. The motivation is to get the job done - to move forward, to dig deeper, driving the root system they are establishing - deeper into the areas/communities/conditions that exist, pushing the opportunity for change. We know of individual stories and will hear more with the coming seasons, of selfless acts being donated to this program. That's true. But, the motivation behind all of it is competitive, driven, and inspired. I think there is room for all of that and more, creating a very robust and tenacious program to power change.

Rose - I think the Judges' Award recognizes teams' efforts and achievements in ways that you are talking about.

Jane

[IKE]

Originally Posted by rmyoung

Is it worth suggesting some way to recognize the next tier teams, the 'almost there, keep going'? Not adding more awards or taking away from Chairman's, but sending the message that you're on the right track, or that you reached a milestone? Judge's feedback is nice but very brief and a bit vague, and ours has almost always been the same - nice job, keep it up, start some new teams.

Let me hop back on my FiM soapbox for a minute. With the 7 district awards, finally there is some recognition for the "almost there teams". In my opinion, FIRST does an absolutely lowsy job of recognizing really good efforts that aren't "the best". Who gets awards, the winners.
I wish they would take a lesson from 4-H and/or SAE design comp series. 4-H May only award 1 Grand-Champion, and 1 reserve Grand Champion, but they also award several "honorable mentions". While striving for the grand champion, it felt good to get one of these "honorable mentions".
For FiM, I have been suggesting giving of season seeding points for Chairman's. X points for applying, and Y points for being nearly there or "Honorable Mentions". I was told this makes the judges job tougher, but having judged many other competitions, I personally believe this makes it easier as you don't feel so bad leaving Team 4444 out in the cold because they were only 99.99% as good as team Winners. With 10 points this year going to the District chairman's winner, I would give 2 points for applying, and 4-6 for an honorable mention (judges discretion on number).

Just like FRC is not solely about the robots, and the robots are the hook, the Chairman's award really isn't about the award, but the award is the hook. Without the award, many would still do the work, but would they document it and share it they way they do now? I know our team wouldn't. In fact most of the stuff we have done the last 2 years, we have been doing for the last 6 years I have been on the team. The biggest difference the last 2 years is the documentation, and the fact that once the students won a District, they believed they had the ability to do more. Altruism is a lot to ask of most teenagers. Childrens brains are hardwired to be self-serving. This is for preservation of the species. That is why we work on sharing at a young age and continue to work on it into adulthood. We have a hard enough time making the freshmen save a piece of pizza for a mentor arriving late from a hard days work. By Seniors, most of them "get it".