Hotels and the Bayou Regional

FIRST General Forum
1

Hi, I’m Sean, presiding captain of Team 2065: Dynasty. I had nowhere else to turn to to write this.

I’d like to ask a few questions to the public. Through the entire year, after the 2007 regional was over, virtually nothing got done as far as fundraising, publicity, etc. There were things bought that shouldn’t have been, and things are turning for the worse. Now we’re under-funded, no sponsors other than NASA, Ole Miss (Who gave us a little bit), and those who we have bought from, and still don’t even have enough money(about $800 dollars more) for the bus. We’re staying at Canal Street Hotel in New Orleans (Or supposed to be anyway), which has had very bad conditions since Katrina, according to photos. My first question is this: WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

Let’s face it guys, Team 2065 is in pretty bad shape. We had to cut a LOT of corners to get the robot done on time. I myself have logged close to 100 hours of work on our robot, and we’re 6 pounds under the legal maximum. Plus, the arm broke and we still haven’t fixed it. I’ve been stressing out over paperwork this past week, which should have been done a long time ago. Only about four of us attend the weekly meetings now that the robot is shipped off. We’re trying to get more money, supplies, and a better place to stay, but nothing seems to be helping at all. Second question: HOW CAN WE RECOVER FROM A LARGE LOSS OF ENTHUSIASM AND SUPPORT?

Third question: HOW CAN WE GET EVERYTHING WE NEED IN…(counts.) 2 1/2 WEEKS?

I know I sound like I’m ranting, but I’m really in a panic. The way our coach is talking, if we don’t get a way to keep ourselves alive, there won’t be a team 2065 next year.:ahh: Robotics has sort of become my life in the school, and losing it would hurt not only myself, but those in the team who have a true love for robotics.

Fourth question: HOW CAN WE FIX THE PROBLEM OF TEAM APATHY?

Fifth question: HOW CAN WE GET SOME DECENT FUNDING WITHIN THE NEXT 2 1/2 WEEKS IN ORDER TO GET WHAT WE NEED TO GET AND STAY THERE?

THanks for taking the time to read this.

HELP!!!

[EDIT]: I wrote this without really thinking (Sort of writing it as it came to mind.), so if I sound contradictory or accusing in anything, I apologize.

2

Team 16 will be at the Bayou Regional. Look us up and we will help with your robot. Several of our members were permanently dispatched to another team at MWR and I’m sure we would do the same for you. Their pit was right next to ours - that was nice. As for the hotel, we’ve stayed in some bad ones and some nice ones. The bad ones aren’t really so bad, because we are never there very much. It is kind of frustrating when we get a nice one, because we aren’t there enough to enjoy it! As for the emergency funding situation, I have found that grandparents come in really handy at a time like this…

How many people are traveling with your team? We can’t afford to pay for buses, we take a left-over school bus or personal vehicles.

Anyway, please PM me if you think of any other ways we can help. You care so much, you’ll be fine.

3

We have…14 people. That’s it. No one else in our school has grades good enough to be on it. Yes, our coach sets a VERY high standard.

I’ll keep you updated as things happen.

4

I don’t know how much help we will be, but if you need it, team 1279 will lend a hand.

There will only be a few of us since we are coming all the way from New Jersey, so we will help if we can.

I don’t know what to tell you about the fundraising though, we will be in the same sort of position next year… However it sounds like you need to start delegating jobs as the captain… make sure students don’t leave you hanging, its not fair. If they do, there needs to be consequences. Talk to the mentor about it.

Things like car washes and pasta dinners are fairly simple ways of bringing in some extra cash. Our team does a snack stand everyday after school and sell junk food to kids waiting around for activities or the buses (just make sure its ok with the school before you go selling food). Parents are usually a huge help in a pickle; they have kept team 1279 alive year in and year out.

So, as a side note, thanks to all the parents on our team and every team across the country, and thanks to Mr. Fallone. If you see the mentor from 1279 down in New Orleans (big guy with a goatee), give him a high five for me, cause he’s the best there is.

Basically, as the captain you gotta make things happen, and you can’t accept apathy as an excuse. Take one things at a time, you’ll find its a lot easier once you get things in order…

Good luck!

5

You are a big help by putting things in a new perspective. I’m printing off that suggestion as we speak…But I’ll hit you with another roadblock.
One: We can’t do anything at the school. Unless it passes through the schoolboard, it won’t happen. We’ve had three fundraisers that passed the board meeting, but the school still wouldn’t give in. Basketball seems to be almost a bigger priority right now.
Two: I’ve been giving jobs to people all year long, but I usually end up having to do them. Other than the drive team, who is loyal to the core, no one else cares that much. I’ve talked to my coach (We have NO mentors other than team 462, and we haven’t been in contact with them, even though we have tried[or at least I think they tried].), about it, and she really doesn’t seem to care that much. She lets them get away with it.

I know I’m sounding like a negative Ned here, but I’m telling it like it truthfully is.

We could talk to the Collierville bigshot, Tommy Hart, who basically owns half of Collierville, for a possible sponsorship. I won’t be able to meet with him 'til tomorrow, though, because I’m snowed in here at the house with a half-working internet connection at the moment.

I’m more than willing to take loans out of the bank to fund the team, which is kind of drastic, considering I barely make $200 per paycheck.

What have your teams done to get (in loose terms) “Quick Money?”

On another note, I’m in the middle of recruiting a couple mentors right now. And I just wasted part of my check getting parts for a bigger robot cart.

6

Well I am not sure about the Quick Money, but you might be able to do something off campus, like a car wash maybe.

But if you need help with your bot I am sure my team, we will be the ones in purple and white with a big 2080 on us, and/or other team would love to help any team out. I remember last year team 118 and some others helped a team basically build a bot at the competition because they had some hard times during build season.

Oh as for the Apathy situation, maybe your team should lower the grades standard, because although they don’t have the grades they might have the knowledge, and enthusiasm you need.

And I hope you get through this

7

I remember you guys. Yeah, 118 helped I think…20…I can’t remember lol. It was a number in the 2000s. They also helped us take apart our robot and completely resize and fix it. We managed to get to the first match with only 12 seconds to spare.

We can lower the grade standards, but she stopped accepting applications back in November. That’s what kinda hacked me off. I’ll keep everyone updated. You’ll know me at the regional. I’ll be the one in the Dynasty t-shirt wearing a medic backpack most of the time. I’m not safety captain, but it can’t hurt to be prepared.

I’ll work on the team’s money situation tomorrow.

Anyone else read the reviews for Canal Street Hotel?

8

Exploding Bacon has found that quick money can be had by standing in front of the grocery store with donation cans. make a tri-fold display or show a video if you have one. Big signs saying…HELP US GET TO NEW ORLEANS. When you talk to people be very positive. Just that you are working hard to get there…don’t tell them all the problems. We have actually made more money there than with car washes. You can also check with local restaurants and see if they will sponsor a night. Sonic and Chick Fil A both do it…you pick a night and advertise it…you get a portion of all the sales during a certain time period.

We will be at Bayou…and happy to help with your bot…as everyone else will be.

Can’t remember off the top of my head where we are staying…I’ll look into it and PM you.

9

We hold an annual golf tournament to raise a lot of money. I doubt you could hold one in this amount of time and set everything up, but you can hit up our website for all the information on how to run a successful one: www.teamfusion364.org. Another idea is to ask the school if they can help support you; go to the school board and tell them your dilemma. You can try to find a hotel on the Gulf Coast. I know Team Fusion is just sleeping in our own beds for the Bayou Regional, and we’re driving over very early every morning. I know you can get hotel rooms around here pretty cheap, and most are in very decent areas; in fact, I don’t know of a bad hotel around here!

If you have any questions, especially about hotel choices, you can contact me. As far as money donation from Team Fusion, I doubt it since our income has been very limited due to Katrina… half of our sponsors are now out in the Gulf of Mexico.

In the long run, I would definitely recommend the golf tournament. We raise over $15,000 every year from a one day event. It’s a real team effort though, and a lot of planning is required. As for quick money, I like the idea of the grocery store. Bring your robot from last year if possible. Try calling some local businesses and see if they will help you out; you would be very surprised by how much a business will give if you call them, walk into the business, and talk to the manager about what robotics means to you. By doing this, Team Fusion was easily able to get an amplifier for our cart (which we can no longer use :frowning: ) and a very nice stereo.

If you stay on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Team Fusion may (very little may) be able to help out with transportation. We’re already planning on busing over our whole team, then we had a bunch of Vex students that we mentored that are going in another bus, and then some from school to spectate, so basically we are already responsible for probably 100 people going. Maybe try getting some of the Team’s parents to drive everyone to the competition in Mini Vans, and get someone with a truck to transport tools and supplies.

As for fixing the robot, you will see me in Team Fusion’s pit, most likely very bored, so you can hit me up for some help. Last year I helped build an entire robot at the Bayou Regional, so I’m used to it.

Good Luck

10

Yeah along the lines of what has been said, a company should usually have a philanthropic aid director. If you can give that person a call and talk with them about your team they may just like you enough to put you in the budget for next year (not exactly quick money but next year it will help).

Call up every company in the area, there is no harm in at least asking if they have any scraps to donate to a high school robotics team ;).

Also try asking some teams at the regional for a contact. BMS, NASA, J&J all sponsor tons of teams and I am sure each team has a contact to these companies, among other.

The grocery store idea sounds good for quick cash on a Saturday morning or something. You can impress all those impatient kids that are dragged to the store with their parents every week (thus planting the seed early).

Let us know how things work out.

11

Well, I went out on the town for a while today and, as of now, I have one sponsor/donator, and one pending sponsor.

12

Update: I got a phone call at 8 this morning from my dad’s boss. He was able to sponsor us, giving us $250. That was as much as he could give, due to cost-cutting within the company. I’m still out hunting sponsors, though.

13

Good Job…keep pounding the pavement. Contact the local media and see if you can get some press. It might help the cause.