so i have absolutely no idea what to write in the 10,000 character essay! Is it just the business plan in another format or what? This is our first time submitting and I’m so lost!! please help me!
Basically, you are trying to tell the story of your team and how you measure up to the chairman’s award criteria in more space than you get for the executive summary sections. Read this very carefully to make sure you cover everything they ask about.
A number of teams have graciously made their essays from previous seasons available here or on their websites. You can take a look at them to get an idea as to what a chairmans essay might look like. I know this is very stressful, but hang in there.
Hello!
First check out this link, it’s to the Awards section of the manual. Look up Chairmans and check out the criteria there:
Then, take the Executive Essay questions and start brainstorming ideas for where your team falls into the criteria.
Do you have anything started yet? I’m going to PM you with my information so we can work on this tonight.
Renee Becker
First of all DON’T PANIC, you’re going to be okay.
Second, take a look at the links the above posters mentioned to see the criteria of the award and look at some of the ideas that have been submitted successfully in the past.
Third, think about the story of your team. When did you start your team, where did your team begin, who started your team, etc etc etc. Essentially give a brief team history.
Fourth, what obstacles have you overcome as a team. This can be anything from having trouble recruiting students, to not having enough funds, to not even having a build space or any tools. Every team has had challenges in the past, even if you think they weren’t that bad. Judges love to see teams that persevere despite adversity.
Fifth, describe how your team fulfills the goals of FIRST. What outreaches have you done, how do you interact with your community, how do you inspire those around you to learn more about science and technology…all that sort of stuff.
Lastly, explain what makes your team special. It could be a weird tradition you have, a unique way of working together, or just something that you think makes your team different.
After you’ve done all that you should have a fairly large body of text to work with and you can add or subtract what you need from there. The best thing to remember about Chairmans is it’s a chance to brag about your team and what you’ve done together. It’s an opportunity to showcase everything you’ve worked on and maybe even get some recognition from it.
Good luck, and remember to have a little fun with it, it makes life a lot easier. 
First: Don’t panic. Just relax and do the best you can. It’s not graded paper. The fact that you are even attempting a Chairman’s Award submission is awesome and feat of itself. Check out this rubric that I’ve give other teams to use:
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Make a list of:
a. What your team does to promote FIRST
b How your team is managed
c. What puts your team apart from other teams
d. How you help other teams
e. What your relationship is like with your sponors
f. What your student-mentor relationships are like
g. What students get out of FIRST and being on your specific team
h. What mentors get our of FIRST and being on your specific team
i. What your relationship with your school is like -
Do the Executive Summary (short concise sentences. Try to include as much as your list as possible, but at least make sure you include the most important things on your list)
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Use the Executive Summary and list as a rough draft for your paper. Write a rough draft…basically, you’re expanding on your Executive Summary here…don’t worry about an intro or conclusion til the end.
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Reorganize as needed and have other people read it.
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Write opening paragraph and conclusion. (They should draw everything together…introduce a theme here…use “buzz” words…be a bit goofy but professional…make it fun, exciting, and interesting)
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Edit the entire paper…check your word count (you shouldn’t be worried about word count until the end…it’s way easier to cut down on words than it is to add words)…cut down if necessary.
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Find pictures.
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Submit.
Other tips:
Don’t exaggerate your team’s accomplishments. It’s unnecessary. Let your team stand alone, it’ll be enough: afterall, just being a FIRST Robotics team is an amazing accomplishment.
Add “buzz” words and try to incorporate your team’s personality in your essay. Don’t be afraid to put some corny sentences in there.
Send it to me…I’ll read it over for you. I have my degree in English, and my team has been successful with their Chairman’s Awards for the past two years, winning at the Michigan State Championship Event…I’ve been helping a few other teams out with their essays, and I can definitely help you guys out too.
I see you blocked Private Messaging, so I’ll just post my email here: CarolynGraceB at hotmail dot com
You can do this, Anna.
Spend a few minutes calmly telling your lead mentor that you need one person on the team to help you get all your ducks in a row, such as finding and making decisions on the photos. Don’t spend any wasted time on it but get some support in meeting this looming deadline.
Also, waiting until the last minute to submit is something many teams do and it tends to overwhelm the system. If you can get it submitted before the last minute, that is always a good thing. If you can’t submit until the last minute, stay calm and don’t.freak.out. There are many teams doing what you are doing right now. We’re all in this together. Promise.
Thank you for taking on this worthy endeavor. It’s worth it.
Jane
Need I say anything more?
We are all here for you, whatever you need, just ask.
Essentially, everyone else has covered what you need to think about. I’ve attached a copy of ours for an example.
Everything is going to be okay. Just speak your heart in the essay. Make sure you outlined the topics and make sure you demonstrate how you ware unique. Provide special emphasis on the really unique aspects, even if they are small.
Also, might not hurt to create a “judging sheet” based off of the Chairmans outline, and have people outside FIRST read it and judge it. (ex. "Clearly outlines how they are a role model for other teams to emulate. Circle 1 2 3 4 5… etc.)
If there’s anything else you need help with Chairmans-wise, feel free to email me at [email protected] .I am a Chairmans leader on my team, so we can answer any questions you may have.
Good luck and I hope this helps.
-Alex Stout, MARS Team 2614
2011 Chairman’s Essay.pdf (55.8 KB)
2011 Chairman’s Essay.pdf (55.8 KB)
Anna, and anyone that is writing a CA essay, if I could give one piece of advice it would be to write what seems right for your team. Remember, the judges have read your summary and already know about the bullet points that you think make your team CA worthy (every team is CA worthy, the problem is only one can win per event). Rather than restate every point in your essay it is a chance to let your team’s personality shine.
Take a look at some of the past winners’ essays and the teams that they belong to. WildStang’s can be found here and is buisness professional whereas Falcon Robotics found hereis more of a fictional story, both are completely different but do the same job of showing the personality of the teams they belong to. Just start writing and see what comes out!
If you have any questions feel free to email me at [email protected] I’m more than willing to read over your essay and give suggestions.
-KVA