A FIRST Mentor's Thoughts

Week2 ends, and another begins...

2011-01-24T09:39:00.002-05:00

things are indeed different this year, there is less arguing than last year, and the designers are being more open to using ProE to its fullest, especially with the ability to prototype in virtual space.

The decisions being made are based on facts, and not on "gut" feel, which we saw last year fail miserably.

Week 1 ended . . . almost without incident

2011-01-17T06:27:00.002-05:00

The game is somewhat interesting, a remake of Rack 'N Roll 5 seasons ago and Triple Play, 7 seasons ago. Need a lift AND an arm to deploy colored tubes shaped like the FIRST logo.

So we are able to separate the manipulator from chassis, and with that being said, there's already a model of the chassis in ProE.

This year, I've pushed to use 80/20 extruded aluminum, and as usual, once there is an apparent 'failure', irrespective of how long ago or whether that failure was a user error, the material is deemed unsuitable. Not so fast, Gearloose... just because YOU weren't capable of using the material IAW it's design, don't blame the material.

Same thing with the wheels. . . OK mechanum were chosen, but why 8"?? Why not 6"...

Ahh, because there's a minute difference in the coefficient of friction between the two dimensions. AndyMark put that number there, so it MUST be important. Don't know why, but since the 8-inchers have a bigger number, it must be better.

As it turns out, 6-inchers with a 9:1 reduction will offer a higher theoretical velocity than the setup they *were* going to use... it's all in the numbers, Gearloose, it's all in the numbers.

One thing however, there will be MUCH less interference by one junior mentor than was injected last year.

Week 3 begins...

2010-01-25T10:54:00.004-05:00

...with the FDR tonight @ 7PM.

Not a lot of interest from the people that were asked, but the one who is coming is probably the most valuable. He's been down this road many times, and knows just what questions to ask. And of the questions that he asked last week, the design team has answers for each... They're somewhat concerned about being ready, and I see that as being a very good sign. Last week, they were ready for the review and accepted the critique well. We're at a good place, schedule-wise, lots of thought going into the design, reaffirming the choices made based on the strategy that was decided upon.

This weekend went pretty well; Saturday had a lot of activity around getting the kicker to function as needed. Bungees seem to work very well in tension mode, but as a ballista, not so well. Concentrating on how to release and re-tension the kicker took up yesterday's time and we have a prototype to help the design team complete its task. one thing to note is that there were more members present on Saturday than on Sunday.

Could it be that the free lunch is the catalyst that draws them here?

The day after...

2010-01-20T07:09:00.003-05:00

This is finals week, and so the team has been rather sparse with attendance. However, the only ones *really* necessary are those on the design team and a few dedicated prototypers. They seemed to be on-task, dealing with each of the comments captured at the PDR on Monday.

It was pretty amazing to walk into the ProE room and see so many of them working on the models and an equal number of them dealing with the calculations.

The Animation team was present, putting their models together.

I've got photos, but none online yet... That'll be later this afternoon.

PDR outcome and what's next

2010-01-19T07:57:00.004-05:00

Not bad, not bad at all.

We had an additional 4 reviewers last night and the troops did amazingly well. They were prepared, fully understood the significance of the purpose of the review and took everything seriously.

As a result, there wasn't a question that was asked that didn't have a resonably well thought out reply, and all comments were recorded so they could address each later.

They understood that there is still much work to be done on the final review and are anxious to get going tonight. The problem is this is finals week, and so we're pushing them to study, do well on the exams and put FIRST in the background.

Our Mech. Team lead is doing an awesome job. He's finally become the leader that was struggling to get out. It was just a matter of time. Not only is he taking the leadership role for the robot construction, but he's also thinking like a driver. He is gunning for that position, and has a really good shot at being the team's prime drive team member.

Given the feedback from the reviewers, the crew has decided to push the FDR out to next Monday; finals will be done, and the will have the weekend to work on the finer details of the design.

End of Week 1

2010-01-17T10:48:00.004-05:00

Today is the beginning of Week 2, and we're moving along pretty well.

The ConOps has been created, and preliminary designs begun, plans today are for getting the documents prepared for the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) set for tomorrow at 7PM.

Several engineers from my company are participating, the students are apprehensive, so it's time for the "they're not here to shoot you down" talk. We seem to be in a better position this year than last, there are SO many members showing up and engaged.

As usual, that are some malcontents, and one in particular who will not agree with anyone about anything. You say up, he will say down. He's really getting on my nerves and I want to deny him his 15 minutes at every turn of the way. But, that's not what a mentor is made of, not a decent one anyway.

Go ahead, ask me how busy I've been... go ahead...

2010-01-13T06:59:00.003-05:00

The summer flew by, little seems to have been accomplished. It was a relaxing time, and although there was a feeble attempt at doing some FIRST training, it didn't happen. All we managed to get done was find and fix the water leak in the trailer.

While that seems trivial, it was a big deal. One of the more shy team members started to grow out of his shell and if that's all that resulted from the summer, then the time was V E R Y well spent.

September seemed to come quickly and the plans we made for training were in place for October. Not much was changed, we had no idea as to how many of the 40+ potential new team members moving up from the middle school would really become involved. As it turned out only 10 or so of them actually started attending meetings. On final count, there were 30+ noobs that started showing up. More than 60 team members now, and overwhelming to say the least. Of that number, several have dropped out, but that's OK.

during the training cycle, I learned a few things myself, the most important was that there were too many Mech/Electrical team members for me to instruct successfully, at least that's my assessment. When the two teams split, the numbers were way more manageable. We need to revisit the training schedule for next year. Mentors need to decide on how to deliver the essential training required by the Mech. and electrical teams that is common to both, but do so more effectively. We need more hand tools, projects, etc.

Electrical training this year included a soldering project. That was well received, however, not well done. Some trainees had absolutely no prior skill, and so the project, an 3-D LED Christmas tree, didn't turn out well for them. Discouraging for them and me, but the concept is still viable. Maybe next season we have a pre-project session on soldering to prepare them...

We were asked by FIRST to create a map of all the teams, rookies and veterans separated by color and the locations of regional events. That consumed time just before the Christmas break and the first week of January. We presented the map to Dean @ Kickoff, and were pleased to find that ours was a very different, original idea...

Kickoff went well, and like last year, we used the Little Theatre in the school for the game revelation. What was impressive was the number of rookie parents who came by and even more impressive was their willingness to help. As a result, I was able to confidently hand off the construction of the field elements to a group of them, knowing that they'd get the job done quickly and without constantly asking for direction. So, by Day 2 Week 1, we have a goal, bump, tunnel and hanging structure to use during design.

About the design... unlike last year, the mentors did not let the team summarily dismiss viable options because of "gut reaction" to the game and what they percieve as "too hard to do" without all the facts. Having the bump on Monday when we went thru the first iteration of developing requirements made it clear to them that negotiating that obstacle wasn't either impossible or unnecessary.

Another thing that is different this year are the addition of some new mentors. Specifically Bryan/Brian. They spent the training session with the ProE team working on real projects; a cell phone case and for fabrication (possibly this coming spring/summer) a dolly to help move the trailer. One of them is a former FIRST team member from Long Island who's team was fairly well respected and competent. He KNOWS how to get things designed, and he's an ME.

Last night's ConOps development went very well and we're on schedule for presentation to the rest of the team tonight. By Thursday, we will begin the design. I will be there to help with deciding on implementation.

About the game; It is certainly more interesting than last year's, but I'm not sure if it's as interesting to play as the game was several years ago (Gemini's season). There are challenges with this year's game that will be hard to solve, but not impossible.

enough for now, I will try very hard to make more timely entries.

Awards Night - comments from the peanut gallery

2009-05-20T06:18:00.001-04:00

What a bittersweet year this has been. From this season’s start at last year’s Awards Night, I knew that this team would do fine, better than fine, as it turns out. I must admit that I was somewhat apprehensive at the beginning of this year, as I am at the beginning of every year. At the end of each year, when seniors depart for greener pastures, I feel a force pulling on me, trying to separate me from this team, whispering to me, saying “you can’t top this year, Pal; walk away now, it can't get better than this.”

And like every year before, and most likely every year from now on, there’s a greater force pulling me back to experience another year of successes, failures, triumphs, tribulations and Frog moments. It has become somewhat of a game for me, waiting for the new season to see who steps up to the challenges left behind by the exiting seniors and changing roles each of you must face.

Seniors, I have no doubt that someday I will read about something wonderful that you are a part of, something that you will be doing that will be life-changing. Each of you are in control of your own destiny and with a little bit of good fortune, some perseverance and hard work, you each will be successful in whatever careers you choose. On behalf of the other mentors of Team 166, we wish you the best in the years to come; we challenge you also to examine everything that has been afforded you by the FIRST program and find a way to give a little back.

Juniors, I challenge you to think back to when you were told that you were the future of Team 166. That time has come and you will be charged with taking it in a direction of your own, new horizons to explore, but do so while remembering this team's history. Don't be sheepish about thinking "out of the box."

Sophomores, you, too, will be challenged. With a year of FIRST behind you, there are limitless possibilities that will open up to you on this team. Your voices need to be heard, and your ideas shared. This coming season will help define your role on the team; you have the opportunity to explore new areas of interest, if you choose to.

Mentors, it has been a privilege working with you, sharing experiences and learning new things from you. It’s been another banner year with returning mentors and new folks turning up to find out just how much fun working with Team 166 can be. I’m almost certain that this amount of fun is illegal somewhere. Each of you brings your life’s experience to the table and willingly share it with everyone.

Looking back and reflecting on what we've accomplished, I have to say that much of that was a result of Mr. and Mrs. Reich's efforts with this team. Mrs. Reich has shown a level of commitment to this team's student membership that goes above and beyond "the call of duty." She has done more for this team than was visible to most; her attention to the needs of the students was unsurpassed, she went to bat for you all time and again.

Mr. Reich, for a mentor who, three years ago, was involuntarily volunteered, you turned out to be much too easy a mark; your commitment to this team, your passion for helping T166 succeed is second to none.

You both will be missed; gone, but certainly not forgotten. You have both made indelible marks on this team and have left a little of yourselves woven into its fabric.

This coming year will be as challenging as any have been, and just as different. Each year new members arrive from the middle school, as wide-eyed and excited as each of you were when you signed up. One of the hallmarks of Team 166 is how openly you welcome new members; you take the time to integrate them into the team's spirit and infect them with your enthusiasm and passion. Just as you were once told about being the team's future, you will see that in the new members.

As far as my continued involvement with the team, I alluded to that earlier and to make my intentions clearer, how about "I'll be back." There are many reasons for my decision, all of which can be found on the team roster. However, there's an additional reason, Mrs. P being the team's adult adviser working alongside Terianne McKeon. We've got a winning team no matter which way you look at it.

Ready for Chesapeake

2009-03-10T09:25:00.003-04:00

This past weekend, several team and members mentors worked to build the upgrade parts for "Recycleable."

There's a new pinch roller assembly that will replace the conveyor; It will provide not only a mechanism to retain balls while the ramp is up, but will also provide some velocity to the balls on exit. That should allow us to better deliver balls to the opponent's trailer.

The other upgrade is the ramp lift drum assembly; granted, it only increased in diameter by 1/2" but that added speed, plus the ability to position the ramp while loaded with balls and not have them dribble out.

Lastly, there's a new ramp, sans conveyor. Lighter, faster, able to leap tall buildings, yada-yada-yada.

So, on the bus ride to Annapolis, we'll have a plan-of-attack meeting to map out precisely who does what to which.

How well things go from there is entirely up to our competitors...

Some photos from GSR

2009-03-04T10:14:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone...

Not much here but photos, which capture the enthusiasm of T166.

Students and mentors alike enjoyed the weekend, and were recipients of the Rockwell Automation Innovations in Controls award. Thanks, of course, to the hard work of the students and their mentors.

Here are but a few images...

GSR thoughts...

2009-03-02T07:45:00.002-05:00

What a weekend. We're always in the company of strong teams at GSR, and so it isn't surprising that our machine didn't fare too well. We played the game as best we could and have been thinking of ways to improve the machine for battle at the Chesapeake Regional. Finishing the weekend in the middle of the pack isn't a bad showing, IMHO.

The feedback from the Chairman's review was positive, illustrating that we're a strong team, but need to stretch our influence beyond the local area. I suspect that the things we have done to help the teams we met in Wisconsin wasn't stressed heavily enough... there's always next year.

We did win the Rockwell Automation Innovation in Controls award, presented on Friday. The judges were certainly impressed with the controls our software team built. Their eloquent explanation clearly demonstrated that the students designed, developed, coded and tested the entire package, with mentor guidance and coaching. This was all theirs.

Lastly, I was nominated for the Woody Flower's award. Again, running up against strong competition, the winner, Kristen Kelso, is clearly more deserving than I for all the things she has done over her 13 years with the FIRST program. That award couldn't have gone to a better person, and I am honored and humbled to be considered in the same company as those who were this year's nominees.

Down and out...

2009-02-07T12:27:00.002-05:00

Well, it finally happened...

I've been put on the disabled list, suffering from a head/chest cold, or at least that's what I think. Yesterday, we went to the Tilton Lowe's to get the trailer and by the time we returned home, I was pretty well finished.

So, I am at home now, writing this, wanting to be with the team, but also not wanting to infect anyone else...

Better off where I am...

Mid-week5 update

2009-02-05T06:17:00.004-05:00

Progress is being made, albiet slowly. It is apparent from the standup status each night that the reality of ship date closing in is beginning to make an impression.

The conveyor mechanical components were assembled last night, all that's left there is to affix the drive motor and build up the movable platform.

Software made some tremendous progress with a demonstration of a PID loop acting on the drive. As designed, it succeeded in keeping the wheel speed constant! Reaction time is slow, but that is tunable. The insulated camera mounting bracket for the dual-axis gimbal mount has been designed and is half built. That will provide the visual panorama needed to detect the opponent's goal and home in on it. Positioning the ultrasonic sensor for final approach is on deck for tonight.

Trailer update... another glitch... it doesn't fit onto their flat-bed truck, so we have to pick it up ourselves. To show their good intentions, another $100 was taken off the price. So, I'll be heading to Tilton tomorrow to fetch it...

Good people @ Lowe's

Week 5

2009-02-02T06:46:00.002-05:00

The end of week four, for me, was somewhat down, evidenced by my post a week ago. I suspect that this is, and what will become, a normal characterization of how FIRST affects me.

After some reflection, it became clearer to me that intense involvement since early October has taken its toll on me. But, I have to reconsider that statement when I look back to a year ago. I don't believe that I had the same "down" episode. Could it be that this will be a 4-year cycle? Could it be that as the core group mature and take charge, that this feeling will ebb? Time will tell.

Things are indeed starting to shape up. We're awaiting parts, possibly arriving today. The chassis and frame are complete, the control system code is being debugged and tested, progress is being made.

Still need to acquire a few odds and ends.

And on another note... our trailer...

We got a call a few days ago telling us that our trailer had been delivered to the local Lowe's. We went to collect it, however, we were disappointed to see that its height was not what we wanted, but were assured time and time again that it was at least 5' high. Well, it barely makes 4' and the overall dimensions would make it so small that we could onlt put the robot in it, no tools, no extras.

Seeing our disappointment, and taking responsibility for the misinformation, the management offered a larger trailer at their cost. We'll have it tomorrow...

The trailer is 6X10' with a 6' ceiling, more spacious that the first one, but still capable of being towed by smaller vehicles and light enough to be moved by hand.

Week 4

2009-01-26T08:08:00.003-05:00

We're in the second half of the game... almost crunch-mode, but not quite yet.

The chassis has been completed and ready for motoring-up. Software has been going forward with coding and have a good handle on the traction- and inertial-control systems. Waiting for parts now, that should be delivered this week. Making parts in preparation for the delivery of the conveyor-specific order to arrive.

I am getting more short with the team too, and that's not something I am happy about. I find that the years on the team are getting to me; things like losing NEW tools, not 4 weeks old are more than just an annoyance. Things like the same students asking the same questions over and over again are more than just a nuisance. The same students who can't find ANYTHING, unless it's directly under their noses. Different students constantly asking "where's the " or "what do I do now?" Captains who are not leading. Students who can't seem to remember what they were just doing, not 10 minutes prior.

The weather people are predicting another major snowfall that will more than likely take out Wednesday's meeting. That's the break I think I need.

Then there's the shop teacher. What a piece of work.

Tuesday night, several frame parts were welded and left to cool by the rear door. We forgot all about them. The next morning, they were discovered, and discarded. It was pretty clear that the parts were not scrap, but the shop teacher either discarded them himself or directed one of the students to do so. We wasted several hours on the evening of 21-Jan looking for them. It wasn't until Friday that the truth was revealed. By then we had re-manufactured the missing parts, costing us time and money.

I want all who may read this to know what an unprofessional this particular teacher is, to willingly discard the efforts of students because of his ego. He is employed by the Merrimack School District as a teacher. However, his recent willful disregard for the students on the FIRST team clearly demonstrate that he is the epitome of everything that is wrong with the tenure system every "educator" in the public school system is protected by.

This incident is one of many, on going efforts on his part that will not go unreported.

Week 3

2009-01-20T17:04:00.002-05:00

Things are indeed different this season. What I had hoped for, and what appeared to be happening, has not transpired.

It seems as though the energy that was so apparent earlier has gone away, the people who were once thought to be the new blood, have anemia. The ones who are new, are, however, showing promise.

And the ones who were on the event horizon of stellar performance have imploded.

A set of events have been taking place for a while now, and have seemingly reached a point of no return. One student, a student in need of guidance and who was once showing signs of progress, has gone astray. Things have gotten out of hand, his relationship with the mechanical team lead have deteriorated to the point of name-calling on his part. His attitude has become belligerent to his fellow teammates and even to the faculty advisor who was working so hard at making his presence on the team necessary. All that has been cast aside by him, and all came to a head last night. As a result of the verbal outbursts and other examples of disrespect, he has been removed from the team roster.

I am sick to my stomach over this. He was one of the team members most familiar with the shop operations and had the potential of being the team's lead student machinist. Now, he's gone, not only physically, but spiritually. I don't expect any good to come of his future, and would not be surprised if he dropped out of school.

What deeply concerns me is his propensity to uncontrolled behavior. While there had been no indication of physical manifestation, that doesn't mean it won't happen.

Week 2

2009-01-14T06:48:00.002-05:00

Something's not right. The enthusiasm that T166 displayed last week is waning, at least it seems so when looking at the progress being made.

For example, one of the rookies, present on Saturday when one of the members' father was explaining control systems, feedback loops and how everything works, not only didn't remember what was said, but didn't even remember being in the room.

Certain leads don't seem to have the commitment to come to strategic design meetings, and even going so far as to be less than truthful about their whereabouts.

We're already a week behind schedule, a place we were not at last year until finals week. What's going to happen then??

Tonight is a mandatory meeting with the Mech/ProE team...

We'll see how things play out...

Week1 starts...

2009-01-06T06:17:00.002-05:00

This year was the first time we witnessed the game revelation at MHS and was a success. Parents and team members watched a NASA live webcast on the big screen in the little theatre. Everything worked well.

Day 1 was spent understanding the game play rules and started just after the webcast ended. Not much in the form of deep understanding of the game, but at least everyone started out on the same level.

After lunch, Mr. Reich presented a session on brainstorming and how Segway does it. Pretty good stuff. Not that I am unable to be creative, I did find that I am more of an "execution" person, as is Ron.

I was unable to spend time with the troops on Sunday, as I was attempting to assemble a game play component... the trailer.

Don's back and now can spend more, regular, time with the team and I've asked that he watch over the shop. Per's back too, and was present last night. Cameron has returned as well and I've asked that she look after the CM team. Having someone advising that key group should make the build a little easier than last year. Less time hunting for parts and supplies and more time actually doing things productive.

The "ideation" crew came up with a slew of ideas and under Ron's direction, condensed them into two basic ideas that would be the focus of prototyping and will continue tonight.

I got to sit and watch everything happening, not up-close-and-personal, but from a slight distance. What I saw was a light atmosphere, the room was buzzing with independent conversations amongst groups of 3-4 students. Everyone was engaged and being productive.

This is going to be a good year.

Potentially the last training before Kickoff...

2008-12-11T07:06:00.002-05:00

Jeff Lizotte was again present to deliver practical, and professional, welding training. Although I requested that the Mech team arrive at 5:30 to begin, many wandered in much later. Some, I learned, arrived on time, but did not seek out the training in the shop.

While mecchies were in the shop, taking turns welding aluminum, the "sparkies" were busily completing the assembly of the new controls onto parade bot. Aside from a more secure battery box, we're set for some serious software work.

Wireless works, everything seems solid, using the code as delivered. Progress was made, voices were jubilant. I am a happy mentor.

On track for kickoff...

2008-12-07T13:20:00.004-05:00

Not a lot to talk about, aside from training...

But, just recently having gone over the roster with our faculty advisor, I discovered that there are 44 actively engaged students on the team...

Last week, our new controls were delivered and on Thursday, the electrical team got the controller and its peripherals mounted and readied for use on the parade 'bot chassis. By around 8:30, the tethered controls operated test motors.

Next week, we'll have a machine chasing around the floor wirelessly..

Yesterday, T166, along with T151 ran the concessions at the State lego league championships. This is a fundraiser that our sponsor asks us to run. Profitable, we sold out of most everything...

That's it for now...

Countdown to Ship..

2008-12-04T07:15:00.001-05:00

A short break...

2008-12-01T19:10:00.002-05:00

And so another Thanksgiving has passed, and we're almost thru the training sessions for this season. There is so much going on, that I really haven't thought much about Daniel not being around. The rest of the team has been keeping me pretty busy.

Things this year are dramatically different from the past three seasons. There's an air of lightness, not the heavy, overcast, shadowing that was getting worse with each passing season; the fun of FIRST has been resurrected.

I think I mentioned previously that the team has chosen to attend the Chesapeak regional, rather than wait for Atlanta. The plan includes traveling by bus, caravanning with several other teams from the local area. We're all going to be staying at the same hotel too. It's more costly with regard to vacation time burned, but it'll be great fun.

We're also closing in on the Segway raffle. Since May, T166 has sold enough to cover the cost of the machine, which has been sold to us at a fantastic discount (Thanks SEGWAY!!!) and make a profit of nearly $2500. That will easily cover the cost of the trailer and the graphics on the sides.

Well, enough for tonight...

Training last night...

2008-11-21T08:09:00.002-05:00

Last night was the first with only the mecchies, and I learned a couple of things.

First, with a smaller group, and in a 'remote' location, the chaos was less noticeable.

Second, and more importantly, the smaller group allowed a higher degree of interaction. The group all had a chance at getting hands on the lathe. We're going at a pretty rapid pace, not exactly the best scenario for training, but exposure to and a little experience with the machines is 'way better than none at all. As with anything, skill comes with practice.

The night, however, didn't go without a hitch. As we entered the shop, the teacher was present and objected to our using it. Needless to say, I ignored him, as he was exiting for the night. His claim is that we didn't "agree" to our using it prior to the build season.

Well, guess what? I don't care what he thinks we "agreed to" or not. He's off the clock, and I'm not, our paths don't cross, and I will not be intimidated. With him, I generally first consider the source, then summarily dismiss him as a nuisance.

What was not acceptable is the embarrasment he caused for our faculty advisor, in the presence of her supervisor, who happens to be his main squeeze. Nice working environment.

It will be interesting to hear from Lisa what Tom has to say about the interaction last night.

Another successful event...

2008-11-17T13:09:00.002-05:00

This past weekend Team 166 hosted an FLL regional meet, which are now being called "qualification" competitions.

Whatever.

Only 16 lego league teams were registered, but on reflection, the meet went smoothly. Not because of the fewer number of competing teams, that did have an effect, but the fact that T166 has done this for several years, we've gotten the process pretty well established.

Tweaks, here and there, for sure, but nothing major. The most striking thing this year was the newest scoring software package that allowed teams to see their rankings instantly, as well as the up-scale look and feel of a FIRST competition, complete with sounds and an on-screen timer.

This year, we put the scoring table and display between the two sets of playing tables and had the teams enter the playing area at the sides, instead of the middle. That seems to have worked out much better.

Day went well, except for one accident in the mens' room where personal injury was sustained, severe enough to require surgery. That was performed yesterday, and was successful.

One other incident marred an otherwise perfect competition. Seems that one parent took a photograph which caused the flash to fire, whereupon another female parent, of the same team, made a comment. The picture taker allegedly took offense and made a verbal, abusive comment and even appeared to be positioning himself for a physical altercation. Her husband witnessed that gesture and stepped in, and somehow, physical contact was made.

What's sad is that he wouldn't or couldn't contain himself, but chose to make a scene and ruin his son's experience as well. What adds to this unfortunate situation is that this person is known to some of Team 166's adult members, and his behavior is not unusual. He has history with Team 166.

While I was not present to witness any of this first-hand, I had been told, by several others' and their recollections of the incident are similar. I have no reason to doubt anyone else's recount of the event.

Some adults never grow up.

Lead meeting - spiritied planning session

2008-11-12T07:02:00.002-05:00

Last night was again an interesting view into the soul of Team 166. Because of the Veteran's Day holiday for the school, we met at our faculty advisor's house.

All the team leads were present, the sole purpose of the meeting was to finalize the schedule we will attempt to adhere to this season.

They engaged in an enthusiastic discussion about how to include the rookies into the design process. All seemed to be wary of the rookies' ability to offer constructive suggestions, more concerned that they'd be impediments to progress, but also agreed that their presence was necessary to prepare them for the years following.

Other issues that were not-so-on-topic, was the sheer number of rookies and what needed to be done to ensure they are engaged while a core design team developed the machine. Without something to occupy their time, boredom will certainly set in, and there then exists the potential of losing members.

disturbing news delivered last night...

2008-11-07T09:40:00.002-05:00

Another good night was enjoyed by Team 166. In addition to the slew of team members actively engaged in training, there was also a parent meeting.

A little crowded, for sure, and things were going well, or so I thought.

I had been assured about a week ago that the ProE software, whose licenses expired at the end of last school year, would be reinstated and we'd be up and running this past Tuesday. Well, that didn't happen, and while I wasn't surprised, I am now getting quite upset about the lack of support we're getting from the school. I'll never get used to this utter lack of commitment, nor the lack of worth in someone's words.

Not only does this affect the FIRST team's training, it has been affecting the curriculum of the mechanical drawing teacher as well. Because there's a workaround, the IT person doesn't feel compelled to make good her promise to get the software installed.

Ok, that affects the everyday classes, but now, according to our faculty advisor, several students who signed up for the ProE training and subteam and considering quitting the team.

Is it time to start considering going over others' heads to get things sorted out??

Maybe.

Have thew new team members gotten the "fever?"

2008-11-03T06:58:00.003-05:00

On Saturday, T166 participated in a traditional fall season mini-competition, not far from home. River Rage, hosted by Manchester West High School is almost as old as FIRST itself, and so has become the "place to compete" in the fall. What makes this more fun than usual (which is hard to do in the first place) is that there's a theme that teams are encouraged to adopt. So, teams adorned in costumes of all kinds are in attendance.

Team 166 generally uses the mini-comps to introduce the noobs to FIRST with a hands-on approach. Mentors sit in the bleachers, the veteran members take charge and run the operation. Drivers, robot maintenance, and all aspects of the competition are taken care of by the team. It's a learning experience that goes 'way beyond what they learn by listening.

The awards that were presented are tokens, but the award that Team 166 presented to itself, by the veteran members to the rookies is one that no one can take away, or put a price tag on. What they were introduced to, in addition to this fall competition tradition, is another tradition that started a number of years ago; the post-competition team dinner.

What better way to build a team, but break bread with one and other.

Response to "last minute" request

2008-10-30T08:10:00.003-04:00

Some observations that are worth noting...

First, this team has a habit of not responding to posts that request assistance or presence at an event. They simply show up, which, by itself is a good thing, but in the grand scheme of things, isn't a desirable characteristic. What happens is that the organizer of the event can't adequately plan it with regard to staffing, thus the planner is relegated to last minute changes to accomodate those who do show up. We really need to fix this...

Mrs. Reich put out a message on the group as a test to see just who reads them and take action upon the request. This one was pretty simple... reply, and receive a chocolate bar. There were a good number of replies, but the disappointing thing was there were few rookie respondants. Hopefully, those who didn't read and respond to the post will learn.

Anyway, last night, we spent about 2 hours resetting the hallway storage closet. When the announcement was made on Tuesday, a few couldn't make it because of prior commitment and so stated that. Two veterans and a rookie showed up, which turns out to have been just the right number. Work proceeded at a brisk, but unhurried pace and we were able to put the closet back into shape in less than 2-1/2 hours.

All in all, a profitable night...

This is going to be an awesome season...

What to do with all these people???

2008-10-27T07:33:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, we pulled PM on our closets. Not as massive a task as last year's but it illustrated something that may well be a problem this season and highlighted the importance of good training.

The problem is the sheer number of team members who showed up to assist. Almost every rookie showed up, at least every rookie who's pledged an allegiance to mech or electrical/controls. That translates to quite a crew, and with only Mrs. Reich and myself to provide adult leadership, we were stretched rather thinly. Captains helped, but one had to head home to attend to homework assignments. It indeed was a learning experience for all.

When we attacked the tool carts, it be came clear that many of them don't know much about tools and therefore the importance of maintaining a complete set of them. This clearly illustrates the value that the mech training will have to instill good habits with regard to tools, use, care and maintenance thereof. What yesterday also illustrates is that the rookies have indeed an intense desire to be on the team. They're wide-eyed and pumped up, excitement is thick in the air. We need to channel that energy in a profitable way. That's the challenge for the team leads, with the help of the mentors.

We ran out of time, and didn't get to all three cabinets and tool carts, but we made a significant dent in the task at hand. With River Rage looming ahead, we have to assemble our traveling tool cart this coming Thursday.

Where are we? Where are we going??

2008-10-24T06:27:00.004-04:00

Last night. quite the collection of people, for sure.

Training is in progress for Mech/Electrical, Software and ProE, the school was buzzing with a crowd of people last night. There are so many newbies, I have asked that they wear name tags until I can learn (and remember) who they all are.

Animation is meeting on a different night and have 6 students this year. It was good to see the veterans teaching what they learned over the past years.

That's the way it should be.

Training has begun...

2008-10-10T09:08:00.002-04:00

So, things are again moving forward.

Last night, most of the Mech/Electrical team were present to participate in training. They shared the space with the S/W crew, but didn't cause undue problems.

What was most interesting is that the s/w veterans were doing most, if not all, of the training, thus allowing the mentors to concentrate on more pressing matters.

What has transpired, however, is that the licenses we need for Pro/E have yet to be renewed. This has been a stopping point, we have no way at this juncture to do anything since the software won't allow use with the expired license.

Will we be relegated to using Autodesk's Inventor??

Time will tell.

1st event with new team members...

2008-10-02T09:30:00.003-04:00

Well, Team 166 participated in the Town's business expo, and although the we

ather didn't cooperate, we had a great time. Several rookies were there and learned to drive Atlas. They got a first-hand look at how this team comes together, has fun being together and makes an impact wherever theygo.

We're holding a Segway raffle, the proceeds of which will be used to purchase a trailer to haul the robot and tools and whatever else we need for whatever event we attend. Soon, "The Enterprise" will not be available for the team to use. Not that I am planning on turning tail and leaving, but it makes sense if there's more than one way to move the team and its stuff.

So, at the event, the students took turns slowly plying the event's three main venues in the old middle school. Carrying tickets and sporting a sign saying "Ask me about the Segway raffle" they managed to sell more than $650 in tickets.

What a deal, win a Segway, $5495 MSRP for the price of a ticket -- $5!

Prior to the event, T166 used their VEX hardware to build a Wall-E lookalike, which attracted many visitors, young and old. Sitting along the rope fence, they would watch and giggle when he fell over, and were surprised to find that Wall-E could right himself and continue along.

We also managed to gain two new team members, both females... another who wants to do animation and the other wants to do the Chairman's award. I think that makes the number of new members sum to 18.

Another thing I noticed is that the veterans have indeed stepped up to fill the void left by the graduating seniors. What seemed to be shaping up as a more challenging season, has been changed to a season of possibilities and new adventure.

So far, so good...

2008-09-20T12:26:00.002-04:00

I had the pleasure of attending the 4th team meeting at the school. It seems that the new team members are growing in number with each passing day. Lisa has been fantastic in getting people interested and joining.

This coming Monday we're having an orientation night where new team members and their families find out the details of what their student will be doing with the the team, what's expected of each member and what they can expect from everyone else.

Preparations for the new season have been made and training sessions have been established and scheduled.

Next weekend, we're participating in a town-wide business expo with both machines on display. This is going to be great...

First team meeting of school year.

2008-09-07T15:44:00.002-04:00

This past Friday was the 1st team meeting of the new season. Quite a few new faces mixed in with the older, familiar faces of last season.

as usual, some have an idea of what they would like to do, most don't, but that's OK... there'll be plenty of time for them to choose.

Bri and Eric did a fine job of running the meeting, they will get even better as time moves forward.

On Thursday, we had a mentor meeting and established the training calendar for the fall and identified the activities over the same period.

Our faculty advisor had a surprise for us... she had recruited two more faculty interested in helping the team. Both of them are science teachers and so we have a greater potential of attracting females to join the team.

It was a calm, fun meeting, lots got done.

That's it for now...

What's been going on...

2008-09-01T12:14:00.001-04:00

It's been a long time since I last wrote anything, and a lot has happened. No surprise there.

Anyway, my youngest graduated this year and is now at Purdue, which makes next season the first that I won't have a child on the team. It will be certainly different.

Last year was also different, it was the best year ever, the team had the most successful season to date, the reasons for which are manyfold. Since the last post of 2006, which was our first season at the school, lots has happened, and not all of it good. What once was a bright future at the school as we entered that phase turned out rather poorly. I could go into the whole story with volumes of why that was so, but suffice to say that one leader was less than stellar and had a position of authority which was abused, IMHO. That person has been removed; a cancer excised and healing has begun.

That is all past us, all connections have been severed and we're on a path to grow the team in the school. Bridges that were burned by the individual mentioned above are being rebuilt by the successor. Preparations are being made to move ahead, dwelling on the past only long enough to learn from the mistakes made.

One of the biggest changes is the sharing of our training sessions with other teams. We put a lot of time into these sessions and want to share what we've learned. We also want to gain knowledge from others and incorporate that knowledge into our sessions. That is now possible.

Unlike the last few seasons, I will not take so long to share my thoughts.

The Year In Review - Awards Night 05/26/2006

2006-05-27T10:10:00.000-04:00

Seems that I may have started something last year when I created this year in review thing... It gives me an opportunity to reflect on things that have gone down since last May, and consider the future of Team 166, Chop Shop...

Some things went well, others not so well. When we moved into the school, I had grand visions of this team flourishing in its new home. What really happened wasn’t like that at all, in fact, it reminds me more of a family who’ve moved into a new home and are trying to live out of the packing cartons. We didn’t know where anything was, we only knew that Mr. P (your resident packrat) grabbed up anything and everything that wasn’t nailed down in the Rear Mill. We have it all, but we can’t find anything. What’s up with that?

Communication was a problem, most of the faculty and administrators really didn’t know who this bunch of students were and what they were up to for 6 intense weeks in the winter. They only knew that they were busy, focused and learning something. It didn’t occur to me until we were finished what being at Canal St. meant. We had resources to draw upon, just downstairs in the model shop; we had the stuff Nashua had left behind to build with, we had a source of materials we could use to build prototypes with... we left that behind... that stuff WAS nailed down... It was almost as though we were starting from scratch, like a rookie team.

A major item that fell beside the wayside was training. Not having the resources at the school until just before Christmas break made it impossible. Of all the things that were discussed at the lessons learned meeting, the lack of training was on the top of everyone’s list. Year 2 here at MHS will most certainly be different.

You all continue to amaze me with your capabilities, and at the same time you frustrate me with what seems to be apathy. But in reality, it is that you all being and doing what you do best... you’re being teenagers, and share a hobby called FIRST.

Since I’ve been referred to as “Older than Dirt”, and in some ways that’s true, I have to admit that my teen years are way too far in the past for me to remember them with any clarity. I’ve been in your shoes, but they wore out long ago and I’ve forgotten how comfortable they may have been. So, I ask your forgiveness for those times when I was grumpier than usual... Some of you know how to push my buttons, many of which are easy to poke at.

Some of you have been more active at pushing my buttons than others. You know who you are...and I know that I wouldn’t want it any other way. You’ve taken a ration of heat from me too, but in the end, there’s still a large helping of care going around. Could you have done things better?? Sure, and I can say the same thing about myself. We’ve all learned things from each other and grown better for it. Every day is a learning experience, a gift to be cherished.

So, about that robot... Given everything that led up to its production, I have to say that I am pretty proud of what you all accomplished. This year’s game was the most challenging so far and the robot had many more tasks to perform. The Granite State Regional was, as I have been told, a disappointment for some, but for me, I had a great sense of accomplishment. This year’s game was more complicated, had more choices to make with the robot design, and you all decided on a course of action and went for it. We even made weight, for the second year! It was a stretch to do it, but it happened.

You also critiqued yourselves that weekend, and came to the mentors wanting to make some changes for the competition in Atlanta. To me, that showed a lot of initiative and dedication, and the follow up meeting we had to decide on that course of action demonstrated that drive. It showed the mentors something too, about how this team wants to work. You have shown what the heart and soul of this team is all about. How about this... why don’t we build the robot in the shop next year?? Where all the tooling is?? Ya think?

Atlanta was something else too, and never was it more evident that this is a student-run team than in the pits. Who remembers the team of mentors right across the pit aisle from us? Not even the “token student” there for appearances. Many times our pits didn’t even have the “token mentor.” I have a request. Can you come up with something, like that shovel you see road crews leaning on, for the mentors to prop themselves up with when we’re hanging around the pits? I don’t know about the other mentors, but I could use the help standing up. Maybe a two-speed, pneumatically-shifted racing walker... Ross, you wanna get on that, please??

Because of the planning that was done by you before leaving for Atlanta, you allowed yourselves and us the luxury of free time to attend many of the seminars offered by FIRST during the competition. I think that I can speak for the mentors when I say “Thanks for that opportunity.” That wouldn’t have happened if you all didn’t own the robot the way that you do. Those of us who attended those seminars came away with a lot of good information. I stood above the pits and looked down, watched you work independently. How cool is that, I thought. Then I looked over at that “other team’s” pit... You can guess what I didn’t see...

Seniors: Some of you have been with the team for all 4 years, some not, but you will all be missed; gone but not forgotten. Team 166 has benefited from your presence; we hope that Team 166 has left an impression on you as well. We have changed each others’ lives in many ways, all of it for the better. Usually, when someone moves on, an obligatory “Good Luck” is shouted out... not tonight, for you all will create your own good fortune, you will not wait for that elusive “Lady Luck” to smile upon you. I ask only one thing... stay in touch, stay involved, make a difference. I know that you can.

Juniors: Next year will be your last, so what are you thinking about? What do you want to see this team accomplish? Where do you want to see it go and who do you want to take with you on this wonderful journey? With a year to go, after your second year contributing to the team’s efforts, I see many of you stepping up to the challenges, speaking up and letting the mentors know what you want and need.

Sophomores: Some of you are new this year, others have seen the games played before. Some of you are going to be tasked with greater responsibility. Are you up to the challenge? From what I have seen, you have the ability and desire, and so it is entirely possible for you junior leaders to make a difference.

Freshman: I honestly don’t know how many of you there are, you have certainly not been the timid members, new to the team, trying to learn the ropes. You seem to have done that well, and fit into the team’s structure easily. Now that a year has passed and you’ve seen how things work, it’s time for you to step up too, make your ideas known and be passionate about them. Part of working in a team such as this is that not everybody agrees with everything, and that’s OK.

Mentors: Thanks for putting up with me. I can be hard to work with sometimes

...OK... more often than not...

my emotion and passion for this team’s success are not easily concealed. If I have offended anyone, I humbly offer a sincere apology and hope that you will all stick with this crew and be part of their successes.

What’s down the road: As I had alluded to earlier, we will be developing a training plan to address that void that was so clearly identified. I am expecting that over the summer, we will be meeting to create this plan, most of which exists only in my head, rattling around like a b-b in a boxcar. Oh, by the way, the “we” I am referring to includes team members...

So, stay tuned to the groups, on the lookout for planning meetings...

What's next, Virgil??

2006-05-14T16:00:00.000-04:00

Things have been somewhat slow. The biggest thing is the preparation for the end-of-year banquet.

What's been happening there is the flurry of activity around the yearbook. Past years have been taken for granted, there was a sponsor's employee who took care of the yearbooks for both teams sponsored. Several of us were involved, but late in the game.

The team really likes the idea of the book, but there are few who want to spend time on it. Like everything else, requests go out, and no one listens, or that's how it appears to me.

For the past two years, the hurculean task of assembling the images, putting them into powerpoint format and adding things that personalize the book were done by too few people. I was one of those, who at the last minute, spent lots of time futzing around with the pages. We are fortunate to have access to our sponsor's printshop, and the task of printing the 60+ copies isn't one of those tasks I had to worry about.

I resolved that this year, I would not have anything to do with the book directly. And what I am hearing is a whole lot of whining from everyone about the amount of work it is, how tedious it is, etc. I, very bluntly, said to the team that unless some of them stepped up and took over from where Terry left off (she created 100+ pages with tons of images and text), and that if the completed work wasn't in my hands by May 15, there wouldn't be a yearbook this year. I added also that if this was the demonstration of the effort they were willing to expend, then there wouldn't be a yearbook next year either.

Rather harsh, but so what. I am sick of having to coax the team into doing anything.

On another front, I started looking at what it would take to get an introduction to engineering curriculum into the school. Seems that the flurry of sales activity of VEX robotics kits sparked an idea that would allow introduction of VEX into the FIRST program. The little kits are perfect for hands-on training of engineering principles, problem solving and teamwork.

We decided to spend the money and acquired three kits. Then I got to thinking about getting into the school, formally, with these kits. The full price isn't outrageous, and if one considers funding via a grant, the whole shebag can be done for less than $7000. One of the school administrators listened to my idea and was very receptive, so much so, that he did some of his own investigations and even proposed expanding the program to 20 students.

We have a formal quotation from the supplier of the kits and an online curriculum, the bottom line is also a one-time cost to get started. I am now actively seeking a grant.

More later.

Long time busy...

2006-04-13T11:47:00.000-04:00

Busy with everything related to FIRST, so much so that I can't even begin to pick a restart point.

Suffice to say the team did OK at Granite State Regionals. What I didn't figure on was the impact that being at the school would have. Things like being able to run down to the model shop and talk with the guys building our parts, or having the luxury of heading to another shop to acquire fasteners. Even not having a scrap aluminum heap to go diving into.

There were other things, too, that contributed to the difficulty, a lot of which had to do with the lack of understanding, by the school, of what intense effort the FIRST program requires for 6 weeks.

Other things also were probelmatic and that was revealed when we held lessons learned meetings.

Mentors met a week prior to the team members and discussed many things that were on our minds. The faculty advisor had kept a running log of things which was not in any order other than by date captured.

The basic realization was we didn't do the traning in the fall, as we usually did, nothing at the school starting in September was ready for us to use. This was a major sticking point for the advisor.

Anyhow, the meeting with the students solidified the need for training. What was somewhat disappointing was the turnout. The team knew well in advance of the meeting and could have been more attentive. However, a smaller number, mostly mechanical people, sophomores, were present.

I know who I would like to see as Mechanical lead next year.

More later...

Week3 - things are starting to come together

2006-01-28T19:00:00.000-05:00

At least that's what I keep telling myself.

Some good news from the school. This past Friday I met with the auto shop instructor. Interesting guy, been building his own formula Vee racecars and knows quite a bit about cars, mechanics, metalworking and the like.

At first glance, when we showed up at the school's doorstep, there was some resistance to assist, but after our talk, I got a different view of him. I suppose the things I said about T166 made something of an impression, he got interested enough to want to help, so much so that he is stopping by tomorrow.

We're finally settling in on getting parts made and the machine built. Lots of activity, though, and not a lot of accomplishment, I am afraid.

Parts are being made at our sponsor's model shop and we're actually cutting metal in the auto shop. I was formally trained on the MIG, TIG and spot welders and the 50-ton press. In the meantime, our other mentor shop magician was fabbing a tailstock so we could turn long rollers.

Tomorrow is another day, we'll see how far we get.

Middle of Week2

2006-01-18T13:34:00.000-05:00

Several things happening here, first of which I have a bug, down and out, just got up about an hour ago (Noon, EST).

This week is finals for the team, so they have been attending sparsely, as they were advised to. However, that still dosen't make me feel as though we aren't stuck in the mud for a good reason.

The captains are not leading the crew in a manner that I would like to see. For example, we should have a better idea of what drive mechanism we will be using, what ball collecting scheme we want, and be at a decision point with the ball launcher. On Sunday, one of the mech team members' father came by with a baseball pitching machine which we used to verify calculations that were done to help determine the launcher's design. All well and good, we rebuilt a launcher based on that design and made it work. Yep, it launches balls, but not with much precision. A guide mechanism needs to be added... Something that I saw demonstrated at kickoff 5 seasons ago and really impressed me with its simplicity and performance. I tried to share this but it seems to have fallen on deaf ears.

Last night, there were a sizable number of members there, but few from the mech. side of the house, and certainly not the mech. lead. My wife was there when the mech team went off in a corner and started laying plans this past Sunday, but that was done in what appears to be a vacuum. I had no idea what they had accomplished.

I had some thoughts since the game was revealed and shared them with several people whom I thought would be the keys to getting those ideas and thoughts to the rest of the team. That didn't seem to happen, so last night, I let them in on my ideas, something that I didn't want to do so directly, I want this machine to be theirs, not mine.

I hope that I will be feeling well enough to go the the meeting tonight.

One bright light this day is that the weather didn't turn out as nasty as predicted. The temperature is almost 60, rain is falling (not snow or freezing rain) and most of the ice on the roads has been melted away. This is really good news for the New England teams, certainly T166.

In the school... headaches and hassles

2006-01-15T11:12:00.000-05:00

It's interesting being at the school. There are 2 faculty members assisting, one is the new advisor who only works 4 days a week, and the other one was shamed into helping. Otherwise the team couldn't be onsite without supervision, which happened when the other mentors came onboard at roughly 5:30PM.

When we were introduced by the Tech Ed. Department head in May, there seemed to be a large interest in helping, advising, mentoring, but, as time approached, things changed dramatically.

It was pretty amusing, at first, to listen to the 'reasons' that these people chose to walk away, but in the end, it turns out to be disconcerting. They scatter like cockroaches do when you turn on the lights, at the mere utterance of the word "FIRST".

When we met at our sponsor's facility, it was well known that security guards had to admit the team in a documented manner, and everyone was OK with that. Everyone knew that if you missed the time, you waited until the next hour to get in. At least there you could stand under cover from the elements.

Here, it seems that noone remembers how to tell time, gauge how long it takes to get from home to the school and be on time. Snickering about being 10 minutes late infuriates me.

Only one person has keys to the facility, so when that person isn't around, we all wait outside. Even if an additional person was given the passcode for the outside door, it would only serve to get us out of the weather, because, it seems, the custodial staff lock every passage way in the building. Maybe that's all that can be hoped for.

2005-2006 Season: Week1

2006-01-13T11:02:00.000-05:00

It begins again... the season kickoff revealed an interesting game, incorporating all the clues that were "leaked" but one had to stretch the imagination for sure. But then, that's part of the program.

After some reflection, the game is a mixture of (IMHO) soccer, basketball and hockey. The game designers freely admitted that they put more choices into the game than could be implemented over the six week cycle, and that was done on purpose.

T166 spent the first two days or so understanding the game and how it could be played, it was agreed that knowing the intricacies of the game were important to develop several play strategies. The dynamics of the game make it imperative that there are more than one strategy.

We struggled with what the machine could be built to accomplish, and I fear that we are still thinking that we can "do it all". Images of two seasons ago (Raise The Bar) where we made a concious decision to not climb stairs, have little ground clearance and build a hummer-like vehicle that was overweight all worked against us.

At the Kickoff event

2006-01-07T11:30:00.000-05:00

This was the first one that I have attended. When we arrived, we went into the reception area and sat at a table with a team from Walpole MA. I asked about how things work for them at the school and that this season was the first one where we would be at our school.

They don't really work out of the high school directly, they have an almost-abandoned building that belongs to their district that is totally theirs. They had to overcome some physical obstacles but that space is theirs.

Merrimack does not have 'spare' school buildings, but there is an unused building that the town owns that once housed the ambulance / rescue squad. Since they have moved into the renovated main firehouse, that building has been relegated into storage space for the firemen.

It's got meeting rooms, a small kitchen, and THREE GARAGE BAYS that would provide more space than we have now or even had at our sponsor's facility.

I wonder what it would take to get the team into that building...

Meeting with Power Knights mentors

2006-01-04T11:23:00.000-05:00

Tonight, a group of mentor went to Manchester West HS. Seems that last year they had a mentor that didn't want to work as a team player, kept things from the other mentors, etc. Suffice to say that the parent group lead sent a letter, requesting that he not return.

Apparently, T166's mentoring team (and the team itself) has been generating a good reputation and so we were asked to meet with 501's group and share our experiences. Overall, it was a successful evening. One thing that piqued my curiosity was a statement made by one of the mentors (engineer, I think) when he said something about losing a sponsor and their facility. I asked about what it was like to work in the school, and was told that they don't. Hence his question about how our sponsor handled security for the team.

That got me wondering about how things were really going to work out at the school.

The official end of a super year...

2005-10-30T12:31:00.000-05:00

Lots has happened since the last posting …

Yesterday's participation at River Rage in Manchester marked the end of our official competition year. The team performed well, the new drivers and student drive coach were able to take the team all the way to the finals. Unfortunately, our alliance was not able to take the top award, but in retrospect, it was a better place than last year's performance at the event… we were left standing on the field, not chosen to compete in the finals at all.

The driver and co-pilot seem to be able to read each others' minds. Pretty good pairing, I think, they both have a strong ability to think and react quickly and appropriately. They will certainly be an asset if they decide to continue driving.

Here are some images from River Rage...and yet another set of images...

The other event that took place between the last posting and this one was something that our Town does every year to support the public library. Each year in September, they host a Cardboard Boat race that is held on Lake Naticook at Wasserman Park. At the end of the school year, two sophomores decided to enter the competition. They and several other team members worked over several weeks to design and build a boat. They even went so far as to practice paddling in a canoe. Their efforts paid off, as the team took easy victories in the Junior/Youth group division, the People's Choice award and the coveted Merrimack Cup. The cup is awarded to the overall winner of the final race comprised of the winners in each of the other categories.

FIRST taught them that prior planning prevents poor performance! An outstanding accomplishment that will be not forgotten, the massive trophies will be on display in the main lobby of MHS.

Here are some images from the Cardboard Boat Race

This coming year will most certainly be a challenge for us, as we have begun operations at our new home. All our gear, materials, tools, machinery and computing resources have been relocated from our sponsor's facility to the high school. While I am excited about the future and the potential for the team's growth, I am concerned about the ability of the school to live up to the promises that were made when this venture began. For one thing, all the faculty members who claimed to want to help have backed away, leaving only one, our advisor, to fend for herself and the team. We are finding out that the school, aside from a very small number of the faculty, know what the FIRST program entails. The vast majority were surprised to hear that we work together all year 'round. They thought that the effort was only during the 6 week build season. There are concerns regarding access to the facility and the use of the machinery that was donated by our sponsor, and there are concerns around who will be allowed to operate the machines to build parts and who is liable if an injury is sustained. What about weekend access, especially on Sundays? Generally, there are people in the school almost every night and Saturday, but Sundays are a different story.

It is disturbing to me because we have been asking these questions since the Spring, and no one can supply answers.

The Year In Review - Awards Night 5/24/2005

2005-05-25T17:48:00.000-04:00

We faced many challenges over the course of this past season. We lost 12 seniors almost a year ago, a dozen dedicated and involved students who've gone off to pursue their dreams. It's what happens, we should be getting used to it by now.

Their departure created a tremendous hole in our team. A new crew of freshmen, sophomores and juniors joined the team at the beginning of this school year and filled that hole. I have to say that I had my doubts as to how well we could do. About half the team was gone, and the half that remained was still learning the ropes.

On top of that, the landscape was changing at BAE, and we had new hurdles to jump, new security policies to abide by and new rules to operate under. More challenges, but none that couldn't be overcome.

We had to run the Rear Mill like a real laboratory, with the same rules that the rest of the company follows. Terry Baron taught you those rules and you never forgot.

Who has forgotten the definition of what could be thrown away?? Anyone care to tell us??

Not once was anyone from BAE concerned about the Rear Mill's cleanliness and order this year. You all saw the big picture and understood what it meant.

You all know what to do when you hear "Cleanup time!" or "Get 'er done!"

"Bring out your bottles! Bring out your bottles!" Who started that??

"The Wall" isn't just a song from Pink Floyd and "standup" isn't just something you do when your done sitting around.

Teamwork is what FIRST is all about. Yes, the robot is important, but not so much as the journey that we all take to get to that end. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of this team and how well they work together. There's no way, in my mind, that we could have accomplished so much without teamwork. You all pulled together to build the best machine yet. Cleveland was testament to that effort; Chop Shop showed them all what New England teams are made of.

Who else but Chop Shop could spend time in the pits this past weekend piecing a broken guitar together?

Where are Chop Shop's resident "air guitarists"?? Rock on, Dudes!

Who else but Chop Shop's pit crew would help other teams?

You're awesome!

To the 'original' team members: Thanks for being there for your rookie teammates. You made it possible for them to come up to speed so quickly. You listened to their ideas, and encouraged them along the path. You understand what teamwork is all about.

To the 'rookies': Thanks for showing such enthusiasm from the beginning. Some of you had an idea of what FIRST is all about from family members, some of you knew about FIRST from friends and some of you had no idea of what you were signing up for. You are an amazing bunch, and I most certainly look forward to several more years working at your side.

To the returning mentors: Nuts, that's what you all are, plain and simple. But you all see the same picture, have the same desires, the same drive and dedication that is so necessary to help a team be successful. You bring continuity to this program and without you, we wouldn't be where we are today. You all share a common vision.

To the rookie mentors: Rookie only because this is your first year as a mentor; you certainly didn't act like rookies, you all looked like you'd been doing this forever. Some of you are no strangers to FIRST, and it's your experience, wearing the shoes of the student team member, that meant so much to our success. You never forgot the past while looking towards the future.

You have become a part of the common vision the veteran mentors' share… now it's yours too.

What's next?? Growth, that's what. We've been given an opportunity to show Merrimack High School what we're made of, what we're all about, what we can do. The faculty is already pretty impressed with what you've been able to accomplish.

The Tech. Ed. Department's faculty members who want to help next year are going to add more depth and breadth to the ranks of the mentors. We will only get better at what we do and how we do it.

I see good things in store for Chop Shop and Merrimack High.

Thanks to Mr. House-Myers and Mr. Putney for all their help in making this transition a reality. Yep, there's a lot more to be done between now and next September to get settled, so stay tuned over the summer for news.

You all keep me from getting old in the head, you all teach me something new every day.

It is a privilege and an honor to be associated with such talented and dedicated people.

Thanks to all of you for allowing me to work with you.

There isn't anything that I'd rather do.

Judgment day...

2005-04-01T18:54:00.000-05:00

So, I received input from several mentors and I was pleasantly surprised to find that they all wanted the same things from the advisor. I am not sure how to read that. Does that mean that the advisor's actions were that noticeable or what?

There was little contact with the team since we landed in Manchester on Sunday. I was not able to let the drive team know that I was pursuing their complaint. On Thursday night, one of the members of the drive team posted a message on the boards about the incident.

What I didn't say previously was the the advisor realized that a mistake was made and that an apology was in order. Nothing was done, apparently, and that is the reason the drivers posted an accounting of the incident.

Needless to say, the advisor was a bit put out over the manner in which everyone learned about the incident, and I can certainly understand that feeling. However, in retrospect, that apology should have been delivered on Saturday night.

The meeting with the company's FIRST team started, and I told everyone about our successes at Cleveland. Next on the agenda was the "problem" and what to do to solve it. Two of the folks did not have any history with the advisor, and two did, myself not counted. The behavior patterns that I described were corroborated by the two members with the longest history with the program. While the discussion of what I wanted to do next was progressing, one of my team's mentors came to the room with a letter.

That letter took the wind out of my sails. It was the faculty advisor's resignation, effective at the end of the school year.

Not much to talk about now, the 'problem' has solved itself.

But why didn't (and still don't) I feel like dancing? Why did I feel empty inside?

The times, they are a changin'

2005-03-29T18:38:00.000-05:00

Not much R & R from this weekend, get home on Sunday in the afternoon and crash. Get up at 6AM and head to work.

That was the plan, anyway.

I work with most of the younger mentors, so there was much conversation that centered on the regional event. Lots about how well the team did, but then the subject of the insensitve remarks had to come up.

I was entrusted by the team members to do something about the situation and I pondered over just what I could do. I have to say that I have not been a fan of the advisor for as many years as I have been with the team, and I know also that this behavior is not new. Up until this year, comments were generally made to a select few and often about things the team had no control over, like the pairings for alliance partners.

By the end of Monday, I had a decent idea of what I had to do, but not how.

On Tueday, I had opportunity to talk with my former manager. I explained what was up and was stuck with what to do next. He offered a suggestion, and it was so simple, that I grabbed it up and made it fit my situation. Look at the endgame, he said. What do YOU want as a solution. How simple can it get. The bottom line is that I didn't want to merely pull the advisor out. There were many years where the team wounldn't have continued if it were not for the efforts and passion the advisor had, and still has, for the program. All I wanted was a change, a simple one: respect for the students and think about what you say befor uttering the words.

By now, the folks at the company that preside over the FIRST program, were getting prepared to take this back to the school and had set up a meeting where I was to present the facts as I understood them.

I had sent all the mentors who were present at Cleveland the details, some of them didn't have a clue to what I was talking about. Some were rookies and didn't have any history with the team. I explained what had happened, told them about the history as I knew it, and then asked them for their input on what *they* wanted from the advisor. I needed all that by Friday morning.

Buckeye Regional

2005-03-27T18:02:00.000-05:00

Well, the end of the trip for us, we just returned from a very good showing at the Buckeye Regional in Cleveland OH. I am pleased with the way the team handled itself and the way the machine functioned.

We left NH on Wednesday morning, the plan was to arrive at Cleveland, get settled in the Residence Inn and visit the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame. That plan did happen, although not without incident. The weather in Baltimore, our intermediate stop, was horrendous. Rain pouring and dark and cold. The incoming flight was delayed and so we had to hang around the gate for an additional 45 minutes (as it turned out). Meanwhile, our luggage which had to be unloaded from the first leg flight, sat on the tarmac, collecting water. Apparently my bag was left in a puddle for the duration and that proved to be more than the water resistant fabric could withstand. Everything inside was soaked.

So was all the other stuff we had, spare parts in a plastic mini-tote, my DeWalt cordless drill and several other items. Fortunately, everything was salvaged and all we got from Southwest was "sorry"... I suppose that I shouldn't complain, the fares were relatively cheap, and you get what you pay for.

The Hall of Fame was AWESOME. We spent 4 hours there, and initially, I didn't think there would be enough there to see to consume that amount of time. I was wrong. Between all the visuals such as stage outfits, instruments and written descriptions, there were boatloads of headphones with artists' music playing. As an added benefit, the building is on the shore of Lake Erie, so we got to see one of the Great Lakes.

Thursday, as usual, the pits opened and the tweaking began. Of the 41 teams present, 22 were participating in their 2nd event. That really makes a difference in how you react to the venue. At the Granite State regional, everyone was participating in their first event. Lots of frantic activity in the pits and nervousness over the game and how it's to be played. At Cleveland, you could see that same edgyness in the teams at their first competition. When we packed up for the Buckeye Regional back in the beginning of March, the machine was in good shape and was ready to rumble out of the box. A little dinking with software and a once-over with wrench to tighten everything and we were good to go.

And go we did, putting on a really good show of our ability to score tetras. Our drive coach pushed the envelope and we tried things and every time we tried, we succeeded. Except for once. We tried carring 4 tetras, but were hit and toppled over. The arm was fully extended as was the lift, and so gravity took control and we crashed to the ground. The screams from the stands was unbelivable. The noise came from EVERYONE, not just T166. We made a really good impression on everyone and it showed by the shouts of our team number from the stands.

That has to be one of the best feelings in the world. That sound is music to my ears.

So, in the pits, we discover that two slides were all that were damaged. Changed them out and we were back in business, and didn't miss a match.

Autonomous mode worked too. We were one of a handful of teams with a reliable autonomous mode, and one of a very few who could knock down the magnetic tetra AND cap the corner goal. We did that consistently, and at one point during Friday's qualification matches, we were ranked 6th. By Saturday at the end of qualification, we ranked in the top half and were solidly placed for alliance picking for the finals.

All during the practice matches on Thursday and again on Friday, the team members in the stands were tasked with watching matches and taking statistics on the teams. That data proved valuable to the drive coach who used that information to his advantage when playing the game.

This event has got to be the best one we've ever attended. Everything we upbeat and everyone was working together. Lots of spirit (leaving several members with little voice) and comraderie. I could not have asked for anything more.

After the meet concluded on Saturday afternoon, we arranged to go to the Hard Rock cafe. We were able to get in, had the sense to call ahead, and sat down. That's when things turned a little sour. One of the drive team members was at my booth, and so asked to speak with me about something that happend, more specifically, about something that someone said that ruined that high the drive team was on.

Our match against what turned out to be the winning alliance triple resulted in two losses. The first match, we attempted to score, however, we were clearly outmatched and so decided to shift strategy from offense to defense. We were not going to be triumphant at any stretch of the imagination, so why not... We did not even come close to making a difference in the outcome, and the drive team was down regardless of having done a superb job and getting us to the 1/4 finals. They head back to the stands where they are berated by the faculty advisor. There was no need to add insult to injury, but it happened, and it so affected one of the team members that she had to talk to someone about it.

First, I want to say that I was pleased to know that the team members think enough of me to confide in me about anything. I worked hard at being fair and building the trust of the team members and we share mutual respect for each other. But I certainly didn't want to have to deal with this crap now, given how well they had done. Suffice to say that I felt obligated to inform the people I work with and my company who sponsors the team.

Spoken words cannot be retracted and often cut the sharpest.

Can you tell that we had a good time??

2005-03-27T16:37:00.000-05:00

Chop Shop returns from the Buckeye Regional !!!

2005-03-06T13:02:00.000-05:00

Meet OTIS, Team 166's creation for this year's FIRST compeitions.

A good weekend...

2005-03-06T12:49:00.000-05:00

All the work since Kickoff has concluded at the BAE Granite State Regional. The team's entry has to be the best we've ever produced. It did everything we needed it to... AND ... it was underweight.

T166 has a propensity to build rugged machines capable of taking a beating and coming back for more, however, it was at the price of weight. Last year's machine was built so rugged, that we had to eliminate functionality to meet the limit.

This year, we still built a rugged machine, but it was within weight. Very impressive, IMHO for this team who is now beginning to get the idea that not all of the machine has to be built to withstand a direct hit from a nuclear warhead. This year's entry, OTIS, is light, fast and strong (where it needs to be).

I am very proud of this team, they have come a long way since September. 12 new team members, many freshmen, all coming together to put an outstanding machine onto the compeition floor.

2005-02-27T11:47:00.000-05:00

Me and my daughter - one of the three pit bosses at Nationals, Atlanta, GA, 2004

It's done...

2005-02-23T18:28:00.000-05:00

Ok, it's the day after shipping deadline.

Too bad I can't say that things went swimmingly, 'coz they didn't. The biggest disappointment came from the electrical/controls group who steadfastly claimed that "it'll only take about an hour" to get the drive and compressor going.

Well, that didn't happen. On Monday, they toiled away until 11PM when we put the machine into its shipping crate and walked out of the building. Never drove it, tried to grab up a tetra off the floor or attempted to work off the autoload station.

After our unveiling on Thursday of last week where several of the teams that our sponsor helps showed off their machines, I was pretty confident that we had a winning machine. Drive was working, but the compressor wasn't, and so it seemed pretty straightforward as to what was causing it.

We looked pretty good, and I must say that for that short instant that I watched from a distance, it seemed that we were pretty much done.

Wrong. Sloppy assembly and "good enough" attitudes prevented the lift from extending. The racks were installed such that as the lift extended, the inner sections of the lift wedged together. No amount of pulling was going to get it to rise any higher.

At first glance on Friday of last week, it appeared as though the vandoor motor wasn't powerful enough to lift the stages. On further inspection, we discovered the problem with the slides and made repairs. A little care in assembly would have certainly prevented this near catastrophy.

So, by the end of the weekend, two 12-hour days, we had the lift and arm mechanisms functional.

Last week on the horizon

2005-02-11T10:16:00.000-05:00

Another scheduled day off from work. Can't say that I am disappointed about that.

As with the last scheduled day off two weeks ago, we're going to open the area at 4PM and work until 10. That was agreed to on Wednesday.

We didn't work yesterday on account of the Nor'Easter that caused havoc on the roads during the latter portions of the day. The morning looked promising, only rain, but as the day wore on, things got more foul. While cutting into the build, the night off was certainly welcomed.

Fortunately, many parts have been returned from the shop and we're set for assembly. That process is slow, there are many new team members who have not had any experience, but that is slowly being rectified.

I am seeing lots of enthusiasm and teamwork. I can't ask for more than that. Well, I could, like a winning machine, but that's gravy as far as I'm concerned. We're already a winning team.

Week5

2005-02-08T21:51:00.000-05:00

Getting there, that's about all one can say.

Things are coming out of the shop and assembly is moving forward.

Drivers are working together to see who matches up with who and are practicing with the 2nd 'bot.

I am getting very tired, all the details that were taken care of by others in years past are now in our collective laps, and there are LOTS of details.

The area is now an official laboratory and the rules by which we operate have been established, training delivered and everyone seems comfortable with everything.

Much thanks to everyone at the company for helping us out, from training to setup to acquisition of materials. We most certainly appreciate everything you are all doing for us.

Tomorrow, more snow is predicted, and could potentially interfere with the build. Friday is an off-day for some of the mentors, and so we're planning on being at the build site at 4PM when the students can arrive. This plan worked two weeks ago and should help out again.

Sleep. Need more...

Time passes so quickly

2005-01-31T17:15:00.000-05:00

Well, here it is, the beginning of week4 and there's not a whole lot to show for our effort.

The team's been putting in long hours, but there seems to be a stalling point, we're not getting the drawings into the shop, there are unanswered questions regarding some of the mechanics and electronics.

The software and controls team is mired in the workings of the CMU2 camera, there are more questions than answers and when they seem to be homing in on an answer, it quirts away. They're determined to get that device working, as the whole autonomous strategy rests on the ability to seek, find and acquire a vision tetra.

Mechanically, there is a stalling point with the gripper mechanism. The design, simple as it is, seems to be falling short of being able to retain its grip on a tetra.

Thinking about the design, it seems that something as simple as two closet door latch mechanisms could do what we need and with a lot less effort than we're expending at the moment. The arm mechanism and its lifting agent are also at a standstill, there are too many unknowns at this time to have a solid plan of attack.

The drive/chassis team seems to be at odds with the supplied transmissions and they're wrestling with wheels, now considering some lexan instead of the supplied skyway products or even the mountain board wheels donated by one of the team members. Way too much time, IMHO, is being spent on this.

Into the 2nd week... all goes... ok

2005-01-17T21:30:00.000-05:00

Martin Luther King's Birthday.

T'was a school day off and all throuout the team there was a desire to come in early.

Can't happen, we work. Oh well, that's life. And we learned something too.

Since there were too many people here every night during last season's build, the numbers of students was somewhat unmanagable with the number of company mentors.

This year's a completely different game, there are almost as many mentors as students, so last night's showing of about half the team's numbers was most advantageous.

Things got done regardless. Good work by all.

Chassis got 'way closer to running, tomorrow night we will see this year's skeleton creation run across the floor. Something for the controls team to play with while the designers work out the details of the manipulator. It was good to see everyone busy with something, the evening went by quickly, and profitably.

Let's see what tomorrow evening brings...

Down to nutz 'n boltz

2005-01-16T18:50:00.000-05:00

Some real work got done this afternoon. Almost everyone was busy doing something profitable.

The chassis, out of the box, was being built and wired up, the goal being to get a drivable chassis by quitting time. Didn't happen, but we're close enough.

Trying to get things done caused me to forget to return a piece of equipment to my work area, not that it will be missed, just that I intended to return it before we finished for the day.

Same thing for the small arbor press which I borrowed and found we couldn't use.

While trying to notch out a piece of aluminum, I discovered that the punch is missing the hardened roller assembly. Don't know where/when we're going to get that fixed.

Still don't have the authority to let the students into the machine shop, one of the company safery officers needs to inspect the area and we have to comply with his findings.

While using one of the drill presses to insert press-fit bearings, the collar that elevates the work surface split, rendering the press inoperable. Need to get that part welded and redressed to fit.

The team's getting into the habit of cleaning up after themselves. It's a good habit to get into and the more stress that gets put onto that subject, the better. We actually had team members vying for the pushbroom.

Tomorrow's off for the schools, but not me. It would be nice if they could get into the facility earlier, but there are 'way to many of them for one or two mentors to watch over.

We'll pick up where we left off tomorrow evening.

Week1, Where Art Thou??

2005-01-16T10:36:00.000-05:00

Here it is, Sunday, one week after the "Game Revelation" and things are already slipping.

No surprise here. Rather than head to our sponsor's facility, we met at the school this past week to develop a strategy and brainstorm some ideas for the machine.

Lots of good ideas made it interesting w/r/t discussions.

Generally, the new mentors (we number 23 at this point) are trying to lead the students into thinking more carefully about strategy and how that strategy will define the robot. Some get it, some don't, and some never will.

Egos are starting to show, but this may well be an artifact of the tight confines they were all in (a classroom) and the intensity of the effort. Not that the intensity will diminsh over this next 5 weeks, but it will be spread amongs the subteams.

I seem to have turned into a facilitator, and I certainly hope that that will change soon.

What's good this year are that the Pro/E designers will be in close proximity to the prototypers, so they can talk, discuss concepts etc.

The animation team has a graduated team member returning to act as mentor. He's been doing animation for the past three years and really knows how to use 3dsMax. From what I've seen so far, his time with the team has paid off.

Today, our goal is to complete the fabrication of the out-of-the-box chassis and transmissions and get the controls/software team something they can start working with.

Get 'er done!

2005-01-15T19:15:00.000-05:00

Get 'er done!

First day at our sponsor's facility

2005-01-15T19:00:00.000-05:00

Today we spent the day at our sponsor's facility.

Over the summer, the area was cleaned up and new flooring was installed in the center room and machine shop. Just yesterday, electrical power was restored to the machines and although we can't let the students or non-employee mentors use them until after a safety inspection, there are enough of us who can get simple things done.

The week's work of strategizing and initial design done at the school allowed the subteams to attack their particular areas right away. Not to say, however, that everything went smoothly, there are still lots of rough spots.

One of our fellow mentors for the sister team delivered a mockup of the tetra autoload station. Big help, much appreciated. She and her crew also built a game piece and delivered the materials we need to build one field goal. We can concentrate on a game-winning strategy and the machine necessary to achieve that goal.

There was a lot of excitement today, and a few new rules were tried out. So far, the communal lunch break worked really well. As a group, we went to the cafeteria to partake of what the parent-booster group brought in. Much better organization, IMHO, everyone got to take a break, but still talk about the work they're doing.

Last night's discoveries...

2004-12-22T08:04:00.000-05:00

Disturbing, that's about all one can say.

The area our sponsor has graciously given us to work in is open to everyone in the building. Until this past year, the team was free to leave things out without regard for the possibility of theft.

That has changed.

We will now have to lock our rooms up.

As much as I want to rant about this situation, I will keep it to myself. Suffice to say that I am terribly disappointed and it irks me to no end that somone would stoop so low as to invade the student's territory, relieving them of material that was purchased for an educational endeavor.

Enough.

Training went well regardless. Animation really got the best out of last night, a 1-on-1 with pretty neat stuff presented. Controls/Electrical got to see the newly laid-out room and to start getting familiar with the electronics.

We still have to sort some things out with regard to software, but that's around the corner.

The mechanical room is still in disarray, but that, too, should be a short task.

Animation class last evening...

2004-12-18T10:46:00.000-05:00

Well, at least there was an animation class last night. Thanks much to our sponsor liasion who managed to get the security folks to see the light. Maybe from now on, things will be a little easiser to manage with that respect.

Two students from MHS and one from Alvirne spent over 2 hours with my son learning some useful techniques with 3d Studio MAX. Very productive, I would say. I even learned something about MAX and some of the terminology. Not having a kit on my machine here, I can't play as my son does. However, the concepts are the same so it is somewhat irrelevany as to which animation tool you choose to use.

The next classes are this coming Monday and Tuesday, so it would be good if more than the two who showed up last night could make it.

Steppin' n' Fetchin'

2004-12-17T08:11:00.000-05:00

Some things are coming together, but not without certain amounts of agita. Over the summer, the place we work at our sponsor's facility was all torn up because of a need to replace flooring. And, as usual, the best laid plans get put asunder when emergencies arise, so the flooring job wasn't completed on the scheduled date as everyone had hoped.

That left all of our area upside down so we spent a good deal of time doing a general cleaning and sorting out of useful vs. not so useful stuff. You have no idea how hard that is to do; pitching out odds and ends, bits and pieces that someday may be used to solve a problem. It's a guy thing.

Our computer room is nowhere near complete, there are some machines that are not connected and only some have the software we need installed.

Much work left to do.

FIRST Lego League Regional Tournament

2004-11-21T16:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Merrimack held its second regional FLL meet at Merrimack High School.

Things didn't go as well as I had hoped... not because of poor planning, quite the contrary. It was me who wished things went better.

On Friday afternoon, I was putting the competition tables onto my truck and was using a mechanics' creeper to assist moving the heavy plywood and 2X4 tables from where they were in the garage to the truck. I tried to move the creeper by putting my left foot on the end and shoving, but unlike the many other times I had done that, my right foot twisted a little and I put weight onto the left.

You guessed it, the left foot went out from under me and I landed on my left cheek pretty hard, pulling the hamstring. I felt a sharp pain from my hip to ankle and rolled around on the floor of the garage, howling like some sort of felled beast. I saw every star and planet in the galaxy, just like I did once before many years ago, but that's a story for another time.

Anyway, I rested for a while and the pain subsided, until I tried to sit. I revisited the planeary system again. Suffice to say, I didn't sit again for a long while, and getting to the high school to help set up for the next day's meet was an accomplishment in and of itself. Woulda been better off laying the the truck bed like a log.

A good number of Team 166 were there to help and they really worked hard. Of course, I was a good source of amusement for them all, but we managed to get a boatload of work done. All that was left to do for the morning was arrange for lights on the tables and get the scoring computers installed and running.

Next day... Getting out of bed, into the shower and then getting dressed made me very aware of what it would be like to be handicapped. Interesting that the theme of the competition this year was all about how technology can affect the lives of the physically challenged. I sure could have used one of those segways! No, not the stair-climbing wheelchair... remember, I can't sit!

Anyhow, arriving on site, we got the tables lit, the computers running and the final details taken care of. The day was going smoothly until there was an electrical 'event' in the Merrimack area that caused the main power breaker to pop, shrouding the entire school in a veil of darkness. I was pretty amazed to watch everyone acting calmly, taking the opportunity to head to the cafe to get something to eat. It took about 15 minutes to locate the breaker, the lead janotorial superintendant was not there and his team were unaware of the breakers' location. A few frantic phone calls and we were back online. Nothing lost except that 15 minutes. The onsite janitorial team now know where the breaker is!

The most notable thing about our regional meet is the fact that Team 166 students run it, with the help of the mentors. Judging is done by adults so there can be no question of accuracy, but all the arranging, staging, is done by them. Most of the time, the mentors stand around feeling pretty useless. I certainly did, hobbling around all afternoon, afraid to sit... Feet still hurt.

Well, a good time was had by all. 23 out of 24 teams showed up to compete and we'll see many of them at the State Tournament on 11-December at Nashua High School, North.

Going to work tomorrow will be a feat, I am sure...

Where has the time gone??

2004-11-14T14:32:00.000-05:00

Foo.

Since the last post, I have not been with the team. Work has been consuming my time such that I have been putting in 10-12 hours overtime. I hope that this is short-lived.

But, the good news is that there have been others stepping up this past week to help organize the cleanup at the Rear Mill. Facilities is refinishing the floors and we have been trying to help by taking care of our rooms.

I have not yet seen them yet, I've been offsite all this week, but I hope to catch a glimpse of what they've accomplished.

According to what I've been told by one of the two team captains (my daughter) we now have staffed sub-teams and training dates have been established.

Today, I've been catching up on chores that have gone undone for the past couple of weeks.

Fundraising last night

2004-11-06T16:29:00.000-05:00

What a night.

This is the third time the team has done something called "trading faces" where male team members agree to be 'auctioned off' to the highest female bidders who then take on the task of outfitting their 'prize' to be the best-dressed feMALE of the evening.

Complete with talent show, it is like the Miss America only with a twist. Great fun for the night.

This says a lot about the makeup of our team. They all feel comfortable who they are individually and can spend an evening together doing anything. They don't take themselves seriously and that's the key.

There were 7 young men who collectivlely earned a little under $1100. Not bad for an evening of fun.

What would happen if Team 166 opened this up to other local FIRST teams??

Something to try for next year??

zigs and zags

2004-10-29T09:16:00.000-04:00

A little while ago, a couple of weeks, at least, our sponsor told us that we were losing a key resource: our machine shop!

That was quite an announcement, but we soon came up with a plan to restructure the area we're in. That meant that we needed to clean up a lot of extra stuff we kept "just because" we might need it some day.

That was day 1

On day 2, we were told that we were going to lose yet another room.

And there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Another setback, but still we had enough space to work in. Minds started thinking of ways to utilize the space more efficiently and we made plans to clean up and further scrutinize our holdings.

Then, on day 3, we were told that all the rooms would be left to the team, the move effort for the other group was not cost effective. Yea!

Much rejoicing and dancing in the streets!

So, we're still cleaning up because we are trying to help the facilities people abate the asbestos tiling on the floors. The whole area has been torn apart, new subfloors have been installed and nothing is in its original place.

Kickoff loom ahead, and we have a place to go, but it's not ready yet... hopefully, it will get sorted out before build season gets underway

Where to start?

2004-10-25T17:24:00.000-04:00

Here it is, the pre-build portion of the season and there still is no organization to speak of. Team captains have been put into place, but there are no sub-team captains at this time.

I feel that we're running out of time and there are precious few weeks left to get these basic underpinnings in place.

Training is behind, but then I think that's in large part due to the aggressive schedule we kept throughout the summer.

Ah, well, things will work out regardless.

I should be at work, but I've been down with a pretty foul head cold for the past three days. I certainly hope that tomorrow will be a better and healthier day.

2004-04-15T11:51:00.000-04:00

Goooood Morning, Aaaaatlanta!

2004-04-14T17:02:00.000-04:00

Mr. P