Team organization
From FIRSTwiki
Team organization refers to how FIRST teams are organized.
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Example
Here is one example of how team organization can be carried out. For Team 694[1] is comprised of different groups organized into one efficient team by the officers. The officers form an Executive Council, headed by the Co-Presidents and Vice President. We use numerous Yahoo! Groups in order to stay in touch (one for the entire team, one for the Executive Council, etc.)
Engineering
This group actually constructs the robot. Possible lead positions include a Director of Engineering, a Director of Field Construction, and a Director of Procurement (who orders our parts). This group obviously becomes very active during the build period. Students interested in engineering and design should consider joining this group.
Marketing
This involves both fundraising and publicity. Possible heads of department include Treasurer and a Director of Publicity. Fundraising includes seeking out sponsors. Publicity includes do things like communicating with the press, raising school awareness about robotics, and any other methods of raising the profile of the team. This group also finds non-FIRST events to show the robot off. Marketing also undertakes the very important job of writing the team's Chairman's Award submission. The Chairman's Award is the most prestigious award we can win and it is for being the best and most involved team with the most impact on team participants and our community. Wanted: people interested in writing, advertising, photography, graphics design, videography, and just general creative types.
Programming
Our Programming Team makes the robot move, which is very useful in competitions. We have a Director of Programming. We are hoping to make a Web Master position. In the past few years we have had to make the robot run autonomously (without a human driver) for fifteen seconds. This challenge falls to our programmers. Programming is done in the language C. We also have a website, and so people interested in web design would have a place as well. If someone is interested in programming, websites, or want to learn, programming might fit the bill.
Strategy and design
Our goal is to build the robot we think can best win the game. This is where the team decides what that robot should be like and how that robot should play the game. We have a Director of Strategy and Design. The design part involves using Autodesk Inventor software to made a computerized design so that we can make sure that a design is feasible. The strategy part involves making a scale model of the field, testing out strategy on this field, watching web broadcasts of competitions, and then scouting and watching matches at the actual competition. Good for people who like strategy, design, persuading people, et al.
Community outreach
Outreach means helping and mentoring other teams; high school FIRST Teams and middle school FIRST Lego League teams. We have a Director of Outreach and a Director of Lego League. We're looking for people who were on a Lego League team, like working with kids, can work with other people, are organized, or otherwise want to help.
Teachers
Teachers are an essential part of a team.
Mentors
We could not function without our devoted mentors. Some are recent alumni who come back whenever they can (weekends, vacations, even more if the college is closer). Some are engineers, including parents of current students. Some ar e profess ionals involved in marketing. Some are professionals who help any way they can, such as the filmmaker who made a short film for our team.
Parents
Parents do whatever they can to keep our club running. They drive us to events, provide us with meals, make travel arrangements, take pictures, and support us in every way. After we recruit the kids to our team, our next job is to recruit the parents! They haven't disappointed us yet.
Sponsors
Sponsors make it all possible. These include major title sponsor, our school Parent Assosciation, an aerospace manufacturing firm, and the company that donates our shirts to us. We have also sought out local businesses; they help us by giving us discounts on food and supplies.
This plan helps us manage the difficult and multi-faceted task of running a FIRST team by breaking the large group into various manageable parts. Just in case one ever gets confused, a Team Charter helps make major, strategic decisions.
