[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Today we held a business and planning meeting in a mentor’s conference room. We discussed a few broad subjects at this meeting: important upcoming events, grants, fundraising, outreach, communication, leadership, and THOR.
Important Upcoming Events
On September 6, we will hold a new student interest meeting to show new students the basics of our team and the FIRST community as a whole. We asked all of our current members to wear their t-shirt. We also decided that Bhargav, our president, is responsible for planning details of what we will show and explain in the meeting. Lynn and Sameer, a mentor and coach, have taken responsibility to help him if needed and to follow up to make sure that the task is completed well and in a timely manner. Bhargav is also responsible for making sure that the news of this interest meeting gets out through Falcon News Feed, our school’s daily announcement system, and other forms of announcements.
From September 6 to September 14, we will be holding new student interviews. We established that the main purpose of these interviews is to weed out members who have overloaded themselves and would not be able to put any time into the team or members who were not responsible enough to show up to the interview. We set a goal to have all interviews done before the parent meeting. On top of that we must plan which leaders are going to be doing the interview and finalize the questions they will be asking. We have handed this responsibility to our president, Bhargav.
On September 9, we will be holding a carwash at AutoZone starting at 9 am. We went over what needs to be donated and brought in to run this event and began speaking of the next car wash we plan to hold near the end of september or early october.
On September 14, we are having the parent meeting. Here we will show the parents their own responsibility to the team as well as their students’. We have assigned Bhargav to send all paperwork ahead of time so that new members can come in with it completed or at least have a basic understanding of financial and time committment. We have also assigned him with the task of planning the meeting in the same way he will plan the new student interest meeting.
On September 18, we are having a team dinner/fundraiser at Tijuana Flats. We will be hosting it in celebration for all new students and will be selling our t-shirts there. This event will be held from 6:00 to 9:00. Ash will be in charge of keeping information updated on social media. Also, everyone attending must RSVP. If you have not received an invitation and would like to attend, please contact [email protected] or [email protected]
Below I have attatched all notes taken at the meeting. This was sent as an email to absent team members to inform them of updates.
Grants
Shell – Help needed with chart that they require
Lowes – Need to confirm whether the grant is coming to nonprofit student organization or to the school
Verizon – Waiting for new students to see if any of their parents work at Verizon
FRC Grants (NASA, NI) – These FRC specific grants open in early September
Isabelle’s sponsorship packet can be found HERE
This will help when applying for grants or speaking to local companies wondering who we are, what we are doing, and how their money will help
Fundraising
$2000 budget from car washes and restaurant events – will host as many as needed to reach this goal – Isabelle
Local companies – Need to start calling and emailing them (HERE for link to spreadsheet containing company information) – mentor lead Lynn and Tammy
Amy has a letter to email them – HERE
Isabelle has a call script with expected questions and answers – HERE
Splitting up the companies among more team members – mentor help Lynn and Sameer
Making phone calls in Mr.B’s room after school – mentor lead Mr.B
Gamma Tech – Talking to Gamma Tech for help with funds – Amir, Josh, Ankit, Amy
Google Ads – if we get enough traffic into the website Google will put related ads into the margins, you will receive a percentage of the purchased sales
Potential problem being related to a school and being non-profit
Carwashes – continue to contact AutoZone for future carwashes
In the winter, sell hot dogs at local hardware store for supplies
Outreach
Contact Davis Drive FLL next week – Angy
Follow up on FLL interest and contact new teams – Charvi, Zuha, Ryan Shah
Refer to the last email for more information
Follow up with Cary Academy FLL – Ash
Next Door Reserve, one day workshop to spark student interest – Zuha
Communication
Keeping upcoming events advertised on social media – Ash
Send weekly emails to Ms.Summers about what is happening within the team- Dean
This involves attending PTSA meetings
Making sure that our fundraisers, car washes, and parent meetings are advertised in Ms. Summers’ emails to the school
Coach and student leader meeting in a few weeks – Sameer
Leadership
Adult positions: Student Advisor – Mr.B, Coaches – Sameer and Angy, Booster club – Jon (president) and Dan (treasurer)
Elected student positions: President – Bhargav, Vice President of Engineering – Ali, Vice President of Programming – Ryan, Vice President of Marketing/Business – Amy, Secretary – Ash, Treasurer – Isabelle
Mentor selected student positions (unchosen): Alternate VP of Engineering, VP of Electrical, VP of mechanical, VP of CAD, Alternate VP of Programming, Alternate VP of Marketing(main focus outreach), VP of Strategy, Social Media Leader, Video Editing Leader
There are still many leadership opportunities available if you show yourself as a leader to the team and mentors – keep trying!
THOR
Holding meeting on 09/10 for THOR preparations as 09/09 will be taken up by the carwash
Pit crew has been set up and assigned by Rahul
Make sure we have a battery manager
Set up a rotation to avoid overcrowding
Previous spreadsheets have been made for this rotation
Try to focus on learning, not only winning
Work on shooting and vision
Without strength in all areas, we will not be able to succeed WHEN we go to Worlds
Updates on vision on robot – Ivan and Ryan
Interact and create relationships with other teams – Bhargav and Josh
Make sure to speak about the robot and marketing ourselves as well as becoming friends
New members will not be part of pit crew
They will observe the competition to begin to understand FRC and the basics of how everything works
Carwash Information
“There will be a car wash on Saturday, September 9th at Autozone. The address is 1017 Morrisville Carpenter Road. We need volunteers to bring soap, sponges/towels, buckets, a hose, and other supplies. The event is to begin at 10:30 am and last until about 2 pm, but we are permitted to extend this time if necessary. HERE is the link to the liability form that all participants, students, and adults, must fill out and turn in to me ASAP because Autozone wants these forms on hand before the event (and by this, I do not mean the morning of). We need posters like the ones that we used last year to advertise the event to passing cars. We will also need our donation jar.” ~Isabelle
Team Dinner Information – Tijuana Flats
“On Monday, September 18, there will be an event for the incoming freshman to meet the team. They will be able to purchase our extraneous t-shirts for $15. We should advertise this to them when they get in as a congratulatory dinner to celebrate them successfully completing the application process. I need you (both team members and any family/friends attending) to RSVP for the event HERE so that Tijuana Flatts can get a head count. Feel free to also share this link with your friends and put it on our team’s social media. In order to get money, everyone who buys food must mention “Green Hope Robotics” at the register.” ~Isabelle
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