Chief Delphi – thoughts and history of a veteran team
How did we start…
It was late December and all thoughts were focusing on Christmas break and winding down the semester. With no prior notice, 12 teachers were summoned at the close of a normal school day (if there is a normal school day) to the principal's conference room. As we took our seats and looked around we knew there was a method to this event. This was a group of cross-curriculum educators that were known as the “doers” of the school. Language Arts, Math, Science, Vocational Education, and Student Service Special Programs were all represented at this table. As we contemplated why we were assembled the Principal, Dr. Aldridge, walked in with two young, well-dressed, obviously professional gentlemen at her side. I am not sure why but there was an air of excitement when they entered the room that took hold of us.
We were introduced to Mr. Bob Baughman and Mr. Joseph Johnson, engineers from a business called Delphi. Delphi had been providing assistance in an after-school math tutorial program since the start of the 1995-1996 school year. Dr. Aldridge went on to explain that Delphi had a unique and exciting proposal to make regarding a robotics program called U.S. FIRST. Quickly and with excitement, these two young engineers took over the presentation and for the next ½ hour outlined a proposal that involved working with our school to form a team to work on this project. They, however, needed a commitment from us to provide the students and assistance to make it happen.
I am not sure who led the assault but it was clearly blurted out, “WHY US.” The tenure of the meeting was now taking a turn toward the negative. Mr. Baughman quickly explained that they had looked at several schools for this program and for many reasons they had selected our school, Pontiac Central, to make the proposal to. The deciding factors included having a tutorial program in place, seeing a population of students that could benefit greatly from exposure to this program, and, most importantly, being assured that the school could provide some of the brightest and most energetic educators to create a quality program.
As the meeting came to a close, the pure excitement of Mr. Johnson was still in the air. There was a genuine feeling that this program was to be seriously considered, however, we were not ready to proceed without some discussion amongst ourselves, in private.
We were given a deadline; we had to decide fast given the U.S. FIRST program was starting right after Christmas break and the school was getting ready to close for the holiday. The very next day we met after school in the same conference room, minus the excitement of the Delphi engineers. This was serious stuff. It was a great commitment on our part no doubt but also a great opportunity. As we started discussing the good and bad points of the program and its feasibility, it was clear that Dr. Aldridge was 100% in support of the proposal. At that point, the group was divided into three positions. The first, led by Dr. Aldridge, was to we go full ahead. The second position was a cautious, more thought was needed stance and the third position, led by myself, was no way. This is just another flash program with no substance the likes of which we had seen so many times before.
The debate started among us, fueled by personal experience and the time constraint put on us to make a decision. To this end, we started the process of agreeing to disagree or, in other words, compromise. Mr. Macy, the woodshop teacher, led the charge with a demand that became the cornerstone of our team. His demand was that the team has high standards in academics and be aimed at the student that had been ignored by our school system. We had many remedial programs focusing at the “troubled student”, “underachiever” and students that were struggling to succeed. We had no programs for the gifted students, the ones that had a high probability of success, the students that were going to be successful despite the many obstacles put in their path. These were the ignored students that this program could INSPIRE to look at math, science and related engineering professions – the mission of this program called U.S. FIRST.
The groundwork had been set in place. It was agreed by 10 of the 12 to go forward and accept the proposal of Delphi. The art teacher withdrew her support for the program and did not want to be part of the effort. There was also a veteran educator that was extremely hesitant about the program as he had been involved in similar programs that just were not worth the effort. This teacher was very successful working with students and developing a unique learning environment as well as developing bowling as a high school sport on the state level. Responding to pressure from the Principal and the remaining team members, this teacher agreed to give this program a quality effort to see where it was going. This teacher was I, Michael Martus, and the decision is one that I do not regret and has served as a focal point of my professional career.
During the next few weeks many things fell into place. It was “magic” as I look back at the events that took place. The team name and our team logo, our very essence of “Chief Delphi,” were formed. Together this unique set of educators working with engineers full of energy and excitement had embarked on a mission we knew so little about. No one could really comprehend what we were creating or what dramatic effect this one decision to form a team with Delphi would eventually have on the school, teachers, students, engineers, and other FIRST teams.
Carol Jones was the team leader that first year. She was a science teacher spearheading a new “Gifted & Talented” program. She had a history of car racing and was extremely organized. I mention her because it was her leadership and implementation of some innovative ideas from the start that gave the team a firm foundation.
So we were a team, no students but yet a team. Asking assistance from the entire staff at the high school, we selected a team of some of the brightest young minds our school had to offer. In the very short time before this event called U.S. FIRST started, we developed from the school side a solid team eager to find out what this was really all about. In reality, we had no clue what we were doing, but we were going to do our best.
In our first year as a rookie we focused on “INSPIRATION” and “how can we be different from other teams and how can we make a difference.” Dr. Sanders from Delphi met with us early on in a leadership meeting and stressed, “think big”. Having said that, we took her at her word and planned and organized our team to that end.
Once we knew the challenge the education really started. I had never been involved in such a powerful program – I was hooked and no longer the hesitant teacher in the group.
The Delphi engineers took charge of the building of the robot. The shop at the high school had few tools and we had no idea what to do anyway. INSPIRATION was the focus of our team. We made sure students were organized into sub-teams and that every possible effort was made to expose and involve the students in the building of a robot. In this first year we transported students daily to Delphi or other work sites where the actual building was going on. What was really eye opening was the involvement of students and teachers in the design process and determining how to play the game. The learning curve was very sharp indeed. It was clear that the engineers from Delphi were extremely gifted, dedicated, and most importantly, excited about the program.
In the beginning…
You built a robot in six weeks and transport it to the one regional in Manchester, NH. This was our rookie year and we wanted to make a positive impression so the team went beyond the printed T-shirts that we heard teams had and purchased full black and orange jogging suits. In that Manchester gym the first day, all eyes were on us with a shocking silence as we marched in with bright orange/blacked striped colors carrying black travel bags for our personal stuff. Who, or better yet what, was this group and where were they from? They soon found out as our team set into motion a well-choreographed set of events. Our students passed out newspapers they created describing their team, they passed out Michigan Fudge to each team as a welcome gift in addition to their bright buttons. To go one further, we had a competitive assessment team that took a picture of every robot and made detailed information on performance that was shared with any interested team. We were a very active team and had just flown the entire team to Manchester for this event. Each student on our team made great effort to get to know the other teams by visiting with them and sharing greetings.
The performance of our robot left a lot to be desired. It worked well for a rookie team but was not a strong contender by any means. You could see the wheels turning in the heads of the Delphi engineers as the soaked up the technology and made mental notes as to what we could do better.
Our efforts were rewarded with winning the “Rookie All-star” award. We saw this as a sign that we were on the right track for success. We carried the effort deeper at the Championship, again sharing our competitive assessment data and we providing engineers to assist teams that needed supplies or engineering help. The fudge was a great hit and was enjoyed by all. Again, we were rewarded with the “Rookie All-star” award and also the WPI Scholarship for one of our students.
That first year of competition set a standard for us and other teams. We had changed the face of FIRST and made a difference in the lives of many young students. Of notable mention here is the winner of the WPI Scholarship, Irv Liimatta. This was an opportunity he would never have had without the FIRST Competition. Since winning the scholarship, Irv has graduated from WPI, worked at Delphi and as a team engineer, and is now working at Intel. We are grateful for this opportunity for a Pontiac Central High School student. His life is forever changed.
Our team was developing at an extremely fast pace. Ideas were flying all directions. “How can we do more” was the infectious cry among the team members! In the short time following the end of the 1996 season we started into motion a path that would again push our team and FIRST to new levels. Not being satisfied with the robot's performance, the Delphi engineers dedicated themselves, led by Joe Johnson, to make the lessons we learned a pathway to building the best robot possible. Our team focused on moving to another higher level through planning and hard work.
There were several important changes that came about. Joe Johnson was playing with this communication system called the “internet”. Still in its infancy, Joe and another engineer developed a website focused upon sharing information with other teams – the birth of “Chiefdelphi.com” began to change the face of FIRST and develop the community of FIRST. In late 1998, Brandon Martus took over as webmaster building upon the foundation set in place by Joe Johnson. Brandon is a gifted programmer with a true love for the community of FIRST. The development of the site continues to make use of technology and serves as a major communication tool for all FIRST teams. Our site has proven to be a valuable service to the community of FIRST.
Another dramatic change developed from a discussion of how could others be involved in this great program. Birta Allen, one of the teachers, came up with the idea of a C.A.D.E.T. program - Children Aspiring to Develop Engineering Talent. This program reached out to the middle and elementary schools in Pontiac and involved them in building a small tethered robot from a kit of parts. This successful program was the forerunner to the LEGO League by FIRST a few years later.
The engineers, not being outdone, went a step further and the CDI was born – Chief Delphi Invitational. This event gave a kit of parts to local and out-of-state high schools to build a robot from a kit of parts in the pre-season to FIRST. This event, held at Pontiac Central High School and facilitated by Delphi and our team, was a great success from the very start. Many local Oakland county schools joined FIRST as a result of their experiences with the Chief Delphi Invitational.
Looking at our greatly improved performance with our robot – Finalist – Championship Event in 1997 and other awards that season, we had accomplished what we set out for – improvement. FIRST and the judges however recognized our entire team efforts by awarding our team the 1997 Chairman’s Award. In looking at the innovative programs we started that year, it was great to receive recognition for the efforts by our team.
Winning the Chairman’s Award is a defining moment in the life of a team. There is no greater accomplishment in FIRST then winning that award. The future impact upon a team is tremendous and its effect is still felt today with our team.
To this point I have focused upon the first two years. I did this to establish a foundation of history and information about the team and where we started. It was the first two years that defined the Chief Delphi of today.
Through our eleven-year history as a first team we have had many innovations that are now part of the FIRST culture. Led by Joe Johnson and currently Mike Aubry, innovations in drive systems, swerve technology, and most recently “Nothing but Dewalts” drive systems give other FIRST teams affordable alternatives.
Joe Johnson is a Champion for FIRST on many levels. Leadership and expertise to our team yes, but on a higher level, leadership and expertise to the Community of FIRST. Currently Joe is not in a leadership position with our team but remains active in his efforts to keep FIRST growing and meeting the needs of all teams. We hope that the future will bring Joe back to us as his new business starts to develop and prosper.
What makes a team GREAT? What sets a team apart from the mainstream of other teams? Organization and innovation are the key factors that make it happen.
Our team made a conscious commitment to be organized in every respect. We developed a team handbook that details out student responsibilities and guidelines. This handbook serves as a parent guide to the team and makes the students accountable for behavior, grades, and involvement.
Organization is the key to success; we keep that idea at the forefront in all we do. To this end, we approach each season, each event, and all activities with organization as a road map to success. A simple example is the spreadsheet we use to track student assignments at events. Every student has an assignment 100% of the time at an event ranging from breakfast to the hotel room at the end of the day. All time in between is filled with very specific activities aimed at getting the job done but also having fun in the process. We stress that hard work is fun because in the process there is a feeling deep inside that you have done your best and are ready for more exciting challenges.
Oakland County Competitive Robotics Association (OCCRA) is an outgrowth of the Chief Delphi Invitational. Birta Allen and Joe Johnson worked on a plan to have a countywide robotics competition held locally and in gyms like other sports – taking robotics to the school sports level. Birta wrote a grant/proposal based upon a vision of robotics being a school sport. The magnitude of the program was so immense that it was clear no one team could facilitate such a plan. Mike McIntyre – a past coach of our team working for Oakland Technical School, took a modified version of the proposal to Oakland Intermediate School District. The proposal was accepted and the Robotics League is alive and growing in Oakland County, involving 28+ county high schools. This program takes robotics to a local level and is a great asset to FIRST and local curriculum.
FIRST uses the term “mentors” for the persons working with the students. Our team uses the term “coaches” because we feel that like any sport, leadership is teaching, guidance and much more. Over the 11 years we have been fortunate to have a crew of dedicated teachers – coaches that put their heart and soul into this great program. However, nothing stays constant, as coaches come and go for a variety of reasons. This year Birta Allen and myself are the only coaches. This is of a great concern to both of us. Coaches are retiring, being promoted, moving on to other professions, and moving on to other schools. It is getting increasingly difficult to get new staff onboard due to changes in school climate and job responsibilities, all associated to the condition of public education today.
Having school staff – coaches is critical to success. In the early years, we were blessed with as many as 10 coaches. Workload was light and time to develop innovations existed. As the workload increases because the decline in number of coaches, survival is the key and innovation takes second place. Only a few FIRST teams have a structure where the staff gets a stipend or payment for the activity. For the most part, participation is on a volunteer level with no compensation. This limits the availability of staff. In today’s economic climate, the staff that are active and doing the extra are doing the traditional sports that school districts fund as part of the budget. Until “Robotics” becomes a school sport and put on a pay scale of other activities, the pool of available volunteers will remain low and is at risk for many teams. Retention of coaches at the school level is limited to the interest level they have for the program and the time they are willing to give without compensation.
This is a PEOPLE driven program!
Engineering support is also critical. On our team we have a division of responsibilities. Engineers facilitate the robot and associated activities while the school coaches facilitate the students. Many times these activities overlap but a clear division of responsibility / discipline is established.
Engineers are the tools that INSPIRE the students. You can call them role models, mentors, leaders, and friends. Having support in the form of expertise reduces the stress load on the team and raises the inspiration. Our first year, it was said that while there were 15 very active engineers working on a daily basis, there were 30 more working on a limited basis in other aspects of development. Engineers retire; they change jobs and get promotions as a result of FIRST. Some need to devote energy at a higher level to family or their job. Having a dedicated group of engineers is critical to quality. In our 11 years, we have seen the atmosphere of the workplace place change. There are increasingly high demands on the engineers in their daily assignments. At the current time, we have one lead engineer and one engineer that works during the build season only. Our team is active at attracting engineers to the program and we continue to seek assistance. We are currently at what I would call a crisis level in need of engineering support.
There is a commonality about teachers and engineers in their role with the team. As the workload increases and the workforce drops, a condition called “burnout” comes into play. A person can be overworked to the point that they can give no more. They get tired, their family suffers as more time away from home is required, and work suffers as more demands from the team absorb thinking time at work. No amount of compensation can change the individual – you just need more people.
A major factor in burnout is the level at which the team trying to compete. FIRST has done teams no favors in this respect. Adding LEGO League and tying it to the Chairman’s Award, and now introducing Vex to the program increase the workload. Factor into that the introduction of cutting edge technology and programming and you have raised the workload on engineers and teachers (coaches) many fold. This is a major factor of burnout. More staff is needed to lead the students in the application of these technologies.
FIRST has the power to reduce burnout by taking a close look at what their mission really is. Inspiration, if that is the mission, can exist by reducing the constriction put upon teams. Shipping rules, game rules that require teams to use the new technology to be competitive, and finally rules that constrain time before and after ship date are but a few areas that FIRST can assist the program with.
How is our team coping with the “burnout” issue? Not very well. I have seen the level of coaches (teachers) drop as they retire, change schools, or just need to take care of other business. In looking at the school staff and who is available to join the team, we see an aging staff and one that is filled with non-certified persons in a substitute position. Our school system is struggling with reduced numbers of students, low pay for staff, and a learning environment that is a challenge with respect to discipline. We have not been able to attract quality teachers for several years due to the mentioned factors. My remaining coach has given me notice that unless the school district can give some compensation, she will participate in other after-school activities that do pay. This is a critical issue with no remedy from a school district in deficit and declining enrollment on the verge of state takeover due to low academic scores.
I have seen these same issues as it relates to the engineering support from Delphi. The Delphi story is in the media every day. Their struggles mirror that of many other automotive companies. We have seen the amount of engineering support drop over the last four years to a critical level. Engineers are being transferred, they get new assignments that require travel, and are subject to the same “burnout” process, too much work, too little time and support.
Building the robot...
In the early years, the robot was built at Delphi in a back work area with the assistance of many engineers. Every Saturday and several times during the week we would bring students to the facility to work on the robot. The “inspiration” was there as students got experiences beyond any they had imagined. In our 11 years, we as a team have come to the other end of the scale in the building process. As stated, in the beginning the robot was built at Delphi with limited “hands-on” activities but unlimited design input by the students. As a result of many factors, rule changes from FIRST, declining availability of the Delphi facility, and declining budget, the robot is currently built at Pontiac Central High School.
At first glance you would say the change was negative to our team, however that is not the case. The move to the high school has proven to be a powerful lift for the team. Revitalization of the school shop has occurred with the purchase of used and new equipment, giving opportunity to an increased amount of students both on the FIRST team and in the general classes. Inspiration has taken a new level on the team – students also inspiring other students. Adding to the inspiration of working alongside engineers, the students are learning to run the equipment and are many times more involved in the building of the robot. In the past two years, we have reached the level that EVERY student on the team has made or modified some part of the robot. In our first year, the robot was 95% made by engineers with students being inspired by watching. Today the robot is 95% made by students and the engineers are watching. Inspiration is there at a different level and in my opinion this change is great for the students and engineers.
There is no one magic best formula for how your team is developed. Each team must decide this based upon their resources. If INSPIRATION is really the driving ideal, then it makes little difference if the robot is 100% engineer built or 100% student build as long as INSPIRATION is the focus.
Team in crisis...
FIRST is a people-driven program on many levels. At the level of FIRST, staffs come and go, new staff learns at a fast pace and the program goes on. New staff brings fresh ideas and improvement on the existing activities. It is clear that the leadership of FIRST is careful to make sure support of teams is of the highest importance. I fear however that the FIRST organization is not yet at the level of sustainability if a major player in the organization where to step aside. If someone such as Dean or Woodie left for whatever reason there will be a dramatic change. The organization is still people-driven with their personalities as the masthead of the program. Would FIRST survive without either person? I am not sure it would. As with any other people-driven organization, key players are just that - key to success.
On a team level, the people-driven aspect is even more critical and we hear of many teams not doing the FIRST program for a variety of reasons, all in tied to people. As I mentioned earlier, in our first year, Team 47 had many engineers and 10 teachers to facilitate the program. This 11th year we are one engineer and two teachers, a major impact. As I sit in the bleachers at an event and watch teams come down to get awards, it is very evident that people do drive the program. Few awards are going to teams with a low numbers of adults. The fact is you need people to be successful at the level of competition required. I am not complaining about the awards in any way. The winners are doing great things to inspire their students, to build their robots, and give back to the community and are all worthy of the recognition they receive. The hard fact is that to be at that highly competitive level, a team needs people to get the job done. Yes, students can be the leaders and the innovators, but they are limited by age and experience, both key factors to success.
I see our team in crisis; we are people-driven. If I were to stop doing FIRST for any reason, I am convinced that the program would come to a screeching halt. Losing Birta, my other coach, would have dramatic effects on the amount of effort and the quality of existing programs. There is only so much output from one person possible and the program would need to be scaled down severely. Looking at the corporate side, loss of our one remaining engineer would be disastrous for our team. This past year we scaled back and simplified the robot as much as possible just to get it built.
Our savior this past year was the work of a college mentor, Robert Jenkins. Robert was a team member of the FEDS 210 team and is now married to Margie, our driver from several years ago. They met at a FIRST competition as they were both drivers and the romance blossomed. Rob joined our team as a mentor and took over the responsibilities of programming, among many other duties. Rob has completed his education and is moving to Florida where he will be teaching high school and starting a FIRST Team. The crisis is that our team has now lost two college mentors, one of which was our programmer. The lack of a programmer is a void that is not easily filled because of the emphasis on programming by FIRST.
The crisis of funding is major and siphons much energy from a team and also uplifts a team in the aspect of student commitment and ownership. Early on, Team 47 was looked at as a “rich” team. We had uniforms, travel bags, flew the entire team all over the U.S. to competitions, had great tools, fancy robots, and many innovative programs that were expensive to maintain. Looking back, I agree there was some validity to the concept, but also some misconceptions.
Our team comes from a high school that is classified as “urban” or “inner city”. We are faced with many challenges that suburban high schools are not aware. Our school has full metal detection and all students entering the building are searched. Fights are common at lunch and often we are on “lock down” due to student disturbances. There is a clear lack of respect for the building and the teaching staff by many students. Students refuse to go to class and wander the halls on a daily basis. Student suspensions from school are common and often result in hearings. Teacher assaults are common and it is getting increasingly difficult to attract educators to our building. Many staff are in pure survival mode and education within many classrooms is non-existent, a direct correlation to our low test scores.
These are not our FIRST team students however. We have a selection process that involves and application process, an interview and trial period called the “Club Phase”. Each year we start in May the process for developing a new team. All past team members must re-apply for the team. In the application process we check grades, attendance, and behavior by requiring teacher recommendations. The interview where we get to know the student is critical to their selection. What we get is the best of the best Pontiac Central has to offer. All selected members are the placed in the club phase. This phase continues for the remainder of the school year and extends to late December when final selection for the team occurs. This process allows us to see the behavior and commitment of the student as well as monitor grades. This system has proven to be very successful for us as demonstrated by the great students you see at the competitions. Our team size varies from 24 to 34 depending on the amount of students that prove in the club phase to be assets for the team. We have strict policies regarding attendance, involvement, and fundraising, all as conditions to be placed on the team.
We will have as many as 75 applications for the team and only select 24-34. There is a balance of grade levels, and our team represents the school as an ethnic ratio of all populations. Our greatest tribute is the fact that students recruit other students; parents enroll their student at Pontiac Central just to try to get on the team. Our history and legacy is a powerful force in continuing to have quality students seek out placement on the team. Parents can clearly see the benefits for their child.
A unique situation is the fact that since the beginning we have had more female students than male on our team. This is not by design, but is a result of many male students looking at sports as their main interest. Often the male student thinks that sports are the only way out of their environment. Changing this conception is very difficult as the male population by far has the lowest of grades and least interest in math and science.
Our team is referred to as the “shining gem” of the School District City of Pontiac. The administration uses our team as an example of a great educational program in its efforts to attract students to the district. Recently our team was featured in radio advertisement and a video presentation on local cable as a reason to come to Pontiac. I also have been subpoenaed to court to testify at a hearing to annex an area from the school district. Of recent, we won the “Excellence In Education Award” from the Oakland Press and the Oakland Intermediate School District for 2005. We are the only school from Pontiac to receive or even be in the running for this honor.
Our team puts great emphasis upon college after high school. We work with each student to develop a plan for his or her education after high school. Many, if not most, of our team members are National Honor Society members. We work close with the sponsors of that activity to coordinate efforts at scholarships and service. In the past 11 years, our rate of students attending ongoing education after high school is very high as compared to the school general population. We estimate that 95% of all past team members pursue additional education, with many having completed their degrees. The general population of the school that attends and completes college is well below our percentage. The scholarships provided by FIRST are a great asset to our team. Often just the mention of being a FIRST team member will generate additional funds and open doors otherwise closed.
Oakland County is one of the wealthiest counties in the nation while the school district is the one of the poorest, operating in a depressed city with many challenges. Our school faces challenges with poverty, one parent or no parent homes, drugs, violence, and apathy for education. Our dropout rate is so high the school district is reluctant to publish it. We are labeled as a “failing school” by state standards and face take over in the near future. Ninety –Five percent of our students are on free or reduced lunch making us a Title One school.
As a Title One School, funds are available from the Federal government to assist in breaking the cycle of failure we are in. The jogging suits, the transportation to events, and food expenses, direct costs incurred by students, were covered by funds given to the school district for this very purpose. In our 11 year history, it has been said by school board members that the expenditure of funds on the FIRST program have proven to be the best usage with the most “bang for the buck” of any program. So we are NOT rich, we have access to funds that many other schools do not.
There is a crisis in funding to be sure on both the corporate side with Delphi and the school district side. Delphi’s position is well known because of the media. Their support for teams and FIRST has either dropped or is non-existent. We face the same funding issues all other Delphi supported teams do. We have seen the level of funding drop to the possibility of no funding in the foreseeable future. In addition, our school district, which provides some funding to our team, is facing major reductions in Title monies. Funds that were used for our team may be needed to provide basic services that are essential at all levels in the school district. Costs such as substitutes when we are at an event may have to be covered by personal or sick days.
The students have stepped up to the challenge and taken ownership of their responsibility on funding. From the start, we decided that the student needed to be accountable for some expenses. To have ownership means that the student should work to cover some of the expenses. As the level of funding has dropped, the level of fundraising has increased. Fundraising can destroy a team if it is out of balance. Time spent on fundraising activities can take away from the FIRST experience. There is a delicate balance that must be maintained.
The crisis of funding for our team has inspired us to look at new and innovative ways to meet the demands of our budget. This past year we did something we had never before done. We developed a “business plan” to replace our traditional budget. This comprehensive plan covered all aspects of our team, looking at strengths and weakness, and focused on the “possibles”. As a result we moved the Chiefdelphi.com website, a critical feature of our team, out of the team's budget. We developed strategies to make it self-supporting, as it was a large team expense. We also set forth an aspect of “sustainability” to make sure it would survive the crisis our team was experiencing. I am very pleased to say that the future funding of chiefdelphi.com looks very solid. We are seeking support from the community of FIRST and support from major players in the FIRST community.
Our business plan also utilized the power of our website to support individual team members in their fundraising activities. We have a plan where students sell banner ads to local community business to advertise. This is a win/win situation for all. The students raise funds, the business gets advertising, the business supports the local school system, and the community gets involved in a “partnership” level with the team.
The team “crisis” forces a look at “what you are doing”, “how you are doing it”, with “what resources are you doing it with” and to evaluate your mission statement.
As we look to the future of Chief Delphi Team 47, uncertainty leads to planning and innovative ways to survive. I work to control the elements that I can control. I plan to head off the “what ifs” and I trust that the magic of Team 47 will survive.
Yes, our team will be different in the future; we are different from that 1996 team that won the Rookie All-star Award and WPI Scholarship. We will be different from that team that won the Chairman’s Award in 1997. We will be different from the years that we won many regionals with great robots with innovative ideas. We will be different from that team that won the Team Spirit Award at the Championship in 2005. We will be different, but we will be that Hall of Fame team called CHIEF DELPHI Team #47.
Mike Martus