WOW!!
This is the first of, what I assume will be many posts to this blog. It seemed that it might be better to let you check on your own rather than fill your email boxes with messages every time something great happens.
What has happened since September 26th? Alot!
I made a great contact with a gentlemen from FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of science and Technology) we had a face to face meeting and he made some very good points as to why we should go FRC rather than FTC with the older kids. It boils down to the location of the events, we would spend just as much traveling to compete as we will on the bigger robot. Then he completed the JcPenney Grant application (that we thought we had started) and suggested to them that we would be a match for their Batavia Store (we meet the criteria, ie distance) He hopes we will hear about that next week. That is a $6500 grant for rookie teams. If that does not go through, he has $5000 grants available to us. Locally teams are using 8-10K per year on this program so we will need to come up with 3-5K more in sponsors. Mr. Pearson and possibly a mentor from a CCHS team will be joining us at the October meeting.
We have contacted Sigma and I am in the process of writing another grant application. I will have a Sponsorship plan to present at the next meeting, I just need to find time between emails and blogs to set it up. 
I am also fairly certain that we have a shop donated for us to work on “the build” portion of this challenge. I am also talking with an engineer friend from Rochester to see if he knows any engineers willing to volunteer to help the kids in January and February. The build time will be January 7- February 21st.
LEGO NXT kids…. YOU HAVE NOT BEEN FORGOTTEN!
There will be 4 or 5 NXT kits at the October 24th meeting, you will be building some simple robots THAT NIGHT! The plan right now is to register you with FLL later on. The FIRST rep that I am working with believes he can have the challenge stuff donated to us after the Rochester qualifer so we will have all year to get sponsors and such to sign up our rookie team(s) next year. Bring your friends!
I encourage you all to come with the same excitement you had when you left a couple weeks ago. GOOD STUFF IS HAPPENING. It is just happening so fast it is hard to keep you all “in the loop”
I know I said this before…..but WE NEED A NAME(S)!!!! Brain storm names! Words like: Thunder, lightning, Orleans, Head, Heart, Hands, Health, 4-H, Blizzard, Raiders, Flash, Storm, Power….You get the idea…. String a couple words together and you have a suggestion. Write them down and bring them with you. The FRC and FLL can each have a different name if you decide that is what you want!