Week of Oct. 28

Week of Oct. 28

Thursday (10/31):  Practice Cancelled for Halloween

Saturday (11/2):  I will be at the center from 10 AM - 3 PM for anyone that wants to work on drive practice for the girls competition, or anyone that wants to work on any of the projects we normally work on at our Thursday practices.  Feel free to stop by for the full time, or part time.  Girls who make the drive team should plan to be here together for at least a couple of hours.

Open leadership positions:

• Business Managers:  I am looking for 3-4 students who are looking at being a leader in our administrative side.  These people will be our business managers.  You will need to be at practice 15 minutes early to help with money collection.  You will be instrumental in setting up our 2014 budget, and you will be creating our business plan.   
• Chairman's Lead:  This person will be responsible for organizing our chairman's essay, presentation and documentation.  They will lead chairman meetings with others in the group.  
• Safety Captains:  These people will lead our safety efforts.  You will monitor safe practices, and lead the safety meetings.  You will be in the pit during competitions and talking to judges.  
• Publications Lead:  This person will be responsible for leading our publications group.  You will be responsible for newsletters, webpages, social media, etc.  
• Chairman's Presentation Team:  These 3 individuals must present our chairman's presentation to the judges.  They are also responsible for editing the final essay.  It is preferred that the candidate have strong speaking skills and the ability to memorize speeches.  It is a high pressure position, so you must be able to maintain composure while stressed.  It is also important that these individuals not be interested in trying out for drive team.  If you are interested in being on the drive team, you should not apply for the chairman's presentation team.  This is often a multi-year commitment, because experience is vital in this presentation.  Please consider this carefully before applying.  

These positions are open to anyone on the team, however, preference will go to veteran members pursuing varsity status.  Applications for these positions must be completed by Friday, Nov. 1.  You can fill out an application here:  Leadership Application

VOLUNTEERS FOR TOURNAMENTS:  

Parents, team members, and mentors, if you are interested in helping with our FTC or FRC tournaments, you must register in VIMS.  We would like to fill most major roles with Bedford people.  In order to make this happen, we need you to sign up now.   If you have any problems creating or logging in your VIMS account, please talk to Sandy Smith, our volunteer coordinator for both events.  **Even if you already applied on our volunteer sheet for the FTC event, you must do it in VIMS.  This is new this year.*** 

VIMS can be logged into here:  VIMS    You can greatly help us out by signing up ASAP!   

 The December junior high  tournament is FTC, so select FTC, then Michigan, then look for the Bedford Event.  Volunteers are needed Friday night (Dec. 13) and Saturday all day (Dec. 14).   

For our high school events, we need parents and mentors who do not work with the team to volunteer.  Volunteers are needed for all 3 days of our event.  It runs Thursday beginning at 4:00 PM for official volunteers (April 3) through Saturday (April 6).   We will also need volunteers to help with set up on Wednesday night (April 2) and that can be entered in VIMS as well.   For this event, select FRC, then Michigan then our Bedford Tournament.  

Additionally, we need to send 2 volunteers to work at the Southfield Competitionn on February 28 - March 01. You can sign up in VIMS for this as well, but please let me know you have done so. Please be sure to put FRC 1023 in your team affiliations so that we get credit for you being there. :)

Volunteers that work at least 2 days at an event are giving a volunteer t-shirt.  Volunteers are also given free meals during their work shifts.  Volunteering at an event is a lot of fun.  You will get to see a different side of the event.  Most positions allow you to leave and watch our team when we are up. :)   Please sign up today if you are interested.

Additionally, we will be needing volunteers for our concession stand.  Please DO NOT sign up in VIMS if you want to work the Concession area.  This is a BX thing and not a FIRST thing. :)   We will be asking for volunteers for that soon.   :)

Have a safe and fun Halloween!  See you Saturday or next week!  If you have not yet turned in forms, please do so ASAP!!! Thanks!

Email List Sign Up Links

Due to the change over of email providers that the district has taken, I am no longer able to group email the team.   After looking at some options, Nick pointed me to Mail Chimp.  This is a great way for me to be able to communicate with different groups wanting to keep up to date on the robotics team.  To receive emails, you must sign up on the list.  Please see below for a description of the groups, and sign up for any that are appropriate to you.

STUDENT team members:  Emails are sent regarding deadlines, blog updates, day to day happenings on the team.  Emails that go to students also go to parents, but only students should sign up for this group.   CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

PARENTS:  Each team member should have at least 1 parent/guardian signed up for this list.  This group receives the same emails as students do, but also receives occasional emails directed solely to parents.  CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

MENTORS:  This group is for anyone mentoring the team.  It will provide you with day to day happenings of the team, and mentor information.  Parent mentors should sign up for both lists.  CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

ALUMNI:  This group is for alumni of BX and will provide a monthly update of the what the team has been doing, invitations to special events, and notifications of competitions.   CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

FRIENDS OF BX:  This group is for those family members or friends that would like a monthly update on the team, instead of the day to day workings of the team.    CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

CAPTAINS:  This group is for current captains and co-captains only.  CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

BEDFORD ROBOTICS:  This group will receive monthly updates on what is happening in Bedford with FIRST Robotics for K-12th graders.  CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

Week of Oct. 21, 2013

Week of Oct. 21

Thursday (24):  Practice 7 - 9 PM    ALL DISTRICT EVENTS CANCELLED FOR TODAY!  BX PRACTICE IS CANCELLED!

• Yankee Candle Fundraising forms are due tonight.  Orders and money should be turned in at the beginning of practice.  It is always appreciated if you can turn in one check for the full order.  Checks should be made to BHS Robotics or Bedford Express Robotics.   PLEASE DROP THE CANDLE ORDERS OFF AT THE CENTER TONIGHT  BETWEEN 6:45 & 7:45 TONIGHT.  They need to be fed-ex'd tomorrow morning.  

Saturday (26):  Square Project and Female Training  10:00 AM - Noon  Optional!!!

Payment Guidelines:  Unless other wise noted, all checks should be made out to BHS Robotics for any fundraiser.   It is always appreciated if you can have your customers write a check to you, and you write one check to us.    Money should always be turned in at the beginning of practice.  No loose change please.   For security reasons, checks are always preferred.   

Security:  Due to some suspicious activity outside of our building, we are asking all students to leave in pairs, and to be alert to their surroundings. If anything is seen that is suspicious, please return immediately to the center.  Students are also being asked to stay inside the center until their ride has arrived.  Parents, if you can please text or call your student when you are here, they will know to come out then.   Thanks!

Week of Oct. 13

Week of 10- 13

Thursday:  Practice 7 - 9 PM - Full team!  - Pizza Orders are due.  Please bring your orders and money to practice!  Please also turn in forms!!!!  :)

Yankee Candle Orders are due 10/24!

All fundraising checks should be made out to BHS robotics or Bedford Express Robotics Boosters.  I would prefer the BHS robotics, but I put the wrong account on the flier, so either is ok.  :)

Tastefully Simple Fundraiser will be starting soon.

Elder Beerman booklets can be signed out at the center and sold through Nov. 14.  You can sign up to sell here:   Sign Up Here!   Or, view the list of those selling here:   Who's Selling?

Saturday:  Square project kiddos & ladies wanting to practice for the ladies tournament can practice Saturday from 10 AM - noon this Saturday.  This is optional for those wanting to work.

Huge thanks to everyone that attended the parents meeting.

Week of 10/7

Week of October 7th

Thursday, October 10:  7:00 - 9:00 ROOKIE PARENT MEETING:  This is a mandatory parent meeting for new team members and at least one parent/adult.   Veteran families, if you missed last week's parent meeting, you need to attend this one!

Other than the captains, no veteran students should be attending practice on Thursday.   We will only be doing our parent meeting!   See you next week!

Elder Beerman Sign Up:  I will add this link to our links post, but here is the form if you would like to sign up to sell at Elder Beerman:  Elder Beerman Sign Up Link

To see available dates, visit the spreadsheet here:  Elder Beerman Dates (I hope to update this with adults who signed up at the parent meeting tonight)

Remember, you can sign up for ANY day as long as you have an adult to go with you.  I need at least a week's notice to get you signed up with Elder Beerman though.  So, if you pick a date we have not already reserved, please be sure to send in your request at least a week in advance.

Pizza Fundraiser:  The dates have been extended a little.  Orders are now due on Oct. 17.  I need a couple of parents to pick up our order at Toledo Tech Academy on Oct. 23 at 1:30.   Pizzas need to be picked up at the center at 3:00 on Oct. 23.   They are frozen, so prompt pick up is important.

Yankee Candle Fundraiser:  Forms for this are also available at the center.

ALL checks for fundraising should be made out to BHS ROBOTICS.  If you can have your customers write checks to you, and then you write one big check, it is very helpful for our book keeping. :)

See new families on Thursday!!

Week of 9/30

Week of Sept. 30  - Oct. 6

Thursday (10/3):

• 7 - 9 PM  - Full Team Practice
• 8 - 9 PM - VETERAN TEAM MEMBER PARENT MEETING - Mandatory meeting for parents of returning team members.  We will be meeting in the Admin. room of the center.  
• Fundraiser Kick Off: Please remember all fundraisers are optional.  Participate in what you want! :)
• Yankee Candles:  Order packets will be passed out at practice.  Sales dates are on the letter inside the packet.  Directions are on the letter to sell online if you prefer.  Or, you can post the fundraising catalog online and have them order through you.   Profit:  40% - shipping.  
• Little Caesars Pizza Kits:  Orders are due next Thursday.  Profit = $5 per item sold.  We will do this several more times this year.  We have limited forms, so please only take one if you will be selling this week. :)
• Parent Volunteers:  I am looking for a parent to help with the Yankee Fundraiser and the Little Caesars Fundraiser.  Responsibilities are listed below.  Please let me know if you would be willing to do either of these.  Know that I will help you with this!  Any help is appreciated, but I will not leave you on your own to do it. :)  If you are willing, please let me know so we can arrange a time to get you going on it.  
• Yankee Volunteer Responsibilities:  
• Check completion of forms when turned in, help fill in missing info and totals
• Help record total profit for each student
• Verify payment has been made prior to distributing candles
• Help distribute candles (they come shipped in boxes with individual orders - You do not need to sort orders, just help students verify their orders in the box are correct and undamaged)
• Pizza Volunteer Responsibilities:  
• Check completion of forms when turned in, fill in missing info and totals
• Total each item ordered into a master order form
• Pick up (or arrange for pick up) of the kits at Toledo Tech Academy
• Help distribute kits to students
• Verify payments submitted
• Record total profit for each student 

Saturday (10/5):  OPTIONAL team meeting for anyone on Square team, and any females wanting to train for the girl tournament.  10 AM - 1:00 PM  

Upcoming Events:  

Thursday (10/10):  NEW TEAM MEMBER PARENT MEETING - This meeting should be attended by rookie team members and at least one parent.  This is a mandatory meeting.  Captains should also attend.  All other veterans should take this week off! :)