Fwd: What are we going to do about Red HoloRAMs?

[Weiyu Tong]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Weiyu Tong <i.die...@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 9:02 PM
Subject: Re: What are we going to do about Red HoloRAMs?
To: thel...@gmail.com

On Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 9:01 PM, Weiyu Tong <i.die...@gmail.com> wrote:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: SSC <xchaosc...@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Sep 15, 2012 at 2:11 PM
Subject: Re: What are we going to do about Red HoloRAMs?
To: red-ho...@googlegroups.com


Yup. Everything here makes sense. Couple things though. One is that, I can come home pretty often to help out on the weekends with stuff. Another is that the rest of our former team still gets these emails, which is rather funny, and I don't know if they want us to remove them or not (but I think we ought to anyway).  And I've told Amarinder already, but you need to get the team wet in the system first. So the first meeting could be in the quiet room of the library to discuss official business. The second or third meeting could be official robot dis-assembly. That way, the you could get mechanics and the programmers to get a feel for how the robot is constructed, and what the appropriate ways are for using hex keys and wiring and batteries, as well as organizing the pieces and taking proper inventory.

That's about all I got for now.

On 9/15/2012 2:02 PM, JC wrote:

Alright Weiyu, thanks for taking the time to compose the letter to keep me up to date as to what's happening.

I can see the difficulties of operating off campus while being part of the club. One question though.

1. What is defined as "being" at a meeting?

The way I see it, this could be a sample game plan:

For 75% of the meetings, or for at least the meetings while the robot is still not fully built nor the field fully built, come, sign in, stay for 30 minutes, and leave. In those 30 minutes, you should have strategy meetings or design meetings. You tell your guys to do their homework, and come ready to discuss ideas for the following school meeting. This way, you are not wasting your time at those meetings when you don't have a robot.
You can also, so as to not waste everyone's time, split up the meeting schedule. While I suggest everyone come to the first couple of design/strategy meetings, when you have designs/plans A and B down, you start having programming meetings, where the programmers can meet and the other people don't have to waste their time there.
Then, at your real (at my house) meetings, you focus solely on building/programming.  After the robot is fully built, you can bring it to the club meetings if the field is built to work on the programming.  But again, come only when you have a plan made. You shouldn't be coming there and then discussing what your doing. Do that at the previous meeting or over the emails, and then get to work. Remember, school club time is easily one of the most screwy times of all. Nothing ever gets done unless you stick to your plan.

As for the parts, since Amarinder is part of the team, you can tell Mrs. Phillips not to worry about liability--Amarinder will be taking full responsibility for the condition of the parts, so it won't be out of the family's hands. Plus this was done in attempt to take the relieve budget costs from earlier.

And since Amarinder is part of the team, working at my place is no problem at all.

As for a mentor. I'll be in UCLA, Suchaaver in Berkeley, doubt the other guys on this email group really care to mentor. However, if you have any issues, feel free to call me, I have no problem helping out over the phone and stuff.


On 9/13/2012 5:30 PM, Weiyu Tong wrote:

My beloved friends and former teammates of Red HoloRAMs,

The 2012-2013 FTC season started and the Irvington Robotics Team is starting to gain new members for their teams. An issue has arisen regarding Red HoloRAMs' stance as whether being an independent team, a team in Irvington Robotics, or a semi-autonomous team that uses Irvington Robotics' facilities but still operates off-campus. If Red HoloRAMs were to stay with Irvington Robotics and still use your parts, then the new advisor, Mrs. Phillips, recommend that the team be present on-campus for at least 75% of the meetings (required by the club constitution), that the parts be only used by the Red HoloRAMs team but also considered part of team property (per the constitution) and that in the event Amarinder Chahal or the team leave the club, then the parts be donated to Irvington Robotics' Club. Although Amarinder and I are willing to lead the team, we are unsure as to where we should operate. If we were to operate completely off-campus, we must sever from Irvington Robotics' Club and be completely funded and registered independently, not to use the club's name. This is because recent events with a Speech & Debate team that operated under the name of Irvington but not truly affiliated with the club has caused the Speech & Debate team to be disbanded, a fate we wish not to befall upon our club. Amarinder recommend that the team operate at his house most of the time and come to the on-campus facility for use of the field. However, that will strain relations between our previously semi-autonomous team with the club. Lastly, the team can also be registered independently of Irvington Robotics Club and operate completely off-campus, treated like an independent team, use our own facilities etc.; however if that were to happen, no team members can be part of Irvington Robotics Club due to the fact that no individual can be part of two teams simultaneously (maybe the club may allow them to be part of the Business Division, as those in Business Division are not affiliated with any teams). Mrs. Phillips is hesitant to use your family's parts because it will be a huge liability in keeping them in the same condition they were given. Your parts are also worth a large sum of money that the team is hesitant to "borrow". Should you decide to let the Irvington Robotics Club to use your parts, your parents must sign a contract signifying it as a donation, and that the parts belong to Irvington Robotics Club if Red HoloRAMs ever leave or disband. Another issue is club funding; your parents are no longer funding the club and the only way we can be funded if we were to break off is through team donations, fees, and grant-finding. Though, we can utilize the club's funds if we stay with the club. You previously said to me that you can sell the parts to either me or the club. If such a transaction went along, we can use those parts, be part of the club, and still allow the club to use our parts for the future. What should the team do in terms of club relations, funding, part allocation, and locations of operations? Would any former members be willing to coach or mentor us?

Weiyu Tong
9/13/2012

[Weiyu Tong]

[Weiyu Tong]