Business Plan
Team 585 – Cyber Penguins
Tehachapi High School Robotics
801 South Dennison Road
Tehachapi, CA 93561
661 822-2130
www.team585.org
March 2009
Table of Contents
Section
Page
1.0
Executive Summary
4
2.0
Introduction
6
3.0
Management Team
3.1
Organizational Structure
3.2
Key Officers
3.3
Subgroups
3.4
Team Advisor
3.5
Mentors
3.6
Major Sponsor Criteria
3.6
Major Sponsors
6
4.0
Team Description
4.1
Team and School Facts
4.2
Team History
12
5.0
Vision and Mission Statements
5.1
FIRST Vision Statement
5.2
FIRST Mission Statement
5.3
Team 585 Vision Statement
5.4
Team 585 Mission Statement
5.5
Team 585 Motto
15
6.0
Service Plan
6.1
Services Rendered
16
7.0
Marketing Plan
7.1
Total Product Experience
7.2
Target Audiences
7.3
FIRST Outreach
7.4
Community Service
7.5
Community Involvement
7.6
Team Giveaways
7.7
Team Communications
16
8.0
Operational Manual
8.1
Manual Description
19
9.0
Financial Plan
9.1
Team Sponsor Revenue
9.2
Additional Sources of Funds
9.3
Uses of Funds
9.4
Budget Tool
20
10.0
Team Goals
10.1
Short Term Goals (<2 years)
10.2
Long Term Goals (>2 years)
21
11.0
Growth Plan
11.1
Growth Strategy
11.2
Affects of Growth
22
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Section
12.0
Page
Supporting Documents
12.1
Robotics Club Charter
12.2
Club Organization Structure
12.3
Team 585 Brochure
12.4
Operational Manual
12.5
Budget Tool
23
Page 3 of 23
1.0
Executive Summary
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Mission Statement: “Team 585 exists to inspire ours and future generations to become excited about
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Date the Team Began: September 2000
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Names of founders and the functions they perform: Tom McMullen founded a First Robotics Competition
(FRC) team at Tehachapi High School (THS) and continues to be a tireless advocate and leader for the
club. McMullen secured grants to start the team and remains a strong and dedicated leader and mentor.
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Number of team members: Team 585 currently has 25 active student members and 20 mentors.
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Location of team and who are the sponsors: Located at Tehachapi High School, in its namesake,
Tehachapi Mountains. Tehachapi lies between Bakersfield and Mojave in Kern County, in southern
California. It is a rural community with one high school and is located 40 miles away from any major city.
Major sponsors of Team 585 include:
 Platinum: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Dryden Flight Research
Center (DFRC), Arcata Associates Inc., and International Test and Evaluation Association (ITEA).
 Silver: Lehigh Cement, Honda Research and Development (R & D), Lockheed Martin, Mathworks,
Northrop-Grumman, and Tybrin Corporation.
 Bronze: American Performance Engineers (APE), Grandma’s Cabin of Personalized Books,
Henry’s Home-4-Less, Oak Creek Energy, Air Sky Art, Moose Lodge 1678, JT3, A+ Pets and
Selecta Products.
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What Team 585 does: Team 585 promotes FIRST in all it does. The team celebrates the First purpose
and vision and prominently displays the FIRST logo on all literature and multimedia products, the Team
585 website and at all functions. Team 585 proudly wears the FIRST logo on all of its shirts and promotes
FIRST in all Media, film, and newspaper articles. Team 585 designs, engineers, fabricates, programs,
tests, and assembles a robot to compete in FRC regional and national events.
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Services rendered:
 Team 585 students conduct demonstrations and presentations at schools, businesses,
conferences, and events to educate the public about FIRST and to build long lasting relationships.
 TEAM 585 promotes FIRST through supporting rookie teams and FIRST LEGO League (FLL)
team financial and student mentor support. Team 585 provides community service by conducting
monthly food, diaper, and clothes drives for Caring and Sharing, ; establishing a THS Habitat for
Humanity Campus Chapter; and reading to and demonstrating a VEX robot to children at the local
library.
 Team 585 participates in community events including the annual Christmas Parade, the design,
building, and assembly of animatronics Christmas window displays for downtown storefronts, and
providing trash pick-up at the annual “Bad Bulls” bull riding event.
 Team 585 assists Arcata Associates Inc. in raising money for charity through an annual golf
tournament at Edwards Air Force Base. Team 585 also participated with Arcata Associates in
Extreme Makeover Home Edition in Phelan, California this year.
 Team 585 holds a major fund raiser annually called the Chili Cook Off and Robot Unveiling Event
which also includes a silent auction of donated items
 Team 585 earns money and promotes FIRST by donating labor to Cold Stone Creamery one
Friday per month.
Team 585 uses multiple forms of media to promote FIRST.
Relationships and information regarding current sponsors: Working with professionals and using real
world tools of the trade make it possible for students to separate reality from dreams. Building
relationships with government and industry partners requires trust and integrity. The team has built on
these principles with the help of the following major supporters in the area.
 NASA: Provides grants, mentors, educational workshops, machine shop support, and other
resources to Team 585. NASA electronics, aerospace, and flight engineers, understand the
importance of robotics and keeping learning fun. They work together with the students – crossing
all generational barriers – to help in the development of each young person involved.
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science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through For Inspiration and Recognition of Science
and Technology (FIRST) Robotics.”
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Arcata Associates: Supports Team 585 by providing funding and opportunities to work with
professionals in the information technology (IT), video, and marketing areas. As a sponsor,
Arcata also provides strong business ethics and encouragement.
ITEA: The Antelope Valley Chapter provides funding for Team585. Last year ITEA provided a
grant to build a motor and sensor test bench.
Honda Research and Development (R & D): Supports Team 585 with donations, sponsorships,
and mentors. Honda donated funding for much needed power equipment and an enclosed trailer
to transport the team’s robot and for the team to use in fund raising efforts and community support
efforts. Mathworks: Provided multiple copies of Matlab and other software to support
programming development and sensor and motor integration.
Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems: Has provided financial support for each of the nine
years of Team 585.
Lockheed Martin Advanced Development: New sponsor in 2008 providing funding for a high
school robotics curriculum. A Lockheed Martin employee also provides mentor support.
Lehigh Southwest Cement Company: A two time team financial sponsor that believes so highly in
FIRST Robotics and team 585 that they doubled their financial award in 2009 even with a
significant downturn in business and the economy.
Tybrin Corporation: A systems engineering support contractor at Edwards AFB and second year
financial sponsor.
Several other equally important sponsors support the team financially and through mentoring and
sharing of knowledge and skills in a manner that encourages students to brainstorm and seek
solutions to problems. While mentors empower us students, Team 585 students must do the
math and solve the problems ourselves. Mentors are there to advise and assist the team as
needed.
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Summary of Team growth – what have we done in the past leading up to this point?
Team 585 has matured to be a Chairman’s Award competitive team, has developed an effective business
strategy and has successfully designed and manufactured a total of 9 robots. To learn more about us,
please go to our website www.team585.org and to the history section of this business plan. Team 585
consistently recruits new members each year to replace graduating seniors and attracts alumni as
mentors. All four 2008 graduating seniors have mentored the team this year. Due to volunteers, mentors,
parents and sponsors, Team 585 has continued to grow in membership, skills, and character. Over the
past two years, the team has doubled in size, both in students and mentors. The team’s achievement of
excellence is demonstrated by the receipt of the following awards:
 Awards
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Las Vegas Regional Autodesk Visualization Award: 2008
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Las Vegas Regional Judges Award: 2008
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Las Vegas Regional Website Excellence Award: 2007
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Arizona Regional Winners: 2004
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Driving Tomorrow’s Technology (DELFI) Award: Arizona 2004
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Summary of Team future plans – Team 585 will continue marketing robotics in the community and to the
world through education and all forms of multi media.
 Sponsorship: The team will increase marketing to local businesses to develop more sponsors
and mentors.
 Recruitment: The team intends to recruit new members from both middle and high school
students.
 Community outreach- Team 585 plans to:
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Actively give back to the community and hold public events to give FIRST and TEAM 585
visibility and encourage others to get involved.
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Publicly honor FIRST and publish news articles highlighting the vision of Dean Kamen,
founder of FIRST. The team hopes this publicity will produce growth for FIRST in the
local area and beyond and to continue to enhance Kamen’s vision "To transform our
culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where
young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes."
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2.0
Introduction – The purpose of the Team 585 Business Plan is to define the responsibilities, structure,
budget needs, impacts, benefits and the marketing approach that we feel will successfully expand the
FIRST team’s principles in our schools, our community, local businesses and beyond.
3.0
Management Team
3.1
Organizational Structure – Previous to the 2008/2009 season, team management was comprised
of student officers and a few sub-group team leads, as per the Club Charter. See Section 12.1 for
the Robotics Club Charter. Student officers had both the responsibility for overall administration of
the club and also the responsibility of the robot build. The officers were over burdened and the
build was continually behind schedule. In an attempt to change that outcome and to reduce
stress on student officers, a new organizational structure was approved by the team. See Section
12.2 for the Club Organization Structure. The new structure is being implemented over a 2-year
period and Phase 1 was implemented during the 2008/2009 season.
Phase I - Appoint and mentor a Project Manager and use MS Project to schedule activities.
Phase II – Implement Support and Engineering Review Boards to make decisions and oversee
activities. Provide dedicated mentor support to the Project Manager and Review Board
Chairpersons.
3.2
Key Officers
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President - Michael Taberner, Senior
 Official representative for the team
 Run all non-build team meetings and activities
 Communicate team information to members, staff, parents, administration, and mentors
 Create team meeting agendas
 Work with group leaders to accomplish team objectives
 Establish and track budget and be aware of all club purchases
 Must know and follow “Roberts Rules of Order”
 Coordinates all non-build team activities such as training, travel, awards, competition etc.
 Assigns non-elective team tasks
 Ensures that all club activities are conducted in a safe manner
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Vice President – Steven Pestana, Junior
 Stands in for the president when absent
 Must be able to handle all presidential responsibilities
 Responsible for team log of activity attendance
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Treasurer – Sami Cinquegrani, Senior
 Control the club financial database
 Record all club income and expenses in the club database on a weekly basis
 Reconcile the budget balance with that of the ASB secretary on a monthly basis
 Keep a backup file in place
 Understand and follows school and team purchase and reimbursement rules
 Prepare purchase orders the same day that they are approved by the club
 Circulate purchase orders in a timely manner
 Process, track and record reimbursements
 Work closely with responsible adult budget mentor
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Secretary – Amanda Brown, Sophomore
 Keep an official record of all meetings and store them on the team database the same day as
the meeting
 Give a hard copy of the minutes to the treasurer for purchase requests
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Project Manager – Taylor Wood, Junior
 Responsible for robot building activities of all sub-teams
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3.3
Ensure that all robot build activities are conducted in a safe manner
Develop and monitor an overall project schedule
Establish, monitor and enforce deadlines
Coordinate brainstorming and down-select activities
Monitor and coordinate activities of all sub-teams and resolves conflicts
Schedule, create agenda for and oversee all robot build leader meetings
Order robot parts and supplies through responsible adult leader
Safety Manager – Stephen House, Senior
 Update club safety plan
 Train all members on equipment safety
 Maintain safety check-off records
 Ensure that the club operates within the safety guidelines
 Report all safety infractions to the club advisor and work out appropriate actions
 Conduct Root Cause Analysis process for accidents
 Ensure that the club has all required safety equipment
 Be the main safety contact both on-site and at competitions
Subgroups
3.3.1
Robot Build Subgroups
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Safety
 Review current robot operations and come up with a safety plan for operating it
 Review propeller safety plan with the advisor and the propeller group
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Design
 Coordinate all aspects of robot design
 Understand the design software (AUTOCAD Inventor, ProE etc.) and use it to create
blueprints, drawings and a robot model
 Generate robot design concepts based on game strategy, working closely with the other
groups
 Coordinate materials to be used in robot construction and run weight and balance
calculations
 Create parts list and make copies for competition inspections
 Ensure that the robot is legal according to published rules
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Programming
 Program robot interface units
 Monitor FIRST site for updates and incorporate them
 Keep record of software modifications and store a copy of the final code
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Base/Mechanical
 Design and construct robot base and drive system
 Keep an accurate inventory of components, weight and cost
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Propulsion
 Design and construct the robot propeller propulsion system
 Create propeller safety plan
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Manipulator
 Design and construct robot manipulation systems
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Electronics
 Manufacture and install electrical wiring and all electrical/electronic components
 Draw electrical schematic for robot
Page 7 of 23
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Pneumatics
 Design and manufacture pneumatic system as required
 Draw pneumatic schematic
3.3.2
Competition Support Subgroups
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Safety
 Create safety plan for practice field use
 Monitor crew training for safe practices
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Driving & Human Player
 Define game element needs for effective game simulation
 Create a training and crew selection plan
 Train players
 Select crew
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Scouting
 Create a scouting plan based on the current year game strategy
 Define scouting team needs
 Prepare forms and computer programs
 Train scouting team
 Enact plan at competitions
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Pit Crew
 Review pit plan from last year
 Modify it to suit current needs
 Prepare plan and budget for modified pit
 Prepare pit for competition
 Erect and disassemble pit at competitions
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Competition outreach
 Coordinate all aspects of competition including driver, operator and human player training
and selection
 Study and understand all competition rules and requirements
 Develop game strategy
 Coordinate with alliance members prior to competition matches
 Responsible for shipping robot to competitions and return to school, including
coordinating with shipping company, paperwork control, crate design, construction and
robot loading
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Team Spirit
 Create team spirit plan
 Design and procure team uniform
 Acquire and manufacture props as needed
 Coordinate plan at competitions
3.3.3
Administrative Support Subgroups
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Business
 Create, update and coordinate a business plan for the club
 Create and update an operations manual (team handbook) for the club
 Track income and expenditures and ensure that all school rules are adhered to
 Coordinate budget preparation and submission with the president
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Finance
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Perform all of the Treasurer duties
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Marketing & Outreach
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3.4
Manage website and updates
Update the Team 585 profile on the FIRST TIMS database with responsible adult
Monitor the FIRST website, make copies of manual and keep it up to date
Be club representative for FIRST questions and answers web activities
Plan club activities in support of and prepare the Chairman’s Award submission
Prepare and submit other award documents to FIRST
Generate media contact: press releases, newspaper, television, radio
Outreach: coordinate community activities, and competitions (including robot rollout
media event)
Ensure photo and video documentation, archive/ history, production of club media
Design and construct pit
Design and manage display table during competitions
Communicate with groups, judges and media at events, stationed in the pits
Coordinate all aspects of fundraising and sponsorship
Keep strict contact list and ensure business group has record of contributions
Plan and prepare overall marketing plan
Coordinate marketing activities for competition (decorations, giveaways, team apparel)
Develop and implement team spirit plan for competitions (with competition group)
Coordinate banquet and sponsorship awards
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Web Site
 Part of marketing and outreach group
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Animation
 Produce animation for the Autodesk Animation contest
 Develop storyline, storyboards
 Learn and use 3D Studio Max
 Document progress
 Submit final product
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Travel & Events Coordinator
 Main contact that works with the marketing and outreach group to plan travel and events
 Refer to the Operations Manual for processes and procedures
Team Advisor
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3.5
Work with marketing and outreach team members on sponsor contacts for grants and
other income
Mrs. Danielle Evansic, B. S. Civil Engineering, M.A. Business, THS Math Teacher - Business,
Finance, Marketing & Outreach, and Travel Teams
Mentors
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Thomas McMullen, Retired, NASA DFRC - Team 585 Founder and Lead Mentor,
Base/Mechanical & Animation Teams
John Kelly, Aerospace Engineer, NASA DFRC Deputy Mission Director for Exploration
Projects – Propulsion & Programming Teams
Mark Pestana, NASA DRFC Research Pilot & Retired, USAF Lieutenant Colonel, - Public
Relations & Competition Teams
Chris Miller, Project Manager, NASA DFRC, Architectural Engineer- Mechanical/Base &
Shipping Teams
Len Evansic, , Scaled Composites CNC Production Engineer -Programming Team
Paul Duke, Industrial Engineer, Lockheed Martin Advanced Development – Base/Mechanical
& Pit Crew Teams
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3.6
William Kelly, Retired, LA Unified School District – Base/Mechanical Team
Linda Kelly, Retired Aerospace Engineering Electronics Technician, NASA DFRC –
Electronics Team
Ian Cant, Retired, Aerospace Engineering Technician - Manipulator Team
Harry Butera, Retired, Facilities Engineer, Air Force Rocket Lab, Edwards, CA - Design Team
Chuck Barritt, Arcata Associates Inc. – Website Team
Donna White, Arcata Associates Inc. – Marketing & Business Teams
Christie Copus, City Of Tehachapi – Marketing & Travel Teams
Mark Taberner, Department Manager, JT3 – Awards, Marketing, Outreach, Business & Travel
Teams
Dale Riggs, Captain, Edwards AFB Fire Department – Competition Team
Caroline Zuetel, Owner, A+ Pets – Business Team
Tucker Smith, Student & 2008 Team 585 Alumnus – Base/Mechanical Team
Daniel Morrow, 2008 Team 585 Alumnus – Website Team
Connie Davies, 2008 Team 585 Alumnus – Business Team, Scouting
Nicholas Carpenetti, Engineering Student & 2008 Team 585 Alumnus – Programming Team
Major Sponsor Criteria
3.6.1
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Company name included in the official team name
Large company emblem on the robot
Company logo patch on the front or sleeve of the team shirt – first priority
Prominent company link on the team website
Inclusion in club literature and media
Invitation to the unveiling prior to shipment to the regional competition
Inclusion on the pit banner
Commemorative plaque
Invitation to the team banquet
Robot demonstration at your site
3.6.2
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Gold Criteria & Benefits - $3,000 - $4,999
Medium company logo on the robot
Company logo patch on the front or sleeve of the team shirt
Prominent company link on the team website
Inclusion in club literature and media
Invitation to the unveiling prior to shipment to the regional competition
Inclusion on the pit banner
Commemorative plaque
Invitation to the team banquet
Robot demonstration at your site
3.6.3
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Platinum Criteria & Benefits - $5,000+
Silver Criteria & Benefits - $1,000 - $2,999
Small company logo on the robot
Company name on the back of the team shirt
Company link on the team website
Inclusion in club literature and media
Invitation to the unveiling prior to shipment to the regional competition
Inclusion on the pit banner
Commemorative plaque
Invitation to the team banquet
Robot demonstration at your site
Page 10 of 23
3.6.4
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Company name on the back of the team shirt
Company link on the team website
Inclusion in club literature and media
Invitation to the unveiling prior to shipment to the regional competition
Inclusion on the pit banner
Commemorative plaque ($500 or more)
Commemorative plaque (Less than $500)
3.6.5
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3.7
Bronze Criteria & Benefits - $100 - $999
Friends of Robotics Criteria & Benefits - $10 - $99
Name on the back of the team shirt
Commemorative letter
Major Sponsors
3.7.1
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Platinum Sponsors
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center – mission is “Advancing science and technology
through flight”.
Arcata Associates, Inc. – mission is “Merging technology and people. Achieving mission
critical solutions”.
International Test and Evaluation Association, Antelope Valley Chapter - not-for-profit
educational organization founded in 1980 to further the exchange of technical information in
the field of test and evaluation.
3.7.2
Gold Sponsors - None at this time
3.7.3
Silver Sponsors
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Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems - premier developer, integrator, producer and
supporter of manned and unmanned aircraft, spacecraft, high-energy laser systems,
microelectronics and other systems and subsystems critical to maintaining the nation’s
security and leadership in science and technology.
Lockheed Martin Advanced Development (Skunkworks) - built a legacy of achievement in
aerospace by creating breakthrough technologies and landmark aircraft that have redefined
the possibilities of flight.
Mathworks - leading global provider of software for technical computing and Model-Based
Design.
Lehigh Southwest Cement Company – a leading manufacturer of cement and construction
materials in North America.
Tybrin Corporation - a premier supplier of software and engineering services and products by
providing high quality service under mature, disciplined processes that focus on innovative
and cost-effective solutions to our customers' complex problems.
Honda R&D, Honda Proving Center California - offers a unique variety of environments for
vehicle evaluation including on-site paved test courses modeled after common North
American public roads. Other on-site courses include dirt roads, gravel roads, MX/SX
racetracks and desert test courses.
3.7.4
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Bronze Sponsors
Oak Creek Energy - pioneered gigawatt-scale wind energy with the long-term expansion of
wind power capacity in the Tehachapi-Mojave area of California.
JT3 – mission is to "Partner with our Customers to develop and maintain integrated test and
training range environments by providing highly skilled scientific, engineering, technical, and
support personnel. We help prepare our War fighters for the missions of today while building
new capabilities to meet the global challenges of tomorrow."
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Selecta Products – supplier of electromechanical and component switches.
Henry’s Home 4 Less – discount hardware supplier.
Gramma’s Cabin of Personalized Books – woman owned business
Air Sky Art (Mark Pestana) – aviation and space theme artist
A+ Pets – Tehachapi based family-owned pet store.
3.7.5
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4.0
Friends of Robotics
The Friends of Robotics sponsors are too numerous to mention as part of this plan; however,
their importance must not be understated. Friends of Robotics sponsors donate student &
mentor meals, provide silent auction items, and donate parts for the robot. Team 585 would
be much less successful without the “Friends of Robotics”.
Team Description
4.1
Team and School Facts
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4.2
Team established in September 2000
Ninth year of FRC involvement
NASA DRFC Home Team
2008/2009 team consists of 9 female and 16 male student members, 20 mentors and 16
major sponsors
Since its inception in 2006, the home event has been the Las Vegas Regional
All four senior participants in 2007/2008 are mentors in 2008/2009
Six of nine senior members on the 2008/2009 will be attending college in an engineering or
technology field
Tehachapi Unified School District consists of three elementary schools, one middle school
and one high school
Tehachapi High School population is approximately 1300 students
The mascot of THS is the Warrior
The mascot of Team 585 is the Cyber Penguin. Choosing the Cyber Penguin was a student
choice in 2005 in order to develop a unique identity to FIRST Robotics
Tehachapi is a rural community in the Tehachapi Mountains, 40 miles east of Bakersfield,
California
Tehachapi’s largest employer is the California Correctional Institute
Tehachapi is a bedroom community for employers in Bakersfield, Lancaster, Palmdale, NASA
DFRC, Edwards AFB Air Force Flight Test Center, Mojave Air and Space Port, and Air Force
Plant 42.
Team History
Capturing the team history is important not only for past teams but also present teams so that
they have an understanding of where the team has been so that they can use it as a learning tool.
The idea for a Tehachapi High School robotics team had its genesis at a presentation given at the
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center during the fall of 2000 by Team 399 from Lancaster High School.
NASA had funded the Lancaster team for the 2000 competition season and they were demonstrating their
robot and team for their sponsor.
Tom McMullen, then an Aerospace Engineering Technician, was so impressed by the
presentation that he talked to the NASA representative Maryanne McCarthy about the possibility of
providing similar funding to Tehachapi High School should they be interested in forming a team. A deal
was struck and Mr. McMullen approached then Principal Jim Hollen. Mr. Hollen was tentative, but agreed
to talk to the new technology teacher Chuck Smith. Mr. Smith, then a temporary teacher, saw this as an
opportunity to not only serve the students, but also as a way to ensure his future and tenure at the school
and accepted the challenge. Little did he or Mr. McMullen know what they were getting themselves into.
The Lancaster High School Robotics Team 399 visited Tehachapi and gave a robot
demonstration in a school hallway. News of the team spread quickly; friends brought friends and by the
time it was all over there were seventeen on the team. Ten team members were seniors, the top of the
senior class, and seven were underclassmen that would carry the team into the future.
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Several mentors came from NASA’s current as well as retired workforce, and many parents
became heavily involved. Most noteworthy were Jackie Ohl-Trlica and Lee Trlica. Les Duplan, from Bear
Valley Springs, generously donated his machine shop for team use. Our first four year team member,
Jesse McIntyre, was so intrigued by his machining experience that he eventually parlayed it into a
machine shop job at Northrop Grumman. NASA funding from JPL took care of the registration for the first
ever Los Angeles Regional Competition. NASA Dryden funding permitted Team 585 to attend the
National Competition at the EPCOT Center in Orlando, Florida. What an opportunity for a team that really
had no clue about the FIRST experience.
The team started a web site the 2001 competition year, but it really did not amount to much and
was abandoned until the fifth year when Dan Murrow took an interest in website design. Other than the
website, and a required rookie NASA funding Chairman’s Award entry, no other aspects of FIRST were
attempted other than building a robot. As far as the team was concerned, FIRST was all about building a
robot. We had a big team, but we did not know what to do with everyone. This would change through the
years as the team matured and discovered the true meaning of FIRST.
The season was now in the bag. The team was known as TORC- Tehachapi Operational
Robotics Club and the robot was named THOR- Tehachapi High Operational Robot. The robot was
designed to play “Diabolical Dynamics”, it had pneumatic grabbers that latched onto moving cart game
pieces, an air-operated train whistle (for Tehachapi of course), and tennis ball eyeballs on springs. The
eyeballs were our way of telling the front of the robot as it was symmetrical front to back. We did not win
the event or bring home any awards, but we had a team, we had an advisor, we had mentors, we had
funding, we built a fairly competitive robot, and we had a future.
Mr. Smith would continue as the club advisor for four years and Mr. McMullen would continue for
nine years. The robotics team would see many changes through the coming years. In three years it would
move into a brand new school and have a robotics room all to itself. The team would also go through a
succession of four advisors, six principals and three school district superintendents. All of the advisors
were excellent and had the team’s best interest at heart. Except for the current superintendent and
principal, all of the school administrators gave the team lip service and none attended a competition. The
team persevered through all of these administrative challenges.
One of the most interesting concepts of FIRST, and one that takes a little getting accustomed to,
is “gracious professionalism”. Basically this means you do everything in your power to empower other
teams at the competition. This was like a foreign language to the unlearned, but became a mantra to the
team through the years as it attempted to generate an image of helpfulness at the competitions.
Season two, 2001, “Zone Zeal”, came around and we still had Chuck Smith as the advisor. Tom
McMullen and Lee Trlica returned as well as several parents, but we had to recruit additional mentors.
NASA and the Air Force Flight Test Center came to the rescue and we were ready to roll. We had five
returning team members and they brought some friends with them. By the end of the year we had a dozen
team members go to the Los Angeles Regional Competition. The robot did not have a name, but it still
had eyeballs, and the team was still called TORC. This robot was a mobile conveyor belt that had a
grabber on one end to latch onto a moving cart and a conveyor belt on the other to gather game balls and
place them in the cart. It was fairly competitive but we did not win the event or garner any awards. Team
member Chad Ohl-Trlica was interviewed by CNN at the competition.
Season three, 2003, was probably the most difficult season for the team in its nine year history.
The team membership had fallen to seven members, most of them returnees from the previous year, and
there was a division within the team. The team dropped the eyeball look. The programming team was not
communicating well with the build team and this impacted our mood for the entire season. The robot was
a low riding vehicle that had knobby tires that allowed it to climb a steel wire mesh ramp to a platform
containing the game pieces of the “Stack Attack” game. It had tubular wings that extended via pneumatics
to knock the stacked game pieces down. Team 585 attended the Los Angeles Regional Competition and
once again failed to bring home any awards. The team did receive funding from NASA to send two adults
and two students- Erik Kofahl and Jesse McIntyre, to the National Competition in Houston, Texas. The
pits were in the Astro Dome and the competition fields were in Reliant Stadium. It took about fifteen
minutes to get from the pits to the competition fields. Of note was a picture taken of Chuck Smith with his
arm around Jesse Jackson.
Season four, 2004, was a breath of fresh air. Membership was back up, there were no
personality clashes, and the team was finally figuring out how to build a competitive robot. The game,
“FIRST Frenzy Raising the Bar”, awarded a substantial bonus for a robot that could hang in mid air from a
ten foot high bar at the end of the game. Team 585 built “Mean Dean”, a robot that had a grappling hook
and motor affair that could do this nicely and ended up in the winning alliance at the Phoenix Arizona
Regional. In addition, we won the Delphi Designing Tomorrow’s Technology Award. Team 585 was flying
high. After three years of seeing other teams collecting awards it was finally our chance. Not only did we
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receive a design award but we also won the competition. What a thrill. Winning teams are invited to the
national competition, but we were struggling financially. As a matter of fact we could only afford one hotel
room for the female mentor and girls in Arizona. The rest of the team stayed in tents in the back yard of
one team member’s grandmother. It wasn’t that bad though, she had a pool!
Once again NASA came to our rescue. Dave Lavery from NASA headquarters provided funding
and thirteen excited students plus mentors and parents were on their way to Atlanta, Georgia. The robot
performed well throughout the competition and we were one of the top teams until our semifinal match
when one end of our tether cord fell from the robot and touched the floor during our hang. We received no
points for that hang and fell out of the top eight teams. Ouch! This was a very good year, but it was also a
very sad year for the team as Chuck Smith was married and moved to San Diego. The team had lost its
rudder.
For season five, 2005, Mr. Randal Jackson came to the rescue. He was hired to take over the
class load for Chuck Smith and to Team 585’s benefit he also took over as Team Advisor. The team was
still alive for the 2005 game, “Triple Play”. We only had three returning members, but we picked up ten
new students, mostly from the brand new THEMA (Tehachapi High Engineering and Manufacturing
Academy) program at the school. Season five’s game, Triple Play, required teams to stack tetrahedrons
constructed of pvc pipe. Team 585 adapted the arm system from the previous year to handle the
tetrahedrons. The robot was named “Inspector Gadget”. This turned out to be a mistake as it was too slow
to be very competitive. The team attended the inaugural Las Vegas Regional Competition and placed in
the middle of the pack. One of the most memorable matches found Tehachapi against both Mojave High
School’s robot “Where’s Waldo” and Lancaster High School. We did not win any awards at this
competition but the team was doing well under the leadership of Randal Jackson.
Mr. Jackson started the team thinking about the broader aspects of FIRST. The team started to
talk about the Chairman’s and other awards and, for the first time, get what FIRST was all about. We
worked on an operations manual and our team identity. We first created our image around “Robo Steve”
and then finally settled upon the “Cyber Penguins”.
Season six in 2006 was all about “Aim High” and shooting balls. It was by far the most exciting of
the game concepts and is still a favorite of many. Team 585 was going strong and we were starting to see
the fruits of our labors in Lego League as the students from the Lego teams started to come to high school
and join the team. We now had THEMA and Legos as feeders for the team. Although we did not win the
regional competition we were able to take our robot “Geronimo” to the Nationals in Atlanta and take a
dozen students. Aim High was exciting and even more exciting was the fact that we were selected to go
into the finals on our field by one of the top teams in the competition. They realized that we had a great
autonomous mode as well as a robust robot that was reliable and well driven. We were the only alliance to
beat the eventual national champions and only lost by two balls scored in the closing seconds of our
rubber match. Team 585 was riding high. Mr. McMullen also learned a valuable lesson from student
Travis Embry. The teams were going through the alliance selection process for the finals and Mr.
McMullen didn’t think Team 585 would be selected and wanted to go to the pits to start packing. Travis
said that you should never give up. They stayed, and were selected. Moral of the story- you are never too
old to learn. The team had started to do more outreach and had a hazy plan toward winning the
Chairman’s and Safety awards. We had a good web site and although we didn’t win the regional
competition award we did receive an award of recognition. We also submitted an animation and were
runner-up in safety.
Season seven in 2007 would be the year of the ramp robot “Cyber TUX 1.0” with the game
“Rack’N’Roll”. The game required teams to hang pool inner tubes on a moving rack and gave extra points
at the end of the game for robots that could lift other robots 12 inches off the playing field. The team had a
magnificent plan for an arm system that ran into technical difficulties two days before robot ship. The team
rallied and came up with a usable pneumatic system in just two days! If there was an award for last minute
recovery we certainly would have earned it. We submitted a write-up for the Chairman’s award but still
were not quite competitive for it. We also still had a good website, the safety plan was getting better, we
had a great pit, our community outreach was improving, and our scouting team was getting better every
year. We had finally come to the point where we could see what it takes to become a Chairman’s award
contender and were coming up with a concrete plan to make it happen. More importantly the whole team
had bought into the idea and understood what FIRST is really all about. We did not bring home any
awards, but we did bring hope to the team for the future. Chuck Smith re-entered the picture as the team
advisor for the Barstow High School FIRST team. Team 585 mentored Barstow and attended the Las
Vegas Regional Competition with the team. Team 585 also hosted a VEX robotics team that won the Los
Angeles Regional Competition and sent the four member team to the National Competition in Atlanta,
Georgia. Things were looking up. The year ended on a sour note when we learned that Mr. Jackson has
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accepted a position as a counselor at the school and would not return as team advisor. He had said in the
past that there was no exit strategy from the FIRST program, but it turned out not to be the case.
Season eight in 2008 was the year of NASCAR with the game “FIRST Overdrive” and our robot
“Cyber TUX 2.0”. It was also the year that Erik Kofahl became the team advisor. Erik was a three year
team member that accepted a position at Northrop Grumman that he earned through his participation in
robotics. Erik had returned to mentor the team after he graduated and now stood up to run the entire
team. He was well respected by the students and took over the team with much support. This was also
the first year for our new principal Cary Johnson. Mr. Johnson had come to Tehachapi via Highland High
in Lancaster and Mojave High School. Both of these schools had FIRST robotics teams and he was
actively supportive of the team. This was a breath of fresh air. The district also had recently hired a new
superintendent and Dr. Swanson was supportive as well. We finally had administrative support. The
Principal and a school board member even went to a regional competition with the team. We modified a
budget tool that we had received from the Pepperdine University School of Business at a robotics training
day and this was the start of our long needed business plan. We even introduced Lego robotics to the
Philippines. Our robot was not as functional as in previous years, but the team’s tenacity was noticed by
the judges and Team 585 received the Judges award. We also won the Animation award. What a great
day. The team also received good reviews from their Chairman’s award presentation. We were getting
closer to this coveted award and thought we knew what we needed to do to get there. The team was
together, the school was with us, the community was getting to know us and we had a firm plan on how to
make the Chairman’s award a reality.
Year nine in 2009 actually was a continuation of year eight as there was no real break. The team
continued to do the things that had gotten us recent recognition plus more and made plans for the
following year and years. Danielle Evansic came on board as our fourth advisor. Mrs. Evansic had a lot to
learn in a short period of time but was well suited for the task. Having a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical
Engineering and a master’s degree in Business Administration made her an ideal candidate for the
program. Not only that, but her husband Len previously participated in international robotics programs and
had even taught Lab View to robotics students. Lab View was made available to FIRST teams this year
and this was a perfect fit. We increased our outreach and added many activities. We continued with team
activities into the summer months. We came up with a good business plan, improved our web site,
continued with our safety efforts, improved our scouting, and produced an even better animation than last
year. Team 585 was now a well rounded team. We built a great robot, “Cyber TUX3.0”, this year to play
“Lunacy”, but we have built an even better team.
5.0
Vision and Mission Statements
5.1
FIRST Vision Statement - "To transform our culture by creating a world where science and
5.2
FIRST Mission Statement - Our mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology
technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology
heroes." Dean Kamen, Founder
leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and
technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including
self-confidence, communication, and leadership.
5.3
Team 585 Vision Statement – “To foster FIRST related Lego, Tech and FRC teams in every
5.4
Team 585 Mission Statement – “Team 585 exists to inspire ours and future generations to become
5.5
Team 585 Motto – “Burning the Midnight Binary”
school district within 100 miles of Tehachapi.”
excited about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through For Inspiration and
Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics.”
Page 15 of 23
6.0
Service Plan
6.1
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7.0
Services Rendered
Provides students to conduct demonstrations and presentations at schools, businesses, conferences,
and events to educate the public about FIRST and to build long lasting relationships.
Promotes FIRST through supporting rookie teams and FIRST LEGO League (FLL) team financial and
student mentor support.
Provides community service through participation in various activities and fundraising events.
Participates in community events to raise awareness of FIRST Robotics and Team 585.
Team 585 assists Arcata Associates Inc. in raising money for charity through an annual golf
tournament at Edwards Air Force Base.
Team 585 holds a major fund raiser annually called the Chili Cook off and Robot Unveiling Event
which also includes a silent auction of donated items.
Team 585 uses multiple forms of media to promote FIRST.
Makes club assets available to other classes and clubs at the school.
Involves other clubs and organizations in the robotics program.
Marketing Plan
7.1
Total Product Experience – Over the last two years, Team 585 has significantly broadened its
approach and now offers a whole host of marketing products to include: team brochures,
presentations & demonstrations, mentorship, team start up, financial support, community support
and service, giveaways & gimmicks, and community events.
7.2
Target Audiences – Team 585 markets to several age groups and communities. The primary
target audience is middle school and high school students in Tehachapi. The secondary target
audience is Tehachapi elementary students. Team 585 also markets FIRST to students in several
other communities as well. In addition, the Cyber Penguins market to local business owners,
aerospace companies, major local industry, school administration and the press.
7.3
FIRST Outreach
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Selling FIRST Robotics Competition
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Mentor of the Barstow HS Rookie Team – Team 585 provided rookie team support to
Team 1939, Barstow Robotics, through student and mentor training, and attending the
2007 Las Vegas Regional together.
High School Presentations – Along with conducting presentations at THS, the Cyber
Penguins provide presentations to anyone at any time. Tehachapi High School is a rural
community, often driving over an hour to pitch FIRST. That obstacle has never stopped
Team 585 from going as far as Granite Hills High School, Antelope Valley High School
(they now have a team) and Barstow Middle School in an attempt to start new teams.
Cyber Penguin Victory Tour – A new tradition, the idea of the team’s new Team Advisor, is
being set up for this May. The Cyber Penguins make the rounds to all of the public
schools in the district, marketing FIRST through demonstrations and student
presentations. No matter how Team 585 performs at the regional or national
competitions, participation in FIRST is a reason to celebrate!
Use of a VEX Robot – The Cyber Penguins often use their VEX Robot, either with their
FRC robots, or by itself, for FIRST outreach. A much bigger impact to future FIRST
participants, compared with watching an FRC robot perform, is allowing the students to
actually control a VEX robot. The VEX is the robot of choice for marketing to elementary
school children and younger.
LEGO Team Support
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Mentor all 3 Jacobsen Middle School Teams – Each year, Team 585 students mentor the
3 middle school teams. This connection between high school and middle school students
has led to increased interest in FIRST and greater THS Team 585 participation.
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Start-up of Tomkins Elementary School Team –Team 585 has committed to purchase the
FLL kit and provide start up and mentor support to this rookie team beginning the fall
2009. The team advisor for the new team is a Tomkins teacher and the parent of one of
the Team 585 members.
Bringing FLL to the Philippines- In April of 2008, Lead Mentor, Tom McMullen, delivered a
FLL kit to the grade school students of Holy Trinity College, on the island of Palawan in
the Philippines. While there, Mr. McMullen provided student and teacher training to a
classroom of 15 excited students. Team 585 has committed long term support to this
school and hope to be the founder of the first FLL teams in the Philippines.
Support to local FLL Teams – Team 585 has contacted all schools in the district offering
financial and mentor support.
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High School Robotics Curriculum – Team 585, through funds from NASA DFRC, ITEA and
Lockheed, are fully funding the purchase of the curriculum and VEX kits for a THS robotics
course, beginning the fall of 2009. This is a significant undertaking, raising $9,000 and
working with our Advisor and the THS Principal to make this happen.
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Conference & Event Participation
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Antelope Valley Poppy Festival – Each April, Team 585 teams up with Antelope Valley
High Team 2339, Lancaster High School Team 399, and Mojave High School Team 1641
to support the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center booth through demonstrations and
marketing of FIRST. AV Poppy Festival is the second largest annual community event
(only the fair has more participation) in the Antelope Valley, a community of over 500,000
people.
NASA Bring Your Child to Work Day – Each June, Team 585, along with Teams 2339,
399 and 1641, provides a display and robot demonstration to families of NASA DFRC
members.
ITEA Antelope Valley Chapter Conference – Each year in April, Team 585 gives a
presentation and demonstration regarding how ITEA grant funds were used. During
2009, the team will be demonstrating both their robot and the motor and sensor test
bench. In addition, the team is awarded the grant for the following season.
Northrop Grumman Engineer’s Week – For the past two years, Team 585 has provided a
display and robot demonstration.
Edwards AFB Open House and Air Show – Approximately every other year, Team 585,
along with other NASA DFRC home teams, support the NASA FIRST booth through robot
demonstrations and FIRST marketing. The next Open House is scheduled for October
2009.
Association of Laboratory Automation Conference – Each year, two southern California
FIRST teams are asked by Mr. Jim Beck, FIRST Western Regional Director, to support
the FIRST booth at the annual conference in Palm springs, California. Team 585, along
with Team Spider, Team 1622, was privileged to support this event in January 2009.
Cyber Penguins students and mentor were also honored to spend time with Mr. John
Abele, FIRST Chairman, and to hear the keynote speech where he pitched the benefits of
FIRST to several high-tech firms.
Arcata Associates, Inc. presentation & demonstration – In order to gain sponsor support
from Arcata Associates, the Cyber Penguins were requested to give a presentation and
demonstration to approximately 75 employees of Arcata and NASA DFRC. This
ARCATA management team was so impressed with the professionalism of the event, that
they have pledged their annual support as a platinum sponsor.
Smithsonian Museum’s Folk Life Festival “NASA Celebrating 50 Years” – Team 585 was
privileged to send a student and mentor to this once in a lifetime event on the Mall in
Washington D.C. Team 585, working with students and mentors from NASA home teams
throughout the country, worked the NASA FIRST booth and pitched the benefits of FIRST
to thousands of youth from countries throughout the world.
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7.4
Community Service
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7.5
Monthly Sharing & Caring Food, Diaper and Clothes Drives – Each month out in front of a
local department or food store, Team 585 runs a food, diaper and clothes drive for a local
thrift store and charity, Sharing and Caring.
Annual Arcata Charity Golf Tournament – Each year in May, the Cyber Penguins provide set
up and ticket sales support at this annual charitable event.
Habitat for Humanity (HFH) Campus Chapter – Team 585 worked to establish a HFH Campus
Chapter and the current President of Team 585 is also the President of the chapter. The team
prepared the club charter, recruited the adviser, and initiated the chapter.
Robot Reading at Kern County Library – Reaching out to Tehachapi’s younger future
scientists, the Cyber Penguins have begun a quarterly robot reading and VEX demonstration
at the local library.
Team 585 Trailer Support – In 2008, Honda R&D donated a 10 foot covered trailer to the
team. The trailer is a moving billboard, advertising FIRST, the Cyber Penguins, as well as all
the major sponsors. The trailer is loaned out to school clubs including being used by the
2008 Prom Committee to move supplies and plants to the prom location in Bakersfield, CA.
Office Partition Donation & Assembly – As the robotics team grew, so did the need for
additional THS space, however, space is a premium and was not available. Creatively, the
team worked with the Edwards AFB Environmental Management Office and took possession
of excess office partitions, storage cabinets, desks, and a workbench to reorganize the
robotics room to maximize space. Due to this creative solution, the need for additional space
has been put off for at least another year. The partitions are such a hot commodity, two other
THS locations have their requests in and will receive the new partitions and furniture, installed
by team members, in the near future.
Test Bench Loaning – In 2008, Team 585 received a $5,000 grant from ITEA to build a test
bench to test and program the new cREO control system, sensors and motors. The test
bench has been offered to the THS physics and principals of engineering classes for their
use. The test bench was loaned to the Lancaster Eagles, FRC Team 399, a two-time Los
Angeles Regional Chairman’s award winner. Both teams successfully developed autonomous
code and test it even after the robots were shipped to competition.
Other Events – The Cyber Penguins are ready to serve their community whenever called
upon. A prime example is in January 2009 when one of our platinum sponsors, Arcata
Associates, contacted Team 585 to participate in Extreme Makeover, Home Edition, at an
on-site location in Phelan, California. When you need a Cyber Penguin’s help, he or she is
there!
Community Involvement
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Annual Chili Cook-off and Robot Unveiling – The largest Team 585 event each year and
always held on President’s Day, one day prior to the robot ship date. The day is full of
activities, including a chili cook off judged by a NASA astronaut, VIPs, THS Principal, School
District Superintendent’s wife, school board members and local community representatives,
as well a silent auction, and of course the robot unveiling. Each year a guest speaker (Vance
Brand, veteran of one Apollo flight and three Space Shuttle missions, spoke in 2009) provides
his or her wisdom to students and families on topics such as the importance of working as a
team to the need for American-born engineers and technologists.
Annual Christmas Parade – For the last 3 years, Team 585 has entered the Tehachapi
Christmas Parade, winning an award in 2006. Along with a decorated float highlighting, what
else but penguins, a brightly decorated robot dazzles the crowd.
Animatronics Window Displays – Per the request of the “Main Street Tehachapi” Director, the
Cyber Penguins were asked to design, build and assemble three animatronics window
displays for downtown window fronts. The students responsible for building the best judged
display won $250 for the club to defray travel expenses.
Senior Center Presentation – Robots are not just for the young kids but the kids at heart as
well. The Cyber Penguins provided a demonstration and had discussions with our elders at
the community’s Senior Center.
“Bad Bulls” Bull Fighting Trash Round-up – Discussed in Section 9.2 below.
Monthly Cyber Penguin Day at Cold Stone Creamery - Discussed in Section 9.2 below.
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7.6
Team Giveaways
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7.7
Communication Methods
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8.0
Team Brochure – Team 585 brochure is provided at conferences, demonstrations and other
events. It mostly targets possible corporate sponsors.
Money Blower – A new event in the 2008/2009 season, the money blower was a hit when it
was first seen, along with the robot, at the Robot Unveiling. It blows various currencies of
“Cyber Bucks” around in a “Cyber Cube” while contestants attempt to snatch the largest bill.
The larger the currency caught, the nicer the giveaway won. The greatest target audience of
this marketing idea is future FRC members.
Cyber Penguin Buttons – As with many other teams, the Cyber Penguins distribute buttons to
students at competitions and other events.
FIRST Aid Kits – Always a big hit but in limited supply, FIRST Aid kits are given out at the
competitions and some conference events.
Picture with a Cyber Penguin – Also debuting at the 2009 Robot Unveiling was a human size
cardboard cut out of the Cyber Penguin. Who wouldn’t want their picture taken with such a
“cool” dude?
Sponsor Items – All key sponsors provide giveaway items to include NASA pictures, pins,
posters, and calendars, as well as ITEA stress relief globes, and Lockheed Martin F-22
Rapture DVDs, etc.
Team585.org Website – The Team 585 website received a website award in 2007 and along
with advertising FIRST and the Cyber Penguins is where team members check to see
calendar events, view archived pictures and access management plans.
Monthly Newsletter – Each month during the season, Team 585 publishes a newsletter that is
distributed to THS and school district staff, students, families, mentors, and sponsors. Mr. Jim
Beck, FIRST Western Region Coordinator, was so impressed with the newsletter that he sent
it to other teams to learn from.
Tehachapi News Articles – Fifteen times over the last 3 years, the Cyber Penguins have been
featured in the Tehachapi News. The most recent piece describing the 2009 Chili Cook-off
and robot Unveiling was front page news!
Channel 23 ABC News Series – Channel 23 ran a broadcast during the 6:00 PM news, shortly
after the kickoff, explaining the game and the challenge ahead for the team. Additional
segments hopefully will continue through the competition season. The primary Channel 23
viewing audience is the southern San Joaquin Valley, an area including Bakersfield that
currently does not have a FIRST team. We are hoping that the coverage of Team 585 will be
the ice-breaker that we need to bring FIRST to this area.
Team Shirts – Team 585 has both practice T-shirts and competition Polo shirts, both
prominently displaying the FIRST logo, with the competition shirts also including bronze,
silver, gold and platinum sponsors. The shirts are proudly displayed at school, community,
conference, and competition events.
Operational Manual
8.1
Manual Description
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The Team 585 Operations Manual is a document that contains a description of all of the
aspects of the team. It is meant to be a document that a new advisor, school administrator or
team member can pick up and be able to start, join or run the club after reading it. It can also
be a valuable resource for new rookie FIRST teams. It is found on the team folder in the
school district database and on the team web site.
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9.0
Financial Plan
The team 585 Financial Plan is the team budget for the current year as well as the planned activities for
the following two years. The current and past year budget accounting is incorporated into the Team 585
Budget tool. Our budget is balanced against that of the Associated Student Body budget.
9.1
Team Sponsor Revenue – By far, the largest revenue generated is through corporate sponsorship.
Corporate sponsorship accounted for over $23,000 in the 2008/2009 season.
9.2
Additional Sources of Funds
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Chili Cook-off and Silent Auction – The event is described in Section 7.5. Biggest fundraiser
for Team 585, raising $2,500 to $3,200 each year.
Monthly Cold Stone Creamery – On the third Friday of each month, the Cyber Penguins
provide labor to the local ice cream parlor for 15% of the evenings take. More than a
fundraiser event, the team advertises FIRST and the Cyber Penguins to the local community.
This event raises over $1,200 per year.
Car Washes – Approximately twice per year, Team 585 fundraises at a local car wash and
receives 50% of proceeds over a two day period (Sunday & Monday). Approximately $1,000
to $1,500 is raised through these events.
Phone Book Distribution – Each December or January, Team 585 distributes over 2000 phone
books at $.40 each. Between $600 to $1,000 is raised via this event each year. The
company owner has stated that we are the most reliable and responsible group and is
allowing the team to have first choice in selecting their distribution area beginning December
2009.
“Bad Bulls” Bull Riding Trash Round-up – A new event in July 2008, Team 585 provided trash
pick up services at the rodeo grounds during and after the event. The team receives $300
plus the proceeds for all recyclable plastic and aluminum containers. Approximately $500 is
raised via this event.
Magazine Sales – In the fall of 2008, Team 585 receives a percentage of magazines sold
through an internet fundraising site. It is projected that approximately $500 will be raised
through this event.
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9.3
Expenditures
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9.4
Event Registrations & Kit of Parts
Robot Build
Travel
Marketing and FIRST Outreach
Other
Budget Tool
At the 2007 SCRRF Workshop Day at California State University, Northridge, Team 585 was
introduced to a creative budget tool designed specifically for FRC teams by students from
Pepperdine University School of Business. Team 585 modified it and for the last two seasons
has used this tool. It has been exceptionally helpful in tracking and forecasting revenues and
costs. A printout of the tool is referred to in Section 12.5 and is provided as an attachment.
10.0
Team Goals
10.1
Short Term Goals (<2 years)
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Increase student participation 10% per year
As a minimum, maintain mentor participation at 2008/2009 level
As a minimum, maintain sponsor participation at 2008/2009 level
Increase fundraising revenue 10% per year
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10.2
Long Term Goals (>2 years)
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11.0
As a minimum, participate in a minimum of six conferences, demonstrations, or events per
year marketing FIRST
Start up and mentor one FRC team at Tomkins elementary School
As a minimum, maintain community service and involvement at current level
Financially support and assist in starting a THS full semester robotics course
Make contact with, and provide demonstrations to, a minimum of two Bakersfield area high
schools
Win a Regional Chairman’s award
Win a Regional Woodie Flower’s award for lead mentor
Win an Entrepreneurship award
Win at least one more Animation award
At least one student recipient of a FIRST scholarship
Start up at least one FRC team in the greater Bakersfield area
Increase student participation till we reach 50 team members
Increase mentor participation from 20 to 25
Increase team sponsorship 5% per year
Increase fundraising revenue 5% per year
Increase demonstrations, community events, community service and involvement by one
event per year
Win additional Regional Chairman’s and other awards
Double dedicated robot club space from one to two dedicated classrooms
Seriously contend for National Chairman’s award
At least one student recipient of a FIRST scholarship per year
Growth Plan
11.1
Growth Strategy
Team 585 is using a conservative approach, primarily due to expected reduced sponsor revenue
in 2009/2010 due to the current recession. The growth strategy uses the 2008/2009 season as
the baseline year. It is based on a current team size of 25 students and 20 mentors to a
maximum team size of 50 students and 25 mentors.
11.2
Affects of Growth
11.2.1 Positive Affects
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Increased participation leads to a greater number of students who obtain science, technology,
engineering and math college degrees
Increased participation leads to a greater number of students who have practical hands-on
skills, landing jobs in US high technology companies
Increased participation allows for adequate student and mentor involvement in all team subgroups
Increased participation leads to a greater number of students that have been involved in the
community and will continue to do so in their adult life
11.2.2 Negative Affects
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Increased participation requires increased revenue to cover costs. Current economy makes
sponsor recruitment and fundraising a greater challenge
Increased local fundraising efforts might cause other clubs in town to see a reduction in their
incomes
Increased participation requires additional space, which is a premium of THS. If acquiring a
second dedicated classroom is not possible, the club must consider relocating robotics club
operations to the vacant middle school facility.
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12.0
Supporting Documents
12.1
Robotics Club Charter
The robotics Club is chartered by the Associated Student Body organization at the Tehachapi
High School. Two members of the team are representatives to the ASB. The club is required to
follow all of the ASB rules, particularly those regarding fundraising and expenditures. The ASB
Financial Secretary keeps the official financial records of club transactions and the club reconciles
its own database against that of the ASB. A copy of the club charter is maintained by the ASB.
12.2
Club Organizational Structure
12.3
Team 585 Brochure
Separate document
12.4
Operational Manual
The Team 585 Operations Manual is too large to be included as an appendix to the Business
Plan and is a separate document.
12.5
Budget Tool
Separate document
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