Earning Our Stripes The tiger is not simply a mascot of Greater Rochester Robotics Team 340, but rather

a defining symbol of our organization. Many of the tigers superior characteristics are reflected in the outstanding concepts of our team structure. Adaptability, voice, and vision are the main attributes we possess, allowing us to demonstrate the true meaning of FIRST. Adaptability The key to the tigers survival is its ability to be adaptable and resilient. Team 340 works in a similar manner, as we have conquered multiple challenges and endured the most trying of circumstances. We were founded with a promising alliance between five area high schools and Nortel Networks. At our first competition, we earned the Rookie All-Star Award for our excellent group chemistry and overall teamwork. This distinction heightened our confidence and affirmed our new program. The next two years brought +minor changes to the team structure and working environment, but nothing as drastic as the season that followed. Our fourth year brought on the challenge that would be the definitive test of GRR. Our partnership with Nortel had concluded, leaving us without a major source of funding. Fortunately, our previous successes had led to the growth of technology in our school district, and a new technology wing was completed. With limited resources, we worked out of the new addition and carried on with the task of constructing a competitive robot. After receiving little recognition at the Buckeye Regional, we knew we needed to make modifications to robot design and changes to our team presence at future events. Our efforts paid off. We were presented with the Motorola Quality Award, and took home the Championship banner from the J&J Mid-Atlantic Regional. Our perseverance and teamwork did not go unnoticed at competition. These accomplishments, combined with an act of gracious professionalism, landed us with a new sponsor, Bausch & Lomb. The support of our new sponsor allowed us to grow as a team. The hard work and dedication that was once necessary to scrape by could now be used to aid our community. Our efforts were rewarded in 2005, when we took home our most coveted accolade to date, the Chairmans Award. Voice The call of the tiger can be distinctly heard from small or great distances, and uses its influence to establish its territory and identity. GRR is no different. We grasp the opportunity to express who we are and what we do, while giving back to our community. Within our school district, we organize various activities. For the Big Brother/Big Sister holiday party at our high school, we prepared food baskets, and supplied more than 40 boxes of crayons for the kids. When the Science Olympiad team needed assistance building a robot, trebuchet, and other projects, we stepped up. With our help, they earned a fourth place medal at their competition. For our elementary schools Fun Night, we showed off our robot, and donated $100 to their playground fund. These types of activities showed our district who we are, and after six years of existence, we finally received recognition at our schools pep rally. In addition, our Chairmans Award recognition was displayed on the sign at the main entrance of the high school, and we will again present ourselves to the Board of Education to inform them of our accomplishments this year. Team 340s outreach is not limited to our schools, as we are involved in a variety of events throughout our entire community. We hold numerous bottle and can drives to fund our activities and other FIRST teams in need. At these drives, we remove tabs from the cans and donate them to the Ronald McDonald House. We also collected and donated daily living items from their wish list. Over the summer, GRR participated in an overnight walk, the Relay for Life, which raises money for cancer awareness and research. We held a book drive for a local library, and spent 12 hours bell-ringing for the Salvation Army at our local mall. We collected food to prepare Thanksgiving care baskets for a local church, and held a clothing drive for them. During the holiday season, Team 340 strives to give sick and hospitalized kids something to celebrate. The team collected toys for the kids at the Golisano Childrens Hospital. We also fundraised for them by organizing a change rangers campaign which asked students of our high school to donate their spare money. We support Camp Good

Days and Special Times by taking part in their annual Kazoo Fest. GRR knows that taking a little time out of our busy schedule can truly brighten the lives of others. Team 340 even reaches beyond our local area. When new state regulations required them to have top bunk rails, the Mountainview Christian Camp requested our aid. We spent months designing, prototyping, and producing over 50 bedrails. Just as we helped victims of natural disasters last year, we sold Mardi Gras beads to collect funding for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. In the near future, we plan on participating in Habitat for Humanity, and the Multiple Sclerosis Walk, as we never stop striving to impact the world around us. Vision The eye of the tiger is focused and alert. The same holds true for Team 340, as we are aimed toward the vision of the future. We aspire to improve the success of science and technology through spreading and maintaining the ideals of FIRST. GRR has incorporated robotics into the classrooms of our school. We held a district-wide engineering workshop for young students. We introduced the kids to the basics of robot design, different computer programs, and gave them the thrill of operating the robot. As in the past, we have incorporated FIRST into our Project Lead the Way courses. Furthermore, we have recently added a new robotics class in the high school, built on the principles of FIRST. Also new this year is a room dedicated to the designing, building, and testing of our robot in the technology wing. Even at last years Finger Lakes Regional, we were working on many different projects. We ran a welding demonstration with Mahany, and gave elementary kids a tour around the competition, while explaining the game and introducing them to the different robots. We also hosted a Lego League exhibition, which sparked a new interest for FIRST and FLL in the area, inspiring the formation of many new teams. The exhibition grew into an official FLL event, where a large number of our team members volunteered, and our team leader sat on the judges panel. This fall, we built a robot solely for the purpose of performing demonstrations. We held demos for Boy Scout troops at Churchville and Penfield Elementary, and our district high school. We also held assemblies for the students at two of our district elementary schools. For the premiere of the movie Robots, we set up an area in the foyer of our local movie theatre to show people the real life machines, and promote FIRST in places it is not normally found. We also displayed our robot at our communitys Country Fair, and our booth contained posters of our teams projects from the past year. We paired up with other teams to spread the spirit of FIRST. At Rush-Henrietta High School, we teamed up with past Chairmans Award winner, the X-Cats Team 191, to help kick start a new team. One of last years rookies, Team 1511, joined us in demonstrating at the Lego League tournament and at the Rochester Museum and Science Center. GRR also expands the interest of technology within our own team. Our students work in a real-world setting, where leadership and confidence flourish. From the first week of school, the team learns how to communicate and cooperate with different types of people, through tasks such as contacting local businesses and mentoring younger kids. Even communication within the group is emphasized, in order to function more productively. We have inspired students to get involved in the engineering field, and many have gone on to receive FIRST scholarships for science and engineering degrees at several renowned colleges. Former GRR members have attended Harvard, Stanford, RIT, Kettering, Clarkson, and many more. We are fortunate to have many come back to mentor our team. While we know that spreading technology awareness is important, GRR also recognizes that it is essential to help others maintain a positive experience in FIRST. When a member of our team transferred to a private school, he asked if we would help launch a new team. Thus, the Finney Falcons were born. We continue to help them, and our facilities are always open for them to come and use. We also mentored two Lego League teams, Saints Robotics from Churchville and the Brighton Aquamen. We taught the Saints how to fundraise and work as a team, and through following our example, they captured the Teamwork Award. Our mentors also help to spread FIRST. They are models for the adult leaders on our sister team, Team 1567. At the FLRC, many mentors from our team will be volunteering in various capacities, such as robot inspection, field reset, and website judging. Also at the regional, two adults from GRR head the New Team Development Committee. At the Rah-Cha-Cha Ruckus, our team leader co-chaired the event, and several of our mentors volunteered.

GRR has adapted through difficult situations. We will continue to project our voice for all to hear, and keep our vision focused on achieving our goals. Our strength lies within the tightly knit bonds of our team structure, and our unyielding determination to better our community. Each year our ambitions grow, and our devotion and enthusiasm stay unmatched. Our defining attributes help us to be positive, influential role models, but never blind us to the need for improvement. We know there is no limit to what we can accomplish, and we always work to our fullest potential, thus earning our stripes.