Our tournament today was a big success! We arrived a little bleary eyed at 7 AM, but by 8 AM everyone was ready to go and our school gym was buzzing with activity as teams arrived and set up, robots were tested on practice tables.
All morning teams presented their projects, robots, and core values for judging panels.
The hallways were buzzing with excited teams, coaches and parents. For some teams this was their very first FLL competition!
Each team was assigned a K-Bot to be their guide for the day. We love making connections with our FLL friends and we look forward to seeing them in the next few years at competition, and eventually when they join us in high school!
We showed our past season’s robot and offered driving lessons to our younger friends. Many parents and judges were really intrigued with what we can accomplish during a 6 week build season. We invited them to come and visit us sometime in January to see us in action!
Along with the FLL tournament, we also had a Jr. FLL Expo happening at the same time. Our two teams were the Mini W.A.F.F.L.E.S. from Kingston, and the GermBusters from Brampton Ontario. Many thanks to the GermBusters for making the trip to Kingston to join us. We hope to see them again next year!
Our good friend the blue bear showed up to help pump up the crowd. The blue bear got lots of hugs from young and old alike.
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All day teams spent their time programming and tweaking their robots to perform all of the required missions.
There were demonstrations for local news media…
…and lots of anxious moments at the game tables
…and then we danced…
….and danced….
…even the referees danced!
We danced until we got tired.
Thanks so much to the DJs from our high school radio station 91.9FM CKVI The Cave for making sure there were always great dancing songs ready to go!
The prizes were announced at the end of the tournament. We love to line up and give high fives to everyone as they collect their participation medals and their prizes.
Congratulations to Mrs. Dossett for earning the Adult Mentor Award
Congratulations to Wesley for earning the Young Adult Mentor Award
Congratulations also to the W.A.F.F.L.E.S., winners of the Champion’s Award, and Lancaster Roarbotics for qualifying for the Provincial competition in January. We wish you all the best in your preparations for the next level of competition!
Other Awards
Robot Design Award: Lancaster Roarbotics
Robot Performance Award: Lancaster Roarbotics
Core Values Award: The Rhinobots
Project Award: The Roborhinos
Volunteer Award: John Shaw, our head judge from OPG Nuclear
robotics is the gateway drug for our future!
Thanks to all of the K-Bots who helped to keep things running smoothly today, from set up and registration, timing, cuing, working with FLL teams, working with judges, driving our robot, monitoring practice tables, being referees MCs DJs and the blue bear, cooking lunch, moving tables, writing thank you cards, taking great photographs, operating video cameras, making slideshows, dancing with enthusiasm, talking with media, and helping with all of the clean up. Special thanks to Christine for organizing the entire event.
See you all again on Thursday when we’ll go to Transformix for a tour (time is not yet confirmed). Permission forms are needed to go on this field trip. Parent drivers would be greatly appreciated too–there are volunteer driver forms to fill out before driving.
We discussed the plans for the 
Our group split up for rotations of CAD tutorial work–some of us are getting really good at the practical applications of CAD.
We held a brainstorming rotation for Chairman’s report ideas, and activities we should engage in over the year to help our community and build up our team. We also walked everyone through the 
The remaining station was a super top secret design challenge. Groups had 30 minutes and a variety of materials (wheels, newspaper, straws, plastecine, skewers, cardboard, wood, screws, saws, measuring devices, and lots of tape) to construct a vehicle that was powered by a balloon that could travel the farthest down the school hallway.
At the same time we’re also preparing FLL curriculum and presentations, and getting ready to bring “Kasey III: Barbra Streisand” on tour to the local elementary schools in June.
While we’ve got ideas fresh in our minds we’re making up a handbook for new members, and we’re also coming up with ideas for fundraising and we’re always looking for new sponsors, so we’re refreshing our sponsorship package.
We’re always learning! It’s a good time to brush up on CAD skills. 
Monday we’re going to Frontenac Secondary School at 5:00PM to learn technical drawing with our good friend the Cyberfalcons, team 3710. It’s going to be a fun pre-season!!
By 3:00PM all luck had changed. Our connectors had arrived! (Digi-Key has amazingly fast delivery).
…others had to be patched a bit. Finally at 11:30 we got out our box of treasures, unopened since kick-off. The box that we were now allowed to open and use.
We ziptied moving parts so they wouldn’t get damaged, we decided what parts to include in our withholding allowance, and then we bagged and tagged our robot.
