With such a legacy to live up to, Team 2192 was not idle during the summer and fall of 2007 despite the lack of competition at the time. Some members formed greater links with our community, helping the after-school LEGO League at Newport Middle School and ensuring that a greater number of people were informed of the club through continued communication.
Lack of communication is not a quality that was lacking during this period but misunderstanding of communication was a problem. Once the school year had started, though, elections were quickly held for a new governing council (and indeed for a new system of government!) but it was quickly decided by a reasonable majority that the current system would survive and that Aaron Saleen would serve as President of the club, with Logan Williams as Vice-President, Kate Malcolm as Treasurer, Sebastian Lynch as Head of the Outreach Committee and Jessica Sampson as Head of Documentation Committee (the secretarial committee).
During this period the most active in the group were those seeking the renewal of Team 2192’s bank account so that we could continue to compete in this wonderful competition. As a result of their tireless activities several grants and partnerships were soon established: Georgia-Pacific and the Confederate Tribes of Siletz Indians joined as major sources of funding, and our grant with NASA was re-established as were our partnerships with Halco Welding and Riddell Sheet Metal. In addition, through the School District-wide fundraising program selling raffle tickets, we were able to raise more funds from the public itself.
When January rode in bright and cold it was followed quickly by the Kick-Off event for the 2008 build season, which was also held at the LaSalles Stewart Center in Corvallis. Around the same number of people attended as in 2007, and after getting extremely antsy waiting for the new challenge to be unfolded for us, the 2008 F.I.R.S.T. competition was unveiled! Overdrive in place!
Both Mr. Hanna and Liz Fox drove people to the event and on the ride all were subjected to the sounds of many minds working in tangent to create a single machine. Nowhere was this more evident than once the team had arrived back at Newport High School to inventory the parts that we had received in Corvallis. Everyone stayed for this process and many initial designs arose as a result of this interaction immediately following the presentation of the problem.
Information on the 2008 Build Season to follow after the 19th of February - The Ship Date!