New year message from the FRA

HI All,

Happy New Year.

A little bit of news.

You will have noticed that the event calendar has filled up and therefore another busy year for all.

Not all events are announced yet

The FRA governing body decided to put your championships out to tender to give all event organisers an equal chance of having the events.

We have had two apply for the heavy weight championships and one only for the feather weight championships.

Your governing body held a meeting with the event organisers in November with no contentious outcome this year. You however have to be informed of one decision that they unanimously decided upon.

For 2008 and beyond all FRA approved event organisers require that participating teams are FRA members. ( there are rare and exceptional circumstances where the above does not apply, such as a first time out and certain non regular visitors from abroad.)

Your FRA governing body, fully back the event organisers position.

This should indicate to you that the event organisers and the roboteers union are moving forward together.

Some teams have renewed their membership for 2008 but most have not yet.

A new 2008 join form is available from the join tab at http://www.fightingrobots.co.ukwww.fightingrobots.co.uk

Membership for new teams and overseas teams is £10 for the year and for past UK member teams it is £10 up to the 31/3/2008 and £20 thereafter.

We are also asking for donations from all teams to provide for a pair of new and worthwhile permanent FRA Championship trophies.

Any donations received this year will only go to provide for these new trophies. It would be our intention to only commission when enough funds are available for good quality items.

The FRA have vacancies should any members like to put themselves forward for

Governing body members for East Anglia and South West England and Wales.( you must reside in one of these areas to apply )

Secretary of the Association.

For a description of any duties please email info@fightingrobots.co.uk

In the near future it is the intention to hold a tech checkers teach in.

If any member is interested in being a tech checker please register your interest to info@fightingrobots.co.uk

Next FRA meeting this month.

can i put myself forward to construct trophys for the fra championships. they will be constructed from stainless steel and have an 8mm titanium base. i will do these free of charge and build them to a very high quality. wont be offended if you say no its just an offer

lol shane do u no where that 8mm titanium base will be going if we won

it wont be on a shelf with the others

haha

i say something like these

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40855000/jpg/_40855447_trophies203ap.jpghttp://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/4...phies203ap.jpg

if we want to make a donation can it go on the same cheque as the membership fee?

so is membership for a year £30? for existing members.

Membership for new teams and overseas teams is £10 for the year and for past UK member teams it is £10 up to the 31/3/2008 and £20 thereafter.

So if you delay sign up after 31/3/2008 it will cost you double. If you sign up now, it costs only £10 for the whole year.

(Message edited by kane on January 04, 2008)

i see, cheers Kane

Howcome its £20 after March?

To encourage roboteers to pay up early and not leave the FRA strapped for cash when bills have to be payed at the beginning of the year.

Fair enough. I suppose we all have to pay on our first event anyway if we want to compete, now that FRA membership is compulsary to attend events.

Thats the idea.

Do I need to fill out a new form for a renewal of membership?

Yes please. It ensures the FRA has up to date contact information.

Do we keep our existing FRA number?

Normally a new number is issued each year with a card.

Wouldnt it be easier to keep the same number for everybody, and issue new numbers to new members

Can I just email the form instead of regular mail?

Who do I need to pay ? If they are attending swindon I will pay them there

overseas members do not have to use any mail.

When attending your first event just bring a form with you.

We do not keep the same membership cards or numbers.
We can do our best to oblige if someone wants a particular number. I believe its either Dmac or team Tilly that prefers to have the number 13

Hi
I prefer 13 always try to book in on 13, I would apeciate retaining 13.

Dave Team DMac.

what ever number we had this year , id like again , been a good year for us!

I had 111 last year, would prefer something different so I dont have to stand on one leg all year. (Cricket reference)

Dave, 13 is free at the moment.

Ed, how does 211 suit

Cheques in the post Andy :)

Honest!!!!!

Cheque posted Andy

wow another year gone already, just need to wait for the student loan to come in :)

Happy New Year to everyone.

Andy, thanks for this New Year message. I would like to express my personal opinion about some of the matters contained within.

It is good as always to see a burgeoning list of events as well as competition for host of the FRA UK Championships - is there any more information currently available on how and when this important decision will be made?

On the subject of all participating teams being members of the FRA - I would personally love it if all participants were members of the FRA - however, in my opinion, this should not made a mandatory requirement (albeit with some very minor exceptions) - it should be a case of everyone has joined the FRA because they want to do so, because they believe that the organisation is successfully fulfilling its mandate in the right way (in the eye of each individual).

Sadly I see this as being more akin to the concept of you must join the Robot Wars Club in order to take part in Robot Wars - something which I believed the FRA was dead set against when it was founded!

There are some people and teams who have in the past chosen not to join the FRA for their own le}}gitimate reasons (yet are regular attendees and therefore would appear not to be captured under the exemptions above) - are we now in a position of excluding those people from the community unless they change their opinions? :sad: This would be a deeply disappointing situation

I would like to invite comment from others on this matter, though particularly would appreciate the thoughts of members of the FRA Governing Body and the Event Organisers themselves who are responsible for this decision.
000000>
Regards

Tim

Upon reading your 3rd paragraph that you would personally love it if all participants were members of the FRA. As an individual Tim, why have you not joined?

To anyone attending Swindon - Andy and Geoff will probably be there but I will also be happy to take in forms & subs as necessary.

Sorry if this has been covered and I missed it but how does the rule stating that all teams must be members of the FRA affect Antweight roboteers? Some Antweights are planning (I think) to attend a Robots Live event this year for example and I am pretty sure some people who do ants are not FRA members.

Will this be clarified if it comes under the rare/exceptional circumstances closer to the event?

--
Mike
http://www.bobblebot.co.ukhttp://www.bobblebot.co.uk - *New Site*

happy new year ED

Happy New Year Tim and also to Meral.

I would like to clarify the reason the FRA ask that all roboteers are members. It is so they are covered by the FRAs professional indemnity insurance. This also give consistancy to all the events and event organisers. We will all be singing off the same hymn sheet.


I would like to finish off by saying that Geoff had nothing to do with this post. If you have a problem, come and see me.:kiss:

on my way jenny.........woohoooooooo :)

Hey Swanny, I never knew you were thinking about a change of career to a soprano singer :rofl:

I can sing falsetto. La La Laaaaa see!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guys I would appreciate it if we could keep this on topic.

Thanks Jenny

sorry jenny :kiss:

Karoline & Jenny - many thanks for your responses and a Happy New Year to you both from both Meral and myself. :)

Firstly Karoline - the reason why I have not personally joined is contained within my paragraph five. I currently have legitimate (in my opinion) reason as to why I have not joined the FRA. I will not go into detail in open forum - as I do not believe that to be appropriate behaviour. However, in answer to your question, my reason is both in relation to the handling of a specific incident involving myself as well as more general concerns which I have expressed to the FRA Governing Body. :sad:

I did not mention this in the first place as my questions are in relation to the general situation (and its effects on any who feel they have a legititmate reason for not being a member rather than myself or any other as a specific case)

Jenny - whilst I am aware of the professional indemnity insurance offered by the FRA I am unclear as to what has changed since last year to make it mandatory for all participants to be members when this has never been a case in the past?

Tim (and all) My view is that our sport is is on the edge of survival. So we should all show solidarity by belonging to our national association, regardless of any criticisms we might have of it. My cheque is in the mail.