ORTOP Inclement Weather and Event Cancellation PolicyThe safety of the team members and our volunteers is the most important consideration. The FIRST LEGO League Operational Partners for Oregon use that consideration to guide all decisions when deciding to cancel or delay an event.Oregon's FIRST LEGO League Affiliate Partners will cancel or delay an event using information from the US Weather Bureau to help us forecast if it would be safe for a majority of the teams/volunteers to travel to and from the event. If the site host closes their facility because of weather, health, and emergency related reasons, the event will be canceled.Coaches and parents must always assess their own travel route for safety and make their own decision to travel. Keep it in perspective. The safety of the kids is the most important consideration. Official information site for tournament cancellations or delays .In addition, ORTOP and Qualifying Tournament Directors will email to both the primary and emergency contact email addresses with notification or updates.The third method of contact is by phone using the emergency phone number provided by the coach.If any of this information has changed since October, please update your Qualifying Tournament Director.Please note: If an event is canceled it is impossible to reschedule it. Site hosts have booked their facilities months in advance. There is no time to reschedule prior to the Championship. State Championship slots left open by an event cancellation will be assigned by lottery from teams affected by the cancellation.
Spectators will enter the school and be guided by signs to the arena. This is the primary public area of the event. Here the family, friends, and invited guests of the teams will watch all of the teams compete in the robot table competition. The spectators will see each team compete in the robot game three times throughout the day. Their view will be of an 8' x 8' box which has two back to back ANIMAL ALLIES Challenge tables. Every few minutes 2 teams will approach the tables, one on each side. The teams will have 2.5 minutes to manipulate the models on the table to score points. The 2 teams may work together on one model that exchanges animals. The referees will talk with the teams. There may be a game announcer or emcee that explains the action, there may not. Spectators may also have access to a few other areas of the event, although this is not always the case.
Spectators make the table game fun for the teams. They are encouraged to cheer and celebrate all of the teams. Some teams are not able to bring their supporters as they have to travel or have parents who work on the day of the event.Volunteers
Volunteers will be greeted upon arrival and directed to their assignment. If they did not complete their FIRST Volunteer registration including the background check (ran out of time) they will need to fill out a Walk-on Volunteer form. Morning volunteers who arrive early may have time for a coffee and treat. Volunteers will spend most of the day "behind the scenes" in their role at the event. Judges will see every team and interact with them in their judging specialty. Referees will support teams and record all their robot accomplished during the match. Scorekeepers will record the referee sheets to give teams their score for each robot game round. Practice table volunteers will make sure all teams get the time they need on the practice tables to improve their robot throughout the day. Runners will get teams from place to place. Judge door queuers will help keep the entire tournament running on schedule and get to greet all of the teams as they arrive for judging. Regardless of their role, all volunteers will play a critical role in making the event truly remarkable for the teams.Teams
Teams will be exposed to every aspect of the tournament. Teams will be greeted by Team Check-in volunteers who will make sure their team name and all of their information is correct. They will give the team their packet of information for the day which includes that team's specific schedule. Teams will set up their pit and go to the Opening Ceremony. After the ceremony the team will follow their specific schedule to attend a judging session and their first robot round. In the judging session the team will meet 2-3 judges and share all the hard work they've completed this season. In the arena teams will have their robot inspected and join another team at the competition table. In between activities, the team will work on improving their robot, meet other teams in the pit area, and practice for their judging sessions. The team will attend 3 different judging panels, one in each aspect of FIRST LEGO League; robot design, project presentation, and core values. The team will also enter the arena 3 times during the day. Once in the morning, once mid-way through the event, and one final afternoon run. After all of the judging and robot rounds have finished the teams will pack up their pit area, and return to the arena or designated space for the Closing Ceremony. During the closing ceremony the day will be recapped for the teams, volunteers, and spectators, awards and advancement will be distributed and the hard work and accomplishments of all of the teams will be celebrated.
