Rotary Technology Tournament

3rd February 2010

Cambridge Motel

The third Royston Technology Tournament took place, at the Cambridge Motel on Wednesday 3rd Feb, between teams representing schools in Royston and Buntingford. John Gourd, Site Planning and Services Director at Johnson Matthey, presented The Johnson Matthey Trophy for overall design and innovation to the Roysia C Team who also won the first prize in the Basic Tournament, winning £100 for their school. Freman College A Team took the second prize of £75 and Roysia B Team the third prize of £50. The Advanced Tournament was won by Freman College.

The task set was to build a beacon, from the materials supplied, that lit up an advertising hoarding. In the case of the Basic Tournament, the light had to flash at least once with bonus points being collected for additional flashes. In the Advanced Tournament the light had to flash 10 times with a frequency of one second.

Although all the teams were very inventive in the different types of switches they devised to make the light to flash, most were driven by some form of pendulum.

A panel of judges, made up of Rotarians and representatives of local technological companies, assessed the teams throughout the day on the basis of team work, brainstorming, planning, execution and the final working model.

Participating in the Basic Tournament, were three teams from each of Greneway Middle School, Roysia Middle School, The Meridian School, Ralph Sadleir Middle School, Edwinstree Middle School and Freman College. Two teams took part in the Advanced Tournament, one from The Meridian School and one from Freman College.

David Izod, President of the Rotary Club of Royston, said ” It was so rewarding to see 80 students working with such concentration for over 4 hours developing and expressing their ideas and models. The Tournament provides a vital insight to the skills needed in work and for the future of our country”

Chris Hardy, event manager, said “I would like to thank the panel of judges, many of whom have supported the Tournament since its inception, and also the Technology Teachers and Heads at all the schools without whose continued support the Tournament would not take place”