From ASME San Francisco Section February 1998 Newsletter:
MATHCOUNTS!!
by Eric E. Worrell, P.E., Small Business Committee Chair, ASME Region IX and San Francisco Section
Have you been wondering what you can do to help young people improve math performance? Would you like to have some fun and do some good networking, too? Volunteer to help out with your local MATHCOUNTS competition!! After helping as a proctor or grader for the written "Sprint", "Target", and "Team" rounds, stick around to witness the top individual scorers going one-on-one in the countdown round. Test your in-your-head math speed against theirs or simply be impressed!
ASME International is one of many organizations joining the National Society of Professional Engineers in sponsoring MATHCOUNTS. In preparing for the annual competition, many 7th and 8th graders get extra coaching in pertinent math skills. Many volunteers in California Society of Professional Engineers chapters around the state helped get the program moving, early in this school year, by raising funds and distributing thousands of packages to middle schools. Some took an extra step and volunteered as coaches at their local schools. They still need your help for the fun part!
Call one of the leaders, below, to ask how you can help as a proctor, grader or lunch preparer. Proctors need to arrive about 8:30 or 9:00. Graders can get an extra half hour sleep. Later they race the clock to finish grading so scores are ready and the countdown round can start when the kids finish lunch.
You'll get this too late, unfortunately, for the Redwood Empire Chapter competition, to be held February 7, at Creekside Middle School in Rohnert Park. Contact Bill Angeloni at 707-996-9375 to get on the list to help out next year.
The East Bay Chapter competition is Saturday, February 14, at Etcheverry Hall (that's the ME building) on the UC Berkeley Campus. Contact Jerard Smith (Exxon, Benicia) at (707) 754-7334 or Farrell Nicholes (Tosco, Martinez) at 510-228-1220x2589 or nicholesf@asme.org.
Diablo Chapter's competition is on February 21 at Mt. Diablo High School, in Concord. Contact Farrell Nicholes or Jerard Smith.
Join Golden Gate Chapter on February 28 at Lawton Alternative Middle School in San Francisco. Contact Julia Gee at 415-768-4379.
Top schools and all-star teams of top individuals from other schools go on to the State Competition. The top four individuals in the state go to Washington DC for the National Competition and the big scholarship money. The northern California half of the State Competition will be March 14 at UC Davis. Contact: Scott Vorhees, in the CSPE office, at 916-422-7788.