Jim Story
Award -- 2011 Contest
Jim
Story was a gourd legend, a gentlemanly gardener, an experimenter, a teacher,
an AGS supporter, a gourd manipulator and molder of gourds. He inspired
many of us to try new and different techniques, a number of which he pioneered.
Jim encouraged gourd growers to continually "raise the bar" by facing ever
greater challenges. I believe it was Glen Burkhalter who asked that
Jim stop challenging us to tie more knots in long handled dippers after
many hundreds (allegedly!) of gourds met an early demise with Jim's famous
"three knot challenge"!
In
honor of Jim Story and all he has been to the gourd world, a Jim Story
Award will be implemented on a state and national level. The rules
and regulations may change as the AGS board sees fit, but the essence is:
An annual award for outstanding gourd manipulation will be presented each
year at the Indiana Gourd Festival (Jim's home chapter) or the state show
of his or her choice.
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2011 Entry should be in each
state class entry category as follows. ONE dried, cleaned, hand trained
or manipulated or molded gourd. This could be three separate categories,
but with the same requirements. Gourds eligible for the 2011 contest must
be grown in 2010, and gourds eligible for the 2012 contest must be grown
in 2011.
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Entrants MUST first win a State
Jim Story Award competition to be eligible for the American award. This
can be any State that has a category in their competition and the entrant
can enter as many competitions as he wishes but only one will be eligible
for the AGS entry.
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Entrants will be required to
complete the AGS Application & Questionnaire pertaining to how and
where he grew his gourd to be considered. Pictures presented as a tutorial
would hold more weight as to selecting the winner.
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The gourd that is entered in
each Chapter that wins the Jim Story Award must be the same gourd entered
in the AGS "Jim Story Award" for that year. Each State would need to submit
a printable quality photo of the winner with his gourd to be used in The
Gourd.
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The Winner will be presented
his award at The Indiana State Gourd Show or the show of his choice.
Criteria:
This is a challenge to push the envelope. We are looking for innovation,
new ideas, and new techniques of manipulation or molding. The hand-trained
or molded and manipulated gourds used should fit the category theme.
There will be a focus on Green Cleaning the tightness of a knot in the
trained gourd, and In addition, the entrant shall provide a series of photographs
demonstrating (as Jim would do) a tutorial on how to achieve the results
of the entry.
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Winners
in state Jim Story Award will receive certificates of recognition
and/or a trophy. Winner of the AGS Jim Story Award will receive a
cash prize and a trophy. The entrant would be required to sign an agreement
to have his work published in the American Gourd Society magazine (The
Gourd).
(see
past winners!)
We
are excited by the opportunity for the gourd growers of AGS to participate
in and carry on the work of our dear friend, Jim Story.
for
Chapter presidents/treasurers:
| Jim Story Award - Chapter
Payment ($20). |
|