AMERICAN GOURD SOCIETY PO BOX 2186 KOKOMO, IN 46904
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Jim Story Award
The 2025 Jim Story Award Contest
> Qualifying entries have won a 1st or 2nd place in an AGS-judged Competition
> Multiple entries from the same person are allowed (one for each category)

> Two entry categories: (1) Single Manipulated Gourd, and (2) Multiple Manipulated Gourds (inseparable)


Jim Story Award Entry Information
Jim Story Judging Criteria
About Jim Story
Who was Jim Story?
Jim Story was known world-wide as a gourd gardener, a gourd manipulator and molder of gourds. Ever the experimenter, teacher, and legendary supporter of the American Gourd Society, Jim encouraged many to follow in his step and manipulate gourds.
Read more about Jim here.


About the Award. In his honor, the AGS started the “Jim Story Award” in 2009 to encourage and inspire gourd growers to continue the exploration of gourd manipulation.

What Do You Receive if You Win?

1st Place: Choice of $150 or a Jim Story Gourd, a trophy and a photo of your gourd on the cover of the Spring issue of The Gourd Magazine
2nd Place: $50 & Certificate
****All winners will receive extra copies of the magazine for bragging rights

Want to Win the AGS Jim Story Award? Begin by Winning 1st or 2nd place in the JSA competition at an AGS-judged show at the Chapter or Patch level.
Details on *Entry Requirements, *What You Will Need for Your Entry and *How to Submit Your Entry can be found on the following page. Click Here for Entry Information.


You may be wondering what the Judging Criteria are for a Manipulated Gourd. There are 3 main criteria *Cleanliness, *Cultural Perfection, and *Manipulation. There is a "bonus" given to a gourd that was green cleaned.

The Judging Criteria are explained in greater detail on the following page: Jim Story Award Judging Criteria.



How Judging Works
  • Judging is done by AGS Members who are  experienced in gourd manipulation. One of the judges serves as the Judging Foreperson, tallies the results and submits them to the JSA Committee Chairperson and Competition Manager. The members of this Judging team are not members of the JSA Committee.
  • Judges each receive a Judging Score Sheet and a submission packet for each entry. Entries are assigned a Code Number and all documents are reviewed  to ensure there is no entrant identification on them.
  • All judging is done independently of the other judges and submitted to the Judging Foreperson. The scores are tabulated and the results are ranked 1st, 2nd & 3rd.


Picture
Roy Schmidlin, 2024 2nd place, Multiple, Inseparable Manipulated Gourds
Picture
Picture
Tom Shaneyfelt, 2024 - 1st place SINGLE Manipulated Gourd
Picture
Tom Shaneyfelt, 2024 MULTIPLE, Inseparable Manipulated Gourds
Picture
Roy Schmidlin, 2024 - 2nd place Single Manipulated Gourd
Picture
Celia Shaneyfelt, 2024 - 3rd place, Single Manipulated Gourd

Forms, Tutorials and Educational Materials

2024 Jim Story Application (one form for each entry)
2024 Jim Story Award Rules
Frequently Asked Questions
Jim Story Manipulated Gourd Judging Form

Growing & Harvesting Gourds
Growing a Gourd in a Flat Mold
Making & Using a Homemade Mold to Reshape a Gourd
Using Easy Constraints to Mold a Gourd
Gourd Pests
Green Cleaning Gourds
How to Tie a Knot with a Gourd
How to Build a Gourd Arbor
Photographing Your Gourd for the Jim Story Award
Sample/Examples of Completed Jim Story Questionnaires

Books:
The Immortal Molded Gourds of Mr. Zhang Cairi by Betty Finch and Guojun Zhang

Jim Story Award 1st Place Winners
(Go to Entry Requirements page to see 2nd & 3rd Place Winners)

2009 1st Place: Glenn Burkhalter
2010 1st Place: Glenn Burkhalter
2011 1st Place: Glenn Burkhalter
2012 1st Place: Roy Schmidlin
2013 1st place - Alan Sweeney
2014 1st place - Bill Freihofer
2015 1st place -Jim Ballard
2016 Winners
2016 Winners: Graham & Otto Ottoson
2017 1st place: Phil Hart
2018 1st Place: Carla Arnold, Idaho
2019, 1st place, Cecile Garrison

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© 2022 American Gourd Society, Inc. All rights reserved. The American Gourd Society is a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.
  • Home
  • Join
    • Standard Membership-2025
    • Auto Renewal Membership
    • CA+International Membership
  • Magazine
    • Quarterly Contest
    • Back Issues
  • Chapters
  • Calendar
  • Education
  • Gourd Growing Tutorials
    • Manipulated Gourd Tutorials
    • Sellers: Seeds, Gourds
    • Growing
    • Harvesting
  • Crafting Techniques
    • Pyrography
    • Crafting Resources
    • Crafting Tutorials
  • Judging
    • Competition Scoring Forms for Judges & Clerks
    • Training Apprentice & Certified Judges
    • Judges Activity Reporting Forms
    • List of Judge Instructors
  • Artistry Award
  • Jim Story Award
    • JSA-Eligibility/Entry
  • History of Gourds Around the World
  • About
  • Judging