Growing

Jim Story Award

Who was Jim Story?
James "Jim" Story was born 1922 in Cherokee Co., Alabama and died in 2005 at age 83. He was a WWII veteran and retired from the Navy after 20 years active service. He was well known throughout the Pendelton, Indiana community for being involved in Pendleton Garden Club, Pendleton Lions Club, Indiana Gourd Society, American Gourd Society and several other plant societies. Last but not least, Jim was known world-wide as a gourd gardener, a gourd manipulator and molder of gourds.

Jim's love for growing gourds in a garden next to Fall Creek on North Main St. in Pendleton expanded over time. Jim was ever the experimenter, teacher, and legendary supporter of the American Gourd Society. 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.

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 (2018)?
1st Place$300 & Trophy and

Photo of your gourd on the cover of the Spring 2019 issue of The Gourd Magazine
Extra copies of the magazine for "bragging rights"
A manipulated gourd by Jim Story

2nd Place $150 & Certificate
3rd Place $50 & Certificate

Eligibility Requirements

Entrant must be a current AGS member
Entries must have won 1st Place in the current year (2018) in a manipulated gourd category in a State Chapter Show or a non-AGS chartered organization's show*
Entries are a Single, Dried Manipulated gourd that has been cleaned,** with no added finish

* Non-AGS-chartered organizations within the USA must donate $25 to the JSA fund to help support the award. Organizations outside the USA must donate $50 to the JSA fund to help support the award. Donations may be submitted with the completed application.

** Green cleaned (outer skin removed before the gourd has dried) entries may score up to five additional points during the judging process. Note: Green cleaning carries a risk of the gourd drying too fast. This may result in shrinking, cracking and possible disintegration of the gourd. So be careful if you decide to use this process.

How to Enter

Complete the Application Form & the enclosed questionnaire as much as possible
Photos of the gourd during the growing and manipulating process inform the judges on the time and effort involved. These are optional, but helpful.
Submit 2 high quality photos of the entry at the Show where it won 1st Place. One photo with the ribbon and 1 without.

How to Submit your Entry

Photos of the gourd during the growing and manipulating process inform the judges on the time and effort involved. These are optional, but helpful.
Submit 2 high quality photos of the entry at the Show where it won 1st Place. One with the ribbon and 1 without.
Send these items via email to [email protected] or USPS mail to AGS Membership, PO Box 2186, Kokomo, IN 46904-2186
Submission Due Date: NOVEMBER 30th

Judging Criteria

Cleanliness - up to 10 points
Cultural Perfection- up to 10 points
Manipulation* - up to 75 points
Green Cleaning - 5 points

*Manipulation is graded in 2 way: (1) Innovation, Uniqueness & Originality up to 30 points, and (2) Degree of Difficulty and Skill level up to 45 points

Judging Criteria Explained

Cleanliness: Defined as made clean.All visible exterior skin and dirt should be removed from the gourd from the tip of the stem (if present) to the blossom end; including the inside surface of tight knots, spirals, coils, curves and bends. You should not be able to see any skin or dirt remaining on the gourd.
Cultural Perfection: “Free of blemishes or damage.”
Manipulation: “To manage or control artfully.”
A. Innovation/Uniqueness/Originality: When all else is equal the most unique manipulation should score higher.
B. Degree of Difficulty/Skill level: A successfully completed difficult manipulation will score higher than an easier manipulation. For example, a double knot would score higher than an overhand single knot. Judges have the discretion to apportion points among all criteria. See Degree of Difficulty Guidelines below for additional information
Green Cleaning Scraping the outer skin off the gourd while it was still green is intentionally separate from cleanliness. Jim Story green-cleaned most of his gourds -- but that is difficult to do without the risk of the gourd drying too fast, shrinking and cracking. BE CAREFUL! (But Jim would want you to try).

Degree of Difficulty, additional information
Molds or Other Devices:

These may be purchased or individually crafted by applicant.
A homemade mold is more difficult and more unique than one which has been purchased.
If it does not enhance the appearance of the gourd, leaving a manipulation device on the gourd chould result in fewer points being awarded.

Coils:

Number and tightness of coils: How many times was the gourd wrapped around a pole or other device?
The more wraps the higher the degree of difficulty.
A tight coil (coils touching or close together) is more difficult than a loose coil.

Knots:

An overhand single knot is the least difficult to tie. Two wraps (go around the neck twice brfore tying the knot) is more difficult than wrapping it once. A figure-eight knot is more difficult than an overhand single knot.
A square knot is more difficult than an overhand knot or a figure-eight knot.
Two knots in one gourd are more difficult than any single knot.
Two knots straightened out (one above the other in the neck) is more difficult than two knots that are in the neck but not positioned one above the other.
Three knots would probably be a world record.

Etching:

Involves scratching the surface of a growing gourd deep enough to cause scarring that forms a pattern still visible after the gourd has dried and the skin removed.
The finished gourd should be attractive with attention paid to the execution.

Anything Else:

Could include twisting with a rope, stocking or other device.
Innovate
Surprise us!

How Judging Works

Judging is done by 3 AGS gourd members who are trained judges and experienced in gourd manipulation. The 4th person on the Judging team is the Judging Foreperson who tallies the results and submits them to the JSA Committee Chairperson. The 4 members of this judging team are not JSA Committee Members.
Judges each receive a scoring sheet and a submission packet for each entry. Entries are assigned a letter and the documents are modified so that there is no identifying information about the entrants. The submission packets each contain the modified application, questionnaire and photos.
All judging is done independently of the other judges. The Judging Foreperson does not vote, but tabulates the results from the 3 judges. The scores are tabulated and the results are ranked 1st, 2nd & 3rd.

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