Center Garden Club Hosts Contests, Invites Area Youth

August 18, 2015 - The Center Garden Club of Center, TX is inviting students of Shelby County to participate in the upcoming contests.

The Texas Garden Clubs, Inc. and National Garden Club Youth Activities offers the following contests:

Forestry Service Poster Contests:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and the National Garden Clubs, Inc. are giving students the opportunity to demonstrate through original drawings of Smokey Bear or Woodsy Owl their understanding of wildfire prevention and basic environmental conservation principles.

2015-2016 Smokey Bear Contest:
Theme: “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires!”
Smokey’s message, “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires!” encourages personal responsibility for fire prevention. Smokey Bear teaches children and adults to be careful with campfires, barbecues, trash fires, and matches.
Eligibility for Poster Contests, and Directions: Contest is open to Grades 1-5. Size of Poster: 11X17. Please use Poster Board, and the media of your choice.
Deadline: October 15, 2015.

2015-2016 Woodsy Owl Contest:
Theme: “Lend A Hand – Care For the Land!”
Woodsy Owl is America’s icon for the conservation of the environment. Since 1971, Woodsy has helped parents and teachers inspire children to observe, explore, and care for the environment. He challenges children to “Lend a Hand, Care for the Land!” and to take an active role in caring for the land through recycling, reusing, and reducing waste, planting and caring for trees, using resources wisely, and not littering.

Eligibility for Poster Contests, and Directions: Contest is open to Grades 1-5. Size of Poster: 11X17. Please use Poster Board, and the media of your choice.
Deadline: October 15, 2015.

Poetry Contest:
2015-2016 Theme: “Croaking Leaping Frogs”
Eligibility: Special Education & English as a Second Language: Kindergarten through Ninth Grade. General Education and Homeschooled Children: Kindergarten through Ninth Grade.
Additional Info and Entry Forms: www.gardenclub.org
Contest Rules:

1. All entries must be typed and titled.
2. Include name, address, age, grade, and school of participant on the back of entry.
3. Sponsoring garden club and state federation/club name must also be identified
4. “Generations of Gardeners” sponsoring garden club may be that of a Grandparent.
5. All entries become the property of NGC, Inc.
6. Poems do not have to rhyme.
7. Poems may be traditional verse, acrostics, blank verse, cinquains, diamond poems, limerick or Haiku.

Scale of Points: 
Title – 10
Content – 40
Creativity – 30
Style – 20
Total – 100.

Deadline: October 15, 2015. Your typed Poem must be submitted on or before this date. 
For more Poster Info Contact: Alison Scull at 598-2421 or Alison.scull@bounds.com

Youth Sculpture:
2015-2016 Theme: “Bees, Butterflies, and Frogs”
Purpose: To encourage youth to keep our planet green and to get involved with saving our planet. Entry Forms: www.gardenclub.org

Contest Rules:
1. Children in 4th grade through 8th grade will be eligible to enter the contest.
2. Width of the sculpture can be no more than 8 ½” X 11”. It must include recycled material.
3. Height should be proportional to width.
4. If interested, call for an entry form.
5. Entries should include as many photographs as can be printed on the back of the entry form, however, 2 – 4 X6 photographs are recommended.
6. Entries should be submitted by October 15, 2015.
Scale of Points:

Creative Use of materials and self-expression: 60 %
Description of sculpture and materials used: 30%
Craftsmanship and technique: 10%
Total: 100%

Entry Forms may be downloaded at www.gardenclub.org/youth/youth-contests.aspx
Select the Contest you want to enter, print entry form and notify Shirley or Alison that you will be entering contest.

High School Essay Contest:
2015-2016 Theme: “Don’t Let the Frogs Croak”
Length of essay: Between 600-700 words. All words are counted. All entries must be typed (use standard essay format) and titled. Students should write the essay so it is suitable to be published in the NGC publication, The National Gardener.

Eligibility: This contest is open to all High School students attending 9th through 12th grades, and Homeschooled Children. This contest must be sponsored by: single garden club, group of member clubs, councils or districts, or a State garden Club. All entries become the property of National Garden Clubs, Inc.

Scale of Points
Content – 65

Knowledge of subject – 25
Practically of proposal – 10
Originality – 15
Subject matter well organized/clarity of presentation – 15

Composition – 25
Vocabulary – 15
Conformance to length – 10

Manuscript – 10 (Cover Sheet Info)
Wallet-size photograph, name, address, phone number, school attending, grade, 
List of activities and sponsoring club – 5
Neatness – legibility (a plastic folder keeps the manuscript neat) – 5

A $1,000 National Garden Club Scholarship will be awarded to the National Essay Winner. The second place winner will receive $100.00. Other scholarship details provided upon request.
Deadline: October 15, 2015, submit to Shirley Owens.

High School Speech Contest:
2015-2016 Theme: “Don’t Let the Frogs Croak”
The speech should be 6 – 9 minutes. It is submitted in audio format only, however, a hard copy of the material used is also required. CD cover will include the Title of Speech, name of student, and grade. Observe *Manuscript info requirements for Cover Sheet. Please attach small photo. Each student will have an audio recording time that will be scheduled and the CD for competition is provided. The top three contenders for Texas State Speech Winner Award will present their speech at the Texas Garden Club, Inc. Spring Convention. The Texas State Winner will receive $500 check. If you are entering the Essay Contest, you may use the same information, (see Essay Contest Rules). 
The Speech Contest only goes to the State level.

Eligibility: : This contest is open to all High School students attending 9th through 12th grades, and Homeschooled Children.
Deadline: October 15, 2015 (Each Student’s Scheduled Recording time will be before this date.)

Scale of Points

Content (55 Points)
Knowledge of subject - 25
Subject matter well organized - 15 
Practicality of proposal - 5 
Creativity – originality - 5 
Conformance to time - 5

Oration (35 Points)
Clarity and presentation - 20 
Voice inflection/enunciation - 10
Emphasis - 5

Manuscript (10 Points) 
(Cover Sheet Info)
Wallet-size photograph, name, address, phone number, school attending, grade, list of activities, and sponsoring club, (Center Garden Club) - 5
Neatness – legibility (a plastic folder keeps manuscript neat). - 5

Total Point - 100
Contact: Shirley Owens (936) 598-5381 or shirleyowens@me.com
Alison Scull (936) 598-2421 or email Alison.scull@bounds.com