Lecturer's Contests

TALENT CONTEST – Time Limit: 6 minutes. STATE RUN-OFFS will be held at Good Will Grange Hall, Naubuc Ave., Glastonbury, at 1:00 P.M. on Sunday June 8, 2008. This is in conjunction with Grange Sunday. Numbers will be judged on State Appearance, Talent and Audience Appeal. If the Pomona winner cannot attend Grange Sunday, the 2nd Place Pomona entry should represent that Pomona. State winner will compete at the New England Run-Off to be held at the New England Lecturer’s Conference in Maine in August. Complete rules and score sheet will appear in the Lecturer's newsletter. For more information, follow this link to the TALENT CONTEST page.

“A NUMBER” CONTEST – Theme “In the Garden” – Any number suitable for a Grange Meeting is eligible. Time Limit: 6 minutes (includes set-up and performance). One number from each Pomona will perform at Good Will Grange Hall on June 8, 2008. Numbers will be judged on presentation, quality, audience appeal and originality. (25 points each for a total of 100 points.)

COMPLETE PROGRAM - Subject: “To Serve.” Any type of service qualifies. Program must be presented at a Grange meeting, and then submitted to the State Lecturer to be considered. Length 30-45 minutes. All materials used must be included, with the exception of familiar music. Deadline for entries is September 1, 2008.

"THE GRANGE IS" ESSAY WRITING CONTEST – Theme “Why I joined the Grange…” – Write an essay. It should be 50 words or less entitled “Why I joined the Grange…”. Deadline for entries is October 1st.

A WORD FROM HOME – Write to a service man or woman serving overseas, or someone who has served and is now recuperating in a military hospital. Let’s let our troops know that we care. These can be sent to someone from your area, you can get addresses from anysoldier.com, you can bring them to the Central Office or get them to me. Let’s aim for 10 letters from each Grange.

PHOTO CONTEST– Five Categories
a. America the Beautiful
b. Animals
c. Grangers in Action
d. Family Celebrations
e. Historic Places or Events

Please Note: Grangers in Action should be pictures of Grangers doing something, not posed shots.

Rules:
1. Only prints are accepted. No slides in any category.

2. Participants may enter all categories, but are limited to only one entry per category.

3. Entries must be taken by participant after August 24, 2007.

4. Backing is required for all photographs. No glass is allowed.

5. Print may be processed commercially, but must have been taken by the entrant. Remember, this is a picture you took, not a picture of you.

6. Panoramic photographs as well as black and white photographs may be entered, but no separate category is provided for these.

7. Size of Backing: No smaller than 5"x5" or larger than 16"x20".

8. Name, Grange and Grange Number must be placed on the back of picture.

9. Youth and Junior Entries (Age 14 and under) will be judged separately.

10. Judging: Photos will be judged at Goodwill Grange Hall on July 26, 2008. Entries may be mailed or given to the State Lecturer ahead of time or may be brought to Goodwill Grange Hall between 9:00 A.M. and 10:00 A.M. on July 26th.

Agriculture

DECORATED PUMPKINS
Rules for Adult and Junior Contests are the same.

A. Sugar pumpkin seeds will be provided, and must be grown either by an individual or as a Grange project.

B. Decorated pumpkins my be decorated with any media. They will be judged on originality and overall appearance.

C. These are to be judged at the Subordinate level, with 1st and 2nd place winners going to your own Pomona for judging and the 1st place winner from Pomona going on to the State for judging.

State Prizes: Adult: $15, $10, $5
Juniors: $10, $5, $3

All entries to State Grange by Thursday noon!

Membership

STATE CONTESTS:

IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SUBORDINATE GRANGE SECRETARY to send information to the Membership Director by October 1, 2008 on each of the following Membership contests:

• NEW MEMBER CONTEST – Prizes will be awarded to the top three Subordinate and Pomona Granges taking in the most new members. Prizes - 1st - $25.00; 2nd- $15.00; 3rd - $10.00

• HIGHEST NET GAIN – Prizes will be awarded to the three Subordinate and Pomona Granges with the highest net gain in membership. Prizes - 1st - $25.00; 2nd - $15.00; 3rd - $10.00

• JUNIOR GRANGE – A prize of $25.00 will be given to the Junior Grange obtaining the largest number of new members. Prizes - 1st - $25.00; 2nd - $15.00

• YOUTH MEMBERSHIP AWARD – Prizes will be awarded to the top three Granges obtaining the largest number of new youth members (35 and under). Prizes - 1st - $25.00; 2nd - $15.00; 3rd - $10.00

NOTE – Contest year is July 31, 2007 to June 30, 2008.

POSTER CONTEST:

Membership Development and Advertising Grange Activities – Tell the public about the positive attitude, fun, joy of helping others, individual awareness and fraternity we enjoy in the Grange and/or how the Grange serves the community. Put your ideas on a poster.

SIZE: 8 1/2 x 11” or no larger than 17 inches by 22 inches.

JUDGING: Will take place at the State Grange Session - Thursday, October 16, 2008. Please put your name, address and name of your Grange on the back of the poster. Posters will become the property of the Connecticut State Grange and used for membership displays. Limit one poster per person.

PRIZES: 1st - $25.00; 2nd - $15.00; 3rd - $10.00

Women's Activities

New England Grange Needlework Contest:
Open to the Public - you do not have to be a Grange Member to enter this contest.

No Product requirement

There are ten classes for competition - - afghans, doilies, embroidery, baby set, plastic canvas, counted cross stitch, adult garment, latch hook, quilted wall hanging and stuffed toy.

ALL FIRST PLACE STATE WINNERS WILL COMPETE IN THE NEW ENGLAND FINALS.

THERE IS NO LONGER A SEPARATE STUFFED TOY CONTEST. TOYS ARE ONE OF THE CATEGORIES IN THE NEEDLEWORK CONTEST. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO MAKE EXTRA TOYS FOR “LOVING” WHICH MAY BE GIVEN TO THE STATE COMMITTEE OR DISTRIBUTED IN YOUR OWN AREA.

Brochures/entry forms for the New England Grange Needlework Contest may be obtained from the State W.A. Committee, Pomona or Subordinate chairmen, and are available for download from this website.

CRAFT CONTEST
The Craft Contest has a musical theme. You may make any item featuring something pertaining to MUSIC. Use your imagination and come up with something clever and different. Be creative!!!

Categories: Needlework; Other Media

Youth and Adult classes in each category.

Craft entries are not returned to the contestant. They are retained by the State WA Committee to be used as gifts and/or given to the Country Store to be sold for the upkeep of the New England Grange Building at the Big E.

SPECIAL CRAFT CONTEST: SCRAPBOOKING
We are adding a craft category for those interested in SCRAPBOOKING. You may enter a scrapbook of any size, any subject, any design. ALL SCRAPBOOK ENTRIES WILL BE RETURNED TO THE PERSON MAKING THE BOOK.

GRANGE BAKING CONTEST
Open to Grange members - and Junior Grange members and children and grandchildren of members.

The recipe is called APPLESAUCE MEDLEY QUICK BREAD.

The recipe and instructions for entering may be obtained from any CWA person, or found on this website by going to the Recipes page.

Judging for the baking contest is held in the Subordinate Grange with the winner baking again for State Judging.

PRIZES FOR THE NEEDLEWORK, CRAFT AND BAKING CONTESTS AT THE STATE LEVEL, WILL BE 1ST PLACE - $15.00, 2ND PLACE $10.00 AND 3RD PLACE $5.00. An award of $1.00 will be given to anyone earning an honorable mention ribbon. State ribbons will be given in all contests.

ALL JUDGING FOR THE CWA CONTESTS WILL BE HELD ON “LET’S CELEBRATE DAY”- July 26, 2008 at Good Will Grange Hall. Entries must be at the hall by 10:00 A.M.

CWA - JUNIOR PROGRAM CONTESTS

Nifty Needles is a special project or class we offer to the Junior Grangers. This is a part of our Needlework contest. The contestants may make a Christmas item using ANY KIND OF NEEDLE, knitting, crochet hook, etc. All entries may be sent to “LET’S CELEBRATE DAY” for judging.

The Juniors are invited to take part in the State Grange Baking Contest making their own Applesauce Medley Quick Bread. Prizes are the same as in the adult contests.

We also invite the Junior Granges to take part in contributing to our projects and causes.

A chart will be given to each Junior Grange, Subordinate Committee and Pomona Committee as a guide for the year. An AWARD OF EXCELLENCE will be given to each group meeting the requirements listed.

Let's all work together in HARMONY. With your help we can enjoy another year of good work as the MELODY LINGERS ON!

Publicity


BEST SINGLE ARTICLE CONTEST

Each Subordinate and Junior Grange should select the best newspaper article that tells of the activities and Community Service work of the Grange. The best single article should be submitted for judging no later than October 1, 2008 to the Director, Carl H. Bernhardt, 424 Cedar Lane, Cheshire, CT 06410. Awards will be presented at State Session.

PUBLICITY POSTER CONTEST

Each Subordinate and Junior Grange should submit all posters advertising a Grange sponsored event. There will be two categories, Hand Drawn and Computer Drawn. Entries will be judged at Let's Celebrate at Good Will Grange Hall on Sunday, July 26, 2008. Additional information on the Poster Contest will be published in the Connecticut Granger.

Youth

State Bowling Contest

1. This contest is open to all ages.

2. Each team will consist of two players, and at least one member of the team must be a Grange member.

3. Each team will bowl three games and each team is responsible for their bowling expenses.

4. The team with the highest score at the end of three games will be the winner.

5. Each team is encouraged to wear something depicting their Grange or that is Grange related or supports the Youth theme.

6. Awards will be given for the highest scoring team and for the team that raises the most money in pledges. Additional awards may be given for enthusiasm and the team that dresses up the most to support the Youth Theme.

7. Pledge sheets will be available from the State Youth Director and Committee. You must notify the State Youth Director by March 15, 2008 if you want to enter a team. Teams need to turn in their pledge sheets by the end of April in order to qualify for awards.

8. Special awards will be given to Junior Grange teams that participate. Same rules to be followed as above except that both team members must be under the age of 14 and at least one member of the team must be a Junior Grange member.

Most Creative Youth Night Program

The purpose of this contest is to promote creativity and spark the enthusiasm of the youth. This contest should allow each Grange to have a Youth Night Program. The program should be educational, interesting and involve the members.

Category 1: Any Subordinate and/or Pomona Grange Youth Chairman, Youth Committee members or Grange member who created the Youth Night Program (Ages 14 to 35).

Category 2: Any Subordinate and/or Pomona Grange “Youth at Heart” Youth Chairman, Youth Committee members, or Grange members who created the Youth Night Program (Age 36 and up).

Judging: All entries are due to the State Youth Director by October 1, 2008. All entries will be judged on:

Rules:

1. The Youth Night Program should be submitted in a soft cover notebook or folder.
2. The Grange name and number and the names of the members who prepared the program
shall be on the outside of the cover.
3. The notebook can contain any pictures, descriptions and materials used for the program.

Awards:
An award will be given to the first place entry in each category.

Juniors

Contests: Three Age groups for all contests: 7 and under, 8-10, 11-14

 

JUNIOR CONTEST RULES:

1. All work to be done by the Junior member.
2. All entries must be labeled with the contestant’s name, Junior Grange Name, and age (as of January 1, 2008).
3. All craft entries to be sent to the State Session in October and must be in place in the Junior display room by 12 noon on Thursday, October 16, 2008.
4. On most of the contests there are no specific rules. Use your imagination and have fun making them.