4-H Beekeeping Essay Contest

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2005 4-H BEEKEEPING ESSAY CONTEST
ANNOUNCEMENT AND RULES
Sponsored by The Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees, Inc.

National Awards:
First place: $250.00
Second place: $100.00
Third place: $50.00

State Award:
Each state winner receives an appropriate book about honey bees, beekeeping or honey.

Topic:
For the 2005 essay contest, the essay topic is:

“Use of Honey Bees and Honey in Symbolism”

Honey bees and honey have been used symbolically throughout recorded history. Utah is the Beehive State; its motto is”Industry.” Napoleon had bees on his throne and robes to symbolize that the emperor was working hard. “As busy as a bee” is part of our lanuage, as is “honey of a job and “Honey, I’m home.” The U.S. Navy Construction Battalion was tagged “The Sea Bees;” they became known for the ability to work under adverse conditions with few resources and used machine gun-toting bees in their emblem. Bees are inscribed in ancient Egyptian tombs - and so on. See how many symbols you can list and determine why bees and honey are so used.

Sources:
Good leads for your research include your school and public libraries, local beekeepers, your county Extension agent, your local or state beekeepers association and the beekeeping professor at your state's agricultural college. The ABF Web site (www.ABFnet.org) has links to other beekeeping sites. The 2004 winning essays are also on ABFnet, as are those from prior years.

The scope of the research is an essential judging criterion, accounting for 40% of your score. The number of resources consulted, the authority of the sources, and the variety of the sources are all evaluated.

Personal interviews with beekeepers and others familiar with bees and beekeeping activities are valued sources of information and should be documented. Sources which are not cited in the endnotes should be listed in a "Resources" or "Bibliography" list.

Note that "honey bee" is properly spelled as two words, even though many otherwise authoritative references spell it as one word.

Rules:

1. Contest is open to active 4-H club members only. 4-H'ers who have previously placed first, second, or third at the national level are not eligible; other state winners are eligible to re-enter.

2. Requirements (failure to meet any one disqualifies):

*	Preparation for national judging: Typewritten or computer generated, double-spaced, 12-pt. Times or similar type style, on one side of white paper following standard manuscript format.
*	Write on the designated subject only.
*	All factual statements must be referenced with bibliographical-style endnotes.
*	A brief biographical sketch of the essayist, including sate of birth, gender, complete mailing address, and telephone number must accompany the essay.
*	Length - the essay proper: 750 to 1,000 words.
*	The word count does not include the endnotes, the bibliography or references, not the essayist's biographical sketch.

3. Essays will be judged on (a) scope of research - 40%, (b) accuracy - 30%, (c) creativity - 10%, (d) conciseness - 10%, and (e) logical development of the topic - 10%.

4. Essayists should not forward essays directly to the American Beekeeping Federation office. Each state 4-H office is responsible for selecting the state's winner and should set its deadline so state judging can be completed in time for the winning essay to be mailed to the ABF office before March 1, 2005. Deadline for Tennessee entries to be received in the state 4-H office is February 1, 2005.

5. Each state may submit only one entry.

6. Final judging and selection of the national winner will be made at the ABF's essay committee, whose decision will be final.

7. The national winner will be announced by May 1, 2005.

8. All national entries become the property of the American Beekeeping Federation, Inc. and may be published or used as it sees fit. No essay will be returned.