I think we are getting ahead of ourselves here. I never intended this thread to be a "create the contest rules" thread, I intended it to be a "what contests do we want to have" thread. Maybe presenting it the way I did, with the attached list of previous contests confused things. That was only intended to provide ideas. What I am trying to lock down here, at this point, is something like the following:
During the 2015 Birthday Bash we want to offer:
1. - A contest designed to be attractive to the novice penturner. We seem to agree that at bare minimum this will involve an unmodified pen kit.
2. - A contest designed to be attractive to an "intermediate" penturner. Minimum requirement(s) TBD.
3. - A contest designed to be attractive to an "advanced" penturner that doesn't involve the use of specialized tools (CNC, Laser, Ornimental lathe, etc.). Minimum requirement(s) TBD.
4. - A Freestyle Contest where the minimum requirement is that the end result does not have to be immediately recognizable as a pen but it must be a functional pen.
5 - Antler, Horn, Bone Contest. minimum requirement(s): must use an antler, horn or bone.
6. - Youth Contest(s) One or two? (remember, 14 - 16 could compete in any of the other contests.) Minimum requirement(s) TBD. I think one youth contest (<14) would be good. As you said, 14-16 can enter regular contests
7. - Photo Contest(s) Type(s) and Minimum requirement(s) TBD. i agree with Edgar to shelve the mugshot contest. I personally enjoyed the shoplife category last year. Since this is a site related to pen making, selling and using, how about a respective contest for each of those.
1: Shop Life
2: Pen Marketing (cannot use same pen entered in another competition), and
3: Where the nib meets the paper - pictures of writing, nib flex, etc.
8. - Casting Contest(s) Types and Minimum requirement(s) TBD.I like the idea of two here. Color and embedded/tube on
9. - Segmenting Contest: Minimum requirement(s) TBD.could we do a "Handmade Blank Contest?" It would include polymer clay and segmented pens or any other medium that involved work with the hands on a solid blank (read: not just a cast blank)
10 - Ugly Pen Contest: Minimum requirement(s) TBD.I don't have thoughts either way here
OTHER ACTIVITIES:
Donation DrawingI think this one is good!
Auctions
Trivia
Match the ShopNot sure what to think about this one. What other options could we come up with?
Etc.
Etc.
Etc.
At this early stage of the planning lets try not to get hung up on what the rules to the contests will be. Lets just determine what the contests will be. Once that is done we can solicit volunteers to run the contests, those volunteers can prepare rules within the guidelines we give them.
In broad terms please create a list of 10 - 12 contests that you feel are essential. Also provide a list of the peripheral activities that you believe we should offer. We will worry about the specific rules once we know what the contests will be.