Feedback and opionons for the Up coming 2024 Birthday Bash.

[mredburn]

As we prepare to bring you the Bash next year Im looking for input on the contests we should have. We currently plan on having the following contests.
Best of IAP - Mark James
FOG (Found on Ground) - Steve Johnson
Pretty Wood - Markus
Youth contests - Fred Bruche
Sierra Contest - Scott
Kitless Contest - Darrin
Trivia Contest-Edgar
Casting Contest 1 & 2 - Myself. We will have 2 casting contests. The Basic pour/cast contest and then an advanced contest allowing 3d printed, mixed media blanks.

If we held a segmented pen contest would you enter?
What other contests should we be looking to host. We try and host contests that will appeal to the members and encourage participation. Is there a contest you would recomend we havent thought of?
Thoughts? comments and opionons? all are welcome.

 

[hewunch]

Segmented, probably
I always loved the modified ______ kit
It would be fun to put a twist on this, like 5 kits in a hat and pick one on video on 2/1/24.

 

[Monty]

I always liked the ugliest pen contest.

 

[jttheclockman]

Why a FOG contest. To me that is not appealing. Anyone can say they found a piece of timber with nice color or grain in it and claim they found it on the ground. Just enter it in the Pretty Wood contest then.

What would a Sierra contest consist of?

 

[mredburn]

A pen using a sierra style kit and all its clones.

 

[jttheclockman]

A pen using a sierra style kit and all its clones.

Yea but what are you judging. You can say that for every kit out there. You will be looking at the blank and we have that covered.

If you want to go that route then go with a one piece kit and a 2 piece kit contest. Fountain, rollerball or ballpoint all in the competition.

 

[jttheclockman]

I would like to see the Front Page winners contest returned. Then have the winner get one of those travel mugs that the logo person got with maybe some other saying on it so it serves as a Trophy thing for the year.

 

[TonyL]

I would keep it light...less of everything. Unless we have become overwhelmed with volunteers and participants. I thought that was the issue we were struggling with. I hope it has changed for the good.

 

[Displaced Canadian]

I like seeing what people come up with when segmenting. It's a way those that don't cast can come up with creative blanks.

 

[Alan Morrison]

Another vote for segmenting.
I would enter.

 

[Jans husband]

I always liked the ugliest pen contest.

I could enter that one without any problem!!
Mike

 

[mredburn]

Just remember the ugliest pen contest is not won by submitting a selfie!
As far as the FOG contest, we can require a simple photo of the original piece used before turning. Im not really concerned about cheating, there isnt that much to be gained.
Yes I chose the Sierra for the one piece kit. There are lots of variations from manufacturers so its easily available and affordable. It was meant to encourage lots of members participate.

I am in favor of the segmenting contest but we need participation, Holding a contest is a lot of work if only 3 people enter.

We made the decision to cut back on the number of Contests awhile ago. We had less people who could help and we were hosting competitions that sometimes only 2 people entered.

 

[jttheclockman]

Just remember the ugliest pen contest is not won by submitting a selfie!
As far as the FOG contest, we can require a simple photo of the original piece used before turning. Im not really concerned about cheating, there isnt that much to be gained.
Yes I chose the Sierra for the one piece kit. There are lots of variations from manufacturers so its easily available and affordable. It was meant to encourage lots of members participate.

I am in favor of the segmenting contest but we need participation, Holding a contest is a lot of work if only 3 people enter.

We made the decision to cut back on the number of Contests awhile ago. We had less people who could help and we were hosting competitions that sometimes only 2 people entered.

I am not trying to be that stick in the mud but my point is when we ran a slimline contest it was a contest that showed there are varied ways of making a slimline pen. Not so with other kit pens. So when you have a contest with all sierras or professor kits or other single barrel pens all you are doing is have the blanks compete against each other. You already covered this in the other categories. such as pretty wood, casting, segmenting and others. To me it is a redundant contest. If you like your pen so much enter it in one of the other catagories. Maybe I am missing something here but to me narrow the contests down and have fewer contests. You mention lots of variations in the Sierra style yes so what we having kits compete against other kits. Now if you are saying to use only acrylic or wood with a sierra style kit then maybe that is a way to go. Not sure. But if you are saying the only rule is to use a Sierra kit then the sky is the limit again as to what materials can be used and they get covered with the other catagories.

My point is the same with the FOG contest. Who picks up wood off the ground and compete against each other. I do not believe that will be a popular one.

I pushed hard over the years to get a pen stand contest and a pen box contest to get people out of their comfort zone but that fell flat on its face. Just not sure what tickles anyone's fancy any more about pen turning. Just some of my thoughts. What is decided on is fine. Hope the numbers are there.

 

[mark james]

Gee... FOG pen Contest? Where do I begin? How many can I enter?

 

[Fred Bruche]

Ooops... just dropped an Amboyna burl blank on the ground... in my book that counts as FOG! I'm in!!
Right???

 

[SteveJ]

At present, I am slated to run the FOG contest, and am considering requiring two pieces/materials found on the ground and used together in a pen. If we skittle the FOG contest I'm probably on the hook for ugliest pen (can you see mismatched segments, crooked holes or massively out of round pens?).

 

[Fred Bruche]

@SteveJ I'm totally up for that FOG one, the pieces of yew/beech/spaltedstuff/whoknows/cherryblossom stuff/branch I picked up years ago are probably dry by now!

 

[egnald]

At present, I am slated to run the FOG contest, and am considering requiring two pieces/materials found on the ground and used together in a pen. If we skittle the FOG contest I'm probably on the hook for ugliest pen (can you see mismatched segments, crooked holes or massively out of round pens?).

You could combine them and have the Ugliest FOG contest. - Dave

 

[Monty]

Just thought of another contest,
Best signature tag line

 

[jttheclockman]

Was thinking and sometimes that can be dangerous. But question: First let me lay out the scenario. What if you made a blank that was segmented mostly like a Gisi blank, but you did some casting within that segmenting like added a label cast within the blank. Or if you did mainly a cast on blank say with watch parts or other things but within that blank you also did some segmenting like added some scallops? These sound like the same type blanks but they are not. One is 90% segmented with 10% casting and the other is 90% casting and 10% segmenting Would either of these blanks fall into any of the contests presented and which one? If not would it be out of possibilities of starting a new contest and call it something else like most creative pen using a kit only. No kitless because you could not have kitless compete against kit pens. Again no lasers allowed. Not sure if I am explaining clearly. Just trying to take the contests up a notch but I am spitballing this and trying to get people out of their comfort zones and expand their thought process. Like to hear your thoughts on this idea. Do not be afraid to shoot it down.

 

[Lmstretch]

Another vote for a segmented contest category, I would enter.

 

[mredburn]

We will be having a segmented contest as well as a kitless contest.