TEXAS 4-H BEEKEEPING ESSAY CONTEST

The Beekeeping Esssay Contest is sponsored by the The Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees, Inc. For over 50 years, the American Beekeeping Federation has been serving the needs of the U.S. beekeeper. Any youth interested in participating in the contest must follow the instructions for the Texas selection process. Each State Winner, including the national winners, receives an appropriate book about honey bees, beekeeping, or honey.

PAGE LINKS:
Contest Announcement and Rules
Contest Sponsors
Contest Application/Certification Form
Contest Awards
Past Essay Contest Winners

2009 4-H BEEKEEPING ESSAY CONTEST

2009 Beekeeping Essay Rules in pdf format.

TOPIC:
For the 2009 essay contest, the essay topic is:

“The Dance Language of Bees”
Honey bees possess the ability to communicate the distance and direction of resources to their nest-mates. They employ a symbolic dance language in which the position of the sun is symbolically represented by gravity, and a trained observer can watch their dances and predict where they are foraging. The use of symbolic language by an insect has made them one of the most studied animals. This year's essay contest invites participants to learn about the honey bee's dance language, how it was discovered, how it works and how it provides colonies the ability to find and exploit floral resources.

SOURCES:
Karl Von Frisch was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1973 for his work with insect communication. His classic text is The Dance Language and Orientation of Bees, (1967) Harvard University Press. There are dissenters to Von Frisch’s findings. See “Anatomy of a Controversy: The Question of a ‘Language’ Among Bees” (1990) Columbia University Press. The results of scout bees leading nest-mates back to a new food source can be demonstrated easily by a beekeeper.

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

Personal interviews with beekeepers and others familiar with the subject 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 anyone requirement disqualifies the essay) - 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 date of birth, gender, complete mailing address, and telephone number, must accompany the essay.
   • Length - the essay proper: 750 to 1000words.
   • The word count does not include the endnotes, the bibliography or references, nor the essayist’s biographical sketch - which should be on a separate page.
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. The deadline for entries to be in (not post marked) the Texas 4-H and Youth Development Office is January 31, 2009. Send to:
   4-H Beekeeping Essay Contest
   Texas 4-H and Youth Development Program
   7607 Eastmark Drive, Suite 101
   College Station, TX 77840
5. Each state may submit only one entry.
6. Final judging and selection of the National Winner will be made by the Foundation’s Essay Committee, whose decision is final.
7. The National Winner will be announced by May 1, 2009.
8. All National entries become the property of the Foundation and may be published or used as it sees fit, No essay will be returned.
9. All entries must have a completed and signed Certification Form as the top cover of the essay.
10. Entries should be securely stapled in the top left corner for submission. Do not place them in folders or report binders.

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CONTEST SPONSORS - TEXAS

Williamson County Honey Bee Keepers Association

Collin County Honey Bee Keepers Association

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CONTEST APPLICATION/CERTIFICATION FORM

Each entry into the Beekeeping Essay contest must have a contest application/certification attached to the top of the essay. This form can be downloaded and handwritten.

Download Application/Certification Form

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CONTEST AWARDS

Cash Prizes to 3 Top Texas Winners:
1st Place------------$100.00
2nd Place------------$ 75.00
3rd Place------------$ 50.00

Cash Prizes to 3 Top National Winners:
1st Place------------$750.00
2nd Place-----------$500.00
3rd Place------------$250.00

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PAST ESSAY CONTEST WINNERS

2002 Texas Beekeeping Essay Placings
1st Place	McKenna Milton	Tarrant County	District 4
2nd Place	Jacob Minze	Van Zandt County	District 4
2003 Texas Beekeeping Essay Placings
1st Place	Jessie Hunt	Collin County	District 4
2nd Place	Alice Patton	Gregg County	District 5
3rd Place	Katie Hunt	Collin County	District 4
2004 Texas Beekeeping Essay Placings
1st Place	Meghan Cantlon	Burnet County	District 7
2nd Place	Joel Jorden	Williamson County	District 8
3rd Place	Kayla Carter	Ellis County	District 8
2005 Texas Beekeeping Essay Placings
1st Place	Cletus Furhmann	Cooke County	District 4
2nd Place	Cory Shannon	Bosque County	District 8
3rd Place	Jaqulynn Peterson	Smith County	District 5
2006 Texas Beekeeping Essay Placings
1st Place	Cletus Furhmann	Cooke County	District 4
2nd Place	Jessica Olson	Gregg County	District 5
3rd Place	Cory Shannon	Bosque County	District 8
2007 Texas Beekeeping Essay Placings
1st Place	Cletus Furhmann	Cooke County	District 4
2nd Place	Rachel Simer	McClennan County	District 8
3rd Place	Jacob Gosdin	Somervell County	District 8
2008 Texas Beekeeping Essay Placings
1st Place	Jessica Tinker	Harris County	District 9
2nd Place	Nicole Pettibon	Collin County	District 4
3rd Place	Travis Cole	Bexar County	District 10
Jessica Tinker was 2008 National Beekeeping Essay Winner

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Page last updated: August 6, 2008