Unusual Interest

Manifested by Boys in

Second Annual Contest

for $25 In Cash Prizes.

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60 IN SEVENTH GRADE

18 ENTERED IN EIGHTH

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Many Large Houses for Feathered Friends Being

Constructed This Year

–Success Assured.

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That the donation of a sum of money, to be awarded in several graded cash prizes, is an unusually good incentive to create interest among school children in their efforts to acquire an education, is amply demonstrated by the fact that no less than 78 boys of the Seventh and Eighth grades, who take manual training instruction at the New Ulm high school, have entered the bird house building contest this year. Last year the number was 60.

Working Like Troopers.

And this year, the boys are working like proverbial troopers for the liberal cash prizes that will be awarded for the best bird homes, at the close of the contest. In addition to making it worth while for them to acquire practical knowledge in building work,the contest also served to imbue them with a love for humanity’s feathered friends and benefactors, without whose diligent help man’s arduous labors in combating the multitude of destructive worms and insects would prove in vain.

Donation Increased.

Last year, the sum of $20 was donated by a certain public-spirited citizen of New Ulm, to be divided into prizes and awarded to the boys of each class who constructed the best bird houses from plans made by themselves, and wrote the best essays on the life and habits of the particular bird for which the home was built. Elated over the remarkable and very gratifying success of last year’s contest, the donor has increased his gift by $5, so that a total of $25 is available for the contest this year. The Journal would gladly emblazon the name of this public-spirited citizen, but we have been sworn to secrecy, as publicity is one of the things he shuns.

Change in Rules.

In the comparatively short period of time that can be allotted to the bird house building contest, in addition to giving the boys of the manual training department instruction in other practical lines, it was found rather difficult to have each contestant prepare plans and specifications for the house to be built by him. As a result, Prof. Harry Dirks, manual training instructor, has secured a sufficient variety of plans and workable specifications, from which the youngsters were allowed to select their choice.

This change has already demonstrated its advisability.

Seventh Grade Leads

The Seventh grade classes far out-number the members of the Eighth graders, there being 60 of the former 18 of the later. For this reason, it has been decided to allot $17 of the prize money in the underclassmen and $8 to the higher scholars. The division of prizes in the two grades will be as follows:

Seventh Grade-First, $4; second, $3 third, $2 fourth and fifth, each $1 sixth and seventh each 75 cents eighth to sixteenth, inclusive, each 50 cents making a total of 16 prizes.

Scoring of Contest.

The contest in each of the two grades will be decided upon the following basis: Skill in workmanship, 30 points; appearance, design and color, 30 points; fitness to purpose, 20 points; essay on “Bird Enemies,” 20 points; total, 100 points.

Skill in workmanship has to do with construction alone. In judging the appearance, design and color, the originality of the design, as well as the coloring and general appearance of the bird house will be taken into consideration. Fitness to purpose covers the depth, height and general size of the compartment, as well as the dimensions of the hole or opening. The essay on “Bird Enemies” must contain not less than 200, nor more than 250 words.

Exhibit and Awards.

At the close of the contest, it is planned to arrange a public exhibit of all of the bird houses made by the boys, at the high school, in connection with the awarding of prizes. Competent judges will be appointed to make the awards, and the closing date of the contest will be announced in due time.

List of Entrants.

The following 78 boys have entered the bird house building contest this year:

Seventh Grade — Henry Buechner, Andrew Helget, Frank Gassner, Joseph Keckeisen, John Zischka, Adolph Brey, Harold Gulden, Alfred Prom, Edward H. Schugel, Albert Zschunke, Andrew Liebl, Howard Schnobrich, Marviín Lindmeier, Alfred Wiedl, Willard Friederich, John Polta, William Barnell, Everett Hellmann, John Raabe, Adolf Willrecht, Herbert Dalueg, Adolf Bierbaum, Howard Wandersee, John Mills, Rollin Emmerich, Walter Hesse, Albert Berndt, Wesley Ring, Winfried Hohn, Armin Pufahl, Roman Dauer, Lee Gaut, Ernest Eyrich, Carl Hauer, Edward Horner, Walter Kretsch, Walter Neemann, Clarence Pregler, Herbert Regelin, Gordon Schlottman, Melvin Schleif,·Arthur Steinberg, Andrew Braunreiter. Jerome Erler, Stanley Filzen,Walter Gag, Herbert Glaser, Victor Heck, Hilary Hacker, Norbert Henle,Carl Kamm, Harry Kunz, Otto Land-steiner,Walter Laudon, Frank dict Steffel, Harold Tastel, Andrew Weltsch and John Schmitt.

Eighth Grade — Harold Epple, Carl Ralph Gebhard, James Emmerich, Leander Kunz, Andrew Bastian, John Dorn J. Manderfeld, Walter Peters, Willard Vorwerk, Edmund Stindt and Lester Raabe.

Brown County Journal,

Feb. 27, 1925

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