2009 Ag Day Essay Contest Rules and Guidelines
Official Topic: "Agriculture—Every Day in Every Way"
Section I - General Rules
1. The 2009 Ag Day Essay Contest is divided into two levels of competition:
State and National.
2. Contestants must compose an original essay with limited guidance from others.
3. Agriculture Council of America will have the right to publish or otherwise duplicate
any essay entered the contest without payment to the author.
4. All entries should be received by February 9, 2009.
Section II - Qualifications for Contestants
1. The contest is open to students in grades 7 through 12 in the 2008-2009
school year. Contestants must meet all requirements to compete.
2. Contestants are eligible for only one essay entry during any given year.
Section III - Contest Rules
1. Participants' subject must be on the official topic. The official topic must be
listed with the total number of words on the top of the title page of the
manuscript (deduction of 5 points for each 25 words over/under limit).
2. Each entry must begin with a title page containing: topic, number of words,
writer's name, address, phone number, date of birth, school name and grade
(deductions of 5 points for incorrect total of words).
3. Essays may be handwritten or typed written, double-space
(deduction of 5 points if not double-spaced).
4. Essays must contain less than 450 words. Every word of the essay is counted.
This does not include the bibliography, footnotes identifying a non-original
material or title.
5. Each page of the essay must be numbered starting with the first page
of the essay, not the title page. The numbers must be centered at the
bottom of each page.
6. Any quotation or copyrighted materials used in the essay must be properly
identified using a bibliography. Failure to identify non-original material will
result in disqualification.
7. No reference can be made in the essay that will identify the contestant
(deduction of 5 point or fraction based on degree of identification).
8. Essay must be written in English.
9. The entry must be stapled together in the upper left-hand corner.
Covers of any type are not accepted.
10. All entry forms and essays should be received by February 9, 2009,
and sent to:
2009 Ag Day Essay Contest
Agricultural Council of America
11020 King St, Ste 205
Overland Park, KS 66210
essay@agday.org
11. Any protest must be made immediately. The Essay Contest Chair
will decide all protests in conformity with the contest rules.
12. The decision of the contest Chair is final and no higher appeals will be recognized.
Section IV - Judging and Timing
1. Judging will be completed by a panel of qualified judges made up of
representatives from the sponsoring organizations and experts from the agriculture industry.
2. In an effort to conceal the identity of each contestant, each entry will
be assigned a number by the essay contest Chair. The assigned number will
be placed on the title page and first page of the essay before the title page
is removed.
3. Judges will not discuss or compare essays being judged.
4. Only judges can assign a penalty or award a point.
Section V - Scoring of Contest
Scoring procedures at all level of the contest will be identical.
1. Material Organization (logical interpretation of the subject, adherence to topic):
40 points.
2. Vocabulary and Style (phrasing and continuity): 25 points.
3. Grammar, Punctuation, Spelling: 20 points.
4. Neatness: 10 points.
5. Adherence to Contest Rules (prepared in the proper format): 5 points.
Section VI - Penalties
Required 5-point deduction
1. Failure to identify total number of words.
2. Failure to stay within the 450 or less word limit.
3. Self-identification.
4. Failure to double space.
Section VII - Awards
1. State Winner (one per state) - $100.
2. National Winner - $1,000 and trip to Washington, D.C., to be recognized at the
Celebration of Ag Dinner held at the Whitten Patio on March 12, 2009.
For more information, contact essay@agday.org,
RE: 2009 Ag Day Essay Contest.
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