The Mena weekly star., 1917-02-22
.lST POLK COUNTY
 SCHOOL CONTESTS
Contests in Spelling, DecIamation. Recitation, Music and Athletics
 t0sBe Held on April 6 and : -DonOrs of Prizes.


 County spuerintendent W. Homei Pigg, and TsJ Wilbanks. Miss Louise DuHhAni,s', Woods. II. x. lobe andl e M 9dEalm. the committee ap- pointedsby the Educational Associ- ation to work with him, have com pleted the rules and regulations for the contests to be held in Mena on April 6 and :, There will be five contests, namely in spelling, decla- nation, recitation, music and ath- letics.
 These are the first contests of the kind ever held in the schools of Polk county, and it is hoped that the teachers, pupils, patrons and school officers will cooperate with the Educational Association in mak- ing the first undertaking a success and thereby arouse a greater school interest thru0ut the county.
 The rules for the spelling contest are as follows: Each school in the county may enter one pupil. Nd contestant will be given more than one trial at spelling a word. If the contestant does not understand fbc pronunciation of word. he may ask that the word be pronounced n second time. The Century Spelline Book, the adopted text of the coun- ty, will be used in the contest. and the words will be taken from les sons 300 to 400, inclusive. The score method will be used, thus all con- testants will remain in the contest until the last word is pronounced.
 The following rules will govern the contests in Reclamation. One boy may enter from each school in the county. The length of the deelama- tion will be limited to i5 minutes. Each contestant may select his own declafnation. Judgement will be mainly on the delivery, and the judges will be persons living out side of the county.
 In the contest in recitation. the following rules will govern: Each school n the county may enter ore girl in the contest. The readings will be limited to l5 minutes Each contestant may select her own re- citation. The contest will be de- eided mainly on the delivery uf the contestants, and, the judges vii be- persons living outside of the coun- ty
 TIT,
 The contest in music will be gov erned by the following rules. Each school in the county may enter one student in the contest. Selections will be limited to 10 minutes in length. Each contestant is to make her own selection of music. and must play the same from memory. Execution and interpretation are the main points to be taken into consid- eration by the judges, who will be competent musicians.
 The athletic contests will be iii basketball, and they will be con- ducted as follows A series of pre- liminary games will be played. and the final game will be between the two winning teams. The games will be played according to the latest rules governing boys basketball. The referee will be selected by the teams entering the contest
 Tn the contests in spelling, recita- ton, Reclamation and music, the first and second best will be awarded gold medal.
 The donors of the medals in tho several contests are as follows:
 Spelling First, Loehrilge Dry Goods Company: second. Watkins Hardware Company.
 Music--First. John Thompson; second, Nails Book Store.
 Declamation-First, Farmers and Merchants Bank; second, Reynolds Davis Grocery Company.
 Recitation First, Jackson Drug X Furniture Company; second, Golf Grocery Company.
 The first prize in athletics, a low ing cup, will be presented by the Boston Store, and the second prize, also a loving cup, will be donated by the Lyric Theatre.
 All schools which desire to enter students in any of these contests should notify County Superintend- ent w. Homer Pigg.
 Los.