CALENDAR OF EVENTS

"National Youth Storytelling Hall of Fame"

Event Rules

Each story must be within a time limit of 5 to 10 minutes.
All entrants are required to seek permission of the story's author, whether it is from an in-print or non-print resource, unless your story is an original or is in the "public domain". Proof of permission from the story's author or publisher is required before you will be considered to perform during the Smoky Mountains Storytelling FestivalT in February.
Must be 17 years old or younger on the 1st entry deadline each year.
Your story can be original or used with permission from another source.
The entry form must be filled out completely or the videotape will not be reviewed.
Please send one entry form per entry tape. Forms cannot be faxed.
Use VHS tape format only. Make sure your name is clearly marked on the video tape.
Any school, district, or storytelling group may enter any number of contestants in local competitions. After a winner has been chosen from any local group or area, a videotape of that winner's presentation (and all applicable forms) should be mailed to the National Youth Storytelling Hall of Fame State Representative. In the event that there is no State Representative for your state, then mail entry videos directly to the Pigeon Forge Office of Special Events, c/o Lila Wilson, P.O. Box 1390, Pigeon Forge, TN 37868-1390.
Any participant having earned the title of "Grand Torchbearer" is not eligible to enter in any future year. Other entrants and national finalists, however, are eligible to re-enter.
TANDEM storytelling was great last year and is still included this year!

Timelines

All selected tellers from local storytelling events must mail videotapes to the State Representatives by
October 2, 2005 (or to the Pigeon Forge Office of Special Events if you do not have a state contact).
State Representatives will review all tapes and select the five (5) state finalists, and will send those five (5)
videotapes to the Pigeon Forge Office of Special Events by Wednesday, October 20, 2005. Tapes must be
accompanied by the required (and completed) entry forms or they will be disqualified.
The Pigeon Forge Office of Special Events will establish an independent panel of judges for any entries without
a State Representative, and will follow the same timeline.
The Office of Special Events will forward the finalist entries to a select panel of national judges on Thursday, October 26, 2005.
The national committee will forward the list of finalists to our office by November 6, 2005.
Finalists will be notified either by telephone or email from Pigeon Forge before 5 p.m. on Friday, November 10, 2005.
Finalists will receive an invitation to present their story during the Smoky Mountains Storytelling Festival during the
National Youth Storytelling Hall of Fame Showcase. The "Grand Torchbearer" will be selected from among the
performing finalists.
The first National Youth Storytelling Hall of Fame finalist showcase is scheduled for February 2-4, 2006 in
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Videotape

All videotapes should be in VHS format with only one story on each tape. Videotapes may be returned only if accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped mailer.

Categories of Competition

The twelve (12) Showcase Finalists who travel to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee will be placed into either three or four different age categories. The four youngest will be classified as Age Category A, the next four as Age Category B, and the last four as Age Category C. Tandem teams will be placed within the category that corresponds with the oldest team member. All participants must meet all eligibility requirements.

The City of Pigeon Forge and the National Storytelling Network reserve the right to invite additional participants based upon budget availability and resources.

Awards

All Showcase Finalists will receive a trophy plus a Cash Award of $100.00 each for participating during the festival. In the event of a Tandem story being included as a Showcase Finalist, each individual participant will receive $100.00 each for participating during the festival.

A Storytelling Torchbearer, selected from within each age category during the festival, will receive a trophy and a Cash Award of $300.00.

The Grand Torchbearer who will be selected during the Showcase event at the festival will receive a trophy plus a Cash Award of $500.00.

Cash prizes do not accumulate. You can only win one (1) category. For example, if you receive the Grand Torchbearer title, then you will receive $500 only. If you are named a Storytelling Torchbearer, you will receive $300 only. Anyone participating in the showcase at the festival and not receiving a title will receive $100 only.

Lodging will be provided for all finalists. Some organized meals will be held based upon sponsorship.

More details will be provided once the finalists are selected and contacted.

For more information on this event, please contact the Pigeon Forge Office of Special Events at (865) 429-7350 or visit www.mypigeonforge.com

State Representatives (as of February 18, 2005):

Alabama, Mack Vann, 200 Clinton Ave, E., Huntsville, AL, 35801 Mackvann@aol.com

Alaska, Anne Fuller, 7943 North Douglas Highway, Juneau, AK, 99801, fernleafgt@yahoo.com (907) 465-6558 and (907) 465-2863 (home)

Arizona, Liz Warren, 7050 S. 24th St., Phoenix, AZ, 85040, (602) 243-8039

California, Karen Rae Kraut, 7663 Jayhawk Drive, Riverside, CA, 92509-5423, (909) 685-2027, jomokchu@aol.com

Colorado, Katy Little ktlittle@usexpress.net

Florida, Scott Smith, 3072 Shady Rest Rd., Havana, Florida, 32311 fathernsonstory@aol.com (850) 539-4963 (home), (850) 245-3878 (work)

Georgia, Pat Gay, P.O. Box 2232, LaGrange, GA, 30241, (706) 884-3569 (Home) and (706) 882-7784 (work) and (706) 883-8342 (fax) PatandSid@aol.com

Idaho, Teresa Clark, P.O. Box 551, Iona, Idaho, 83427-0551, (208) 529-3276 woodlore@srv.net or 380 Ladino Drive, Idaho Falls, Idaho, 83401

Indiana, Mary Jo Huff mjohuff@worldnet.att.net

Kansas, Letty Watt, McCandless Elementary School, 700 N. Baker, Hutchinson, KS, 67501, (620) 665-4660 jlwatt2@earthlink.net

Louisiana, Mary Lecompte, 2729 Pineview St., Lake Charles, LA, 70601, (318) 433-8747, mlecom3892@aol.com

Maryland, Kathleen Rudesill, 105 Lombardy Drive, Middletown, MD, 21769

Mississippi, Rebecca Jernigan, P.O. Box 8116, University, Mississippi, 38677 owlrmj@yahoo.com

Missouri, Jim Wallen, 608 East Kansas Ave., Independence, MO, 64050, (816) 254-6510 (home) and (888) 422-7697, 2crows@sunflower.org

New Jersey, Gerald Fierst, 222 Valley Road, Montclair, NJ, 07042-2339, gerald@geraldfierst.com

New Mexico, Mary Ellen Gonzales, (505) 438-6265, maryelle.gonzales@comcast.net

Los Alamos Middle School, 1 Hawk Drive, Los Alamos, NM, 87544

North Carolina, Brian Sturm, 64 Cedar Hills Circle, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514,

(919) 968-6115, sturm@ils.unc.edu

Ohio, Donna Marie Kuczynski, Sandstone Word Weavers, 803 N. Main Stamherst, OH, 44001, (940) 988-2307, dmkstory@erienet.net

Oregon, Dorothy Ormes, 1045 Terra Ave., Ashland, Oregon, 97520, (541) 482-6234 (home), dormes@earthlink.net

Pennsylvania, Charles Kiernan, 4458 Coffeetown Road, Schnecksville, PA, 18078, (610) 799-2742, SAFRHOMEO@aol.com

Rhode Island, Jeanne Donato, 82 Potter Hill Rd., Westerly, Rhode Island, 02891, (401) 596-3555 (work) story1RI@aol.com

South Carolina, Thom Bristow, 208 Middlesex Drive, Columbia, SC, 29210, (803) 772-9458 (home) tcbristow@msn.com

Tennessee, Diane Judy, 539 Claude Simmons Road, Johnson City, TN, 37604, (423) 282-6515, djudy54@aol.com

Texas, Joe "Doc" Moore, 4417 Morningside Way, Canyon Lake, Texas, 78133, (830) 899-5678 (home) docmoore@gvtc.com

Utah, Rosemarie Howard, Dramatic Dimensions, LLC, 641 East Swenson Avenue, #4, Springville, UT, 84663, (801) 489-8453 dramaticdimensions@sisna.com

Virginia, Una MacGillivray, 2813 Timberneck Trail, Virginia Beach, VA, 23452, (757) 486-3755 (home) and (757) 474-8411 (work) and (757) 486-6294 (fax), umacg@exis.net

Washington State, Gail Smedley, (360) 676-9968 (home) and (360) 383-9409 (school), gsmedley@ferndale.webnet.edu

Wyoming, Terry Yazzolino, Box 2833, Jackson, Wyoming, 83001, (307) 733-9419