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The first German to arrive in British North America landed in Jamestown in 1608. In less than two years we will celebrate 400 years of German immigration to America. The Board of the Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society voted unanimously to sponsor an essay contest as part of the Society’s commemoration of this important event.
Theme and subjects of essays
The focus of the essays will be “Contributions of German-speaking Immigrants and/or Their Descendants to American Culture and Society.” Subjects can include: architecture; fine arts and folk art; family contributions to American society and culture; history; immigration; industry and commerce; literature; military history; music; religion; and science and technology.
Prize Levels
First, second, and third prizes will be given. These prizes are $1,000, $500, and $250, respectively. Three levels with commensurate awards elevate the significance of the contest and encourage high-quality entries. MAGS will announce the winners of all three place awards in 2008 at the Spring meeting to be held in Williamsburg at a Conference co-sponsored with the Society of German American Studies.
Eligibility
The essay contest is open to anyone (including non-MAGS members) Exceptions include MAGS Board Members and their immediate families and members of the Publications Committee and their immediate families as well as members of the judging committee and their immediate family. Each contestant may submit no more than one essay.
Evaluations and Judges
An Essay Evaluation Committee (EEC) has been formed for judging entries. The panel of judges includes five MAGS members: Merl Arp, Annette Burgert, Susannah Brooks, Pat Cramer and Joseph Neville. Because MAGS intends to publish the essays in Der Kurier, Corinne Earnest and Jim Beidler will serve ex-officio EEC members and or consultants
Procedures for judging include the following: The EEC will elect a chairperson. This chairperson will set criteria and ranking factors for judging entries. He or she will consider originality, documentation, knowledge of subject matter, quality of writing, etc.
Submissions will be sent to MAGS President, John Humphrey, who will block out the names of contestants and make photocopies (or prepare electronic transfer) of each essay for the five judges. Electronic submissions are encouraged. They should be sent to essay@magsgen.com.
The five judges will review each manuscript individually and convene as a group to determine winners. If deemed necessary, the chairperson may recommend counsel from an expert or experts. However, soliciting paid experts must first meet with approval from the MAGS Board.
Essay parameters
Essays must be author-originals of non-published works. Essays cannot exceed 10,000 words plus documentation. As noted contestants are encouraged to send electronic submissions; however, if it is necessary to submit an essay as hardcopy, those submissions need to be double spaced. Essays must be written in English, using Chicago Manual of Style as a style guide. The submission date for all essays is by November 1, 2007.
MAGS will distribute press releases electronically and/or through the mail to organizations that will announce the Essay Contest in their newsletters and journals. Organizations include the Max Kade Institute, Moravian College, Penn State University, the University of Cincinnati German-language Program, the National Genealogical Society, the Federation of Genealogical Societies, the Pennsylvania German Society, the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society, the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University, the Sacramento German Genealogy Society, the Johannes Schwalm Historical Association, the German Embassy and many more.
Time-line
The deadline for entries is November 1, 2007. Judges will complete their evaluations by January 15, 2008, and the awards will be announced at the Spring meeting in April of 2008.
MAGS intends to publish entire essays or portions of them in Der Kurier. By doing so, we believe we can promote understanding of German influences upon American history and culture.
Any questions about the essay contest should be directed to MAGS President, John Humphrey, PaGenealogyBooks@aol.com.
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