# Starting a competition, lookin for help



## potatoc (Dec 8, 2007)

Hope this is in the right forum, not looking for a professional competition but help on doing one with my high school students.

I teach woodworking and metalworking at the local high school.  I also love to grill and smoke as well as many of my students do with their dads and moms.  So I came up with the plan to have students get into groups design and build their own grill or smoker.  Then at the end of the semester we will have a BBQ competition where they will compete in several categories.  I have several teachers and administrators coming to judge.  I am looking for help on stuff like scoring, portions, time frames for each category, honestly anything helpful, I want to make it fun for the kids but make it a competition as well because there will be a lot of time and money invested in it.

Please check out the website.  http://www.tanglewoodcarvings.com/bbq  I will have pictures starting this week.  I am looking forward to everyones suggestions!!  Thanks


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## homebrew & bbq (Dec 8, 2007)

I like your idea. I used to teach and it always seemed to work better when teaching was incorporated into something they liked doing anyways. I've never met you but I can tell you must be a great teacher just from this project. 

How much parent involvement/help are you allowing?


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## ron50 (Dec 8, 2007)

I think that is a very creative idea. There are several KCBS judges here at SMF, I am sure one of them will be along shortly to assist you.


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## potatoc (Dec 9, 2007)

The kids are doing everything so there really isn't any parent involvement with the building end of it.  Most of these kids bbq and smoke quite a bit with their folks because they are always bringing me in samples to try, so I am sure they well get recipe and food prep help from their folks.


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## mossymo (Dec 9, 2007)

This is absolutely great, I wish you were my teacher back when I went to high school (2 1/2 decades ago !!!). I took all the shop and home ec classes I could but we never got to build smokers in shop or smoke in home ec..... I am excited for these students; as of right now you got my vote for teacher of the year !!!


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## gramason (Dec 9, 2007)

Sounds good, I like that they have to build their smokers.


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## irwinwd (Dec 9, 2007)

what a great idea.  I have no experince to offer on the judging front, but it sounds like you can't loose in that competition!


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## potatoc (Dec 9, 2007)

I'll get some pics up this week!!  Really looking to hear from some people on how to do all the judging!!  Thanx


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## gooose53 (Dec 9, 2007)

I agree with rest...wonderful idea!  Have you thought about selling tickets by the plate to raise a little money?


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## bossman (Dec 9, 2007)

Just a suggestion, I'm currently assigned as a School Police Officer and have been in that capacity for 5 years. During that time I have seen alot of community business that are more then happy to donate items. Maybe they can help with trophies, awards etc.


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## crewdawg52 (Dec 10, 2007)

Potato, wish you knew about SMF during the Silver Lakes BBQ Comp back in Sept.  Great experience.  Whens the date?  If I'm free on the date, I'll drive up there and help out in anyway I can.

I'm a certified KCBS Judge, and on the Smokin Scotsmen BBQ Comp team.  I may even get bbq bubba to go up there with me?..
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






Please PM me.  Tha DAWG!


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## potatoc (Dec 11, 2007)

Bossman thanks for the idea, i will take my flyers around and talk to the local butchers...

Crewdawg I am sending you a PM I wanna talk with ya about how to set this up for judging and we would be estatic to have some real time bbq'ers up here to judge this!!


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## placebo (Dec 11, 2007)

How admirable of you! Points for you sir. I'll be watching this one closely to see how this turns out. Schools need more teachers like you!


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## bbqman (Dec 12, 2007)

If you check out the kansas city barbecue society web site I think you can get most of the information you need about times etc from their rules
page. If not give me a fax number and I can fax you everything I have
on competitions.


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## potatoc (Dec 13, 2007)

Alright I got the 2 week photos up with the competition rules/guidelines. Kids are sure getting excited, and with the help I have been getting from you guys I am too. Thanks big time to Crewdawg and BBQman. Definately going to have to make this a annual thing with my classes. Check it out:
http://www.tanglewoodcarvings.com/bbq


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## hawgheaven (Dec 13, 2007)

Somehow, I missed this thread... what a great idea! This is a wonderful thing you are doing for the kids, they will remember it forever! 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





They never even thought of anything like that when I was in high school!!


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## bbqman (Dec 13, 2007)

check out his new web site, he now has pictures of the smokers they built.


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## linbru (Dec 13, 2007)

Not much is said about the good kids in our communities.  Thank you for showing us their projects and to you for the future SMF members.


Could you tell us more about the research etc. that was involved in this semesters lesson?

Keep up the good work.


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## potatoc (Dec 14, 2007)

We are only 2.5 weeks into it.  This will be about 10 weeks when it is finished.  All stared by every Monday last semester everyone who BBQ's would bring in what they made that weekend and let each other sample it.  Of course they liked bringing me stuff to hear if their teacher approves sorta thing.  Plus I liked bringing my stuff in and making them answer questions to course related questions for them to win my food samples...

So.....  To answer your question I looked at my class roster before this semester and saw I was going to have a ton of kids that I knew were into this sorta thing and the first day I brought it up to them about building grills/smokers and they bit.  We spent the first week down in the computer lab researching different units, methods, materials, etc..  Remember these are all advanced students, I have had them all before.  One kid loves to tailgate down at the beach everday in the summer, so he wanted to design a grill that would attach into his Reese hitch, so he went from there.  Another loves to smoke all kinds of stuff with his pops, but loves to deepfry turkeys, so he designed a unit that would have both.  Each guy/team researched what they wanted and now are working on making it reality.  As far as the semesters lesson goes they will be learning teamwork, problem solving, communication skills, time management, advancing their metalworking skills, I could go on and on, I teach real world everday career and employability skills.   By mid February when this project is all said and done I hope to have given these guys an experience to remember for a lifetime..  Remember too, this is split between two classes of 22 each.  There are a lot of students in there who are younger and watching these guys and hopefully next year they will want to keep this alive.


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## bbqpitstop (Dec 14, 2007)

Potato,

I have about five years of research on every imaginable smoker, want some sites to look at? Be sure and check out the Oyler, JR Manufacturing, and Traeger's older models.....if you're really creative check out the now defunct Rotoflex popular in mid Texas.


Now if you really want the quality of superiority across the board, of course I'm going to tell you to build a Friedrich.

For the hitch, tailgater student, there's a manufacturer in British Columbia I have to send you pictures of.........they look like space age bullets complete with coolers. I'd call the comp, THE WILD WORLD OF SMOKERS...........keep it fun, no KCBS rules, just the basics........and by all means GET SPONSERS.

Good luck, and I hope you'll keep us posted along with final pictures. Sounds like fun.


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## cman95 (Dec 14, 2007)

PotatoC....you are the man. These kids will remember this for a long time. Keep up the good work.


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## mrgrumpy (Dec 14, 2007)

I haven't logged on for a while, but I have been following the posts whenever I got a chance.  

This is a super idea.  I am so glad to see the kids doing hands on projects and getting involved.  I am sure these kids will make something for themselves.  If nothing more than being able to do some handyman repairs etc around their own homes.

Those sheds they are building are awesome looking.  They look like real quality went into them.  The wood project look great.  They all are doing a stupendous job.  Please let them know that we are behind them.

Keep up the great job.  I wish more teachers would take the time to do things with their students like this.

Bill


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## potatoc (Feb 24, 2008)

Alright, all competition photos are added at the bottom. We had a great turnout. Over 50 community members showed up to support the kids. It was really great. Not only was the turnout good, but the kids did awesome with their cooking. We had everything from bear, pheasant, vension, pulled pork, 25lbs of jerky, even a deep fried turkey.... Not bad for a bunch of high school guys!! Huge success, made the local paper and two local tv channels. These guys are well on their way to a life of BBQing!!!! Thanks for all the support on this site, you guys have given me a lot of insiration that I have passed onto my students!! Thank you... TJ

Check it all out:  http://www.tanglewoodcarvings.com/bbq.html


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## tell you what bbq (Feb 24, 2008)

Wow...THAT is super...I work in a HS...and am VERY impressed!!


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## potatoc (Feb 25, 2008)

Alright, all the pics are up now... Enjoy...

http://www.tanglewoodcarvings.com/bbq.html


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## desertlites (Feb 26, 2008)

great job u did-real special!


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## gt2003 (Feb 29, 2008)

Great contest, great idea, rep given


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## lcruzen (Feb 29, 2008)

You and the kids should be very proud. This is the kind of thing that they will remember the rest of their lives. Might even spawn a entrepreneur out of the lot. Kudos!


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## jts70 (Feb 29, 2008)

Excellent job! You and the kids should be proud! Nice to see a teacher who cares!!


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## cubguy17 (Mar 6, 2008)

Sorry I'm a little late, just now found this thread. This is friggen awesome, I needed a teacher like you when I was in highschool. They built some great lookin smokers too! Who won I might not have seen it if you posted it.


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## dono (Mar 6, 2008)

very cool of you Dawg, I got a lump in my throat reading your msg, very classy


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