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Scouts and Venturers invited to enter the State-Fish Art Contest

Fishing has been a part of Scouting since the very beginning.

In fact, Scouting founder Robert Baden-Powell once said, “every Scout ought to be able to fish in order to get food for himself.”

That longstanding angling tradition — coupled with the sport’s continued popularity today — makes this contest opportunity one I simply had to pass along.

It’s called the State-Fish Art Contest, and it’s open to anyone from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Let’s flood the contest with entries from Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venturers and Sea Scouts. Let’s show them nobody does fishing better than packs, troops, crews and ships.

Entering is fun, free and involves two basic steps:

  1. Create a 9-by-12-inch art illustration of any state fish (not just the one from an entrant’s own state).
  2. Write a one-page essay related to the chosen fish species.

Each year’s entry deadline is March 31. Mail entires to:

Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art
5350 HWY 61 North, Suite 7
White Bear Lake, MN 55110

Winners get prizes (details to be announced) and recognition at a national fishing event. Everyone — win or lose — supports aquatic education through science and the arts.

Any fish you wish

Remember, entrants can select any fish on the state-fish list — not just their own.

That means Arizona Scouts could pick the Kentucky spotted bass, and Scouts in New York could select Hawaii’s humuhumunukunukuapua’a.

Find the official fish list here.

The 2017 Best in Show illustration of an Atlantic sailfish.

Part 1: The art

Entrants must create an original, horizontal, 9-by-12-inch art illustration. Essentially any art medium is acceptable.

Again, make them horizontal; vertical entries will be disqualified.

See the official rules and illustrations from past winners here.

A 2017 first-place-winning illustration of a humuhumunukunukuapua’a.

Part 2: The writing

The written portion — titled “Fish Make You Smarter” — is a one-page submission in the student’s own words.

It can be an essay, story, poem or any other creative form.

It should show the entrant’s connection to and understanding of their chosen fish. It should demonstrate a knowledge of the fish’s habitat, behavior and conservation status.

See more about the written portion here.

Scouts and Venturers invited to enter the State-Fish Art Contest

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