1. Groups:

            All Sunday school students from Pre-KG to grade 12 are divided in to seven groups as follows.

            a. Group – 1    Classes Pre- KG & KG

            b. Group – 2    Classes 1 & 2

            c. Group – 3    Classes 3 & 4

            d. Group – 4    Classes 5 & 6

            e. Group – 5    Classes 7 & 8

            f. Group – 6     Classes 9 & 10

            g Group – 7     Classes  11 & 12

 

2. Items of competition:

a. GROUP - 1                                      

Solo Malayalam

Solo English

Group Song Malayalam

Group Song English

               Prayer while entering the church (in reverence, will I .... vows to thee)

b. GROUP - 2

                        Solo Malayalam

                        Solo English

                        Group Song Malayalam

                        Group Song English

         Oral Bible Verses, reference not required to say (No Regional Competition)

                        Prayer: Oh Holy Father…….. at all times for ever, amen.                

c. GROUP - 3

                Solo Malayalam

                        Solo English

                        Group Song Malayalam

                        Group Song English

                        Oral Bible verses: reference required to say. (No Regional competition)

                        Recitation: (Psalm: 121)

                        Bible Quiz: written (Parables from St. Mathew)

                        Elocution in English (Parable of Prodigal son)

d. GROUP - 4

Solo Malayalam

                        Solo English

                        Group Song Malayalam

                        Group Song English

                        Bible Quiz: written (St. Luke)

                        Recitation (Nicene Creed)

                        Elocution English (Holy Baptism)

                                Essay writing (Importance of St. Mary in Orthodox Church)

 

e. GROUP - 5

                        Solo Malayalam

                        Solo English

                        Group Song Malayalam

Group Song English

Recitation: (Beatitudes, St. Mathew 5: 3-12)

Bible Quiz: written (St. John)

Elocution in English (Prayer and fasting)

                        Essay writing (St. Thomas the Apostle of India)

f. GROUP 6

                        Solo Malayalam

                        Solo English

                        Group Song Malayalam

                        Group Song English

Recitation: (Psalm 91)

Elocution in English(Importance of morning worship in Holy  Qurbana)

Bible Quiz: written (The Acts of Apostles)

Essay writing (Need for Holy Confession in our life)

g. GROUP 7

                        Solo Malayalam

                        Solo English

                        Group Song Malayalam

                        Group Song English

                        Bible Quiz: written (Epistles to Romans)

                        Elocution in English (Impact of 1st three ecumenical councils)

                        Essay writing (Defending the three orthodox believes: Infant Baptism,

                                                 Intercessory prayer and priesthood)

                        Recitation: (Psalms: 51)

 

3.         GENERAL GUIDE LINES

a.      Venue for competitions:

Area – 2 District Committee will decide the date, time and venue to conduct the competition.

b.      Venue for writing events:

All writing events will be conducted in two common venues as decided by the district committee.

1. Dallas

2. Oklahoma Area;

Date, time and place shall be decided and announced at least six weeks before conducting the events.

c.       Participants:

Each Sunday school can select and send ‘best two’ participants or teams for every item. It is the responsibility of the Sunday school to select the

‘best two’. Under any circumstance, more than two participants or teams will not be allowed to represent a Sunday school for any given item.

 

The list of the students representing every Sunday school shall be sent to the District Inspector with in the time specified by the district committee. (March 08, 2009)

 

There is no limit on the number of students participating for writing events.

 

No substitution of participants will be allowed. If any participant fails to appear even after three consecutive calls, will be considered as ‘no show’ and removed from the list of contestants. If any member is absent for a group item, the team will be allowed to participate as long as the team has at least two of their participants present.

 

d.      Prizes:

1st 2nd and 3rd places will be determined by the highest total score of an item. District committee will make appropriate decision about the cost and type of each prize. Prizes shall be sponsored by the home parishes of the winners.

           

                  e.   Evaluation:

                         All evaluation shall be done in the given evaluation sheets and shall

                        be based on the criteria outlined in the guidelines.

 

                   1.  Essay:

Essays will be evaluated by any available priest or deacon from the Orthodox churches in Dallas / OK area.

 

If the Region has Essay Competition, the answer books shall be forwarded to the Regional Coordinator.

 

                   2.  Bible Quiz:

 Bible Quiz competition answer sheets will be jointly evaluated by

                         the District Committee in a specified time and place.

 

                         If the Sunday School Region has bible quiz competition, answer books

                         shall be forwarded to the Regional Coordinator.

 

3.      Bible Verses and Recitation:

 These competitions shall be done in an isolated area preferably in a class   

                         room. These competitions will be judged by priests or deacons from

                         Orthodox Churches.

                    4. Songs / Elocution:

Songs and elocutions shall be judged by six judges, one from each Sunday school in the district. Out of the set of six score awarded to each

participant, top and bottom score will be eliminated and the participant

earn the reaming scores only.

 

4.      JUDGES:

a. Songs / Elocutions:

            There shall be six judges in a venue (one person from each Sunday                       

           school) for songs and elocutions. Headmasters in consultation with           

their vicars shall select qualified persons as judges and provide the names to the Area Coordinator within the time frame decided by the district committee (Feb 25, 2009). Each Sunday school must provide three judges including one as stand bye. If assigned judges are not present  at the venue, Area Coordinator will assign suitable person as replacement in consultation with District Committee.

 

                       b. Bible Verses, Bible Reading and Recitation:

            Priests or deacons of Indian Orthodox churches will be assigned as

      judges for these competitions. There shall be minimum two judges      

      for  these competitions. If assigned priests or deacons are not present at the    

      venue, Area Coordinator will assign suitable persons in consultation with

      the district committee as replacement.

                 

5.      SOLO: MALAYALAM & ENGLISH

a.       Songs shall be non – liturgical devotional songs.

b.      Participant are NOT allowed to use book or references

c.       Time limit for solo is 5 minutes.

d.      Six copies of songs shall be given to the judges before participant begins the song.

 

6.      GROUP SONG:  MALAYALAM & ENGLISH

a.       Participants can sing only liturgical songs assigned for each group.

b.      District committee will assign group songs for each group and will be given to the headmasters six weeks before church competition.

c.       A participating team should have minimum of two and maximum of seven participants.

d.      No substitution of participants will be allowed. Participants whose names are in the official list given earlier through the headmasters will be allowed to participate.

e.       For group items if any participant/s not present from the official list will be considered as ‘no show’ and remaining team members will be allowed to perform as long as the team has two or more participants present.

 

 

7.      ORAL BIBLE VERSES:

                        A.   For Group: 2

                             1.   Written reference for verification of verses shall be the judges

                                   before the participant begins to recite the verses. Reference shall

                                   have book, chapter and verse.

     2.   Failure to provide written reference will be subjected to deduction

           of 20 points from the awarded score.

3.        It is not necessary to say the bible verse reference for this group.     

Credit will be given for fully recited bible verses only. . Partial    

            recited verses will not earn any credit.

    4.    Participants are not allowed to recite more than three verses from  

            the same chapter.

    5.    The time limit for this item is 5 minutes.


                        B.    For Group – 3

    1.     Written reference for verification of verses shall be given to the judges before the participant begins to recite the verses. Reference

            Shall have book, chapter and verse.

     2.    Failure to provide written reference will be subjected to deduction of 20 points from the awarded score.

    2.     Participants must say the bible verse reference for this group (the book, chapter and verse).  If the bible reference is not said, half credit will be deducted for that verse. Credit will be given for fully recited bible verses. Partial recited verses will not earn any credit.

    3.     Participants are not allowed to recite more than three verses from the same chapter.

    4.     The time limit for this item is 5 minutes. .

 

8.      PRAYER AND RECITATION

a.       The prayer and recitation assigned shall be recited by the participants from memory.

 

b.      Participants should not have any script or notes with them during presentation.

 

c.       Maximum time allowed is five minutes. A warning yellow card will be shown at 4 min, red card at 5 minutes by the time keeper

 

d.      District committee will assign prayer or topics of recitation for each group and will be given to the headmasters six weeks before church competition.

 

 

9.      ELOCUTION:

a.       Elocutions must be presented in English.

b.      Participants should not have any script or notes with them during presentation.

c.       Participant must speak minimum two minutes to qualify.

d.      Maximum time allowed is five minutes. A warning yellow card will be shown at 4 min, red card at 5 minutes by the time keeper.

e.       Points will be deducted if the speech continues after the time limit.

f.       District committee will assign subjects of elocution for each group and will be given to the headmasters six weeks before church competition.

g.      Participants must present the topic assigned to them.

 

10.    BIBLE QUIZ:

a.       Time limit for Bible Quiz is 30 minutes.

b.      All questions shall be multiple choice formats.

c.       District committee will assign portions for each group and will be given to the headmasters six weeks before church competition.

 

d.      Questions format;

                  1.  Group – 3    30 questions

                  2.  Group – 4   30 questions

                  3.  Group – 5   30 questions

                  4.  Group - 6     40 questions

                  5.  Group – 7    50 questions

 

            e. Bible quiz competition will be conducted along with all other writing events in two common venues as decided by district committee.

      f.    Participants are not allowed to write their names or any kind of identification on the answer sheets and must write the identification number assigned to them by the district.

           

11.       ESSAY WRITING:

a.             Time limit for Essay competition is 30 minutes and shall be approximately 200 words.

b.             District committee will assign subjects for Essay competitions for all participating groups and will be given to the headmasters six weeks before church competition.

c.         Essay shall be written in English in answer sheets provided by the district.

d.         Essay competition will be conducted along with other writing events in three common venues as decided by the district committee

e          participants are not allowed to write their names or any kind of identification on the answer sheets and must write the identification number assigned to them by the district committee.

f.          Participants are not allowed to have in their possession any kind of script or note when writing essays.

          

12.       TIE-BREAKER

                        If a tie-breaker is required to select the best two participants or

                        teams to represent the area in regional competition, the sum of the 

                        eliminated bottom and top score shall be considered as the first

                        tie-breaker and  top score alone shall be considered as the second

                        tie-breaker.

      

13       PROTEST / CONCERNS

District Committee will make every possible effort to conduct the competitions fair and convincing to all concerned.  If any participant, parent or teacher has any concern or protest in the evaluation, grading or awarding of prizes, the same shall be brought to the District Committee through the headmaster of their home parish. District committee will investigate the issue and make a final decision. This decision made by the District Committee will be final and binding on all parties concerned.

 

         14        COMPETITION COMMITTEE;

District committee may form a Competition Committee with equal participation of Sunday schools in the district and authorize them to conduct the competition.

 

         15.       TIME KEEPING

       District committee will designate one person in each venue as time keeper. It is the responsibility of time keeper to give appropriate warnings to judges and contestants about time.

 

         16.        EVALUATIN SHEETS

Sample evaluation sheets for Songs, Bible verses, Elocution, Bible reading and prayer are given below.

 

         17.        EXPENSES:

All the expenses of conducting the competition shall be equally divided among all Sunday schools in the area.

 

For the Area Committee;

Thomas K. Abraham

Coordinator, Area – 2; Dallas / OK