Page:Kitecraft and kite tournaments (1914).djvu/142



The newspapers are glad to publish notices and pictures, and some will even print plans of work free. They are very persistent in getting reports of the tournament, so the judges should be careful in recording each event. The reporters will be on the ground if they have knowledge of its whereabouts.

Ice cream and sandwich wagons are liable to get in the way, so it is best to restrict them to the margin of the crowd. They should not be allowed to come inside any of the locations for the events.

All string that is to be used in races of any kind should be measured beforehand. It is best for the director to take charge of the string until time for the event, or until he can turn it over to the judges in charge of that group. Boys are liable to make a mistake in getting their string too short, so it must be measured. I place a couple of nails one hundred feet apart in the rail of the board fence, the boys wind about that until they have the required length, and by counting the string I can soon see if it is correct. If the string is given back to the boy, there is a temptation to take out some. There is no disadvantage in letting out the string from a stick in the races, if there is a reel to attach it to when it comes to the winding in.

Announcements should be sent out a week ahead of the tournament that the string will be measured such and such afternoons, perhaps two days before the tournament. It is not best to leave it until just the day before, as the director should be as free as possible from such work at such time in order to give full attention to rounding up of details that are sure to accumulate toward the last of the preparations.

Quarter Mile Dash. The race consists of the letting out and winding in of a kite on one quarter mile of string. The boys set their reels ready for the best speed and they group themselves quite close together, but far enough apart to prevent mix-ups, and at the proper time are handed their string that has been measured and labeled which they attach to kite. Each boy in the race is allowed one helper and the kite may be held by the helper a hundred feet away, ready to toss it in