30,000 At 



Sports Festival 



[See Pictures, Pages 18-19} 



^ /^ ATE last March a release an- 

 ^r'^ nouncing the annual meeting 



/>-"•' of Illinois Farm Bureau base- 

 ball league proposed the organization of 

 a Softball division if the counties wanted 

 it. A state playoff or tournament at the 

 close of the season was suggested as part 

 of the proposal. 



"Why not have a Field Day for Illi- 

 nois farmers," suggested C. V. Gregory, 

 Prairie Farmer's nimble-witted editor. 

 "We are starting a sports page to en- 

 courage play and fun for farm folks. 

 We'll help boost it." 



A sprinkling of soft ball enthusiasts 

 attended the baseball meeting April 10 

 in Peoria's Pere Marquette Hotel. "We're 

 for the Field Day," unanimously voted 

 delegates from some 20 counties spurred 

 on by the enthusiasm of St. Clair county's 

 Alvin O. Eckert, Lake's Ebb Harris, Hen- 

 derson's Otto Steffey and others. 



President Harris appointed a commit- 

 tee composed of I. A. A. directors Eckert, 

 Steffey, and Albert Hayes. Their job 

 was to outline a program to be presented 

 to the I. A. A. board for approval or 

 disapproval. 



To a meeting a few weeks later in the 

 I. A. A. offices came members of the 

 Committee, I. A. A. President Earl Smith, 

 President Ebb Harris and Secretary 

 George Thiem of the Baseball League, 



Mr. Gregory, assistant editor Merrill 

 Gregory, WLS's George Biggar, and 

 Farm Adviser, Chas. E. Yale. 



"Let's make it a two day affair, an 

 eight ring circus with something for 

 everyone," it was suggested. "We might 

 get from three to five thousand the first 

 year," said a conservative soul. 



"You'll get nearer thirty to forty thou- 

 sand," said Mr. Gregory as ideas flew 

 thick and fast. 



It was decided to outline a detailed 

 plan, draw up a budget and present it to 

 the I. A. A. board. 



With some misgivings, directors ap- 

 proved the plan and a budget of $1,500, 

 ordered publicity director George Thiem 

 to organize the program with the coun- 

 sel of Secretaries Paul E. Mathias and 

 George E. Metzger. 



Roy Johnson, athletic coach and ag 

 teacher of Mahomet high school was em- 

 ployed June 20 for the summer to con- 

 tact counties and assist in organizing 

 county soft ball leagues, secure entries 

 for the track meet, tug of war, horseshoe 

 tournament, and other events. 



The state fair grounds at Springfield 

 were considered as the place for the 

 Sports Festival. Closer inspection proved 

 this undesirable if not impossible. So to 

 the University of Illinois campus with its 

 extensive athletic facilities went the de- 

 cision. Champaign county's J. E. Harris, 



HALF MILE RELAY WINNERS. Macoupin Outran 'em All. "nm* 1:41.9. 



A KISS HIS REWARD 

 Winning pitcher Kenneth Stephens and 

 sweetheart after Henry county took state base- 

 ball title from Carroll. 



■.;■■:-; .-1 : . :' . 



Eugene Curtis, Harry Reifsteck, Arthur 

 Burwash, and a host of others whole- 

 heartedly laid into the collar. A general 

 committee of farm advisers and I. A. A. 

 staff members met at Champaign July 9. 

 Committees were set up and field director 

 Johnson brought in encouraging reports. 



On September 4 and 5 Illinois' first 

 Farm Sports Festival surpassed the ex- 

 pectations of most of its sponsors when 

 some 30,000 people gathered from near- 

 ly every county in Illinois. Came 70 

 County Farm Bureau soft ball teams, five 

 baseball teams^ 1 2 tug of war teams, eight 

 county relay teams, a total of more than 

 2000 contestants in these and the horse- 

 shoe tournament, track meet, prize draw- 

 ings, hog calling, chicken calling, hus- 

 band calling, darning, rolling pin throw- 

 ing, horse pulling, square dance, folk 

 dance, novelty band, and checkers con- 

 tests. Three Farm Bureau bands from 

 Boone, Sangamon, and Logan, each with 

 50 or more pieces took part. The estimate 

 of 2000 contestants does not include 150 

 to 200 who played in the three bands, 

 some 300 committee workers, judges, 

 umpires, score keepers, and starters. 



High points of the two day festival 

 were the (1) inspiring crowd of 25,000 

 meeting under the stars in Memorial 

 Stadium Friday night when blue ribbon 

 folk dancers, square dancers, and novelty 

 bands climaxed by WLS entertainers and 

 a concert by Boone county's band put on 

 a snappy three hour show; (2) the hard 

 fought state championship baseball game 

 between Henry and Carroll counties, the 

 former winning 3 to 2 ; (3) Peoria coun- 

 ty's fast adult soft ball team sponsored by 

 the Producers Creamery which defeated 

 St. Clair county; (4) the state champion- 

 ship 4-H Club, and girls soft ball tourna- 

 ments won by McLean and Monroe coun- 

 ties; (5) Vermilion county's successful 

 tug of war team which outpuUed Kendall 

 for the state championship; (6) the 

 farm team horse-pulling contest directed 

 by Prof. E. T. Robbins, witnessed by 

 more than 1500 spectators; (7) the 



16 



L A. A. RECORD 



