JUDGING AND SCORING
The Guild was created by the Fisher family to teach boys and young men the principles of “design” and “craftsmanship.”
The Guild model car competition was an extracurricular, industrial arts project and was run concurrently with the school year (9 months). The European Guilds (UK, Swiss, Aussie and German) were modeled after the original Detroit FBCG but the Guilds in the England and West Germany were co-educational. The W. German Guild operated from 1965 to 1979 and had been adopted by the school system.
At the end of the school year, U.S. participants shipped their completed models in carefully conceived wooden crates, to Detroit to be Judged by professionals. This was done originally in one of the show rooms of the General Motors Building, and later, in the Fisher Body Engineering headquarters auditorium in Warren, MI.
The scale models were assigned a 4-digit number (tag stapled to the bottom of the model and written in magic marker on the bottom) which ensured that the judging/scoring was anonymous.
There were 450 points available for each contestant and the points were weighted as shown below each category and sub-category:
DESIGN
Originality of Design 100 points
Artistic Merit of Design 80 points
Practicality of Design 70 points
Sub-total 250 points
CRAFTSMANSHIP
Scale Fidelity 50 points
Workmanship 80 points
Painting 70 points
Sub-total 200 points
Total 450 points
The models were initially organized by state and on display tables for the first phase of judging. Each model was judged/scored by a team of 3 GM Designers and a team of 3 Detroit Industrial Arts teachers. State winners were notified and received a cash prize. There were First State ($150 cash), Second State ($100 cash), Third State ($75 cash) and Honorable Mention (4- $25 cash) for both Junior and Senior Divisions.
Initially, the top national scholarship awards were: 1st place -$4,000, 2nd place – $3,000, 3rd place – $2,000, and 4th Place – $1,000 (for both Junior and Senior divisions). In the 1955-56 competition year these quantities were increased by an increment of $1,000 each. In addition, 10 National Styling Scholarships were added worth $1,000 each (regardless of age division). The National Styling Scholarships were awarded for “Excellence in Design.” At this same time, points allocation was shifted to favor the “design” category (250 points) over the “craftsmanship” category (200 points) or 55% vs 45%. In terms of economics and inflation, a $1,000 increment in the 1960’s might be worth approx. $6,000- $7,000 today.
One of the most important factors for “fair competition” was the grouping of contestants by age and experience (called divisions) where the Junior Division were youths (ages 12-15) and Senior Division were young men (ages 16-19). Later in the program, the age intervals were expanded to 11-15 years and 16-20 years, respectively.
The Guild had a Regional Awards System with 20 groups of states (competitive pools) based on population and history of model entries. The first state $150 cash award winning models (Junior and Senior Division) competed within their regions for Regional award honors, for both Junior or Senior divisions. This was believed to ensure a fair distribution of national scholarship awards. Each age division had 20 regional award winners and were awarded a 4-day, all-expenses paid trip to the Guild Convention in Detroit (valued at $750), they had $150 cash for being the first state award winner and were eligible for national scholarships.
Estimated correlation between awards and points earned: Honorable Mention (60-75% of points), state awards (1st, 2nd and 3rd) 75-80% of points, Regional award (80% + of points) and national award (90% + of points).
Those models judged to be worthy of national scholarship awards were reviewed by an Honorary Board of Advisors consisting of experts in education (college and university Presidents and Deans of Engineering Schools) as well as automobile designers such Harley J. Earl (VP GM Styling 1940 -1958) or William L. Mitchell (VP GM Design 1958-1977). The national scholarship awards were presented to recipients at the Guild Convention Banquet in Detroit by the President of GM. The event was broadcast from coast to coast by the radio and TV networks.
In 1963 the Open Category of model competition was introduced and a new specification sheet called Drawing C. was introduced to the Guild program. The Open Category allowed new wheel base configurations hence new seating arrangements and new body styles. The unconventional wheelbase models competed for the same scholarships as conventional wheel base models.
SOURCE: Compilation of various Gilmore-Guild Exhibition placards and labels.