Thursday, December 25, 1997
Engineering firm has ornament-making contest
By JONATHAN KRYDER / Abilene Reporter-News
Nothing makes some children more proud than seeing their hand-made
Christmas ornament topping the family Christmas tree.
Many children relish the thought each year, and their faces
beam when they see their handiwork hanging from the highest branches.
This year, adults at Tippett & Gee Inc., an engineering
firm on North Willis, decided to share in the excitement, too.
As a timely twist to their usual work routine, employees organized
a ornament-making contest -- children and spouses included.
Engineers, architects, secretaries and their families sharpened
their drafting pencils and turned out 22 ornamental entries --
soundly made, safe to use, and of course, fully inspected.
Architect Ken Hutchens said there were no special rules to
the contest, "it just had to be something you could hang
on a tree."
In other words, no full-blown buildings or power plants --
two of Tippett & Gee's mainstays -- were allowed.
Employees scrounged together bits and pieces of material they
normally use every day and came up with some pretty ingenious
ornaments.
Hutchens said such contests "generate new life in the
firm.
"It's a way of getting spirits up and keeps (employees)
active in the company," he said. "It adds new interest
and creativity."
Entries included a star made from titanium bolts, a drafting
triangle Christmas tree, a cardboard computer monitor and a French-curve
Santa Claus.
Several employees won ceramic coffee cup prizes. The drafting
triangle Christmas tree, designed by the architectural, structural
and civil department, took the best of show award.
Robin Beatty, a Wylie Middle School sixth-grader, took the
award for children 12 and younger for her ornamental-bulb-turned-rabbit
entry. Megan Mendenhall, a freshman at Cooper High School, clinched
the award for children 12 and older for her geometric-design ornament.
As part of the holiday spirit, employees also donated $400
worth of coffee money to Goodfellows on Wednesday.
Send a Letter to the Editor about This
Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
Send the URL (Address) of This Story
to A Friend:
Copyright ©1997,
Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
|
