California is this year's award winner for membership growth. It has steadily increased for the past eleven years.

Association Director Richard Price believes it is important to grow Odyssey of the Mind memberships for multiple reasons, but especially because it's good for students, "most importantly, growth means that there are more and more kids participating in and learning important skills from the program, therefore growing their potential as well."

While the association attends numerous conferences to present Odyssey of the Mind to potential new schools and/or parents, Price believes the key to increasing memberships is by keeping the current members happy.

"The best way to bring more memberships is by word-ofmouth, which is best done by coaches. That means it is critical that we put on good coaches trainings and run a smooth tournament that emphasizes fun. If the kids and the coaches have a good time, they will spread the word favorably."

This approach has worked well for California with a its membership numbers steadily climbing.

"Winning this award feels great -- certainly not because of anything I did personally, but because I get to share it with all of the Regional Directors who are the real strength of the program," said Price.

Creative Competitions, Inc. created this award in honor of Max Mansfield and rewards membership growth.

Max will always be remembered as someone who selflessly volunteered for Odyssey so that as many people as possible could experience creative problem solving. This award is CCI's way to honor his years of dedication and hard work as well as all Odyssey associations attempting to do the same.