August 2008: Awards

Masonry Institute's 'It Makes a Village' Competition

In April, The Masonry Institute of Virginia (http://masonryinstitute.us) held a Masonry Expo and "Masonry, It Makes a Village" Design Build Competition. A class of seminar speakers conducted 20 classes that gave continuing learning units to those architects attending. There were also seminars with valuable information to assist contractors in their daily operations. Forty top manufacturers and suppliers of masonry materials were on hand to give attendees the most up-to-date information on materials and their applications in the masonry industry.

The first "Masonry, It Makes a Village" competition was held in the Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., corridor. This event teamed architects and masons, who, in two days, designed and built projects that could be found in a village. It was a rewarding learning experience as participants enjoyed working and learning from each other.

The competition brought trade and apprenticeship programs to light with the team from C. S. Monroe Vocational Training Center competing in the event. Those students showed their abilities with their dedicated instructor, bring to light the importance of encouraging young people to step out of their comfort zones, challenge themselves and prove that the future of the industry lies in the mentoring and support of the workforce for tomorrow.