MONROE - Cecil Jones Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2312 of Monroe and its Ladies Auxiliary announce their sponsorship of two VFW youth essay competition programs which are on the NASSP (National Association of Secondary School Principals) National Advisory List of Student Contests and Activities for 2009-2010. They are open to students who are U.S. citizens and are enrolled in public, private or parochial schools, or home schooled.
The Voice of Democracy program is a National Audio/Essay Competition designed to give ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th grade high school students, the opportunity to voice their opinion on their responsibility to their country. Each applicant must submit a three to five minute original essay recorded on an audio cassette. The 2009-2010 year theme is "Does America Still Have Heroes?" The local deadline for this program is November 1, 2009.
A second program, The Patriot's Pen is a National Patriotic Writing Competition for sixth, seventh and eighth grade students. It gives them the opportunity to express their opinion on the announced theme, improve their writing skills and compete for worthwhile awards and prizes. Applicants must submit a typed or computer printed essay of 300 to 400 words, which they are not required to read during judging. The 2009-2010 theme for this program is "When is the Right Time to Honor our Military Heroes?" This contest also has a November 1, 2009 local deadline.
Local first place prizes for the contests are $100 each. Second and third place awards will also be presented. Local winners will be forwarded to the next level of judging. State winners will be forwarded to the VFW National Competitions, where the first place awards are a $30,000 scholarship for the Voice of Democracy program and a $10,000 Savings Bond for the Patriot's Pen program. For details call Valerie Torkelson at (608) 325-6341.
The Voice of Democracy program is a National Audio/Essay Competition designed to give ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th grade high school students, the opportunity to voice their opinion on their responsibility to their country. Each applicant must submit a three to five minute original essay recorded on an audio cassette. The 2009-2010 year theme is "Does America Still Have Heroes?" The local deadline for this program is November 1, 2009.
A second program, The Patriot's Pen is a National Patriotic Writing Competition for sixth, seventh and eighth grade students. It gives them the opportunity to express their opinion on the announced theme, improve their writing skills and compete for worthwhile awards and prizes. Applicants must submit a typed or computer printed essay of 300 to 400 words, which they are not required to read during judging. The 2009-2010 theme for this program is "When is the Right Time to Honor our Military Heroes?" This contest also has a November 1, 2009 local deadline.
Local first place prizes for the contests are $100 each. Second and third place awards will also be presented. Local winners will be forwarded to the next level of judging. State winners will be forwarded to the VFW National Competitions, where the first place awards are a $30,000 scholarship for the Voice of Democracy program and a $10,000 Savings Bond for the Patriot's Pen program. For details call Valerie Torkelson at (608) 325-6341.
