From The Lakelander: DAR essay contests offered in Hill County schools
HILL COUNTY � This year, two new essay contests sponsored by the Fort Graham Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, will be available to Hill County students.
The American History essay contest is for students in grades 5-8, and the Christopher Columbus essay contest is open to grades 9-12. Home schooled students are invited to participate at all levels. Students in grades 5, 6, 7 and 8 may participate in the American history essay contest and awards will be given to the winners in each grade level. The title of the essay is "Young America Takes a Stand: The War of 1812."
Students are asked to pretend they were alive during the War of 1812 and had a friend who became famous in history because of standing up for America during that exciting but dangerous time. Describe the person and how he or she stood up for America. Explain why it is important to honor such heroes when we celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the War of 1812. The deadline for receipt of the War of 1812 essays is Nov. 15, 2011.
Students in grades 9-12 may enter the essay contest entitled "Christopher Columbus: In his own time, in history and today." The student will describe Christopher Columbus as he was understood in three different time periods: What did 15th century people think about his accomplishments? How did 19th-century historians view him? How did Columbus, who had primitive ships and no computers or modern navigation equipment, affect our lives today?
This contest is sponsored jointly by the Daughters of the American Revolution and the National Italian American Foundation. The deadline for receipt of the Christopher Columbus essay is Nov. 21, 2011.
Winning entries at the local level will be entered in the statewide competition and may then go on to win at the divisional and national level. A certificate, gold pin and monetary award is presented to each national winner at Continental Congress in July 2012. Winning essays may appear in official DAR communications.
To obtain a written copy of the official guidelines for the above essay contests, students of public, private and parochial schools should contact their school counselors or call Phyllis Olson at 254-694-4949. Parents of home schooled children are encouraged to contact Mrs. Olson directly to receive detailed information about the contests. Both contests are conducted without regard to race, religion, national origin or sex.
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890 to promote patriotism, preserve American history, and support better education for our nation's children. Its members are descended from the patriots who won American independence during the Revolutionary War.
With more than 165,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide, DAR is one of the world's largest and most active service organizations. To learn more about the work of today's DAR, visit www.DAR.org.
