Patriot Pen (PDF) - Veterans of Foreign Wars

OFFICIAL STUDENT PATRIOT’S PEN COMPETITION ENTRY FORMMUST BE COMPLETED BY ALL CONTESTANTS________________________________________________________________Name: First, M.I., Last________________________________________________________________Address________________________________________________________________City, State, Zip( ) ____________________ ________________________________Home PhoneE-mail____________________________ ____________ ______________Date of Birth Grade in School Essay Word Count________________________________________________________________School Name, City, StateI HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND THE CONTEST RULES________________________________________________________________Signature of Student ParticipantDateLOCAL VFW POST INFORMATIONCONTACT: ________________________PHONE: __________________________BEST TIME TO CALL: ________________ALTERNATE CONTACT:________________PHONE: __________________________BEST TIME TO CALL: ________________TO BE COMPLETED BY THE VFW/AUXILIARY POSTI certify that this student is an authorized entry in ourVFW Post Level Patriot’s Pen Competition.________________________________________________________________Post Commander’s/Chairman’s Signature Post #________________________________________________________________Ladies Auxiliary President’s/Chairman’s Signature________________________________________________________________Post Address________________________________________________________________City, State, ZipNo. of students participating ________Amt. of Post/Aux. awards and bonds $No. of winners advanced to District ______________________________________Amt. of Post/Aux. additional expenses (banquet, pins, etc.) $__________________TO BE COMPLETED BY THE VFW/AUXILIARY DISTRICTI certify that the student named in the previous section is the duly selected winner ofthe Patriot’s Pen Essay Contest District Competition and is our sole entry into theDepartment finals.________________________________________________________________District Chairman’s Signature Dist. #________________________________________________________________Address________________________________________________________________City, State, Zip( ) ____________________ ________________________________PhoneE-mailTO BE COMPLETED BY THE VFW DEPARTMENT CHAIRMANI certify that the student named in the previous section is the duly selected first-placewinner of the Patriot’s Pen Essay Department Competition, and is our sole entry into theNational Judging.________________________________________________________________Department Chairman’s Signature( ) ____________________ ( ) ______________________Daytime PhoneFax________________________________________________________________E-mailThe winner ❍ has been ❍ will be (check one) notified that they are the first placeDepartment winner on ________. Note: National Headquarters will contact your winnerafter this date to notify them of their national placement.Patriot’s Pen CompetitionVeterans of Foreign Wars& Ladies AuxiliaryKansas City, Missouri(816) 756-3390, ext. 220E-Mail: swilson@vfw.orgwww.vfw.orgPatriotic EssayWriting ContestGrand Prize:$10,000 savings bond

Conducted nationwide, this VFW sponsored youthessay competition gives students an opportunity towrite essays expressing their views on democracy withthe prospect of winning U.S. savings bonds. We inviteyou to join the more than 120,000 students whoparticipated last year in this contest.Big National PrizesPrizes include the various amounts ofU.S. Savings Bonds listed below:1st: $10,000 Bond 7th: $3,500 Bond2nd: $8,000 Bond 8-9th: $3,000 Bond3rd: $7,000 Bond 10-11th: $2,500 Bond4th: $5,500 Bond 12-13th: $2,000 Bond5th: $5,000 Bond 14-15th: $1,500 Bond6th: $4,000 Bond 16-45th: $1,000 BondWhen is the deadline?To qualify, all entries must be submitted to asponsoring VFW Post by November 1, 2008.The National Association of Secondary School Principals(NASSP) has again approved this contest for its NationalAdvisory List of Contests and Activities.How does the contest work?The contest consists of four levels. The first level (entry) issponsored by local VFW Posts. Post winners advance to theVFW District (regional) level where the one first-placewinner is advanced to the VFW Department (state) level.The one first-place winner at the Department level is thenadvanced into the VFW National competition. The winnerfrom each Department (state) then competes for thenational prizes.Who can enter?Patriot’s Pen is open to 6th-, 7th- and 8th-grade studentsenrolled in public, private or parochial schools in the U.S.,its territories or its possessions. Home-schooled studentsalso are eligible.Dependents of U.S. military or civilian personnel inoverseas schools can participate too. (Foreign exchangestudents and former winners that placed in the Nationalfinals are excluded from the contest.)The top 45 national winners all receive at leasta $1,000 savings bond. The first-place award iscurrently a $10,000 savings bond plus an all-expensepaid trip to Washington, D.C. for the winner and aparent or guardian.How do I get started?• Ask a teacher or youth group/club adult leader tosupervise the Patriot’s Pen writing competition.• Contact a local VFW Post and indicate your interestin participating.• Establish a contact person who is a member of thatVFW Post or its Ladies Auxiliary.• Make sure that your essay is submitted to the VFWPost before the contest deadline of Nov. 1, 2008.How am I judged?You will be judged on how well you understand,develop and present the theme. A positive approachis recommended to express your viewpoint.Knowledge of the theme is worth 30 points:You must show a thorough knowledge of the themin your work. Demonstrate you have researched theissue extensively.Theme development is worth 35 points:Answer all relevant facts about the theme such as thewho, what, where, when and why. Relate the theme toyour own experiences.Clarity of ideas is worth 35 points:Write your essay in an easy-to-understand format.Leave your reader with a clear understanding of yourexplanation of the theme.What is the theme?VFW’s Commander-in-Chief annually choosesthe year’s theme. The 2008-09 theme isWhy America’s Veterans Should Be Honored.What are the rules?• Essay length: 300-400 typewritten words.• You must write your own essay.• All essays should be typewritten in English with nocolor or graphics and cannot be less than 300 wordsor greater than 400 words in length. (Essays under orover these word amounts will be eliminated.) Everyword is counted regardless of length. The essay title(theme) or added footnotes do not contribute tothe word count.Deadline —The completed essay and entry form must be inthe hands of the VFW Post Chairman by midnightNov. 1, 2008.In no way may contestants identify themselvesin their essay. Do not put your name on your essay.The entry form is your essay’s cover sheet. Secure theOfficial Student Entry Form with a staple or otherfastener on top of your essay. Essays must be writtenexclusively for this competition. Use of the same essayfor other competitions will result in disqualification.Contestants are allowed to enter only once (one Postcompetition). Contestants found in violation of thisrule will face elimination from the competition andwill be required to return any and all prize moneyawarded or received.The essay must be a contestant’s original workand a product of the contestant’s own thinking. Theapproach to the Patriot’s Pen theme should bepositive and clearly focused. Poetry is not acceptable.Quotations may be used sparingly if plainly identifiedwherever used. A contestant’s teacher, counselor orparent may check the essay for punctuation, grammarand/or spelling, but the content must remain thecontestant’s. Contestants will be judged on the basisof their essay alone and are not required to presentthe essay orally. All essays become the property ofthe Veterans of Foreign Wars. The VFW retainsnon-exclusive rights to use your essay and likenessin the promotion and execution of theorganization’s programs and activities.Note: All entries must be submitted to a VFWPost competition. If you have difficulty identifyinga sponsoring Post in your area, call the Patriot’sPen national office at:(816) 756-3390, ext. 220 or e-mail: swilson@vfw.org.