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Youth Essay Contest (George & Stella Knight)
A scholarship competition for Washington State High School juniors and seniors. This contest was originally named in honor of SAR Compatriot President Calvin Coolidge who won an SAR essay contest while a student at Amherst College. The contest was reestablished in 1988 by SAR Compatriot McCarthy DeMere. In 1995, the contest was renamed the George S. and Stella M. Knight Essay Contest in honor of their generous gift to the SAR to support this contest. The contest is designed to give high school students an opportunity to explore events that shaped American History. This contest is open to all United States citizens or legal aliens who are high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors, however, contestants must be in their Sophomore, Junior or Senior grade of study during the contest year. It is ideal for students who do not feel comfortable giving an oration but who can write what they think is going to happen to this country in the future. Contestants shall be attending public, parochial, or private high schools (including accredited home schools). The contest is conducted in three phases: Local Chapter, State Society and National Society. The essay must have four parts: A) title page, B) essay pages, C) bibliography (works cited), and D) contestant’s biography. The title page, bibliography and contestant’s biography must be listed on separate pages and no reference to the contestant’s name or information can be part of the Essay pages or Bibliography. Please follow these rules exactly. Essays that do not conform to the rules may be disqualified. A) The title page must include the title of the essay, contestant’s name, address, telephone member, and email address (if available). In addition, the title page must include the name, address, and telephone number of the high school in which the contestant is enrolled, and the contestant’s grade level. B) The essay must have a minimum of 800 words and not exceed 1,200 words (excluding title page, footnotes, bibliography page, and biography page). (Word counts based on a word processor are acceptable.) The First page of the Essay must include the title of the essay. (No contestant information must appear on these pages as they are separated and distributed to the judges for grading to prevent possible grading bias.) The essay must be typed double-spaced on white bond paper. No bindings or special covers are needed. Graphics are not permitted. An original copy of the essay must be submitted. Poor quality copies will not be accepted. Plagiarism will be grounds for immediate disqualification. C) The essay and bibliography must be documented in accordance with the Modern Language Association publication, MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (see D) The contestant’s biography is limited to one page. Topics to be included in the biography are academic awards and achievements, school activities, community activities, and plans for college. The topic of the essay shall deal with: an event, person, philosophy, or ideal associated with the American Revolution, the Declaration of Independence, or the framing of the United States Constitution. Essays which meet the Rules will be accepted and judged equally on the following: A) Historical accuracy B) Clarity of thought C) Organization and proven topic D) Grammar and spelling E) Documentation. The National Association of Secondary School Principals has placed this program on the NASSP National Advisory List of Contests and Activities. DEADLINES: (The applicant year is the is the calendar year, 01Jan through 31Dec) Applicant entry to Chapters: 31 Dec Chapter entry to State Society: 09 Jan State Society candidate to National Society: 15 Feb NATIONAL SOCIETY AWARDS: * First place: $2,000 * Second Place: $1,000 * Third Place: $500 Contest rules can be found at this link http://www.sar.org/youth/knightrules.html. For information and rules contact: Bill Ailes |
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Youth Essay Contest |