The following scholarship opportunities are available through the Veterans of Foreign Wars and its Ladies Auxiliary:  

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Voice of Democracy Competition

2008-2009

WHAT IS THE VOICE OF DEMOCRACY PROGRAM?

Since 1947, the Voice of Democracy has been the Veterans of Foreign Wars' (VFW's) premier scholarship program.  Each year, more than 100,000 high school students compete for more than $2.5 million in scholarships and incentives.  Students compete by writing and recording a broadcast script on an annual patriotic theme.  This year's theme is "Service and Sacrifice by America's Veterans Benefit Today's Youth by"...

WHY SHOULD I ENTER?

Prizes and scholarships are awarded at the local, district, state and national level.  Department (State) winners receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. in March 2009 to tour the city, meet our nation's leaders, be honored by the VFW and its Ladies Auxiliary and receive their portion of $148,000 in national awards, the top scholarship being $30,000.

THE RULES ...                                                                                                                                                                     Who can enter?

The Voice of Democracy is open to students in grades 9-12, who are enrolled in a public, private or parochial high school or home study program in the United States, its territories and possessions; or in an overseas U.S. military/civilian dependent school.  Foreign exchange students, students age 20 or over and previous Voice of Democracy first place winners are ineligible. 

What do you need to enter?

Record your original 3-5 minute (+ or-5 seconds) essay on a standard cassette tape or CD on this year's theme.  Label your cassette of CD and neatly typed essay with your name and complete the entry form.  Provide these three items to your school/group competition or your local VFW Post for judging.  All recordings must be in your own voice (hearing or speech impaired students should contact the Voice of Democracy National Office at (816) 968-1117 for special instructions), without music, special effects or background sound.  Songs and poetry are not acceptable.  You may not provide anything in the essay or recording that will identify you in any way.  You may enter only one Voice of Democracy competition per year. 

Where do you submit your entry?

To advance to the next level, all entries must be judged at the VFW Post level.  The only exception is where schools/classes/youth groups have large numbers of students and wish to conduct their own competition, submitting one winner for each 15 students to the local VFW Post competition.  Individual students may submit their entry directly to the local VFW Post provided they have not competed at a school/class competition.  VFW Post winners compete at the VFW District level.  District winners compete at the VFW Department (state) level.  Department winners receive an expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to compete at the VFW National level.  All winners must begin at the Post level.  To identify a participating VFW Post in your area, contact Department Chairman or the Department office or call the Voice of Democracy National Office at (816) 968-1117, or e-mail us at kharmer@vfw.org or visit our Web site at www.vfw.org.

What is the deadline for your entry?

All entries competing at the Post level must be in the hands of the VFW Post by midnight, November 1, 2008.  It is the responsibility of the student to meet this deadline by submitting their entry to the proper location. 

WHAT ARE THE JUDGING CRITERIA?

Originality is worth 35 points:  Treatment of the theme should show imagination and human interest.

Content is worth 35 points:  Clearly  express your ideas in an organized manner.  Fully develop your theme and use  transitions to move smoothly from one idea to another.

Delivery is worth 35 points:     Speak in a clear and credible manner.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Patriot's Pen Essay Contest

 

Patriot's pen gives 6th, 7th and 8th grade students the opportunity to express their opinion on a patriotic theme and improve their writing skills, while they compete for worthwhile awards and prizes.  First place winner will receive a $10,000 Savings Bond. 

 

Essay Rules:

  1. Essay length:  300 - 400 words.

  2. You must write your own essay.

  3. All essays should be typewritten in English with no color or graphics and cannot be less than 300 words or greater then 400 words in length.  (Essays under or over these word amounts will be eliminated.)  Every word is counted regardless of length.  The essay title (theme) or added footnotes do not contribute to the word count.

  4. A contestant must be a student enrolled in either the 6th, 7th or 8th grade of a public, private, parochial school or a home study program in the United States, its territories or possessions or enrolled in an overseas school as a dependent of U.S. military or U.S. civilian personnel to be eligible to enter this contest.  (Foreign Exchange students and former winners that placed in the national finals are not eligible to enter this contest.)

  5. The completed essay and entry form must be in the hands of the VFW Post Chairman by midnight November 1, 2008.

  6. Contestants may not identify themselves, their school, city or state in their essay.  Do not put your name on your essay.  The entry form is your essay's cover sheet.  Secure the Official Student Entry Form with a staple or other fastener on top of your essay.  Contestants are allowed to enter only once (one Post competition).  Contestants found in violation of this rule will face elimination from the competition and will be required to return any and all prize money awarded and received.

  7. The essay must be a contestant's original work and a product of the contestant's own thinking.  The approach to this year's theme, "Why America's Veterans Should be Honored", should be positive and focus clearly on the theme.  Poetry is not acceptable.  Quotations may be used sparingly if plainly identified wherever used.  A contestant's teacher, counselor or parent may check the essay for punctuation, grammar and/or spelling, but the content must remain the contestant's.  Contestants should be judged on the basis of their essay alone and are not required to present the essay orally.

  8. All entries must be submitted to a VFW Post competition.  If you have difficulty identifying a sponsoring post in your area, contact the Patriot's Pen Chairman the Department office.

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Patriotic Art

2008-2009 National Scholarships:

 * DEADLINES *

Student Deadline: March 31, 2009. Participants must submit entries to the Ladies Auxiliary Youth Activities Chairman by this date. The first-place winner from each Auxiliary will be sent to the Department Youth Activities Chairman for judging.

District Judging: (Optional) If held, the District winners must meet the Department deadline for judging.

Department Judging: Ladies Auxiliary or District entries must be received by the Department  of New York Ladies Auxiliary Youth Activities Chairman, Pat Glowniak by April 15, 2009.

National Deadline:  Department entries in the National Contest must be received at Ladies Auxiliary VFW National Headquarters, 406 West 34th Street, 10th Floor, Kansas City, Missouri 64111, by May 5, 2009. Only the First-Place Department Winner is eligible for the National Competition. (There are 51 Departments; one from every state and the District of Columbia.

JUDGES

Those selected to judge the contest on all levels, will be teachers, professionals, and persons knowledgeable in art.  Comments of local and state judges will be attached to the painting and forwarded with it.

ELIGIBILITY

Students must be in grades 9, 10, 11 or 12. Students must attend school in the same state as the sponsoring Ladies Auxiliary. Home-schooled students are eligible; foreign exchange students are not.

NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP'S

$10,000.........................................First-Place Scholarship
$  5,000....................................Second-Place Scholarship
$  2,500........................................Third-Place Scholarship

DEPARTMENT AWARDS

First place winner will receive a plaque and $250.00.

FIRST PRIZE includes a  plaque, and airfare plus two nights' lodging to attend the 2009 Ladies Auxiliary National Convention. The first-place art will be and featured on the cover of the National Ladies Auxiliary VFW Magazine and on the on this Web site.

Second and third-place winning entries in the National Contest will be featured in the Magazine and on this Web Site.

The three winning entries will be held until September, 2009, so they can be displayed at the Ladies Auxiliary National Convention.  They will be returned directly to the students.

CONTEST RULES

Art must be on paper or canvas. Water color, pencil, pastel, charcoal, tempera, crayon, acrylic, pen-and-ink or oil may be used. Digital art may be used but must be on paper or canvas...No discs will be accepted. When submitting computer/digital art, be aware that all images need to be original; i.e., do not scan in or otherwise use photographs or art created by others; all images incorporated must be the artist's own and not lifted from publications or outside sources.

Do not frame! Submit canvas entries on stretcher frames. Other entries must be matted on white. Do not use color mats. In matting, use heavy paper to reinforce back.  Mounted and floating mats may also be used. The art should be no smaller than 8" x 10" but no larger than 18" x 24", not including mat.

Be sure to complete entry form and attach to back of entry. Note that you must be sponsored by a Ladies Auxiliary or a foreign-based Auxiliary or Post.

Package art so that it can be mailed without being damaged.
If you use the American Flag in your entry -- it must conform to the Federal Flag Code as far as color, number of stars and stripes, and other pertinent rules of the code.  Please use the American Flag in its entirety.  (You can get a copy of the code from your Ladies Auxiliary VFW or local library.)

Entry must have been done during 2008-2009 School Year -- notice that you must have your teacher's signature.  Each student may submit only one entry.

Each entry will be judged on the originality of concept, presentation, and patriotism expressed; the content of how it relates to patriotism and clarity of ideas; the design technique, total impact of work; and uniqueness.
Special Note: National Winners of the 2007-2008 contest may not compete in future Ladies Auxiliary VFW Patriotic Art Contests.

HOW TO APPLY FOR THE CONTEST:

Every student must be sponsored by a Ladies Auxiliary VFW which is located in the same state as the student attends school.  Please contact the Auxiliary nearest you for an application. If you wish to print out the entry form, click on the following but please note: entries must be judged by the local Auxiliary as a first step in the contest. Entry Form

For Auxiliaries located in your state, contact Department Chairman or Department Office.

If you need additional assistance, contact:   info@ladiesauxvfw.com

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