|
Voice of
Democracy Competition
Download all forms at bottom of this page
2012-2013
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
"Is Our Constitution Still Relevant?"...
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 2012 to tour the city,
meet our nation's leaders, be honored by the VFW and
its 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.
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, 2012. 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.
Patriot's Pen
Essay Contest
2012-2013
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:
-
Essay length: 300 - 400 words.
-
You must write your own essay.
-
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.
-
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.)
-
The completed essay and entry form must be in
the hands of the VFW Post Chairman by
midnight November 1, 2012.
-
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.
-
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,
"What I shall tell our Founding Fathers?",
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.
-
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.
Patriotic Art
2011-2012
* DEADLINES *
Student Deadline: March 31,
2012.
Participants
must submit entries to the 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:
Auxiliary or District entries must be received by
the by April 15, 2012.
National Deadline:
Department entries in the National Contest must be
received at Auxiliary VFW National
Headquarters, 406 West 34th Street, 10th Floor,
Kansas City, Missouri 64111, by May 5, 2012.
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
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 2012
Auxiliary National Convention. The first-place art
will be and featured on the cover of the National
Auxiliary VFW Magazine and 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, 2012, so they can be displayed at the
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
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 Auxiliary VFW or local library.)
Entry must have been done during 2011-2012
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 2010-2011
contest may not compete in future Auxiliary
VFW Patriotic Art Contests.
HOW TO
APPLY FOR THE CONTEST:
Every student must be
sponsored by a Auxiliary VFW which is
located in the same state as the student attends
school. Please download the forms below for the
entry information.
Entries
must be judged by the local Auxiliary as a first
step in the contest.
If you need additional assistance, contact VFW 12024
Auxiliary President Paula Ison:
pgison@comcast.net
Please send all applications back to our Post /
Auxiliary for submissions
VFW Auxiliary 12024
P.O. Box 8341
The Woodlands, TX 77387-8341
FORM DOWNLOADS
Voice of Democracy 2012-2013 Entry Form
Patriots Pen 2012 Entry Form
Patriotic Art 2011 Entry Form
Patriotic Art 2011 Helpful Hints
|
