patriot's pen winning essay 2022

PATRIOT PEN

2022-2023 "PATRIOT’S PEN” ESSAY Program

"My Pledge to Our Veterans"

All information pertaining to the theme, judging, eligibility, awards, and other aspects of this program are contained in the Veterans of Foreign Wars program booklet for the Patriot’s Pen Essay Program.  District Chairmen are responsible to ensure that their District programs are conducted within these rules and deadlines.   Make sure that you distribute copies of your program to all Posts in your District in enough time to ensure a successful competition.

The Patriot’s Pen Essay Program is a joint program with the VFW Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars of Michigan.  The Auxiliary does not need the permission of a Post to participate in the Patriot’s Pen Essay Program.  Post and District Chairmen are expected to include their VFW Auxiliary counterparts in all activities concerning the conduct of local and District programs. Coordination of the District program is the sole responsibility of each District Chairman. Post Chairmen must refer to their District program for their District program requirements and deadline dates.  

  Judging the Contest

The suggested number of judges is five to nine (or a minimum of three).  Judges should be from outside your Posts/Auxiliaries and should represent your community.  Judges must not be connected in any way with the students in the competition.  Set the date for your judging and invite the judges at least 90 days in advance.  Remind them a week before the competition with a letter or email, and two days before with a phone call.

Eligibility

Sixth (6th), Seventh (7th) and Eighth (8th) grade students in public, private, parochial, and home schools in the State of Michigan.  Former first place winners at the State and National level competition or any foreign exchange student are not eligible.  Students do not have to be relatives of a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars or its VFW Auxiliary to participate.  

Essays must be typed, or computer printed in English, between 300-400 words, on a single sheet of paper, with no added color or art.            

Posts 

To receive credit for participation in the Patriot’s Pen Essay Program, a Post MUST  SPONSOR THE PROGRAM IN THEIR COMMUNITY.  While it is important to offer the Patriot’s Pen Essay Program in our schools, it is not solely a program for the schools.  You may offer the competition to any sixth, seventh or eighth grade student.  Foreign exchange students are not eligible.  All entries MUST be submitted directly to the Post.  They may be sponsored through local schools, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Church youth groups, Junior ROTC programs, etc.  The Post is encouraged to solicit participants from as many sources as possible.  

The Post will hold their own judging and may submit to District the number of students permitted by the following breakdown.  

• 1-15 student participants = 1 top Post entry is allowed to advance to District
• 16-30 student participants = 2 top Post entries are allowed to advance to District
• 31-45 student participants = 3 top Post entries are allowed to advance to District Etc.

 (Note: No Limit)

Posts may advance as many winners as they select based on the total number of students participating.  Post judging is the responsibility of the Post Chairman and must be conducted in accordance with the National Judging Criteria.   

The Post may forward each 1st place winning entry to District.  Each student entry submitted by a Post to District must be an equal 1st place winner.  This means each Post student entry sent to District must receive the same award.  For example, a Post has 55 student entries and is eligible to send four entries to District for judging.  These four entries must each receive an equal first place award from the Post. If the Post lists them as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th place, then they can only send in one entry as the 1st place winner. 

  School/Youth Group  Competition Alternatives

We offer teachers/youth leaders the option to use the Voice of Democracy as a writing exercise.  The teacher/leader may submit all the entries to the Post for judging or conduct a judging within the group/class and advance a winner for every 15 participants.  Note: The Post Chairman should make this decision; working closely with the teacher or group leader.

School/Youth Group to Post

• 1-15 student participants =   1 top Post entry is allowed to advance to District
• 31-45 student participants = 3 top Post entries are allowed to advance to District Etc. 

  (Note: No Limit)

Each District shall be responsible for the conduct of the program and judging of entries within their District.  District Chairmen are expected to promote the expansion of the program by encouraging the participation of additional Posts.  It is not always possible to restrict sponsorship strictly along VFW District boundaries.  Posts may solicit student participation from any geographical area within the State of Michigan if they do not interfere with the sponsorship of other Posts.  District Chairmen are expected to assist Posts in the coordination of sponsorship of all schools in their District.  It is unacceptable that a school is not contacted.  

Each District may submit only one entry to the Department for judging.  This entry must be certified on the proper National Entry Form by the District Chairman to be the District First Place Winner of the District Program judging.  

The following items MUST accompany the District entry to Department for judging.  

• One student essay in accordance with the above rules.
• One completed student entry from the National Program booklet
• One good quality head and shoulder photograph. Wallet size.
• One signed student release form provided by Department.
• One State Biographical Questionnaire for the District Winner.

It is the responsibility of the District Chairman to ensure that all materials are included.  Any entry that does not include all materials may not be judged.

To obtain program credit the Post Chairman portion of the Student Entry Form must be completed and submitted to District with each Post entry.  The form must include the number of students participating from the school and the approximate cost for the program and awards for that school.  Proper credit cannot be given without this information.  District Chairmen are required to prepare and submit a consolidated report of Post participation within their District using the District Report Form and the District Summary Form.  These reports should accompany the District entry to Department.  

Deadline for Post sponsored program entries is October 31, 2022 .  Post judging may not be held before November 1, 2022 and must be completed in time to ensure that winning entries are delivered to the District Chairmen by November 16, 2022 . 

District judging may not be held before November 16, 2022 and must be completed in time to ensure that the winning entry with all required materials are delivered to the Department Director by December 16, 2022 . District judging is the responsibility of the District Chairman to be conducted in accordance with the National Judging Criteria.

The Department deadline for District entries is December 16, 2022 .  This deadline is ABSOLUTE, and it includes all paperwork.  Department judging will be closed and will be the responsibility of the Department Committee.  Be advised that the state judging will be attended only by the VFW Department Committee Members, VFW State Auxiliary Committee Members, and the State Judges. The Committee has the sole authority to disqualify from the Department judging any entry which is in violation of the rules as stated in the Department Program and the National Program booklet.   

It is the responsibility of the Post, District and Department adjutants to input the Patriotic Pen entries into the All-American Dashboard. This is to include all monetary values spent on this event. Failure to do so can cause the Post to show a Not Met in this category.

All Post and District awards are the responsibility of those organizations.

Department awards will be presented at the 2023 Department of Michigan Mid-Winter Conference.  District winners receiving Department awards will be invited to the Mid-Winter Conference and are expected to be present.  The sponsoring District must assume the cost of their winner’s transportation, meals, and lodging.  Department will provide each District winner with one banquet ticket.  Banquet tickets for family members and other guests are the sole responsibility of the District in cooperation with the sponsoring Post.  

• Patriot's Pen Student Entry Form
• Student Biographical Questionnaire
• School Release Form
• Patriot's Pen District Reporting Packet
• Patriot's Pen Score Sheet

Michael Martin, Director

199 East 34th St, Apt 1

Holland MI 49423

616-594-9151

[email protected]

Evelyn Avery

Dept Auxiliary Scholarship Chairman

44936 CR 352

Decatur MI 49045

269-423-8129

[email protected]

Address 12440 NE Halsey St. Portland, OR 97230 Contact Us via Email

Sat:  closed Sun:  closed

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PATRIOT PEN

2024-2025 Patriot's Pen Each year more than 165,400 students in grades 6-8 enter the VFW’s Patriot’s Pen youth essay contest for a chance to win their share of more than $1.4 million in state and national awards. Each 1st place state winner receives a minimum of $500 at the national level, and the national first place winner wins $5,000!  The essay contest encourages young minds to examine America’s history, along with their own experiences in modern American society, by drafting a 300- to 400-word essay, expressing their views based on a patriotic theme chosen by the VFW Commander-in-Chief. Want to apply?  2024-2025 Patriots Pen Announcement Letter Click Here 2023-2024 Patriots Pen entry form Click here Score sheet for judging can be found here .    NOTE : PA has due dates different than those publicized by National VFW!        *October 31, 2024*     Student deadline Entry is midnight        *November 18, 2024* Post judging completed        *December 3, 2024*   District judging completed        *December 9, 2024*   District Winner entry form, flash drive of essay, typed essay, head and shoulder photo of good quality, District summary report and District participation report must be sent to Department Chairman:    Dept. of PA VFW Patriot's Pen Chairman William (Bill) Lamond Cell:570-241-5875 Email:  [email protected]     *December 11, 2024* Department judging  *January 15, 2025*     Department Winner and Reports submitted to VFW National * January 25, 2025*     Annual PA Voice of Democracy Banquet                                                                        Eisenhower Hotel, Gettysburg, PA.

Address 4002 Fenton Ave Harrisburg, PA 17109-5943 Contact Us via Email Phone: 7172347927 Fax: 717-234-1955

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PATRIOT'S PEN

2024-2025 THEME: 

"My Voice in America's Democracy"

WHAT IS THE PATRIOT’S PEN?

Conducted nationwide, this VFW-sponsored youth essay competition gives students an opportunity to write essays expressing their views on an annual patriotic theme. We invite you to join the more than 73,000 students who participated last year in this contest.  

WHO CAN ENTER?

Patriot’s Pen is open to 6th, 7th and 8th-grade students enrolled by the Oct. 31 deadline in public, private or parochial schools in the U.S., its territories or its possessions; or dependents of U.S. military or civilian personnel in overseas schools. Home-schooled students also are eligible. Although U.S. citizenship is not required, students must be lawful U.S. permanent residents or have applied for permanent residence (the application which has not been denied) and intends to become a U.S. citizen at the earliest opportunity allowed by law. (Foreign exchange students are ineligible.)

PATRIOT’S PEN Deadlines: The deadlines for Patriot’s Pen are as follows:

 1.     Midnight, October 31, Entries to the Post*

2.    November 15, Completion of Post judging**

3.    December 10, Completion of District judging**

4.    December 10, January 15, Posts need to submit report on dashboard to acknowledge that they participated in Patriot Pen*

5.    December 13, Email or fax a copy of your winning essay to the email or fax above*(Email preferred)

6.    December 15, District winning entry packet  with head shot picture of winner must be received by Department Chairman*

7.    January 10, Completion of Department judging**

8.    January 15, District participation reports to Department Chairman* District chairmen should roll up the post reports into one District report. All District reports must be received by 15 January and include the phone number and email address of the chairman of that district .*

9.    January 15, Districts must submit a report and approve post reports on dashboard to acknowledge that the posts and District participated in Patriot Pen*

10.  January 15, Department winners to National*

11.  January 31, Department reports to National*

  *required deadlines

**suggested deadlines

DO NOT mail District entries and required forms to State Headquarters!

Mail them directly to the State Patriot’s Pen Chairman!

Department (State) Awards:

First, second, and third place state winners will receive awards presented by State Chairman at the Mid-Winter Conference.

Click here to view the Rules & Eligibility Requirements:  Patriots-Pen-Rules-and-Eligibility.pdf

Click here to download the current year Entry Form:  Patriots-Pen-Entry-Form-Fillable.pdf

  Contact our State Patr iot's Pen Chairman for more information:

Address 10185 Mammoth Baton Rouge, LA 70814 Contact Us via Email Phone: 225.928-5025

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PATRIOT'S PEN

Patriot's Pen

Contest Closed for the year!

 Each year more than 165,400 students in grades 6-8 enter VFW’s Patriot’s Pen youth essay contest for a chance to win a share of more than $1.4 million in state and national awards.  Each first-place state winner receives a minimum of $500 and the national first place- winner $5,000, plus district and Post award. 

Our Department’s Patriot’s Pen winner Eva Kolomyski  sponsored by Post and Auxiliary #9024 of Woodbury PLACED 3rd in the Nation in the Patriot’s Pen  Contest winning a $3,500.00 Award.  

The essay contest encourages young minds to examine America’s history, along with their own experiences, by drafting a 300-400 word essay, expressing their views on a patriotic theme.  

WHO CAN ENTER:  

The Patriot’s Pen program is open to students in grades 6-8 who are enrolled in a public, private, parochial school or home study program. 

HOW TO APPLY: 

Read rules and eligibility requirements.

Download entry form  here . 

For more information contact Lake Minnetonka VFW Post coordinator: [email protected]

Completed essay and entry form must be submitted by  midnight October  31, 2022.  

Mail to: VFW Post#5919   24450 Smithtown Rd   Excelsior, MN 55331 

Or email to: [email protected]

WHAT ARE THE RULES?

•   Essay length: 300-400 typewritten 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 than 400 words in length. Every word is counted regardless of length. The essay title (theme) or added footnotes do not contribute to the word count.

Contestants cannot identify themselves 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. Essays must be written exclusively for this competition. Use of the same essay for other competitions will result in disqualification. Contestants are allowed to enter only once (one Post competition).

 The essay must be a contestant’s original work and a product of the contestant’s own thinking. The approach to the Patriot’s Pen theme should be positive and clearly focused. 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. Contestants will be judged on the essay alone and are not required to present the essay orally. All essays become the property of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The VFW retains non-exclusive rights to use your essay and likeness in the promotion and execution of the organization’s programs and activities.

JUDGING CRITERIA:

Knowledge of the theme is worth 30 points. You must show a thorough knowledge of the theme in your work. Demonstrate you have researched the issue extensively.

Theme development is worth 35 points. Answer all relevant facts about the theme such as the who, what, where, when and why. Relate the theme to your 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 your explanation of the theme.

Local Winners from Lake Minnetonka Post 5919 will receive:

1 st  Place - $300.00 + $100.00 to Teacher

2nd Place - $200.00

3rd Place - $100.00

Address 24450 Smithtown Road Excelsior, MN 55331 Contact Us via Email

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PATRIOTS PEN

Youth scholarships.

The VFW is dedicated to promoting patriotism and investing in our future generation. If you are a democracy-loving high school student interested in a $30,000 college scholarship or a patriotic middle school student interested in winning $5,000, these scholarships may be for you.

Patriot's Pen

Each year, nearly 68,800 students in sixth through eighth grades enter the VFW’s  Patriot’s Pen  youth essay contest for a chance to win their share of more than $1.4 million in state and national awards. Each first place state winner receives a minimum of $500 at the national level, and the national first place winner wins $5,000! 

The essay contest encourages young minds to examine America’s history, along with their own experiences in modern American society, by drafting a 300- to 400-word essay, expressing their views based on a patriotic theme chosen by the VFW Commander-in-Chief. Before submitting your essay,  read the rules and eligibility requirements , and  find your sponsoring  local VFW Post  as applications must be turned in by  midnight, Oct. 31 .  Download and complete the 2023-2024 entry form here . 

The 2023-24 theme is:  "How Are You Inspired by America?"

About the 2022-2023 winner ...

Leighton Peters, a seventh grade student from Rice Lake, Wisconsin, was named the 2022-2023 Patriot's Pen first place winner. Her essay on the theme, "My Pledge to Our Veterans" won her a $5,000 award. Leighton was sponsored by VFW Post 2204 and its Auxiliary in Rice Lake, Wisconsin.

Watch as Leighton delivered her winning essay , during the VFW's Parade of Winners streamed live on Facebook, or  read  her essay here.  See the complete list of 2023 national winners .

Address 111 E 2nd St, Casa Grande, AZ 85122 Contact Us via Email Phone: 520-836-5199

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