VFW appeals to young patriots

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - For the past two years, students from northwest Florida have won the Veterans of Foreign Wars' Voice of Democracy and The Patriot's Pen essay competitions, and the VFW would like to extend the winning streak. Winning the state competition includes a trip to Washington, D.C. to participate in the National competition and cash prizes.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars conducts an annual written essay and oral/written essay competition for all of our middle school and high school students throughout the country.

• The Patriot’s Pen written essay is for all middle school students in grades 6, 7, and 8.
• The Voice of Democracy oral/written essay is open to all high school students.

Prizes are awarded by local VFW Posts, District 1, and the State of Florida VFW.

The Patriot's Pen youth-essay written contest is for middle school entrants (grades 6, 7, and 8) and is a nationwide competition that gives students an opportunity to write an essay expressing their views on democracy. The theme for 2012 - 2013 is: "What I would Tell America's Founding Fathers." To enter, students must submit an application, available online, and a type written essay in English, with no color or graphics, and cannot be less than 300 words or greater than 400 words in length. The deadline for submitting the essays to your local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post is November 1, 2012. The top 46 national winners each receive a savings bond anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000. Monetary awards are presented at the Local, District, and State levels.

Created in 1947, the Voice of Democracy scholarship program is an audio-essay contest for high school students, grades 9 through 12, that annually provides more than $3 million in scholarships. The theme for 2012 - 2013 is: “Is our Constitution still relevant?” Students must record an original 3 to 5 minute (+ or – 5 seconds max) essay on a standard cassette tape or CD and present it, along with a typed version of the oral essay to your local VFW Post no later than November 1, 2012. The National first-place winner, who competes with all the first-place VFW State winners, receives a $30,000 scholarship. Hearing/speech impaired students should contact the Voice of Democracy National Office at (816) 968-1117 for special instructions.

Complete instructions and official applications for both the Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy levels are available online at www.myfloridavfw.org under “Scholarships.” Once the application and essay is completed, students must submit these items to their school/group competition or to the local VFW Post for judging. Only one submission per student is allowed.

VFW District 1 encompasses all of Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton Counties.