Sons of the American Revolution
Youth Scholarship Contests & Medals
The Sons of the American Revolution is a historical, educational, and patriotic organization that focuses on the American Revolution. As a part of our educational outreach, the SAR conducts several within the Houston area. Some of our most active programs are targeted to our future leaders, our children and our educators.
Many of the contests have multiple levels, allowing successful contestants to advance from the chapter level to state and then national. In addition, advancement to each successive level provides increased scholarship prizes at each level.
Below, you will find a list of the programs managed by the Paul Carrington Chapter SAR and a brief description of each.
Elementary School (Grades 3-5)
Americanism Elementary School Poster Contest
All 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade students interested in the American Revolution can participate in the Americanism Elementary School Poster Contest. The contest is open to public school, parochial, home-schooled, Scouting, or Children of the American Revolution member students in that same grade range. Generally, teachers organize their classes to enter the contest.
For more information, click here.
Middle/Junior High School (Grades 6-9)
The Sgt. Moses Adams Memorial Middle School Brochure Contest
This contest aims to stimulate interest in American History in support of the established school curriculum. In Texas, the American Revolution is taught in the 8th grade. This includes public, private, and home-schooled students.
If the student is enrolled in a school that teaches the American Revolution period of American History, the student must enter the contest through the school and not as a separate entry. In the event the local school system does not teach this period of American History, the student may enter through their local Sons of the American Revolution Chapter.
For more information, click here.
High School (Grades 9-12)
The George S. and Stella M. Knight Essay Contest
The Knight Essay Contest is open to all high school students (9th-12th grade). It allows students to explore topics based on original research and deal with an event, person, philosophy, or ideal associated with the American Revolution. Each student's 800-1,200-word essay will be judged based upon its historical accuracy, clarity, organization, grammar and spelling, and documentation.
For more information, click here.
The Joseph S. Rumbaugh Historical Oration Scholarship Contest
The Joseph S. Rumbaugh Historical Oration Contest is open to all high school students (9th-12th grade). The student is to research and prepare a speech on a subject dealing with an event, personality, or document about the American Revolutionary War and show a relationship to America today. The student will present the speech, which must be at least five (5) minutes, but no longer than six (6) minutes, in length. The student is required to present the speech from memory without any notes. The oration must be essentially the same as the submitted manuscript.
Students who participate in speech and debate are particularly suited for this contest. The Orations contest is similar to UIL’s persuasive speech category. For more information, click here.
Texas Children of the American Revolution Scholarship Essay
The Texas SAR Children of the American Revolution Scholarship Contest requires an essay on a pre-designated topic that deals with an event, person, philosophy, or ideal associated with the American Revolution, the Declaration of Independence, or the framing of the United States Constitution. Students must source at least five references, with a minimum of three being published works to allow for verification of sources if necessary.
Contestants must be a Texas Society Children of the American Revolution (TSCAR) member in good standing for two (2) years or more, enrolled in an accredited high school (or equivalent program, including home school) as a sophomore, junior, senior student; or enrolled in an accredited college or university as a freshman student. There is a four-year window of eligibility to compete in the Texas SAR CAR Scholarship Contest. Contestants can submit applications and enter the contest each year, as long as they meet eligibility criteria.
For more information, click here.
Boy Scouts of America
Eagle Scout Award Recognition Certificate
The Paul Carrington Chapter SAR would like to recognize every Eagle Scout on their achievement on earning Scouting's highest honor. Therefore, a certificate is available that can be presented to Eagle Scouts at their Eagle Court of Honor.
To request a certificate, please complete and return the Certificate Request Form.
The Arthur M. and Berdena King Eagle Scout Scholarship Contest
All Eagle Scouts are eligible for participation if they are currently registered in an active unit and have not reached their 19th birthday during the year of application (the application year is the calendar year, 1 January to 31 December). In addition, the year that Eagle was awarded is not restricted.
Entrants need to submit the application form, a 500-word patriotic-themed essay, a four-generation ancestor chart, and a completed permission/release form.
For more information on this scholarship contest, click here.
Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps
The Paul Carrington Chapter SAR awards ROTC Medals to foster the principle of the citizen-soldier, exemplified by the Minutemen of American Revolutionary War days. The founding of today's ROTC Citizen-Soldier program was brought about in 1819 by Capt. Alden Partridge, former West Point Superintendent, whose own father, Private Samuel Partridge Jr. fought at the Battle of Saratoga in the American Revolution.
Both of these programs are initiated by the JROTC units’ commanding officer.
SAR Bronze ROTC Medal
The Bronze ROTC Medal recognizes outstanding merit based on a cadet's or midshipman’s leadership qualities with the presentation of a Bronze JROTC Medal, service ribbon, and certificate. The JROTC unit’s Senior Military Instructor selected a cadet or midshipman that meets the criteria established for the medal. One cadet or midshipman may be selected for each academic year.
For more information, click here.
Enhanced (Outstanding) JROTC Cadet Scholarship Contest
The Enhanced (Outstanding) JROTC Cadet Recognition Program, is a competitive program for selecting the Paul Carrington Chapter JROTC Cadet of the Year. This competition is restricted to high school juniors. These might be a second-year cadet of a two-year program or a third-year Cadet of a four-year program, but they must be in their junior year of high school.
Participation in this competition requires that the Cadet be:
- nominated by their Senior Military Instructor (only one nomination per JROTC unit);
- receive a recommendation letter from the Cadet's principal, with a verification of the Cadet's GPA; and,
- the Cadet must write an original 500-700 word essay on "How JROTC has prepared me to be a better citizen of the United States."
For more information, click here.
Paul Carrington SAR Brewster Memorial HISD JROTC Scholarships
The Paul Carrington Chapter is honored to offer two scholarships to HISD graduating seniors participating in the JROTC program. Nominees are required to meet the established criteria for the scholarship.
JROTC cadets are required to be nominated by their HISD JROTC instructors for this scholarship. Nominations are sent to the Chapter’s JROTC/ROTC Committee Chair by email and to HISD’s JROTC Director of Military Instruction by March 1st. Scholarship recipients will receive their scholarships at the Chapter’s April or May meeting.
For more information, click here.
Reserve Officers Training Corps
Silver ROTC Medal
The Silver ROTC Program recognizes outstanding merit based on a cadet’s or midshipman’s leadership qualities with the presentation of a Silver ROTC Medal, service ribbon, and certificate. The cadet’s or midshipman’s commanding officer has full latitude in selecting one cadet or midshipman in their unit to receive the medal every academic year.
For more information, click here.
American History Teachers
Dr. Tom & Betty Lawrence American History Teacher Award
The Paul Carrington Chapter SAR invites all American history teachers, whose approved curriculum teaches students about the American Revolution (1750 to 1800), to apply for the Dr. Tom & Betty Lawrence American History Teacher Award. The award is open to all teachers at the elementary, middle school, or high school levels at a recognized public, private, or parochial institution. While the preliminary rounds of the award program begin at the local chapter level, teachers may eventually advance to the state and national levels.
The American History Teacher Award recognizes educators who distinguish themselves in teaching the history of the American Revolution. Teacher candidates interested must complete the application and submit a written essay of not less than 1,000 words discussing the importance of teaching the American Revolution era. The essay may also describe any extraordinary teaching techniques or innovative projects utilized by the teacher to teach the American Revolution.
The contest aims to identify a teacher who is still actively teaching, has taught for at least three (3) years, and is in their career's early or middle stages. Therefore, the teacher should have at least 15 years to continue teaching students American history. The program will feature a contest at each of the three educational levels, so there will be a winner for the elementary school level, the middle school level, and the high school level.
For more information, click here.
Paul Carrington Chapter No. 5, Texas Society, Sons of the American Revolution
1415 South Voss Ste 110-425 — Houston, TX 77057-1086
President.HoustonSAR@Gmail.com
The Paul Carrington Chapter is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting patriotism,
preserving American history, and supporting education for our future generations.
Copyright © 2023 Paul Carrington Chapter — Last Modified: Thursday, April 25, 2024
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