NCSSAR Knight Essay Contest Chairman:
Ken Wilson
121 Northside Dr.
Roanoke Rapids, NC 27870
(252) 537-5406
History of the
George S. and Stella M. Knight Essay Contest
This contest was originally
named in honor of SAR Compatriot President Calvin Coolidge who won an SAR essay
contest while a student at Amherst. Compatriot McCarthy DeMere reestablished the
contest in 1988.
In 1995, the contest was
renamed the George S. and Stella M. Knight Essay Contest in honor of their
generous gift to the SAR to support this contest. The contest is designed to
give high school students an opportunity to explore events that shaped American
History.
Contest Rules
1.
This contest is open to all students who are United States citizens or
legal aliens. Contestants shall be attending public, parochial, or private high
schools (including accredited home schools).
A.
Contestants shall be in the sophomore, junior
or senior grade of study during the contest year.
B.
The contest is conducted in three phases: local (Chapter), state (State
Society) and National. The contest must be entered through a Chapter of the Sons of the
American Revolution near the student's residence. In some cases, the contest
may be entered at the State level (if the State does not have chapters or the
chapters are not participating). Only
one entry per student is permitted per contest year. The first place National
winner is prohibited from participating in the following years’ contest.
C.
The deadline for submission
to The
D. Only one entry per Chapter will be accepted. A chapter desiring to submit a second entry through another chapter will result in both entries being disqualified.
2.
The contest is for an original researched and proven topic written in
English. The topic of the essay shall deal with: an event, person, philosophy, or ideal
associated with the American Revolution, the Declaration of Independence, or
the framing of the United States Constitution.
3.
The essay must have four parts:
A) title page, B) essay pages, C) bibliography (works cited), and D)
contestant's biography. The title page, bibliography and contestant's biography must be listed
on separate pages and no reference to the contestant's name or information can
be part of the Essay pages or Bibliography. Please follow these rules exactly. Essays
that do not conform to the rules may be immediately disqualified.
- The title page must
include the title of the essay, contestant's name, address, telephone number, and
email address (if available). In
addition, the title page must include the name, address, and telephone
number of the high school in which the contestant is enrolled, and the
contestant's grade level.
- The essay must have a
minimum of 800 words and not exceed 1,200 words (excluding title page,
footnotes, bibliography page, and biography page). (Word counts based on
a word processor are acceptable). One or two letter words such as I, to,
and we are not counted. When counting words in a date, a numerical date
(1776) or a date spelled out (seventeen seventy-six) shall be counted as
one word. Names of places such as New York City shall be counted as one
word.
1)
The first page of the Essay must include the title of the essay. (No contestant information
must appear on these pages as they are separated and distributed to the judges
for grading to prevent possible grading bias.)
2)
The essay must be typed double-spaced on white bond paper. No bindings or special
covers are needed. Graphics are not permitted. An original copy of the essay
must be submitted. Poor quality copies will not be accepted. Plagiarism will be
grounds for immediate disqualification.
3)
The essay and bibliography must be documented in accordance with the
Modern Language Association publication, MLA Handbook for Writers of Research
Papers (see www.mla.org) or Kate L. Turabian's publication, A Manual for
Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (see www.bridgew.edu/Library/turabian.cfm).
- Students must source at least
five (5) references with the minimum of 3 being book sources. References
from Encyclopedias or Internet sites will be accepted, but are not
considered as part of the three source references. The use of all electronic sources will cause the essay to be
disqualified.
- The contestant's
biography is limited to one page. Topics to be included in the biography are
academic awards and achievements, school activities, community activities,
and plans for college.
4.
The deadline for submission
to The
- Microsoft Word Document (.doc)
- Portable Document Format (.pdf)
5.
Essays which meet the criteria in Rules 1-4 above will be accepted and
judged equally on the following criteria:
A. Historical accuracy
B. Clarity of thought
C. Organization and proven topic
D. Grammar and spelling
E. Documentation
6.
AWARDS:
Chapter:
Each participating chapter will present the winner(s) with an award, to be determined by the chapter.
North Carolina
State Society:
First Place: $250 Scholarship awarded at the Annual
Meeting, a winning recognition certificate, and a medal.
First place: $2,000; a winning recognition
certificate and medal; airfare and one night hotel stay for the winner and a
chaperone at the SAR 119th Annual Congress, July 4-8, 2009,
at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel in Atlanta, GA.
Second Place: $1,000
Third Place: $ 500
7.
The winning essay of the national contest will be submitted for
publication in The SAR Magazine. Participants in this contest
agree that their essay may be published in The
SAR Magazine and on the NSSAR Knight
Essay Contest web page. Winning
essay participants, on all levels, must supply a social security number or
alien identification/green card number in order to receive their award.
8.
Participants in this contest agree that the interpretation of rules and
decisions of the NSSAR and its judges must govern without reservation.
Please follow the rules exactly. Essays that do
not conform to the rules will be
disqualified.
