Commander Nina Petru of the Judd Kendall Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post # 3873 has announced the kick-off of this year’s VFW and its Ladies Auxiliary “Voice of Democracy Scholarship Competition.”
High school students in this area have the opportunity to compete in the annual audio essay competition and win thousands of dollars in scholarships, a trip to Washington, D.C., as well as dozens of other awards. Students begin by competing at the local Post level. Deadline for entries at the Post is November 1, 2012.
Post winners advance to the District level and District winners compete in the State competition. State winners will compete at the national level and will enjoy a four-day tour of Washington, D.C. along with the winners from every state, the District of Columbia, the Pacific Areas, Latin America/Caribbean, and Europe.
During the 65 years that the Veterans of Foreign Wars and its Ladies Auxiliary have been involved with Voice of Democracy, more than 7 million high school students have participated.
Students compete by writing and then recording a three-to-five minute audio/essay expressing their views of this year’s patriotic theme, “Is Our Constitution Still Relevant?”
All state winners receive at least a $1,000 national scholarship, but any one of them could win the $30,000 first place award. A total of $149,000 in national scholarships is awarded to national finalists in addition to the scholarships and awards given at the preliminary levels of competition.
Interested students and teachers should contact the Voice of Democracy Chairman, Tom Parker, by phone at (630) 280-9347 or for more information, simply access the VFW Post 3873 website www.napervfw3873.org and click on ” youth programs.”
Editor’s Note: Veterans who are members of the local VFW and American Legion posts remind us of the relevance of the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States during many local events, including the Jaycees Last Fling and Labor Day Parade.
Amendment I. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
