The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) invites all high school students (grades 9-12) interested in the American Revolution to participate in either the George S. and Stella M. Knight Essay Contest or the Joseph S. Rumbaugh Historical Oration Contest. These contests are open to all students attending home schools, public, parochial, or private high school students. The preliminary rounds of the contest begin at the local level, where winners advance to the state and then national levels. Cash awards and medals are given to the top three finishers at each level. Interested high school students living within an hour’s drive of Arlington, VA, may submit an essay (due by 22 Dec. 2023) or an oration (due by 2 Jan. 2024) at the local George Mason Chapter level to Thomas Kiess, Chairperson of the Virginia Society SAR George Mason Chapter’s Essay and Oration Contests.
For more information, visit https://virginia-sar.org/vassarpress22/?page_id=90 and links therein to application materials and other resources.
George & Stella M. Knight Essay Contest
The contest is open to all US Citizen and Legal Resident students attending home schools, public, parochial, or private high schools in the 9th – 12th grade range. To participate, students must submit an original 800- to 1,200-word essay based on an event, person, philosophy or ideal associated with the American Revolution, Declaration of Independence, or the framing of the United States Constitution. Each student’s essay will be judged based upon its historical accuracy, clarity, organization, grammar and spelling, and documentation. The contest is conducted in three phases: the local chapter, state-level, and national phases. The contest must be entered through an VASSAR chapter near the student’s residence. For a contest application and rules click on the link above.
Winners of chapter competitions will have the opportunity to compete for one of the three Virginia SAR Cash Scholarship Awards, ranging from $200 to $1000. National First Place Winner receives $10,000; Runner-up receives $6,000; and 2nd Runner-up receives $4,000.
Joseph S. Rumbaugh Orations Contest
Contest is open to all high school students (9th through 12th grades) interested in the American Revolution. The contest is for all students attending public, parochial, private or home school students in that same grade range. The preliminary rounds of the contest begin at the local level, students may potentially advance to the state or national levels where scholarships and cash prizes are awarded. For a contest application and rules click on the link above.
National Level awards; 1st Place $6,000; the 2nd Place Runner-up receives $4,000; and the 3rd Place Runner-up receives $2,000 cash prize. Each also receives an Olympic-sized medal. All other finalists (4th through 6th Place runners-up) are awarded $500 cash and all other national contestants are awarded $200 cash.