The George S. and Stella M. Knight Essay
Scholarship Contest

Deadline for entry to Chapter – December 31st

     The The George S. and Stella M. Knight Essay Scholarship Contest is open to all high school students (9th-12th grade). It allows Contestants to explore topics based on original research and deal with an event, person, philosophy, or ideal associated with the American Revolution. Each Contestant's 800-1,200 word essay will be judged based upon its historical accuracy, clarity, organization, grammar and spelling, and documentation.

The essay has four parts:

1. Title page,
    
2. Essay pages,
    
3. A bibliography or works cited; and,
    
4. The Contestant's biography.

Please download our Tips for the Knight Essay Contest.

     The title page, bibliography, and Contestant's biography must be listed on separate pages. No reference to the Contestant's name or information can be part of the essay pages or bibliography. the following provides more information on the above requirements:

1. The title page must include the essay's title, Contestant's name, Contestant's school grade level, home address, telephone number, and e-mail address.  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.  Additionally, the title page must include the name, address, and telephone number of the school in which the Contestant is enrolled. A statement of how the Contestant learned of the contest is also to be on the title page. For example, if the Contestant learned of the Knight Essay Contest through the Internet, include the URL of the website.  The title page is separated from the essay for judging purposes.
    
2. The essay must have a minimum of 800 words and not exceed 1,200 words (excluding the title page, footnotes, bibliography page, and biography page).  Word counts based on a word processor are acceptable. The word count should only reflect the number of words in the essay's text, articles of speech (e.g.: the and a/an) should not be counted in your word count. (Use the Find command for "_a_", "_an_", and "_the_" in your document to count the number of these articles, which you can then subtract from the total number of words.) Make sure the word processing software is not counting your bibliography or the title. All essays must be submitted as PDF files attached to e-mails.  Essays submitted in any other format will be disqualified.  The first page of the essay must include the essay's title.  No Contestant information of any kind must appear on these pages as the essays are separated and distributed to the judges for grading to prevent possible grading bias.  The essay must be formatted using 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, and with 1-inch margins on all sides.  The essay's pages, including the bibliography page, must be sequentially numbered, beginning with the first page of the essay as page 1.  No Contestant information may appear on the essay or bibliography pages.  No bindings or special covers are allowed.  Graphics are not permitted.  Contest entries that do not conform precisely to these requirements will be disqualified.  Plagiarism will be grounds for immediate disqualification.
    
3. Citations in the essay and references in the bibliography must be documented following a widely used and publicly available citation system.  Examples of a citation system include the Chicago Manual of Style, the MLA Manual of Style, the MHRA Style Guide, The Bluebook:  A Uniform System of Citation, and "Harvard referencing." The bibliography page must specify the system used.  No contestant information may appear on the bibliography page(s).
    
4. The Contestant biography is limited to one page and must include information regarding the Contestant's academic awards and achievements, school activities, community activities, and college plans.  This page is separated from the essay and bibliography for judging purposes.

     For a complete set of rules for the Essay Contest, click here. An essay example is also available for download.

     Essays that meet the criteria above will be accepted and judged equally on the following criteria:

• Historical accuracy
   
• Clarity of thought
   
• Organization and proven topic
   
• Grammar and spelling
   
• Documentation
   

Please be aware that software will be used to check submitted essays for plagiarism and the use of AI. Any essay that is found to have been plagiarized or to have used A.I. will result in disqualification.

     Those interested in participating in this contest should complete and return the Contestant Application Form as soon as possible. This allows the chapter to know that you will participate in this contest. It also provides an opportunity for the chapter to offer you additional resources in improving your chances of success in the contest.

     Contestants are to send the following, via e-mail, to the Chapter by December 31:

1. Completed George S. & Stella M. Knight Essay Application Form;
    
2. Contestant completed essay and bibliography;
    
3. Contestant's biography; and,
    
4. Signed parental release/permission form.
    

     The Paul Carrington Chapter's Knight Essay Contest winner will receive a medallion, a certificate, and a scholarship check. After that, the chapter will forward the winner's application for competition in the Texas Society's contest. The first-place state winner will receive a medallion, a certificate, and a scholarship check for $3,500. The second-place winner will receive $750, while the third-place winner will receive $500.*

     The Texas Society's contest winner will advance to national. The first-place national winner will receive a medallion, a certificate, and a scholarship check for $6,000. The second-place winner will receive $2,500, while the third-place winner will receive $1,000. So, potentially, a student could win $9,800 in scholarship funds for a single essay.*

     The winning essay of the national contest will be submitted for publication in the SAR Magazine. Contestants agree that their essay may be published in the SAR Magazine and on the SAR Knight Essay Contest web page. Winning essay participants, on all levels, may be required to supply a tax identification number to receive their award.  By entering this essay contest, all Contestants agree that if their essay is chosen as the winner of the Chapter contest, it will be the property of the Paul Carrington Chapter SAR. In addition, the essay will become the property of the Texas Society Contest if selected as its 1st place winner. Finally, the essay will become the property of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution if selected as its 1st place winner at the national level.

     For any questions and transmission of all Contest submissions, please e-mail the Paul Carrington Chapter Knight Essay Contest Chair.

Note: Contestants are eligible to enter more than one contest at a time. The essay required for the Knight Essay Contest can be used in a submission for the Eagle Scout Contest, the TXSSAR CAR Essay Contest and used as the basis for the Orations Contest.

*Please note that scholarship amounts may vary each year.

E-mail Communication Requirements: In compliance with the Youth Protection Policy of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, any e-mails initiated from minors to a SAR member must include their parent/guardian in the communication. SAR members will reply to a minor’s e-email but are required to have the minor’s parents/guardian, plus one other SAR chapter member, on the communication.

 

 

 

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

www.SARHouston.org

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.

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