Knight Essay Contest Rules

The National Association of Secondary School Principals has placed this program on the NASSP National Advisory List of Contests and Activities for 2012-2013.

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).   Contestants shall be in the sophomore, junior or senior grade of study during the contest year.  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. If the State does not participate, then the essay may be submitted to the At Large judge listed on our website. The first place National winner is prohibited from participating in following years' contests.

The local date varies by location, so please check the deadline dates with your local contact as listed on the Contacts page.  Click here for CONTEST CONTACTS to locate your local contact and to request your local deadline information.

All submissions must be in the hands of the Chapter Knight Essay Chairmen or, in the case where the State Society does not participate, the At Large Judge Dr. Robert E. Danneman (bd3133embarqmail [dot] com) by December 31st.

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.  Students must source at least five (5) references with the minimum of three being published book sources to allow for verification of sources if necessary.  References from Encyclopedias or Internet sites will be accepted, but are not considered as part of the three published book sources.   If there are no book sources (i.e. all are from encyclopedias or internet sources) the essay will be disqualified.
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.
   1. 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.
   2. 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). 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.) 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).
   4. 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. Entries must be submitted to the Chapter/State deadline (usually by December 31 each year) (however some states have different deadlines therefore please contact the Chapter or State chairman to confirm the deadline and/or see the exceptions listed on our States contact webpage). The students must send their essay to the chapter or state chairman appropriate for their state that are listed on the States Contact page of our NSSAR Essay Website here.

NOTE:

Some Society or Chapter chairmen encourage the electronic submission of the essay, however in these cases please confirm with your chairman on how this may be done such as on a floppy disk, CD, or as an attachment to an email message and what format the file should be in such as a Microsoft Word Document (.doc.), Rich Text Format (.rtf), or Portable Document Format (.pdf).

5. Essays which meet the criteria in Rules 1-3 above will be accepted and judged equally on the following criteria:
   1. Historical accuracy
   2. Clarity of thought
   3. Organization and proven topic
   4. Grammar and spelling
   5. Documentation

6. AWARDS: State and Chapter prizes vary. Please contact specific chairmen for more information.

National Society:

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 Annual Congress.

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 webpage. 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 and that the decision of the Judges is final.  
    

   Questions regarding specific rules may be directed to the National Chairman.
   Rev. Dr. Stan DeLong
   3354 Mt. Carol Drive
   San Diego, CA 92111-4631
   Email: sdelong1san [dot] rr [dot] com

The George S. & Stella M. Knight Essay Contacts

The George S. & Stella M. Knight
Essay Contacts in Our State Societies

If you cannot locate a Chapter of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution in your area, the list below identifies a contact for the contest by State.

If the list does not indicate Chapter level participation please mail the essay directly to the State Contact listed.

All submissions must be in the hands of the Chapter Knight Essay Chairmen or, in the case where the State Society does not participate, the At Large Judge Dr. Robert E. Danneman by December 31st.

All Chapters must have their winning Knight Essay in the hands of the State Knight Essay Chairman by the end of February 1st.

To locate a Chapter in your area, please send a letter, indicating the city and state or country where you reside with a self addressed [applicant's home address in top left corner], stamped [stamps in upper right corner please], business size (Number 10) envelope [self-adhesive, please - we sometimes receive 1000 a month!] enclosed, to the appropriate address in the listing of State Society contacts below.

Please note:  requests for information that do not include the self addressed, stamped envelope will not be answered.

For those listings where an E-mail contact is given, E-mail may be used to request local Chapter information instead of the letter correspondence.

The following links will Jump you to that part of the list:

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N |

O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | International

State	Contact	Notes
Alabama	Dr. Richard J. Erickson  2220 Lizmar Lane Montgomery, AL 36106.    Email: richardjericksongmail [dot] com	Entries must be postmarked prior to 15 January
Alaska	Send to the At Large Judge Dr. Robert Earl Danneman 4275 NE 19th Avenue Ocala FL 34479-3187	State does not participate. Contestants submit to the At Large Judge: Dr. Danneman Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Arkansas	William T. Cox 109 Bridgeview Circle Hot Springs, AR 71913-5344 Phone: (501)767-5045 Email: BillyTCoxaol [dot] com	Conducts contest at Chapter level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Arizona	Bob B. Alling, II 5317 N Monte Vista Dr Paradise Valley, AZ 85253-7066 Phone: (602) 944-8811 Email: rballingIIaol [dot] com	Conducts contest at State level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
California	Dr. M. Kent Gregory 3822 Denwood Avenue Los Alamitos, CA 90720 Email: drkentgregoryearthlink [dot] net	Conducts contest at Chapter level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Colorado	Send to the At Large Judge Dr. Robert Earl Danneman 4275 NE 19th Avenue Ocala FL 34479-3187	State does not participate. Contestants submit to the At Large Judge Dr. Danneman Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Connecticut	Damien Cregeau  Phone: (203)-648-1730 Email: damien_cregeauhotmail [dot] com	Conducts contest at Chapter level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Delaware	David Schrader, PhD. DschradeUdel [dot] edu 302-266-0356	Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
District of Columbia	Robert Pollock Email: r [dot] d [dot] pollockatt [dot] net	Conducts contest at State level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December Further information on website
Florida	John Stewart 1049 Pinellas Bayway S. Tierra Verde, FL  33715-2184 Phone: 561-313-4444 Email: uva1965msn [dot] com	Conducts contest at State level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 January Further information on website: http://www.flssar.org
Georgia	Hall Martin 4448 Sandhurst Place Flowery Branch, GA 30542 Phone: (770)503-0913 Email: hallmart10bellsouth [dot] net	Conducts contest at Chapter level Entries must be postmarked prior to 18 January Deadline may vary by Chapter Visit State Website for further information.
Hawaii	Send to the At Large Judge Dr. Robert Earl Danneman 4275 NE 19th Avenue Ocala FL 34479-3187	State does not participate. Contestants submit to the At Large Judge Dr. Danneman Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Iowa	David A. Shannon 1105 S. 5th Ave W Newton IA 50208-3512 Phone: (641) 792-1310 Email: dshann37iowatelecom [dot] net	Conducts contest at State level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Idaho	Send to the At Large Judge Dr. Robert Earl Danneman 4275 NE 19th Avenue Ocala FL 34479-3187	State does not participate. Contestants submit to the At Large Judge Dr. Danneman Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Illinois	Chairman, Franz Herder 4223 Sunnyside Brookfield, IL 60513 Phone: (708)387-7805 Email: fherdersbcglobal [dot] net	Conducts contest at State level Entries must be postmarked prior to 15 February
Indiana	Douglas Wilson 509 S. Sale St. Ellettsville, IN  47429	Conducts contest at Chapter level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Kansas	Douglas Brady 272 N. Wark Pkwy. Haysville, KS 67060-1449 Phone: (316)522-9018 Email: douglasbradylive [dot] com	Conducts contest at Chapter level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Kentucky	John C. Barnett 3107 Limerick Ln. Louisville, KY 40242-2917 Email: jace760yahoo [dot] com	Conducts contest at Chapter level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Louisiana	Tony L. Vets 504 Oak Street Colfax, LA 71417 Email: tonyvetsbellsouth [dot] net	Conducts contest at State level, not all Chapters participate Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Massachusetts	Michael E. Fishbein, President Massachusetts Society Sons of the American Revolution Post Office Box 17 Mendon, MA 01756	Conducts contest at State level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Maryland	C. Louis Raborg Jr. President MDSSAR Knight Essay Chairman MDSSAR 714 Chestnut Hill Rd. Forest Hill, MD 21050 Email: raborg1989verizon [dot] net	Conducts contest at Chapter level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Maine	Ronald E. Newton 1 Thompson Rd. Kennebunk, ME 04043-6130 Email: ronnewtonroadrunner [dot] com	Conducts contest at State level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Michigan	Mr.Tom Stoeber 3378 Holiday View Dr Traverse City, MI  49686 E-mail: tstoeberbsamail [dot] org	Conducts contest at State level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Minnesota	Send to the At Large Judge Dr. Robert Earl Danneman 4275 NE 19th Avenue Ocala FL 34479-3187	State does not participate. Contestants submit to the At Large Judge Dr. Danneman Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Missouri	Dale Schmidt 5624 Bradford Ct. Jefferson City, MO  65109 schmidtda17embarqmail [dot] com	Conducts contest at Chapter level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Mississippi	Knight Essay Contest Committee Milton Kuykendall 5 East South Street Hernando, Mississippi  38632 Phone:  662-429-5271 Email: milton [dot] kuykendalldesotocountyschools [dot] org	Conducts contest at Chapter level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Montana	Send to the At Large Judge Dr. Robert Earl Danneman 4275 NE 19th Avenue Ocala FL 34479-3187	State does not participate. Contestants submit to the At Large Judge Dr. Danneman Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
North Carolina	Ken Wilson 121 Northside Drive Roanoke Rapids, NC 27870 Phone: (252) 537-5406 Email: boxcar27870embarqmail [dot] com	Conducts contest at State level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
North Dakota	Send to the At Large Judge Dr. Robert Earl Danneman 4275 NE 19th Avenue Ocala FL 34479-3187	State does not participate. Contestants submit to the At Large Judge Dr. Danneman Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Nebraska	Send to the At Large Judge Dr. Robert Earl Danneman 4275 NE 19th Avenue Ocala FL 34479-3187	State does not participate. Contestants submit to the At Large Judge Dr. Danneman Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
New Hampshire	Send to the At Large Judge Dr. Robert Earl Danneman 4275 NE 19th Avenue Ocala FL 34479-3187	State does not participate. Contestants submit to the At Large Judge Dr. Danneman Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
New Jersey	Send to the At Large Judge Dr. Robert Earl Danneman 4275 NE 19th Avenue Ocala FL 34479-3187	State does not participate. Contestants submit to the At Large Judge Dr. Danneman Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
New Mexico	Ray Alexander Email: anniealexearthlink [dot] net	Conducts contest at State level Entries must be postmarked prior to Thursday 15 February
Nevada	Rev. Anthony A. Perry 3820 Light Year Drive Las Vegas. NV 89115-1244 Phone: (702) 228-1438 Email: clonnadghembarqmail [dot] com	Conducts contest at State level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
New York	Knight Essay Contest Committee Raynor B. Duncombe, Esq. 190 Main St. Middleburgh, NY 12122-6305 Email: workaholic45work2yahoo [dot] com	Entries must be postmarked prior to 26 December
Ohio	Larry R. Perkins 101 Curtis Lane St. Clairsville, OH 43950-1154 Email: perkins6275sbcglobal [dot] net	Conducts contest at Chapter level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Oklahoma	Pendleton Woods 541 31st St. Oklahoma, City, OK 73118-7334	Conducts contest at State level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Oregon	Send to the At Large Judge Dr. Robert Earl Danneman 4275 NE 19th Avenue Ocala FL 34479-3187	State does not participate. Contestants submit to the At Large Judge Dr. Danneman Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Pennsylvania	Watson B. Lupher 1031 Scott Ave. Jeannette, PA 15644-1657 Phone: (724)527-5917 Email: lupherwbmsn [dot] com	Conducts contest at Chapter level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Rhode Island	Send to the At Large Judge Dr. Robert Earl Danneman 4275 NE 19th Avenue Ocala FL 34479-3187	State does not participate. Contestants submit to the At Large Judge Dr. Danneman Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
South Carolina	Glenn Ohanesian SCSSAR Knight Essay Committee P.O. Box 2433 Myrtle Beach, SC 29578-2433 Phone: (843) 626-7193 Email:OhanesianLawFirmcs [dot] com	Conducts contest at State level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
South Dakota	Send to the At Large Judge Dr. Robert Earl Danneman 4275 NE 19th Avenue Ocala FL 34479-3187	State does not participate. Contestants submit to the At Large Judge Dr. Danneman Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Tennessee	Glenn D. Freudenthal 114 Braxton Park Lane Goodlettsville, TN  37072 (615) 530-1290 glen [dot] freudenthalcomcast [dot] net	Conducts contest at Chapter level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Texas	John P. Gulley Jr. 15220 Buckle Lane Houston, TX 77060 Email: GulleyJ2aol [dot] com	Conducts contest at Chapter level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Utah	Send to the At Large Judge Dr. Robert Earl Danneman 4275 NE 19th Avenue Ocala FL 34479-3187	State does not participate. Contestants submit to the At Large Judge Dr. Danneman Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Vermont	Ronald E. Newton 1 Thompson Rd. Kennebunk, ME 04043-6130 Email: ronnewtonroadrunner [dot] com	Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Virginia	Michael J. Elston, Esq, P.O. Box 336 Lorton, VA 22199-0336 elstonalumni [dot] duke [dot] edu	Conducts contest at Chapter level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Washington	Gale Palmer 39322 Doerschlag Rd. Sprague, WA 99032-9649  Telephone: 509-257-2634  email: palmerogro69aol [dot] com	Conducts contest at State level Entries must be postmarked prior to 5 December
West Virginia	Tom Galloway PO Box 697 Huntington, WV 25711-0697 Email: tgallowayMARSHALL [dot] EDU	Conducts contest at State level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Wisconsin	Knight Essay Contest Committee LTC Thomas Pelham Curtis, II N56W21796 Silver Spring Dr Menomonee Falls, WI 53051-5331 Phone: (262)703-0807 Email: thebruceexecpc [dot] com	Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Wyoming	Send to the At Large Judge 4275 NE 19th Avenue Ocala FL 34479-3187	Conducts contest at State level Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
Int'l Society	Send to the At Large Judge Dr. Robert Earl Danneman 4275 NE 19th Avenue Ocala FL 34479-3187	RESIDENCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES (THIS INCLUDES THE US TERRITORIES) Entries must be postmarked prior to 31 December
State	Contact

The George S. & Stella M. Knight Essay Contest Example

2001-2002 First Place Essay

by
NATIONAL WINNER
Ms. Stephanie Condon

Withstanding the Test of Time

Sponsored by: the California Society

Withstanding the Test of Time.

According to legend, as the exulted Benjamin Franklin stepped out of the last session of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in September of 1787, a curious woman queried, "What kind of government have you given us, Dr. Franklin?"  Franklin answered, "A Republic, Madam, if you can keep it."¹  Remarkably, over 200 years later, the United States has kept its constitution, and the republic for which it was created has flourished.  While fledgling democracies across the continents have modeled the frameworks of their governments after the U.S. Constitution, America's system of democracy remains spectacularly unique and successful, largely due to its constitution.  The framers of the Constitution created an adaptable instrument of government which withstands the test of time through a system of checks and balances and separation of powers.

At the Constitutional Convention, the framers set out to develop a form of government stronger than a confederation; it could not be unitary though, otherwise the states would not ratify it.  They borrowed ideas from both of these forms of government to form a federal republic.  Once federalism was decided upon to unify the states without constraining them, the next step in developing a lasting constitution was creating a separation of powers.   James Madison wrote in The Federalist, No. 47, "No political truth is certainly of greater intrinsic value, or is stamped with the authority of more enlightened patrons of liberty, than that ... the accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands ... may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny."²  The framers ingeniously wove into the Constitution three ways to ensure a clear separation of powers among the three branches of government.   First, the leaders in the different branches come to power in different ways; the president is elected through a national election, the congressmen are elected on a state level, and the federal judges are appointed to their positions.   Next, the bureaucracy is appointed by the president but only by the consent of the Senate.  Also, each power serves for a different amount of time.   This keeps the powers separate by ensuring that a majority party can only take control over part of the government at one time.³  For instance, the Republicans controlled the House of Representatives after the election in 1994, but President Clinton would represent the Democrats in the executive branch for at least two more years.  By separating powers between the states and the federal government, and by separating the federal powers among three equal and independent branches of government, the framers of the Constitution laid the foundations of a durable democracy.

The framers further developed this foundation of democracy through a system of checks and balances.  They were aware that "the great security against a gradual concentration of the several powers in the same department consists in giving to those who administer each department the necessary constitutional means and personal motives to resist encroachments of the others ... Ambition must be made to counteract ambition."⁴  Though the legislative branch creates laws, it is up to the executive branch to enforce them and the judicial branch to interpret them.

The judicial branch's ability to interpret the law is essential to the adaptable nature of the Constitution.  The Supreme Court case of Marbury vs. Madison (1803), which took place during the influential Marshall Court, established the constitutional principle of judicial review.⁵   It was asserted that the Court may strike down state as well as federal laws and that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land.  This case was significant because judicial review gives the right to interpret the Constitution to the branch of government which is the most unaffected by political parties or public opinion.   The Court also is most fit for this job because they have the best knowledge of the law.  Judicial review is still an important part of the way the United States democracy works, as demonstrated by the 2000 presidential elections.   Though the correct course of action regarding the slate of electoral voters to be chosen for the state of Florida was widely disputed, the final outcome depended on a ruling by the Supreme Court.  Many people believe that the "...epoch of the election of the President of the United States may be considered as a crisis in the affairs of the nation"⁶ yet even this year's election was far from a crisis because of the stability of the Constitution.  The Constitution also remains adaptable to society because of the option of adding an amendment.   During the Revolutionary period, not all were fans of the proposed Constitution.   The Antifederalists" most telling criticism of the Constitution was its failure to include a bill of rights.⁷  The Bill of Rights was eventually added to the Constitution and are the first ten amendments.  As proof of the constant relevance of the Constitution in American society, seventeen amendments have since been added.

Thomas Paine declared that "...government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one..."⁸ By these standards, the United States government is far from the worst possible state, as the Constitution has lasted throughout the federal government's entire existence.  The United States Constitution is assuredly vital to the success of this country and will always remain so.

¹ James MacGregor Burns, Thomas E. Cronin, David B. Magleby, J.W. Peltason, Government by the People (Upper Saddle River, 1998)
² James Madison, The Federalist, No. 47
3 James MacGregor Burns, Thomas E. Cronin, David B. Magleby, J.W. Peltason, Government by the People (Upper Saddle River, 1998)
⁴ James Madison, The Federalist, No. 51
⁵ James MacGregor Burns, Thomas E. Cronin, David B. Magleby, J.W. Peltason, Government by the People (Upper Saddle River, 1998)
⁶ AIexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America (New York, 1972)
⁷ Herbert J. Storing, ed. The Anti-Federalist writing by the Opponents of the Constitution (Chicago, 1985)
⁸ Thomas Paine, Common Sense (London, 1976)

Works Cited

1. James MacGregor Burns, Thomas E. Cronin, David B. Magleby, J.W. Peltason, Government by the People (Upper Saddle River, 1998)
2. James Madison, The Federalist, No. 47
3. James Madison, The Federalist, No. 51
4. Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America (New York, 1972)
5. Herbert J. Storing, ed. The Anti-Federalist writing by the Opponents of the Constitution (Chicago, 1985)
6. Thomas Paine, Common Sense (London, 1976)