Scholarship: Patriotic Art Contest, Voice of Democracy Parade of Winners and Patriot's Pen Scholarship Fund

Kim Lewis
2015-2016 Scholarships
National Ambassador

Continuing Education Scholarship applications are in for the year; we have just one scholarship left to promote and it’s our Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest. You still have time to get information out to your members through a Department wide e-mail blast or featured on your Department website. Remember, there is a Northern Lights Gift Certificate to one Department Chairman in each membership group for the best promotion of the Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest.

These pieces of art do not need to be an elaborate painting. Six of the 2015 National Winners were done with charcoal, pencil and colored pencil. Encourage students to look at the National Winners from last year online at: http://www.vfwauxiliary.org/patriotic-art-winners-2015/

The VFW Auxiliary National Headquarters has experienced a recurring issue with the Patriotic Art Contest. Several students have contacted them stating they never received their artwork back from their local Auxiliary. When you receive the artwork from a student, be sure you have their full contact information (name, mailing address, phone number and e-mail address) to enable you to return the piece if the art does not make it any higher than Department judging. If a teacher is the one submitting the artwork, be sure to get the student’s personal contact information, since by the time the artwork is returned, the student might already be out of school for the year. Unless the student has said you can keep their piece for display, possibly in your Post home, these entries are to go back to them. Also, be sure to provide the student with YOUR information so they will know who to contact to get their artwork returned.

I love seeing the pictures and Facebook posts of the many award presentations for the Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen winners. You all have done such a fantastic job!

I’m so excited to meet all of the Department Voice of Democracy winners in Washington D.C. at the end of the month. If you want to see how your winner places at the National Level then don’t forget to watch the Parade of Winners. It will be live streamed on www.vfw.org beginning at 6:00 p.m. EST on Monday February 29, 2016.

Remember to continue promoting information to your members about the Patriot’s Pen Scholarship Fund. In the 2014-2015 year, the VFW awarded $46,000 in National Scholarship funds to 46 of 54 Department winners. Voluntary donations of any amount to help fully fund scholarships for all Department winners can be sent to the VFW earmarked “Patriot’s Pen Scholarships Contribution.” Donations to this fund should be reported to your Department Chairman as participation even if your VFW Auxiliary did not work the Patriot’s Pen Scholarship or receive an entry.

QUESTIONS:  Several Department Scholarships Chairmen asked about a report form for their Auxiliaries to complete. You should develop your own unique Department report form. The report form you must complete and send to your Department President by May 1, 2016 can be accessed online by clicking HERE and may be used a template. The form is on page 49 of the 2015-2016 Program Boook available online HERE.