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Americanism & Patriotism

                    
 NWR Committee Chairman:                         National Committee Chair          
RPNW Rex Faubion                                              Richard A. Ruiz (WCR)
Mt. Rainier Branch 104                                       pctplastic@gmail.com
818 23rd St. NW
Puyallup, WA  98371-3988
(253) 208-6991
rexfaubion@yahoo.com

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2024-2025 National Essay Contest Winners

Congratulations to the 2024–2025 FRA Americanism Essay Contest Winners!

2024-2025 Overall Winner
Elizabeth Mayela Mercado      Branch 293          East Coast Region

Grade 7 Winners
1st place:  Sophia Ortega;                                Branch 101,                 West Coast Region
2nd place:  Sanvi Mokasi                                   Branch 089                  Southeast Region
3rd place:  Charlotte G Doering                   Branch 070                  Southwest Region

Grade 8 Winners
1st Place:  Samdeesh Thukral                         Branch 089                  Southeast Region
2nd Place:  SaanviSri Karnakanti                  Branch 017                  North Central Region 
3rd Place:  Tyler Keith Nixon                           Branch 115                  NE/New England Region

Grade 9 Winners
1st Place:  Evelin Quinonez                            Branch 197                  West Coast Region
2nd Place:  Genevieve K. Miranda             Branch 070                  Southwest Region
3rd Place:  Natalia Torres                                Branch 181                  East Coast Region

Grade 10 Winners
1st Place:  Elizabeth Mayela Mercado           Branch 293                  East Coast Region
2nd Place:  Johnny Vattuone                               Branch 070                  Southwest Region
3rd Place:  Allin Murphy                                         Branch 307                  South Central Region

Grade 11 Winners
1st Place:  Conner Stevens                              Branch 101                  West Coast Region
2nd Place:  Kylie Anderson                             Branch 238                  North Central Region 
3rd Place:  Asa Scott                                           Branch 184                  Southeast Region

Grade 12 Winners
1st Place:  Samuel Bonsall                             Branch 029                  Northwest Region
02nd Place:  Emily Hite                                   Branch 161                  North Central Region 
3rd Place:  Isabella Philip                               Branch 087                  NE/New England Region

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Americanism Essay Contest
“What Would Service To Our Country Mean To Me”
Northwest Region 2024-2025 Winners

7th Grade:
1st Place           Peyton Wilkins-Altmiller – Br 063
2nd Place          Brylee Lutzo – Branch 038
8th Grade:
1st Place           Salem Gumm – Branch 382
2nd Place          Bently Strunk – Branch 063
9th Grade:
1st Place           Benjamin Wu – Branch 104
2nd Place          Garth Osterberg – Branch 170
10th Grade:
1st Place           Bennett Olson – Branch 382
2nd Place          Lane Mader – Branch 063
11th Grade:
1st Place           Izaiah Vertefeuille – Branch 029
2nd Place          Himeno Burley – Branch 097
3rd Place          Payton McGarrah – Branch 382
12th Grade:
1st Place           Samuel Bonsell – Branch 029
2nd Place          Hannah Joyce Schwartz – Br 063
3rd Place          Finnley Olson – Branch 382

First place winners were forwarded onto National.

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The Americanism/Patriotism Committee Chair is responsible for:

FRA CB&Ls Section 814. Duties of the National Committee on Americanism-Patriotism

Section 814(a). The committee shall consist of one member from each region. Terms shall be for three years with three members being replaced or reappointed each year by the National President. Its duties shall be to encourage the regions and branches to honor the flag of the United States of America; to observe the anniversary of distinguished persons and events in our history; to work in and encourage the participation of others in civic programs; and to foster the principles of our founding fathers as expressed in the Constitution of the United States of America.

Section 814(b). The National Committee on Americanism-Patriotism shall conduct an Americanism Essay Contest, each year, in accordance with the provisions of the appropriate standing rule.

Section 814(c). The Americanism-Patriotism Committee shall encourage the regions and branches to honor our departed shipmates in the manner so eloquently expressed in the Preamble to the Constitution of the Fleet Reserve Association and in the appropriate rituals provided for such solemn occasions. Guidance should be provided on how such activities should be conducted in conjunction with community observances whenever possible.

FRA Standing Rule 7(d). Americanism-Patriotism – There will be three annual Americanism-Patriotism awards; The Walter D. “Step” Rowell Award, The Leonard D. “Swede” Nelson Award and the Robert E. Doherty Award.

  1. Walter D. “Step” Rowell Americanism-Patriotism Award. The Convention Americanism-Patriotism Committee shall select the branch with the best overall Americanism-Patriotism Annual Report as the winner of The Walter C. “Step” Rowell Award. This is a perpetual award and will be retained at the National Headquarters with the plate being engraved each year. The branch winning the award will be issued an appropriate engraved plaque.
  2. Leonard D. “Swede” Nelson Award. The Convention Americanism-Patriotism Committee shall select one of the membership group “Shipmate of the Year” recipients to receive The Leonard D. “Swede” Nelson “Shipmate of the Year” Award for Americanism-Patriotism.
  3. Robert E. Doherty Award. The Robert E. Doherty Award shall be awarded to a Shipmate also nominated for national recognition deemed deserving of special recognition by the National Committee on Americanism-Patriotism.

FRA Standing Rule 12 – Americanism Essay Contest
SR-12(a). The National Committee on Americanism-Patriotism shall conduct an Americanism Essay Contest each year, open to all students of grades seven through twelve. All entries shall become the property of the Fleet Reserve Association.

SR-12(b). Seven themes for the essay contest shall be used on a rotating basis. Those themes shall be:

  1. What Freedom of Speech Means to Me
  2. What The Vote Will Mean to Me.
  3. The Bill of Rights And Me.
  4. Why it Means to be an American Citizen.
  5. What The United States Flag Stands For.
  6. What Memorial Day Means to Me.
  7. What Patriotism Means to Me.

SR-12(c). Duties and responsibilities of the National Committee on Americanism-Patriotism in conducting the Americanism Essay Contest:

  1. Should the National Committee on Americanism-Patriotism determine a more suitable theme for a given year be more appropriate, they shall include the recommended theme in their annual report, two years in advance, for approval of the delegates to the national convention.
  2. They shall develop, approve and submit a draft of its poster for the following year’s contest to the National Headquarters by 15 January.
  3. They shall draft, approve and submit a covering letter, including contest rules, to the National Headquarters by 31 March for publication in the July issue of FRA Today.
  4. The chairman shall submit a proposed budget for the next fiscal year, including appropriate awards for a maximum of nineteen recipients, to the Chairman, National Committee on Budget and Finance annually prior to 1 April for approval of the delegates with a copy to the Finance Officer
  5. The chairman shall announce the contest winners and forward the appropriate awards to the sponsoring branches not later than 20 May
  6. The chairman shall submit a list of essay contest winners and a copy of the overall winning essay to the National Headquarters no later than 15 June for publication in FRA Today.

SR-12(d). Essay Contest Rules:

  1. All entrants shall be students in grades seven through twelve (or equivalent)
  2. Entrants must be sponsored by a branch of the Fleet Reserve Association or a unit of the FRA Auxiliary.
  3. The essay shall be on the theme designated and shall not exceed 350 words.
  4. The essay shall be legibly written or typed on one side of the paper.
  5. A student may submit only one entry each year.
  6. Each entry must be accompanied by a separate sheet stating the entrant’s name; address; zip code; telephone number; school grade (or equivalent); name of school or words “home schooled;” number of words in essay; and the sponsoring branch/unit or sponsor’s name.

SR-12(e). Receipt and Judging:

  1. Entries submitted to branches shall be submitted to the branch Americanism-Patriotism Committee and postmarked not later than 1 December for judging at the branch level.
  2. The branch Americanism-Patriotism chairman will forward the branch first place grade winning essays to the regional Americanism-Patriotism chairman, postmarked not later than 1 February.
  3. Entries sponsored by Membership At Large (MAL) members shall be submitted to the National Headquarters addressed to Americanism Essay Contest. The essay will be forwarded to the branch secretary of the participating branch closest to the residence of the essayist. All entries shall be postmarked not later than 1 December
  4. Regional Americanism-Patriotism chairmen shall have the essays judged and submit the first place winning essay in each grade group to the National Americanism-Patriotism Chairman, c/o Fleet Reserve Association, 125 N. West Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314-2754, not later than 1 March.

SR-12(f). National Administration and Judging:

  1. Upon receipt in the National Headquarters of the Fleet Reserve Association, the regional winning essays shall be reproduced and the originals shall be retained at the National Headquarters. Copies of each essay and the identification sheets will be forwarded to the Chairman, National Committee on Americanism-Patriotism. Each grade winning essay shall be assigned a number by the national chairman and a copy of each winning essay and a copy of the national judging form shall be forwarded to each member of the national Americanism-Patriotism committee.
  2. Each national committee member shall judge the essays, giving consideration to neatness, originality, and sincerity and choose a first, second, and third place winner in each grade group and an overall best essay from the first place winners.
  3. The national Americanism-Patriotism chairman shall be informed in writing of each committee members choice (by assigned number) of the winners in each grade group and the overall winner not later than 15 April.

NW Regional Standing Rules
SR-2(b). The Regional Chairman of the Committee on Americanism-Patriotism; Hospital, Welfare and Rehabilitation; Public Relations and Youth Activities shall be responsible for compliance with the appropriate sections of SR-7, FRA, pertinent to Regional Chairmen and for the administration of regional awards outlined in RSR-6.
SR-2(c). The Regional Chairman and committee on Americanism-Patriotism shall be responsible for compliance with the provisions of SR-12, FRA, pertinent to the Americanism Essay Contest and the administration of the Regional Americanism Essay Awards.

Committee Chair:

S/M Rex Faubion
Mt. Rainier Br#104
818 23rd St NW
Puyallup, WA 98371-3988