NWR Committee Chairman: National Committee Chair
RPNW Rex Faubion Jerry P. Lickteig,
Mt. Rainier Branch 104 jerry@msginc.org
818 23rd St. NW
Puyallup, WA 98371-3988
(253) 208-6991
rexfaubion@yahoo.com
2023-2024 FRA Americanism Essay Contest
“What Memorial Day Means To Me”
NATIONAL WINNERS
Overall Winner
12th Grade 1st Place Winner – Ammara Sarwcir, Unadilla, NY Branch 214, NE/NEng Region.
7th Grade Winners:
1st Place Winner – Jasen Ajello, Staten Island, NY = Branch 226, NE/NEng Region
2nd Place Winner – Makayla Marcel, San Jose, CA = Branch 101, WC Region
3rd Place Winner – Izabella Wynn, Seneca, SC = Branch 15, SE Region
8th Grade Winners:
1st Place Winner – Adeline Maynes, Coupeville, WA = Branch 97, NW Region
2nd Place Winner – Genevieve Miranda, Annandale, VA = Branch 70, SW Region
3rd Place Winner – Victoria Senyo, Bowie, MD = Branch 24, EC Region
9th Grade Winners:
1st Place Winner – Caleb Wilhelm, Angola, IN = Branch 298, NC Region
2nd Place Winner – Katherine Labao, Los Angeles, CA = Branch 302 SW Region
3rd Place Winner – Collins Murphy, Vancleave, MS = Branch 264, SC Region
10th Grade Winners:
1st Place Winner – Alexander Zhang, San Jose, CA = Branch 230. WC Region
2nd Place Winner – Michael Meng, Monmouth Junction, NY = Branch 124, NE/NEng Reg
3rd Place Winner – Adrian Orellana, Camp Lejeune, NC = Branch 208, EC Region
11th Grade Winners:
1st Place Winner – Conner Stevens, Paducah, KY = Branch 223, NC Region
2nd Place Winner –Luke Ruiz, Alviso, CA = Branch 101, WC Region
3rd Place Winner – Lillian Commeree, Port Angeles, WA = Branch 174, NW Region
12th Grade Winners:
1st Place Winner – Amara Sarwar, Unadilla, NY = Branch 214, NE/NEng Region
2nd Place Winner – Chloe Havener, Medford, OR = Branch 55, NW Region
3rd Place Winner – Annikka Fetro, Fremont, CA = Branch 101, WC Region
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Northwest Region Winners
7th Grade:
1st Place Audrey Simmons Branch 038
2nd Place McKinley Harris Branch 063
3rd Place Nolan Stewart Branch 174
8th Grade:
1st Place Adeline Maynes Branch 097
2nd Place Benjamin Wu Branch 104
3rd Place Ladessa Heater Branch 063
9th Grade:
1st Place Jacob Catacata Branch 382
2nd Place Aubree Geis Branch 063
10th Grade:
1st Place Opal Johnson Branch 104
2nd Place Roy Dennis Jones Branch 055
11th Grade:
1st Place Lillian Commeree Branch 174
2nd Place Naomi Poelma Branch 342
12th Grade:
1st Place Chloe Havener Branch 055
2nd Place Gabriel Quintana Branch 104
3rd Place Keanu Longboy Branch 050
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2022-2023 FRA Americanism Essay Contest
“What the United States Flag Stands For”
National Winners
Overall Winner: Molly Neal Branch 294 Southeast Region
Grade 7:
1st Place Elizabeth Schlatter Bran ch 124 Northeast/New England Region
2nd Place Benjamin Wu Branch 104 Northwest Region
3rd Place Genevieve Miranda Branch 070 Southwest Region
Grade 8:
1st Place Brynn Gullin Branch 146 Northeast/New England Region
2nd Place Katie Labao Branch 302 Southwest Region
3rd Place Jalen Meads Branch 293 East Coast Region
Grade 9:
1st Place Molly Neal Branch 294 Southeast Region
2nd Place Annabel Marshall Branch 24 East Coast Region
3rd Place LillyAnna Flygare Branch 251 South Central Region
Grade 10:
1st Place Anna Dollar Branch 34 Southeast Region
2nd Place Sophene Avedissian Branch 302 Southwest Region
3rd Place Justin Glasow Branch 208 East Coast Region
Grade 11:
1st Place Ariana Perez Branch 302 Southwest Region
2nd Place Erin Stenros Branch 214 Northeast/New England
3rd Place Bayleigh Guidry Branch 251 South Central Region
Grade 12:
1st Place Morgen Davis Branch 185 West Coast Region
2nd Place Charlotte Wallace Branch 055 Northwest Region
3rd Place Caleb Gargus Branch 105 North Central Region
Northwest Region Winners
Grade 7:
1st Place – Benjamin Wu – Mt Rainier Branch 104, Puyallup, WA
2nd Place – Orin Campbell – Lewis & Clark Branch 063, Lewiston, ID
Grade 8:
1st Place – Haylee Armstrong – Whidbey Island Branch 097, Oak Harbor, WA
2nd Place – Gavin Clifford – Lewis & Clark Branch 063, Lewiston, ID
3rd Place – Jude Wallace – City of Roses Branch 055, Portland, OR
Grade 9:
1st Place – Mary Crosby – Gem State Branch 382, Nampa, ID
Grade 10:
1st Place – Marton Mezei – Inland Empire Branch 038, Spokane, WA
2nd Place – Sean Cammack – Mt Rainier Branch 104, Puyallup, WA
3rd Place – Sara Beg – City of Roses Branch 055, Portland, OR
11th Grade:
1st Place – Parker Smith – Inland Empire Branch 038, Spokane, WA
2nd Place – Olivia Johnson – Lewis & Clark Branch 063, Lewiston, ID
3rd Place – Garrett J. Nye – Gem State Branch 382, Nampa, ID
12th Grade:
1st Place – Charlotte Wallace – City of Roses Branch 055, Portland, OR
2nd Place – Abigail Arbuckle – Gem State Branch 382, Nampa, ID
3rd Place – Maru Schwartz – Lewis & Clark Branch, Lewiston, ID
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e 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
- What Freedom of Speech Means to Me
- What The Vote Will Mean to Me.
- The Bill of Rights And Me.
- Why it Means to be an American Citizen.
- What The United States Flag Stands For.
- What Memorial Day Means to Me.
- What Patriotism Means to Me.
SR-12(c). Duties and responsibilities of the National Committee on Americanism-Patriotism in conducting the Americanism Essay Contest:
- 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.
- They shall develop, approve and submit a draft of its poster for the following year’s contest to the National Headquarters by 15 January.
- 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.
- 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
- The chairman shall announce the contest winners and forward the appropriate awards to the sponsoring branches not later than 20 May
- 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:
- All entrants shall be students in grades seven through twelve (or equivalent)
- Entrants must be sponsored by a branch of the Fleet Reserve Association or a unit of the FRA Auxiliary.
- The essay shall be on the theme designated and shall not exceed 350 words.
- The essay shall be legibly written or typed on one side of the paper.
- A student may submit only one entry each year.
- 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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