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Official Rules
“Empowering youth through scholastic achievement and development of fine character”
Official Rules and Eligibility
We are pleased that you are a participant in the USA Patriot’s Pen Essay Event. Your experience will be remarkable, creating memories that you will treasure for a lifetime.
USA Patriot’s Pen Writing and Essay Competition is an affiliate of the America’s Liberty Belle Association, LLC. Complete details, including: entry forms, rules, and requirements; questions and answers; awards and prizes; writing and winning tips; Winner Recognition Event Gala; and fees can be found on our official websites:
www.LibertyBelleAssociation.com
- Following instructions exactly is essential and helps eliminate confusion. Essay submissions not following entry rules are not considered and are ineligible.
- Entry Form and Fee: Essays must be accompanied by the Official Entry Form and the $10.00 Entry Processing Fee. Multiple entries are accepted. Each entry must include a separate entry form and an additional $10.00 entry processing fee for each submission.
Note: Classroom Essay Project Entries are FREE!
Essays submitted by teachers as a class project are free. Each essay must be accompanied by a signed application. All other USA Patriot's Pen rules and regulations and eligibility apply as described.
- Entry Deadline Date: Entry Forms must post marked no later than the date on the USA Patriot’s Pen Event Calendar posted on the website. Late entries will not be considered. Mark your calendar today!
- Mailing: Essay and forms must be mailed in a 9" x 12" or larger envelope and post marked by the deadline date. Please do not fold essay work. Winners’ essays will be displayed.
- Script: Essays must be student’s original handwritten work. Either manuscript or hand printing the essay in ink or pencil as described below is acceptable. Typed or word processed entries are not permitted.
- Name: Essays must include student’s name, age, and word count (number of words) neatly printed below the finished work.
- Originality: Essays must be the students own work. Re-writing of an essay by an adult or older student can be easily recognized and will be cause for disqualification from the competition. Student and adult interaction in topic discussion, research, proof reading is strongly recommended and encouraged.
- Eligibility: USA Patriot’s Pen is open to any student from First grade through Twelfth grade, Preschool (3 – 4 years old), and Kindergarten who attends public school, private school, or is home-schooled in the greater Cincinnati area. Students must be American citizens.
- Eligibility Restriction: Family members of USA Patriot’s Pen are not eligible to participate.
- Notification: Winners are notified by email. If email is not available, notification is by phone or US mail.
- Permission: Winners and Parent/Guardian must grant permission to USA Patriot’s Pen to use student’s name and entries for promotional and media purposes and other rightful purposes related to the USA Patriot’s Pen Essay and Writing Competition. Winning essays are used for promotions and display. Essays can be picked up after the display is no longer in use. It is recommended that a copy is made of the student’s work.
- Age Division Word Count Limit:
- Topics: Essay theme must be one of the following:
- What is a true American Patriot
- American and Proud: Why
- Why the American Flag Deserves Great Respect
- What God, Family, and Country Means to Me
- I Love America Because
- America Is Great Because
- The Pledge of Allegiance Means
- What Freedom and Liberty Mean to Me
- Does My Character Matter
- What Duty, Honor, and Country Means to Me
- Why Should We Ask God to Bless Our Soldiers, Families, and Leaders
- Six winners are chosen from each age category.
- 8 Patriot Winners
- 8 Patriot 1st Place Runners-up
- 8 Patriot 2nd Place Runners-up
- 8 Patriot 3rd Place Runners-up
- 8 Patriot Honorable Mentions
- 8 Best Penmanship Awards
- Judging: Winning essayists are determined by official judges selected by USA Patriot’s Pen Executive Director and all judges’ decisions are final. Scores are not discussed or released. Essays are judged on the following: age-appropriate writing; theme content; correct English and grammar usage, including word usage and sentence structure, punctuation and mechanics, vocabulary and spelling; and clarity, penmanship, and neatness.
- Save the Date: Please see USA Patriot’s Pen Website for Current Dates.
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Finalists:
- Frontrunner essayists must be present at the Winners’ Recognition Gala to receive recognition, awards, prizes, and scholarships. No exceptions.
- Frontrunner essayists must participate in Hospitality Sponsorships. No exceptions.
USA Patriot’s Pen Essay Events are self-funded and its continued success in providing family value events while aiding students with scholastic opportunities and enrichment programs depend on outstanding participation by Winning Essayists working hard obtaining support from family, friends, and community with high volume Hospitality points for the event program. Superior hospitality support keeps entry fees low, makes for high quality gifts, and assures that the event is affordable for everyone.
Hospitality Points: One point = $10.00 and 30 points required
Earning points for Hospitality Sponsorships, Program Ads, Most Visitors, and Most Best Wishes, demonstrates support and proves essayists’ sincerity and commitment to participating in USA Patriot’s Pen Essay competition. Contestant involvement in this manner further aids and improves student exposure, helps gain experience, builds self-confidence and self-reliance, while learning great salesmanship skills, at the same time. A valuable learning experience, indeed!
One point =$10.00 and 30 points are required. - Winning Patriot Hospitality Essayists:
- 3 Patriot Hospitality Award – most points for program sponsorship ad
- 2 Patriot Hospitality Best Wishes Award – most points for best wishes ad
- 2 Patriot Most Visitors Award – most points for number of visitors at gala
- 1 Executive Director’s Patriot Scholarship Award – highest total points overall
- Hospitality Executive Director’s Patriot Choice Scholarship Award: One essayist is chosen who has earned the highest combined number of points for Sponsorships, Program Ads, Best Wishes, and Most Visitors. One point is equal to $10.00 and 30 points are the required minimum to qualify for this award.
- Hospitality Points Due Date:Winning essayists receive a Hospitality Packet either by mail or email. The packet will contain information and everything needed to help make each essayist a winning Patriot! Hospitality sales points must be received by the date due, which can be found on this website. Meeting the deadline date allows proper time to prepare and print the Event Program. Please check the website.
- Awards: Winners receive a variety of awards depending upon winning placement of the essay and the number of hospitality points earned. Awards include certificates of achievement, plaques, winner ribbons, prizes, gifts, scholarships, media recognition, and more!
- Acquiring Sponsorships: Obtaining sponsorships from family, friends, and community businesses is surprisingly easy to do. Just ask! Working to acquire sponsorship support helps build courage and over-coming shyness, enhance speaking skills, and aids confidence in meeting new people.
- Self-sponsorship: Self-sponsorship is an option. Often friends, family, and grandparents are eager to generously support and find sponsoring essay candidates a true patriotic honor.
- Other cost and options associated with the Gala Event:
USA Patriot’s Pen is mindful of costs for extra-curricular activities and strives to keep expenses reasonable. Since we are self-funded it is necessary to charge for certain services, but several choices are optional, which can help students on a strict budget.
Admission tickets are required for everyone, except contestant. The following are optional choices: General Admission; Reserved Patriot Preferred Seating; Program Booklets; Door Prize Tickets; Video/DVD, and Photograph Package.
Note: General admission and tickets for “Patriot Preferred Seating” are available on a first-come first serve-basis. Priority seating is provided for the Patriot ticket holders in the front section of the venue. General admission ticket holders are seated behind the priority seating section, as long as seats are available. It is recommended that tickets be secured early so there will be no disappointments at the door.
- Refunds: There are no refunds. Candidate may have credit toward a future event.
- Photography: USA Patriot Pen has an official photographer. Because of confusion, distraction, and the need for courtesy to others, personal photography is not permitted. Personal flashes can affect the iris levels of the video camera equipment. Therefore it is important to avoid extraneous light flashes from the audience. The photography packages are reasonably priced quality products that can be displayed with pride and treasured a life-time.
- Golden Rule good sportsmanship policy: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.
- Event Dress Code / Make-up requirements: USA Patriot’s Pen stands strong for the Red, White, and Blue, and a patriotic attire is most welcome and suggested, but not required.
- Payment of Fees:
| • 9th – 12th grades: | 450 – 500 words | ink |
| • 7th – 8th grades: | 400 – 450 words | ink |
| • 5th – 6th grades: | 350 – 400 words | ink or pencil |
| • 3rd – 4th grades: | 100 – 200 words | pencil |
| • 2nd – grade: | 100 words or less | pencil |
| • 1st – grade: | 50 words or less | pencil |
| • Kindergarten: | Art drawing and one - three sentences | pencil |
| • 3 & 4 Preschool: | Art drawing (one - three sentences optional) | pencil |
Note: Student’s original hand-drawn art work must be colored, painted, or decorated on 8 ½" x 11" paper and must include child’s name and age preferably written by the child.
Preschool or Kindergarten students, who can print: please let them write a few sentences of their own on a separate piece of age-appropriate lined paper that is used in school with which they are familiar. Miss-spelled words by students in these age groups are normal and are forgiven. Student/Parent/Guardian’s name, address, phone, and email must be included on the reverse side of the artwork and the essay.
IMPORTANT GALA EVENT & SPONSORSHIP 
Part of our mission is to provide a positive forum for fun and enjoyment while promoting activities for building fine character. To behave as a Lady or Gentleman is required, and candidates are expected to display behavior that is exemplary in decorum and manners at all times, including but not limited to: kindness, fairness, generosity, helpfulness, sharing, courteousness, and friendliness, honesty, self-control, best grammar without slang or foul language, and foremost - The Golden Rule.
USA Patriot’s Pen reserves the right to rescind any title, award, or gift from any winner for any behavior that the Executive Director deems as inappropriate or is inconsistent with company good sportsmanship policy.
Attire Required: Modesty is the best policy!
Modest, age-appropriate Sunday’s best clothing - Suggestions:
Ladies: dress, suit, pants or skirt with pretty, modest blouse/top
Gentlemen: suit, or pants and nice shirt, (tie optional)
Suitable shoes for easy walkingHair & Makeup:
Pretty, clean natural hair
Natural, age-appropriate makeup
Tattoos must be coveredNot Permitted: An unkempt appearance is not suitable, as well as, jeans, tee-shirts, short skirts, tight clothing, exposed midriff, ball caps, nose ring, strange hair color and style, multiple ear rings, and visible tattoos etc.
Moms, dads, grandparents, or helpers are welcome to assist little children on stage who need a “helping hand” and a little support! Note: Please dress modestly, remembering that you are on stage when bending over and down helping little ones.
- Checks, cashier’s checks, and money orders payable to: USA Patriot’s Pen Event
- Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal
- Cash accepted at your own risk. Note: Returned checks cause disqualification
uestions: Contact USA Patriot’s Pen Executive Director:Email: USAPatriotsPen@cinci.rr.com
Phone: 513-272-8243
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