Lake Country Republican Club

Lake Country Republican Club Constitution Essay Contest August-September 2016

Dear Student;

The Lake Country Republican Club has embarked on a mission to bring a more comprehensive understanding of our United States Constitution to the students of Wood County. This document is what gives our government legitimacy to exist and operate! It is our fervent hope that this mission may help to spur interest and understanding of our Constitution, its never ending importance, the freedoms and liberties it guarantees, and the societal exceptionalism that this nation has achieved. As part of fulfilling this mission, we are providing you, the student, with the opportunity to participate in an essay contest open to High School Juniors and Seniors in Wood County. The parameters and rules for this contest follow.

The essay should be original, typewritten and between 400 and 1,000 words in length. There are three “prompts” on the attached sheet for you to use to decide the specific topic to discuss in your essay. We are looking for an original essay that demonstrates deep thought and insight backed up by factual historical context as opposed to a report of fact alone. The topics lend themselves to a discussion of current events as they relate to Constitutional issues also; these may be included in your essay. Any essay suspected of plagiarism will be checked, and if confirmed, the essay in question will be disqualified. Please attach the completed essay identification form to your essay so that we will be able to assign numbers to the essays before judging so that judging will be “blind”. Include contact information to enable us to contact you should you be chosen to receive one of the awards. Be sure to include your email and/or or phone number for notification purposes.

Essays need to be available for pickup from the principal’s office no later than September 19, 2016. A committee of Lake Country Republican Club members will judge the essays, and winners will be notified the week of October 10, 2016. Prizes to be awarded are: First place prize of $200, 2nd place prize of $150, and 3rd place prize of $100.

Winners and their families will be invited to attend our October 25 meeting at 6pm at the Quitman Public Library to receive their awards. Winners will be asked to read their essay to our membership and will then be awarded their prize money. Cole Hefner, who will become our new State Representative in January 2017, will be at this meeting to present the awards. It will be a good opportunity for you to meet one of our newly elected State officials.

Your interest in this contest is appreciated. We are anxious to read these and are certain to be amazed by the depth of thought generated by you, our future leaders. We are counting on your generation to become informed citizens so that our nation will be in competent hands in the future.

Sincerely,

Joanna Bowen Lake Country Republican Club Prompts for 2016 Constitution Contest

To the student: Please choose one of these three prompts as the topic of your essay regarding the Constitution of the United States. Remember the essay should be between 400 and 1,000 words and contain proof of your understanding of your topic. The judges will be looking for evidence that you are able to apply the Constitutional principles to actual occurrences, past and present. Your essay must be original; any plagiarism will disqualify your essay. Please remember to attach the “essay identification form” to your essay so that it can be identified.

Prompt #1: The 4th Amendment: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Prompt #2: The 10th Amendment: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

Prompt #3: Article 4, Section 4: “The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.