Subscription dues are just like a magazine subscription. It gives you
365 days of membership in the VFW. With this being the first year that
they are coming into effect it will be a process that we are not use to.
The basic breakdown of what is going to happen is:
If you are an annual member and you pay your dues before Jan your
expiration will be Jan 2015. If you pay after that date whatever day
your dues are processed at National will be the new expiration date.
Example would be that you send in your dues to National on 1 Feb 2015
and National processed them on the 15 Feb. Your new expiration date
would be 15 Feb 2016.
Annual membership Dues $39 and due on the anniversary of the date you joined the VFW or the date of annual renewal.
My Responsibility To America
WHAT IS THE PATRIOT’S PEN?
Conducted nationwide, this VFW-sponsored youth essay competition encourages students to use their minds and knowledge of America’s history and their experience of today’s American society to write essays expressing their views on an annual patriotic theme. We invite you to join more than 120,000 students who participated last year in this contest.
Patriot’s Pen gives 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students the opportunity to express their opinion on a patriotic theme and improve their writing skills, while they compete for awards and prizes. The awards from all levels of the competition total $1.2 million each year. The National Association of Secondary School Principals has placed this program on its National Advisory List of Contests for participation. The theme for the Annual VFW Patriot’s Pen Essay is "What is Patriotism To Me." The contest is open to all students in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades in public, private, and parochial schools, as well as, home-schooled children in the United States and its territories or its possessions and dependents of U.S. military or civilian personnel in overseas schools. Former first-place state winners are not eligible to compete again. Foreign exchange students and adults are not eligible to compete. Although U.S. citizenship is not required, students must be lawful U.S. permanent residents or have applied for permanent residence (the application cannot have been denied) and intend on becoming a US citizen at the earliest opportunity allowed by law. Brochures on the program were mailed to all Post Commanders and Auxiliary Presidents. Schools should be contacted as soon as they open for the current year in order that the teachers can include the contest in the lesson plans. Posts are responsible for giving their area schools Patriot’s Pen pamphlets. You can check the program on the web at www.vfw.org/patriotspen to see the requirements and print the entry forms.
ESSAY RULES AND GUIDELINES:
· Must be TYPED in English, BLACK INK ONLY
· Must be 300-400 words in length. Word count does NOT include the title or footnotes.
· NO Graphics allowed
· Contestants will NOT identify themselves within their essay to include, but not limited to, their name, school, city, state, race, or national origin.
· Official entry form included with Essay. The form may be printed online at www.vfw.org
· Three typed copies of the Essay
VERY IMPORTANT:
POST CHAIRMAN SHOULD pursue a notice in local media.
Posts may submit one winning entry to the District for judging.
Districts may submit one winning entry to the Department Chairman.
PATRIOT’S PEN Deadlines:
Midnight, October 31, Entries to the Post
December 13, District Winners due to Department Chairman
Patriots Pen Requirements: Rules / Eligibility
2022-23 Patriots Pen Entry Form
DO NOT mail District entries and required forms to State Headquarters. Mail them directly to the State Patriot’s Pen Chairman!