The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) invites all high school students (9th through 12th grades) interested in the American Revolution to participate in the Joseph S. Rumbaugh Historical Oration Contest. The contest is open to all students attending home schools, public, parochial, or private high school students in that same grade range. While the preliminary rounds of the contest begin at the local level, students may eventually advance to the state or national levels, eventually held in June during the annual SAR Congress. The National Association of Secondary School Principals has placed this program on the 2017-18 NASSP List of Approved Contests, Programs, and Activities for Students.
Each student’s five- to six-minute speech (and accompanying manuscript) will be judged based upon its composition, delivery, significance, and historical accuracy and relevance. Three cash awards are given: the National First Place Winner receives $5,000; the 2nd Place Runner-up receives $3,000; and the 3rd Place Runner-up receives $2,000 cash prize. Each also receives an Olympic-sized medal. All other finalists (4th through 6th Place runners-up) are awarded $400 and all other national contestants are awarded $200. A complete set of rules, along with the application for both the applicant and the sponsoring SAR members, can be found below. Please be aware that the local application deadline dates may vary, so interested applicants should reach out to their local SAR chapter for further details.
Consolidated SAR Youth Awards Application and Instructions (Applicant Form)
Consolidated SAR Youth Awards Application and Instructions (Sponsoring SAR Form)
Award Deadline: June 1, 2017