Annual Rumbaugh Oration Contest


Announcements, Events / Thursday, December 7th, 2017

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.

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 scholarship 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.

For more information, click here to visit the SAR site.

Competitors must deliver their address in person at the evening January 24, 2017 meeting of the George Mason Chapter of the Virginia Society, Sons of the American Revolution. The event will be held at the Elk’s Lodge, 8421 Arlington Boulevard, Fairfax, VA. The chapter will assemble at 6:30 and start the meeting at 7:00. Contestants and parents are guests of the Chapter for their meal.

Applications are due by precisely 6:00 PM on Friday, January 19, 2018.

To apply to join the Oration Contest, click here to download the application form. Complete it and submit it to Compatriot Keith Reeves, Chairperson of the George Mason Chapter’s Rumbaugh Oration Contest, at reeveskd@gmail.com.