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The Yadkin River Patriots Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution honored the winners and contestants of the 2024-2025 American History Essay and Video Contests at their monthly chapter meeting on March 21 at the Stanly County Library.
Children from three local schools were given a celebration where they received certificates, recognition and gifts from the chapter’s American History Committee.
The topic of this year’s contests was “Enjoying a New Kind of Tea Party.” As stated in the DAR American History Handout about the contests, students were to “Imagine you are one of these women boldly participating in one of these tea parties in North Carolina. Give details of either the Edenton Tea Party or Wilmington Tea Party, describe the tea party, and why you would choose to join them. Then explain if you think it was a good decision.”
Students could choose to enter an essay contest or a video contest. There were winners for each of the grade levels 5th through 8th for the essay contests. For the video contests, there were winners for the 5th and 6th grades, and the 7th and 8th grades.
Each contestant was given a certificate of participation, a handmade book marker with their name embroidered in the marker, and a gee-haw whimmy diddle made from mountain laurel or rhododendron handmade by Dr. Clyde Sawyer, professor emeritus at Pheiffer University, School of Education.
Sawyer also presented to the students a lesson on how to “tame” their gee-haws, which are toys made of two sticks.
Students receiving certificates of participation, all from Tillery Christian Academy, were Cylus Baskins, Madelyn Traywick, Florence Par, Ava Neal, Bentley Alcaras, Brooklyn Webb, Jacob Brown, Peighton Blalock, Amberlyn Bowers, Anna Sharpe, Kiah Thomas, McKenzie Brown, Jaxon Ruppe, and Zaiden Trull.
The winning contestants received a winner’s certificate, a handmade book marker with their name embroidered in the marker, a handmade gee-haw whimmy diddle, and a check from the DAR Chapter for $50.
The winning students were: Charly Burleson, 5th grade essay winner, Tillery Christian Academy, teacher Starla Morris; Ava Harwood, 6th grade essay winner, Tillery Christian Academy, teacher Starla Morris; Elijah Lowder, 7th grade essay winner, Scholar’s Academy for the Gifted and Artistically Elite, teacher Dr. Laura Lowder; Blake Threadgill, 8th grade essay winner, Tillery Christian Academy, teacher Starla Morris; Mason Tucker, 7th and 8th grades video winner, South Stanly Middle School, teacher Carrie Honeycutt.