Action Steps
Eligibility – The Knights of Columbus Essay Contest is open to all Catholic students — in public, private or parochial schools — in grades 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 during the current school year.
Timetable
July/August: Councils, assemblies order Knights of Columbus Essay Contest Kits from the Supreme Council Office. (Print Version - Online Version)
August/September: Councils, assemblies contact schools to secure cooperation. At this time the date, place and means of recognizing winners should be determined.
September: Students write essays. Essays should be submitted to judges by September 30.
October: Judges review essays for council level.
November: Judges review essays for regional and or state level.
December: State champion essays submitted to Supreme for international judging by December 15
The Essay Contest council participation form (#4216) for the council level should be filled out and sent to the Supreme Council Department of Fraternal Mission by January 30.
January: International Essay Contest Winners announced by the Supreme Council Office
Guidelines
• Essays must reflect the assigned theme and topic, and be submitted by the published deadline.
• Essays must be the student’s original work.
• Essays must be typed on 8 ½” X 11” paper, one sided, double spaced, with one-inch margins.
• Essays must be between 500 and 750 words long.
• The student’s name should appear only on the official Knights of Columbus Essay Contest entry form which should be stapled to the essay.
• All entries become the property of the Knights of Columbus and will not be returned.
Sponsoring Organization – The Knights of Columbus Essay Contest is sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. The official responsible for the contest is the grand knight of the sponsoring council, or faithful navigator of the sponsoring assembly.
Awards – Certificates for first, second and third place winners, and certificates of participation for all entrants, are included in the essay contest kit.
Additional certificates are available from the Supreme Council office free of charge. It is recommended that councils consider monetary awards in the range of $100 to $250 in the form of savings bonds or cash to first place winners. It is also recommended that a special certificate or plaque be given to the school of the champion of each division. The school could then place the award in its trophy case or otherwise display it in the school.
Support Materials
All the materials needed by councils to participate in the Knights of Columbus Essay Contest are included in the Essay Contest KIT (EA-Kit). Please allow four weeks to ensure delivery by the event. The kit includes the following items:
| Description | Item |
| Entry Form/Judging Sheet | #4208 |
| Promotional Poster | #4209 |
| Essay Contest Guide | #4202 |
| Participation Certificate | #4206 |
| 1st Place Certificate | #4207 |
| 2nd Place Certificate | #4865 |
| 3rd Place Certificate | #4866 |
| Generic Winner Certificate | #4214 |
| Essay Contest Participation Form | #4216 |
Thematic Resources
“Going to the Peripheries” – Columbia article
“Going to the Peripheries” – Supreme Knight’s keynote address to the Convocation of Catholic Leaders
Judging
Judges will be selected by the sponsoring Knights of Columbus council or assembly. Council, assembly members, clergy, civic officials and/or members of the community may serve as judges.
Essays will be judged on a 100-point scoring system:
35 points: Content — How clearly is the theme presented?
30 points: Grammar — How well is the essay written with respect to sentence structure, paragraph construction and spelling?
35 points: Style — Does the essay show creativity, imagination and development of the topic in a compelling style?
Winners
The theme of the 2016-17 essay contest was “The Importance of Religious Freedom.” The following are the International Contest Winners:
|
Grade Level |
Place |
Student |
Council |
City/Jurisdiction |
| 8 | Winner | Mary Catherine Warner | 367 | Norfolk, VA |
| 8 | Runner Up | Alyse Saucedo | 9332 | Spring Valley, CA |
| 8 | Runner Up | Nicole Boccalon | 1454 | Hamilton, ON |
| 9 | Winner | Alexandra Wettengel | 7914 | Hollywood, MD |
| 9 | Runner Up | Marialena Mouaikei | 7364 | Adams, NY |
| 9 | Runner Up | Jackson Bevier Dill | 7502 | Northglenn, CO |
| 10 | Winner | Alexa Greenwald | 1685 | Shakopee, MN |
| 10 | Runner Up | Phillip Le | 13467 | Virginia Beach, VA |
| 10 | Runner Up | Madeleine Lange | 930 | Cascade, IA |
| 11 | Winner | Sarah Neubecker | 1445 | Canandaigua, NY |
| 11 | Runner Up | David Mantese | 1155 | Manchester, CT |
| 11 | Runner Up | Anna Marino | 568 | Burlington, IA |
| 12 | Winner | Mary Bern Yaeger | 4304 | Homewood, AL |
| 12 | Runner Up | Henry Queen | 15161 | Atlanta, GA |
| 12 | Runner Up | Valerie Doze | 5341 | East Grand Forks, ND |
Tell Us About Your Programs
Help us improve the Service Program activities offered by the Supreme Council office by sending reports on your council’s successful activities and/or any suggestions you may have on improving our programs. Send this information to Fraternal Mission Dept., Service Program Suggestions, 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326 or contact us. Please include “Service Program Suggestions” in the subject line.
