The May meeting of the Thomasville Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) featured a school awards luncheon honoring the winners of the National Junior American Citizens Awards (JAC), DAR American History Essay Contest Awards, Patriot of the American Revolution DAR High School Essay Contest Award, DAR Good Citizen Awards, JROTC Awards, and the Lois Elam Scholarship Awards. Attending the luncheon were Thomasville Chapter DAR members and guests, student winners, their family members and teachers.

Patriotism and Education are two of the missions of DAR. The DAR Junior American Citizens (JAC) program teaches children the principles of democratic government, good citizenship, and appreciation of American heritage and history. There were 1,450 students that participated in the JAC program in 62 classes from preschool to eighth grade from these schools: Hand in Hand Primary School, Harper Elementary School, Jerger Elementary School, Brookwood School, Garrison Pilcher Elementary School, Cross Creek Elementary School, Scott Elementary School, Thomas County Middle School, Thomasville Christian School and Scholars Academy. The theme of the JAC contest for 2021-22 was the 100th Anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: Rise and Shine for Duty, Honor and Patriotism. There were 24 national contest winners.  

At the May meeting, the Thomasville Chapter DAR recognized the national JAC winners from the sixth grade. They are: for Group 1, Short Story: third place winner Elijah Hugans, a student at Thomas County Middle School; for Group 2, Short Story, first place winner Lake Dixon from Scholars Academy, and for Group 3, Poem, first place winner Vada Harper from Thomas County Middle School. The winners received their certificates during each school’s awards program. The Thomasville Chapter also thanked Chapter JAC Committee Chair Janet Campbell for her leadership and dedication to the JAC program. 

The American History Essay Contest was established by NSDAR to encourage young people to think creatively about our nation’s great history and learn about history in a new light. The DAR American History Essay Contest awards were presented to fifth grade winner Ava Cuevas, Brookwood School, sixth grade winner Garner Wells Forrester, Brookwood School; seventh grade winner Barrett Andrew Stencel, Brookwood School and eighth grade winner Nicholas E. Singley, Scholars Academy. The students submitted essays on the subject, “The 100th anniversary of the dedication of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.” Each winner was presented the award certificate and American History bronze medal by Regent Charlotte Brown and Chapter Historian Mary Margaret Quiggle. Forrester was also selected as the Southwest District winner. 

In 2021, NSDAR established a new high school-level essay contest focused on figures of the American Revolution, in preparation for the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding. The Patriots of the American Revolution DAR High School Essay Contest Award was presented to Emma Rae Smith, a 10th grader at Thomas County Central High School. She received the award certificate and Patriots of the American Revolution bronze medal.

The DAR Good Citizen award recognizes students who possess good citizenship qualities of dependability, service, leadership and patriotism in their homes, schools, and communities. These students are selected by their teachers and peers because they demonstrate these qualities to an outstanding degree. The 2022 DAR Good Citizen Awards were presented to Anna Claire Pope, a senior at Thomas County Central High School, Sara Elizabeth Pearce, a senior at Cairo High School, Mark Futch, a senior at Thomasville High School and Priscilla Rayne Deese, a senior at Brookwood School. Regent Charlotte Brown and Chapter Historian Mary Margaret Quiggle presented each student with the award certificate, DAR Good Citizen pin, wallet card and monetary award. 

The ROTC medal is presented to an ROTC student who has demonstrated academic excellence, dependability, good character, adherence to military discipline, leadership and a fundamental and patriotic understanding of the importance of the Reserve Officers Training Corps. Chapter Regent Charlotte Brown announced the winners of the JROTC Awards. The recipients are Jayden Witherspoon, Thomasville High School; Jack Emmett, Thomas County Central High School; and Lyla Claire Clark from Cairo High School. The recipients were presented the JROTC bronze medal, award certificate and monetary gift by Thomasville Chapter Regent Charlotte Brown, Past Regent and Chapter Librarian Shelba Sellers and Parliamentarian Jinanne Parrish at each school’s JROTC Awards ceremony. The ROTC Awards Committee Chair is Shelba Sellers.

The Thomasville Chapter DAR Lois Elam Scholarship was created to assist local graduating high school seniors. The goal of the scholarship is to help young people continue their education in areas that encourage DAR goals of historic preservation, education and patriotism. Each scholarship recipient receives $1,000 towards their college costs. Chapter Regent Charlotte Brown introduced the Lois Elam Scholarship Award recipients at the May meeting. They are Grace Parkerson, a senior at Thomas County Central High School and Madison Devoux, a senior at Cairo High School. Parkerson plans to attend the University of Georgia this fall and Devoux will attend Florida A & M University. Regent Brown also thanked Scholarship Committee Chair, Dr. MaryFriend Carter and committee members Vice Regent Mary Tomlinson and Martha Hancock for their work in reviewing the applications for this award.

The Thomasville Chapter DAR would like to congratulate each of the winners for the Junior American Citizens awards, American History Essay contests, Patriots of the American Revolution DAR High School Essay contest, DAR Good Citizen awards, Lois Elam Scholarship awards, and JROTC awards.

After the student awards presentations, the Thomasville Chapter DAR held a Memorial Service to remember departed chapter members from 2020-2021. The service was led by Chapter Regent Charlotte Brown and Chapter Chaplain Drucilla Bennett to honor and pay tribute to the memory of Ruth Salter, State Historian 2000-02, Chapter Regent 2001-03 and 1989-91, Sara Martha Edwards, Mary Frances Lilly, Ettie “Dee Dee” Sims, Priscilla “Perky” Hunt, Chapter Librarian 2015-17, Emily Smith and Marie Bradley. 

For more information about the Thomasville Chapter DAR, visit thomasville.georgiastatedar.org or the Chapter’s Facebook page at facebook.com/ThomasvilleChapterNSDAR.