Good citizens still get recognized these days. The Daughters of the American Revolution think it should stay that way.
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Mary Allen Wilson steps in to hug George Lokey during the DAR ceremony.
Kristopher Wells
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The Captain John Wilson chapter of the DAR held its Good Citizen Awards Ceremony on Feb. 4 at the Thomson-McDuffie County Library. Five students from Thomson High and two from Harlem High were recognized as each school's nominees for the Good Citizen Award.
Karen Holley, the local DAR Good Citizen chair, hopes that the contest will not only reward the good citizens in the area, but help create new ones.
"The other children see who adults think highly of in this regard," Mrs. Holley said. "(We hope) they'll want to emulate that."
Mary Allen Wilson, a THS senior, read her school-winning essay during the ceremony. She was also presented with a savings bond from First Bank McDuffie, and her name was added with the past winners to a plaque that is displayed at THS.
"I am very proud that people looked at me as being a good citizen," she said.
The other THS students that were nominated by faculty and staff to participate in the Good Citizen essay contest were Benjamin McCorkle, Jeremy Timmerman, Jennifer Bell and Durrell Jackson. Mr. McCorkle was the only other nominee present.
Harlem High School's nominees were Mandy Hair and overall winner Meagan Lyles. Miss Lyles, who was ill and unable to attend the ceremony, also received a savings bond and was entered into the district level competition.
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Benjamin McCorkle listens to THS principal Bill Reese.
Kristopher Wells
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Each nominee for the award is given the same topic dealing with patriotism and a two-hour time frame in which to write the essay with no reference materials from which to draw. Mrs. Holley considers that a daunting task.
"They have to sit there and just let it come out of their head, right then," she said during the ceremony. "So when they do a good job they've done an extra good job because it's not an easy thing to do."
This year's essay theme was "Our American heritage and our responsibility to preserve it." Students were judged in four areas for the competition: dependability, service, leadership and patriotism.
