Indiana SAR Brochure Contest

The SAR Middle School Contest is to create a tri-fold brochure out of a typical 8 ½” x 11″ piece of paper. The brochure must conform to the contest themes of the United States foundational documents or significant events of the Revolutionary War in celebration of the 250th anniversary. The brochure will be judged on: Content, Creativity and Correctness. The judging criteria rates highest personally drawn art work and text authored by the student as opposed to cut and paste from books, magazines and the Internet. The use of software tools by the student for creating the brochure, and even the art work, is permissible.

The SAR Brochure Contest is open to all 6th, 7thand 8th grade Middle School students in public, private and home schools. When school systems are participating in the contest, students will enter through their school system. If they are not participating, students may enter directly to the chapter, through scouting or the CAR (Children of the American Revolution). Regardless of how the student enters, he/she may only enter one brochure per year. All brochures will be created by the individual student, no group entries are allowed. The contest is designed to help support the educational efforts in public, private and home school curricula when the Revolutionary period is taught, but students may enter in any of their middle school years.

This year, students can choose within two themes.

Student may research and make a brochure over any of the nine foundational documents of the United States:

• Articles of Association of 1774
• The Virginia Declaration of Rights 1776
• Declaration of Independence 1776
• Articles of Confederation 1777-1781
• General Washingtons Resignation as Commander of the Continental Army 1783
• U.S. Constitution 1787
• Federalist Papers 1788
• Bill of Rights 1791
• President Washington’s farewell Address 1796

Student may research and make a brochure over the corresponding 250th anniversary events of the Revolutionary period:

• 1775- 2025 The Battles of Lexington and Concord
• 1776-2026 The Battles of Princeton & Valley Forge

Note: Because this option is a temporary addition in celebration of America's 250th, the criteria details below will refer specifically to the foundational documents options. However, students may mirror these requirements for one of these events if they choose this alternative.

• August 2025 - February 2026: Brochure creation
  
• March 1, 2026: Deadline for submitting to the nearest SAR Chapter and local judging
• April 2026: State level judging
• Summer 2026: National level judging

Each chapter winner will compete on the state society level.

Each state society winner will compete on the national level.

Chapter, state, and national winners will receive certificates and cash awards.

1. Brochure Construction: Created by a student – Not by a group.
2. Brochure Theme: Foundational Documents or 250th Anniversary Events
3. Brochure Size: The brochures should be made from a single 8 ½” x 11″ piece of paper. The paper should be folded according to the instructions provided for the contest. The content of the various panels of the brochure should align with the instructions provided.
4. Paper thickness & Color: Any common paper so long as the final product can be folded closed as a tri-fold 8 ½” x 11″ brochure. White paper is most common, but pastel, or color paper is acceptable.
5. Artwork: Ideas are the most important element in these brochures and the art is merely a means of conveying those ideas. All artwork on brochures that is personally drawn is highly valued, which would include artwork created by the young person using software. Tracing is also acceptable, and simple drawings that represent complex concepts are encouraged for those who may doubt their artistic skills.
6. Pasting: Pasting of personally drawn art work onto a master is permitted. Do not paste pictures from magazines, books, or off the Internet, or make extensive use of clip art.
7. Text: The written text is commonly hand printed. Typed text sections (even pasted on) are also permitted. [CAUTION: This needs to be original text written by the student – not clipped from magazines, books or taken off the Internet.] 8. Identification: See below ‘SAR Brochure Panels Explained’. Make special note that the student’s name and school on the Back Panel of the brochure is covered by a 3″x 3″ Post-It® note throughout all judging at the Chapter, State and National level.
8. Brochure entries may be disqualified for these reasons:
   (a) did not adhere to the Americanism Theme
   (b) is not 8 ½” x 11″ in size;
   (c) s not a tri-folded brochure (cannot be folded).
9. Judging: Brochures will be judged focusing on the following elements:
   (a) Content
   (b) Creativity
   (c) Correctness
10. PRIZES INCLUDE: Awards and Cash! Prizes & Awards for local contests vary by SAR Chapter and by State. The National Cash Prizes are set each year before the NSSAR Annual Congress. The “SAR Brochure Contest Rules-at-a-Glance” contains the most current list of prizes.

Fold a single 8 ½” x 11″ piece of paper into three equal size panels – a Tri-Fold: There will be six panels counting inside and outside. The following is an explanation of what each panel of the brochure should contain:

• Cover: A title and a picture.
• Inside Cover: Picture to accompany the introduction. May also contain a brief caption or explanation of the picture.
• First inside panel when Cover is opened (while folded): An introduction that presents the basic facts of the event and succinctly states the main idea presented in the interior of the brochure. The introduction should have a title, be written in paragraph form, and clearly communicate the overarching concept of the brochure.
• Two inner panels: A detailed explanation of the ideas of the student around the theme. This written explanation should provide a systematic argument persuading the reader to the point of view of the author; that is, it should be a persuasive essay. The writing should be clear, well organized, and convincing. These panels may also contain pictures and/or artwork that make the brochure more aesthetically appealing. Some questions that may be helpful for the students to consider when completing these panels would include:
• What are the lessons for our country within this document?
• How does this document reflect American society and American values?
• What thoughts do you have regarding the sacrifices made by the participants who drafted this document?
• What was the outcome of this document and how did this outcome impact American history?
• What motivated the participants to be a part of creating this document?
• Could you have been a participant in creating this document?
• Back Panel: The following information needs to be included in the exact order specified on the back panel of the brochure inside a 2 ½” x 2 ½” framed box. Failure to include this information, and to contain all the information in the 2 ½” x 2 ½” framed box, can result in a lower ranking during the competition.
• Student’s Name: First, Middle Initial, and Last
• School District iii. School Name: school name; or C.A.R. Society; or Scouting Troop
• Grade in School: (in California – 8th Grade) + School Year: 20xx-yy v. Student’s Teacher’s/Adult Leaders Name:
• SAR Code: (provide to teacher): e.g. TX for Texas + SAR Chapter name

NOTES:

• When a Brochure is submitted from another source, other than a school, e.g. C.A.R. Society, or home schooled child, reflect that in the info block.
• SAR will conceal the above personal information throughout the judging process using a 3″x 3″ Post-It® note.

Students will be judged on how well they understand, develop and present the specific foundational document they select to be the brochure’s theme. Brochures will be judged at the National level focusing on the following three categories:

• Content
• Creativity
• Correctness.

Authorship and Use of Technology: The judging criteria rates highest personally drawn art work and authored text by the student as opposed to cut and paste from books, magazines and off the Internet – though use of material from books, magazines and the Internet does not disqualify an entry, it is just valued less during judging. The use of software tools by the student for creating the brochure, and even the art work, is permissible.

Brochures may be submitted to the nearest SAR Chapter no later than March 1, 2026.

Chapters must bring state entries to the Spring House of Delegates meeting for judging, along with the completed entry form.

Contact Ben Porter, Indiana SAR Poster Contest Chairman, at rbporter15.ben@gmail.com with any questions.

In 2011 the Sons of the American Revolution [SAR] named one of its National Youth Programs “The Sgt. Moses Adams Memorial Middle School Brochure Contest,” honoring a representative Soldier of the American Revolution who made the ultimate sacrifice. Moses Adams of New Marlborough, Massachusetts joined with his brothers and neighbors and marched with their Minute Man Company in response to the Alarm of Lexington and Concord, April 21, 1775. He then joined the Continental Army and rose to the rank of Sergeant in the 13th Massachusetts Line. He died at Valley Forge June 13, 1778.

The SAR dedicates its annual middle school program, as a living memorial, to honor the thousands of men and woman who, like Sgt. Adams, gave their lives for the cause of freedom, and also to their families who suffered their loss for generations.