The Southern Pines John Boyd Post No. 7318 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Ladies Auxiliary announces the opening of this year's annual Patriot's Pen Essay Competition for sixth-eighth grades.

In its 18th year, this essay competition is open to all public or private school students as well as home-schooled students.

Patriot's Pen requires a 300- to 400-hundred word written essay on the following theme:

"What I Would Tell America's Founding Fathers"

Details of the competition can be found by visiting www.vfw.org/community.

Entries must be accompanied by properly executed entry and rules forms available on this site.

Information can also be found by contacting Jackie Emms at (910) 690-7879 or Mart Dickerson at gdickerson@nc.rr.com or (910)-692-7119.

Student submissions are due at the John Boyd VFW Post 7318, 615 S. Page St. in Southern Pines no later than Thursday Nov. 1, at 5 p.m. Local winners advance to further competition at the VFW District and State levels.

The local post has awards for the first, second and third place entrants chosen from the area. Last year's local winners were Kyle McClelland, Alexandra Parrish and Will Keller Jr.

The state level winners advance to the national competitions, which awards the first place winner a $10,000 savings bond and all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. Forty-six national winners will receive a $1,000 bond.

"We are proud and pleased to offer this essay competition to those sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders willing to enter," says a spokesman.