Parliamentarian Kathie Mittelsteadt and Honorary Chapter Regent Shirley Staggs, of the Sun City National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Agua Fria Chapter, presented a NSDAR history essay award certificate and medal to Surprise seventh-grader Michael Collins for his 600-word essay entitled “Stars and Stripes Forever: John Philip Sousa.”

Collins’ essay required him to pretend to be a newspaper reporter in 1897 attending a concert in Philadelphia’s Willow Grove Park. Sousa performed his new song for the first time, which would later become the national march of the United States Dec. 11, 1987. Collins describes the audience’s reactions and his thoughts about the music. The essay included a history of Sousa’s life and accomplishments which he had to research for historical facts. 

Collins is a Canyon Ridge Elementary School student in history teacher Alex Duffy’s class.

One DAR member, Lynn Conner, and two non-DAR members chose Collins’ essay out of 48 essays written by his classmates to receive the award. Each of the 48 students participating in the essay contest received a U.S. flag and a participation certificate. The award presentation event also included the West Valley Sons of the American Revolution Saguaro Chapter presenting first, second and third place NSSAR poster contest winners to Canyon Ridge fifth-grade students for their creative posters. They also presented first, second and third place brochure contest winners to seventh-grade students who created brochures. These individual chapter award winners’ entries are submitted to the Arizona State DAR and SAR organizations for the state competition. State winners then compete against other state winners at the national level. 

Visit aguafria.arizonadar.org.