The Samuel King Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, OSDAR, recently presented the DAR Good Citizens Award to two area 2023 high school seniors. Honored were Natalee Cleveland, Edmond North High School and Landen Hirzel, Guthrie High School.
The DAR Good Citizens Program and Scholarship Contest is designed to encourage and reward the qualities of good citizenship: dependability, service, leadership and patriotism. This program is open to all high school seniors enrolled in accredited public or private schools. The faculty of each school selects one senior class student per year to honor as its DAR Good Citizen.
Once selected as their school's Good Citizen, the student is then eligible to enter the DAR Good Citizens Scholarship Contest. Both Natalee and Landen chose to participate in the optional essay contest. Their task was to write a maximum 550 word essay on a topic provided by the National DAR, to be written during a 2 hour time-period and proctored by a faculty member. The topic was not given to them in advance. This year’s designated essay title was “Our American Heritage and our Responsibility for Preserving It.” The focus question was: “How Will the essential actions of a good citizen (dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism) meet the challenges that America faces in this decade?” The written essays were scored by non-DAR judges, resulting in Landen Hirzel’s essay being selected as Samuel King Chapter’s winning essay.
Natalee and Landen were recognized, along with their parents and school counselors, at the April 20th Samuel King general meeting, held at the First Presbyterian Church of Edmond. Each Good Citizen awardee received a DAR Good Citizens pin, certificate, wallet recognition card, award check from the Samuel King Chapter and a gift bag with additional specially selected items, honoring them for being named their respective High School’s DAR Good Citizen for 2022-2023.
DAR Good Citizen Chairperson, Carolyn Cotton, stated, “Natalee and Landen join a very elite group of individuals, as only one senior per year can be recognized and receive the DAR Good Citizens award from their respective high school. From this day forward, I hope you realize the honor and prestige that this award affords you and that you continue to exemplify throughout your life the traits of Dependability, Service, Leadership and Patriotism.”
The Samuel King Chapter was established on April 17, 1976, in Edmond, and named for the patriot of the Organizing Regent, Mrs. Jacqueline Mellies. The Chapter consisted of Mrs. Mellies and 15 charter members; the chapter first met at the Edmond Public Library. Early activities that have continued through the years include the celebration of Constitution Week (September 17-23), donation drives and special activities for veterans, volunteering at the Edmond Historical Society and Museum, and working with community youth through scholarships and volunteering in the schools.