The local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 742 of Marshall and its auxiliary are sponsoring the VFW National Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen essay contests.

The VOD contest is open to all students enrolled in public, private, parochial schools or home schooled in grades 9-12. Students need to type and record a 3- to 5-minute audio/essay on a CD or flash drive. Be sure to label your CD or flash drive, neatly-typed essay and a photo with your name and complete the entry form. The theme for this year is “What Makes America Great.” National awards: 1st place, $30,000. On the state level awards are as follows: first place, $2,000 and a trip to Washington, D.C.; second place, $1,000; third place, $600; fourth place, $500; and $100 to the fifth- through ninth-place winners.

The Patriot’s Pen essay contest is open to sixth- through eighth-grade students enrolled in public, private, parochial schools or home schooled. The theme for this contest is “What Makes America Great.” National awards: 1st, $5,000. On the state level awards are first place is $300; second place, $200 and third place, $100.

All entries in these two contests wil be judged on the local level, with local winners to go on to the district level, and those winners will go on to the department level. The department winners will be entered in the National level. There are awards made on the local, district and state levels also.

Deadlines for both contests are the same. To qualify, all entries must be submitted to the local VFW Auxiliary chairwoman by midnight Oct. 31 to qualify for judging in these two contests. The winners on the District level would attend the VFW conference in Minneapolis in January. Applications for both contests are available by calling Karen Winn at 507-537-1126 or by going online to the VFW website www.vfw.org. Click on Programs.