The society is a historical, educational, and patriotic organization that focuses on the American Revolution. As a part of our educational outreach, we conduct several programs across the country. Some of our most active ones are targeted to our future leaders - our children and those who are educators. Below you will find a list of the programs that we run with brief description of them. Click on the title to learn more about the offering. Anyone who wishes to be considered is encouraged to apply. All awards are presented on behalf of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.

Programs

American History Teacher Award

We invite American History Teachers to apply for the Tom And Betty Lawrence American History Teacher Award. The award recognizes an individual whose outstanding instruction on the era of the Revolutionary War demonstrates exceptional accomplishments in the classroom. The winner of this national award receives a trip to Freedoms Foundation Summer Teacher Graduate Workshop at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Teachers interested in the contest should complete an application and submit an essay to discuss their innovative teaching on the history of the era. (More information on the contest may be found here.) We hope that the experience will bring back a heightened level of creativity and enthusiasm to students of American History.

Eagle Scout Scholarships

The Massachusetts Society is proud to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of new Eagle Scouts in the Commonwealth for their excellence and good citizenship. Young men who achieve the rank of Eagle Scout and demonstrate their belief in our principles of American heritage deserve special recognition for their resourcefulness and dedication. Scoutmasters are welcome to request a commerative certificate for an Eagle's Court of Honor here. Eagle Scouts are encouraged to compete in our Eagle Scout Recognition and Scholarship Contest for up to $14,000 in scholarships. The contest is open to all Eagle Scouts who are currently registered in an active unit and have not reached their 19th birthday during the year of application.

The winner of the Eagle Scout Competition for 2011-2012 is Daniel Adelard Gagnon, an Eagle Scout from Troop 67 of Danvers, Massachusetts. Daniel was awarded the rank on 12 April 2010 with 31 merit badges, after serving as Assistance and Senior Patrol Leader, Librarian, and Junior Assistant Scoutmaster. As a part of the contest, Daniel provided a four-generation genealogical chart for both parents to trace his family's history in America to the time of the Civil War. His essay, The Men from Danvers, described how the simple farmers and shop owners of Danvers put down their tools to serve their community in an hour of need. When called on April 19th, 1775, the men rallied on the training field and left in support of the fight at Lexington and Concord. Instead of arriving late for the battle, they wisely marched towards Boston to cut off the British Army’s retreat. The company took up positions in Menotomy (current day Arlington) to deal with the British who marched in columns down the main road that runs past Russell House. The fight at Russell House was the bloodiest battle fought during the first day of the Revolutionary War, and the men from Danvers were proud to have played their part in what became the dawn of a new age.

Elementary School Poster Contest

Our Americanism Committee is pleased to offer a National Americanism Poster Contest for students in the 4th or 5th grades (depending on when the American Revolution is taught in each educational system). The topic for the contest is set each spring for the following school year. Posters are judged at the national Congress in June or July with representatives of the national Art Education Association (NAEA). We hope that this award will stimulate interest in American History within schools.

Historical Oration Contest

Our Joseph S. Rumbaugh Historical Oration Contest is open to all students attending home schools, public, parochial, or private high schools who are in their freshman, sophomore, junior or senior year of study. The contest strives to bring the events of today in a way that draws an intelligent relationship between the past and the present and clearly demonstrates freedom of opportunity as a basic right of our national heritage. The preliminary rounds of the contest are held locally and the winner participates in the national competition for up to $3,000 in awards.

Historical Essay Contest

Sophomore, junior or senior high-school students are invited to compete in our George S. & Stella M. Knight Essay Contest by submitting an original essay with original research about an event, person, philosophy or ideal associated with the American Revolution, Declaration of Independence, or the framing of the United States Constitution for cash awards. The winner of chapter and state competitions proceeds to the national competition for up to $2,000 in awards.

The winner of our Essay Contest for 2011-2012 is Peiyun Ni, an exchange student at Berkshire School in Massachusetts from China. Selected from more than five hundred students of her high school class in Shanghai, she was lucky enough to become one of the eight students in the exchange program. Penny enjoys her immersion in the rich American culture and wants to pursue her college education in the United States with a double major in history and math. Penny's essay, The Stockbridge Indian Massacre: A Forgotten Battle in the American Revolution, tells the story of the heroic contributions that the Muhhekaneew tribe made to the American Revolution. Led by Chief Daniel Nimham and his son Abraham Nimham, the Muhhekaneew chose to join the Revolutionary family against the British as their "struggle to stay as a nation coincided with the colonial struggle that resulted in the birth of a new nation". For the young men in the tribe, fighting as soldiers was "an expression of their traditional role as warriors for their people"; however, the Muhhekaneew were unaware they were going to make such enormous sacrifices on the battlefield for the independence of another group of people. The Indians fought gallantly with the patriots for American liberty. Their story exemplifies the service of Native Americans in the Revolution.

JROTC/ROTC Programs

The Massachusetts Society provides medals to Commanders of JROTC and ROTC units to award the outstanding cadets of their units each year. Recipients are selected for their high degree of merit, leadership qualities, military bearing, and general excellence by their Commanding Officer. The medals endeavor to foster the principle of "citizen-soldier" exemplified by the Minutemen of the Revolutionary War, and are approved by the United State Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force.

• The Bronze JROTC Medal is presented to the outstanding cadet in the next-to-last year of their JROTC program at their high school by their Commanding Officer. Cadets are also invited to compete for the Enhanced JROTC Program at state and national levels for medallions, ribbons, and a cash award of $1,000.
• The Silver ROTC Medal is given to outstanding cadets in their last year of their ROTC to students in Army, Marine, and Air Force ROTC programs at their university.
• The Bronze Good Citizenship Medal recognizes outstanding cadets of the Navy Sea Cadet Corps (NSCC) in the last year of their ROTC program at their university.

Commanders are invited to register their school in the program to receive brochures and medals without cost here. Medals are available for each type of military service at a school. A unit may receive a medal for each 500 cadets within its command.