Application for 2017-2018 Optimist International Essay Contest
Name M F
Address
City
State/Province Zip/Postal Code
Telephone ( )
E-mail
Date of Birth / / Age
Have you participated in any other Optimist Club’s Essay Contest this school year?
Yes
No
Contestant Agreement:
I have studied the rules of the contest, and I will be bound by all of the requirements.
Contestant’s Signature Date / /
Parent or Guardian Permission:
I give my permission for my child/ward to participate in this contest.
Signature Date / /
Relationship
I, grant the Optimist Club/International my permission
to use a picture of my son/daughter for their public relations
purposes. Optimist Club/International may use the photo in any publication they see fit.
Sponsoring Optimist Club Name
Sponsoring Optimist Club Number
Please send application to address below:
Official Topic:
“Can Society Function Without Respect?”
Essay Contest Rules
Each contestant must be given a copy of the
rules and complete the entry form. The rules
contain information about the contest, judging and
awards.
Section I - General Rules
1. The Optimist International Essay contest is
divided into two levels of competition: Club and
District.
2. Contestants must enter through a local Optimist
Club, or an At-Large contest if a local club is not
available. An At-large student may not have competed in
an Optimist International or District contest in the same
year.
3. Contestants must compose an original essay
with limited guidance from others. Webster’s
dictionary defines an essay as an analytic or
interpretative literary composition. Works of
fiction or poetry will not be accepted.
4. All District-level competitions must have a
minimum of 3 contestants participating.
5. Optimist International will have the right to edit,
publish or otherwise duplicate any essay entered
into the contest without payment to the author.
Section II - Qualifications for Contestants
1. The contest is open to students under age 18 as of October
1
st
of the current Optimist International Contest year
(October 1 – September 30).
Students must enter in the District in which they reside.
U.S. students attending school on military installations
outside the U.S. are eligible to enter in their last home of
record.
2. Contestants are eligible for only one Club’s contest
during any given year.
3. No student who has previously won a District
Optimist Essay contest scholarship will be
eligible to compete at any level of the
competition again.
4. All contestants at each level of the contest must show
proof of age before competing. Optimist Clubs may
require a copy of birth certificate or passport before
participating if offering a Club scholarship separate
from Optimist International. District winners must
provide a copy of birth certificate or passport with the
District entry documentation..
Section III - Contest Rules
1. Participants must write on the official topic.
2. Each entry must begin with a title page containing: the
official topic, number of words, writer’s name,
address, phone number, name of school and date of
birth.
. At the top of page 1 should be the official topic and the
number of words (penalty of 2 points for lack of topic
and 5 points for failure to identify the total number of
words correctly).
4. Essays must be typewritten and double-spaced.
(Deduction of 5 points)
5. Essays must contain at least 700 words but no more
than 800 words. Every word of the essay is counted.
This does not include the title, bibliography or
footnotes. Hyphenated words count as 1 word
(Deduction of 5 points for each
25 words over/under limit).
6. Each page of the essay must be numbered starting with
page 1 of the essay, not the title page. The numbers
must be centered at the bottom of each page.
7. Any quotations or copyrighted material used must
be identified properly. For example, use of a
specific writer’s format (such as MLA) may be
specified by the instructor overseeing the contest.
Failure to identify non-original material will result
in disqualification.
8. No references can be made in the essay that identifies
the student, parents, school, community,
sponsoring Optimist Club or District. (Deduction of
5 points or fraction based on degree of identification)
9. An essay may be written in either English, French, or
Spanish if the language used is an official language
of the country in which the sponsoring Club is located.
10. The entry must be stapled together in the upper left-
hand corner. Covers of any type are not accepted.
Section IV – Judging and Timing
1. Judging will be completed by a panel of three
qualified judges. At the Club level, judges may
be Optimist Members, who are not acquainted
with the contestants. At the District level, judges
must be non-Optimists.
2. In an effort to conceal the identity of each
contestant, each entry will be assigned a number
by the Essay Contest Chair. The assigned
number will be placed on the title page and
page 1 of the essay. The title page will then be
detached and retained by the Essay Contest
Chair. The judges will be given the essay
bearing only the assigned number.
3. Judges will not discuss or compare essays being
judged.
4. Only judges can assign a penalty or award
points.
Section V – Scoring
Scoring procedures at all levels of the contest will
be identical.
1. Material Organization – logical interpretation
of the subject, adherence to topic: 0 points
2. Creativity – 10 points
3. Vocabulary and Style – phrasing and continuity: 0
points
. Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling: 20 points
4. Neatness: 5 points
5. Adherence to Contest Rules – prepared in the proper
format: 5 points
Section VI – Penalties
1. Failure to list official topic: 2 points
2. Failure to accurately identify total number of words: 5
points
3. Failure to type essay and double-space: 5 points
4. Failure to stay within the 700-800 word limit: 5 points
for each 25 words or fraction based on degree of
identification.
5. Self-identification: 5 points or fraction of based on
degree of identification
Section VII - Awards
1. Club level – medallion
2. District level – plaque and a $2,500 college
scholarship for the first-place winner
A. Scholarships are funded by the Optimist
International Foundation in the U.S. and
Caribbean or the Canadian Children’s Foundation
in Canada. Scholarships awarded are for use at a
college, university or trade school only.
B. All scholarships will be payable to the educational
institution of the recipient’s choice, subject to the
approval of Optimist International.
C. All scholarships will be administered by Optimist
International.
D. Winners of an Optimist International scholarship
must claim their scholarship by the age of 25.
For more information contact:
Contact Person:
Contact Address:
Contact Phone or Email:
______________________________________
