Wellsville’s Sarah McCormick is the Catherine Schuyler Chapter winner for 2023
Pictured, L-R, Sophia Pastorius, Sara McCormick, Katherine Lamberson
On Saturday, March 11 families, friends, school representatives, Catherine Schuyler Chapter DAR members, and local dignitaries gathered at the David A. Howe Library in Wellsville to recognize and award the 2023 DAR Good Citizens.
The Good Citizens program, sponsored by local chapters representing the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR), is a decades old means of encouraging and recognizing the traits of an outstanding American Citizen, as defined by the DAR. One Good Citizen is selected by each participating school district as the graduating Senior who most exemplifies the qualities of Dependability, Service, Leadership, and Patriotism.
Each school’s Good Citizen is offered the opportunity to participate in the DAR Scholarship Contest which involves an essay as well as recommendations, academic records, and the student’s description of the ways in which they have demonstrated the Good Citizen qualities. Judges in the Scholarship contest do not belong to the DAR and use pre-set, national judging standards. The local Chapter winner goes on for judging within New York State Districts.
The Catherine Schuyler Chapter winner for 2023 is Sara McCormick from Wellsville Secondary School.
Six other schools in Allegany County selected DAR Good Citizens. Those honorees are:
- Belfast Central School – Zane Cartwright
- Bolivar-Richburg Central School – Benjamin Kisel
- Fillmore Central School – Sophia Pastorius
- Friendship Central School – Katherine Lamberson
- Genesee Valley Central School – Lealah Greene
- Whitesville Central School – Aislinn Hamilton
The award ceremony included an introduction of the NSDAR and the Catherine Schuyler Chapter given by Chapter Registrar Margaret Secor, a description of the Good Citizen Selection Process and Criteria by Chapter Honorary Regent and District VIII Director Joan Sinclair, Recognition by NY Assemblyman Joseph Giglio represented by Joe Sempolinski as well as from Legislator Steve Havey representing the Allegany County Legislature.
Each DAR Good Citizen received a certificate and pin from the chapter as well as certificates from the attending government representatives and NY Senators Borello and O’Mara. Additionally, Ms McCormick was presented with a $150 check from the chapter, after which she read her winning essay on “Our American Heritage and our Responsibility for Preserving It”, with the prompt “How will the essential actions of a good citizen (dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism) meet the challenges that America faces in this decade?”
The DAR is a non-profit, non-political volunteer women’s service organization that honors and preserves the legacy of our Patriot ancestors and promotes patriotism, education, and preservation of history. Any woman 18 years or older, regardless of race, religion or ethnic background, who can prove lineal descent from a Patriot of the American Revolution is eligible for membership. The Catherine Schuyler Chapter NSDAR, active in Allegany County, is one of nearly 3000 chapters worldwide.
