Logo of the Military Order of the World Wars (MOWW), featuring an eagle atop a shield with a gold emblem of a woman holding a sword and scales, and text reading "MOWW" and "Military Order of the World Wars."

2025 Phoenician Essay Contest

The MOWW Phoenician Essay Contest is an annual patriotic-themed essay contest based on a thought-provoking subject of national interest and requiring a student to take a position and defend it. The contest is open to the top three students of each Youth Leadership Conference (YLC) held in the preceding 12-month period.

This contest is a follow-up opportunity for the top three students who attended the American Independence Youth Leadership Conference (AIYLC) that took place April 24-27, 2025. Their challenge is to write a 400-600 word essay that defends your position on the following:

In light of the perceived divisiveness in the United States, give two ways we can become “a more perfect Union” as stated in the Preamble to the Constitution?

Awards to the authors of the three best essays of those submitted are:

  • Winner: $4000 (check) and a certificate

  • 1st Runner-Up: $2000 (check) and a certificate

  • 2nd Runner-Up: $1000 (check) and a certificate

Due Date: November 1, 2025.

Your YLC Director must receive your complete essay packet via email. Please send your completed packet to staff@aiylc.org on or before November 1, 2025.

Essay Criteria and Submission Packet Content

General

The Essay Packet must contain all of the elements numbered and underlined below. Elements 1-4 are text documents and must be in Microsoft Word or Open Office format, 12-point plain ARIAL font, and, unless otherwise noted below, double-spaced. They are to be submitted in editable digital form for possible publication as a single document with the elements in numerical order but not numbered.

Section 1 - Cover Page

The cover sheet will contain the essay title, student’s full name, home address, home or parent’s telephone number, name of student’s school, and name and date of the YLC attended American INdependence Youth Leadership Conference April 24-27, 2025.

Section 2 - Essay

Must be 400-600 words in length, excluding the essay title, which is to be at the top and centered on the first page of the essay.

No identifying personal information is to be displayed on the essay itself.

If the word count is more or less than the specified range, the essay is disqualified.

Articles like “the,” “a,” and “an” count as a word. Abbreviations like “U.S.” and commonplace acronyms like “CIA” and “FBI” will count as one word, while “United States” would count as two words.

Section 3 - Bibliography

The bibliography must be in a standard bibliography format (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.), double-spaced between sources cited and single-spaced within each source.

Section 4 - Student Autobiography

Write an autobiographical sketch, a stand-alone document 100-150 words in length that includes the student’s full name (first, middle, and last) and suffix if applicable.

Section 5 - Student Photo

Provide a headshot photo (posed, not candid). 3” x 5” color, digital, unedited, 350 DPI resolution.

Section 6 - Photo Release Form

Signed, electronically scanned, and converted to PDF format. (MOWW Form 12b provided by YLC Director). Must be signed by the student if 18 years of age or by custodial parent/legal guardian if the student is less than 18 years of age.