High quality, but lower numbers for Legion poster contest
The Lethbridge Royal Canadian Legion General Stewart Branch No. 4 announced its annual poster contest and literary award winners at a special ceremony last week.
While the quality of this year’s winning entries were top-notch, Legion Poppy committee chair Pat McIntosh, who organizes the contest, said the overall number of students and schools participating was not what the Legion would like it to be. Fewer than 10 schools in the region participated in this year’s contest and there were only 306 entrants in all categories.
“If you look around at the work we have entered this year, these are amazingly talented kids,” said McIntosh. “But we know there are tons more of them out there. Participation levels fluctuate (year-to-year), and a lot depends on how much staff support we have in a particular school. If we have teachers who are passionate to include this as part of what the kids are working on, that’s when we see a lot of participation.”
McIntosh said she and her fellow local Legion members want to put out a challenge to Lethbridge region schools and homeschoolers, faculty, students and families to really up their game coming into the fall semester.
“What we want to see is overwhelming participation for next year,” she said. “This year’s contest marks the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. So we want this contest to be a big, big thing.”
As for this year’s contest winners and participants, McIntosh said she is proud of all who made the fantastic effort in prose, poetry, pencil and paint to honour local veterans.
“It’s a privilege to acknowledge the talent and efforts of the students from Grades 1 through 12. They really do a great job, and work very hard on their submissions.”