2025-2026

Pam Seelye

26250 S. Bolland Road

Canby, OR  97013

Home: 503-266-1672

Cell: 503-703-3519

pammysue7@yahoo.com

MAY

Thank you for all your donations, the applications you handed out, the time you spent judging them and all that is involved in promoting and following through on this program. Because of your efforts the lives of several young people have been enriched.  The Patriot’s Pen, Voice of Democracy, Young American Creative Patriotic Art, The Oregon Continuing Education Scholarship all of these have made a difference in those young people who entered their submissions whether they won or not.  You have made a difference.  Thank you is not enough but thank you for your support for our youth.

I am excited to inform you how our Department of Oregon winners did on the National level.  Our Department of Oregon VOD winner, Lexi Lai, from Lake Oswego was awarded the $3,000 Jesse A. Lewis Memorial Scholarship (CA) and Stephen and Elsie Riordan Memorial Scholarship (NJ) combined.  Our Department of Oregon PP winner, Prakrithi Balasubramanian, from Sherwood, was awarded the $1,000.00 John V. Daniel’s Jr. Post 2813 and Auxiliary (Dept. of New York) Award & John E. (Jack) Bales Post 10581 (Dept. of Colorado) Award (combined).   A BIG CONGRATULATIONS to these two awesome young people. 

The VFW is now accepting entries for its 80th annual Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen competitions. Wow, 80 years of middle and high school students competing in a national competition that awards nearly $2.7 million in scholarships and awards. The themes for the 2026-2027 year for both the Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy are "What a Veteran Taught Me About America.” The deadline to enter is Oct. 31, 2026. To read more about the contests or download the entry form, visit vfw.org/YouthScholarships.  

Congratulations to our Department of Oregon Continuing Education Scholarship winner Stephanie Thompson, member of Linn VFW Auxiliary 584 in Albany.

With a little sadness we leave this year behind, but we get the opportunity to begin a new one.  Let’s go out and make a difference in a new batch of young people’s lives. What adventures await us.  We will find out together.