DearPrincipals,CurriculumDirectorsandSeventhGradeHistoryTeachers,
TheBattleofFlowersAssociationannouncesits22sndAnnualTexasHistoryEssayContestforallseventh
gradestudentsfromSanAntonioareaschools.Pleaseencourageyourstudentstocompeteforthe
honorofrepresentingtheirschoolinthiscontestbywritinganoriginal350to700wordhistoricalessay
onthetopic:
FacesofTexasIndependence
In1891,onehundredandtwenty-fiveyearsago,agroupofwomeninSanAntoniodecidedtohavea
parade that would honor the heroes of the Alamo and the anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto.
What began as a small affair of finely-dressed ladies in horse-drawn carriages pelting each other with
freshflowersonAlamoPlazahasgrownintooneoftheoldestandlargestparadesintheUnitedStates.
AndwhiletheParadeisalwaysafunandfestiveevent,allparticipantsareaskedtobringfloraltributes
whicharelaidonthefrontlawnoftheAlamotohonorandrememberourforefatherswhoselivespaid
forourliberty.
ThemissionoftheBattleofFlowersAssociationischargedwith“teachingthehistoryofourstateand
keepingalivethepatriotictraditionsofTexasandSanAntonio”.
Weaskyoutoreflectuponthosestoriedindividualsinwhosehonorourhistoricwomen’sassociation
wasfirstfounded.TheofficialsealoftheBattleofFlowersAssociationincludesartisticribbonswiththe
words “Alamo”, “Goliad” and “San Jacinto” on it. Yet, who were the extraordinary people who were
engagedinthesebattlesandothersthatchangedthecourseofhistoryforever?
Some of the faces of the many men and the few women whose names are synonymous with these
battlesarefamouswhileothersarenot.Bymosthistoricalanalyses,thesettlerTexanswhoorganized
andfoughthadnomorethanaprayerofachanceofvictory;somehadpreviousmilitarytrainingandor
politicalexperienceorperhapstheprivilegeofhighereducation,butmostofthemhadnoneofthese
backgroundsuponwhichtorely.Theirmostlyrag-tagarmiesweresmall,minimallysuppliedandalways
outnumbered.Buttheirdeterminationandpassionforlibertyatallcostsallowedthemtofinallyemerge
victoriousintheirdreamofanindependentrepublic.
Nextyear,2016,willmarkonehundredandeightyyearssincetheseTexansfoughtforindependence.
Asbenefactorsoftheirmanysacrifices,weTexansoftodayshouldendeavortolearnmoreaboutthose
whowerethe“FacesofTexasIndependence”.
Please select your school’s two best essays and submit them to contest chair Carol Hebdon at the
addressbelow.ThedeadlineisFridayJanuary15,2016.Includetheattachedstatementoforiginality,
signedbystudentswhoseessaysyouselect.
Entries will be judged on content, creativity, the interest generated, accuracy and appropriateness of
topic (70%), and on neatness of presentation, grammar, spelling and quality of research (30%).
Resource materials should be listed in standard bibliographic form on a separate page (not counted
towardthelengthoftheessay).Referenceswillbecheckedforaccuracy.Pleasenotethatessaysmust
fall within the 350 to 700 word length to qualify for the contest. Please make sure your essays are
titled!
ThefirstplacewinneroftheEssayContestwillbeinvitedtorideinthe2016BattleofFlowersParade!
TheTexasHistoryEssayContestisheldinconjunctionwiththeBattleFlowersAnnualOratoricalContest
inwhichTexascollegestudentsresearch,writeanddeliveroriginalspeechesonasimilartopic.
Winning Essay Contest authors will be honored at the Oratorical Contest, which begins at 9 a.m. on
Friday, February 26, 2016 at the Witte Museum in San Antonio. PROMPTLY AT 1:00 p.m., the first,
second and third place winners of the Essay Contest will receive plaques and awards for their
accomplishments.WinningessayswillbedisplayedandParticipationCertificateswillalsobepresented.
ThefirstplaceessaywillbepublishedintheBattleofFlowersParadeprogram.Eachschoolsubmitting
entrieswillreceiveparticipationrecognition.
We invite winners and their teachers to attend the luncheon as guests of the Battle of Flowers
Association. Essay guests check in at 11:45 and have lunch. We invite other interested students,
parents and teachers to attend the Oratorical Contest and Essay Contest Awards (open to the public)
and, if they choose, to make a paid reservation for lunch ($25.00) by mailing a check to Mrs. Pauline
Netting,55Longsford,SanAntonio,Texas78209.
OratoricalContestfinalistsrepeattheirspeechestoanewsetofjudgesintheafternoonsession,which
beginsat1:15aftertheEssayAwardsandeveryoneisinvitedtoattend.
We hope that you will encourage your students to compete! Please complete the attached
participationformandsendittotheaddressbelowifyouplantoparticipate.Tohelpyoupublicize
theEssayContest,wehaveenclosedaflyerforyoutocopy,postanddistribute.
Pleasecontactmeifyouhavequestionsorneedmoreinformation.
Sincerely,
CarolHebdon
EssayContestChair
8102NufyRidge
SanAntonio,Texas78209
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (210)826-3604
SUGGESTEDLISTOF“FACESOFTEXASINDEPENDENCE”
(AlphabeticalOrder)
StephenF.Austin
JamesBonham
JamesBowie
EdwardBurleson
Col.DaveyCrockett
SusannahDickinson
JamesFannin
JohnMimsHays
SamHouston
MirabeauLamar
SamuelMaverick
BenMcCulloch
Col.BenMilam
JoseAntonioNavarro
JuanSeguin
SidneySherman
Erasmus“Deaf”Smith
Lt.Col.WilliamBarrettTravis
WilliamHarrisWharton