Melody White earns county's 2013 DAR Good Citizen Award

Washburn Chapter DAR officers Jinsie Bingham (left) and Sharon Baldwin (right) flank the Putnam County DAR Good Citizen 2013 finalists (from second left) Gwendolyn Yvonne Mazur, North Putnam; county winner Melody Lynne White, Greencastle; Katelyn Ann McHugh, South Putnam, and Mitchell Lee Stacy, Cloverdale.

Greencastle High School senior Melody Lynne White was selected Wednesday afternoon as the 2013 DAR Good Citizen winner for Putnam County.

White was honored by the Washburn Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), during a ceremony hosted by DAR Good Citizen Chairman and past chapter regent Jinsie Bingham at the Putnam County Public Library.

White, the daughter of Richard and Sue White, Greencastle, was selected from a four-student field that also included candidates from the other three county high schools:

Greencastle High School senior Melody Lynne White has been named the 2013 Putnam County DAR Good Citizen winner. Her mother, Sue White, and GHS Principal Russ Hesler congratulate the winner at the Wednesday afternoon ceremony at the Putnam County Library.

-- Gwendolyn Yvonne Mazur, daughter of Jessica Abbott, Fillmore, representing North Putnam.

-- Katelyn Ann McHugh, daughter of Mike and Rhonda McHugh, Coatesville, representing South Putnam.

-- Mitchell Lee Stacy, son of Robert and Bonita Stacy, Quincy, representing Cloverdale.

By virtue of winning the county honor, White's essay, transcript, activities resume and letters of recommendation have been submitted to the DAR state competition. The winner is expected to be announced in April.

The faculty of each of the four Putnam County high schools chooses one member of the senior class to represent the school in the county DAR competition.

"It is a great honor for a student to be named the Good Citizen as the faculty selects the school representative for the county competition," explained Bingham, who was joined by Washburn Chapter Regent Sharon Baldwin in welcoming the students, their parents and school principals to the annual event.

The students are chosen for having a variety of interests, making positive contributions to home, church and community and exhibiting qualities such as dependability, honesty, leadership, cooperation, self-control and initiative.

Additionally, each candidate writes an essay on the topic "Our American Heritage and Our Responsibility to Preserve It." The finalists each read his or her essay in front of the library gathering before the announcement of White as the 2013 winner.