South Putnam's Chloe Carter earns 2015 DAR Good Citizen Award

A South Putnam High School senior, whose competition essay focused on low voter turnout in recent American elections, has been named the 2015 Putnam County DAR Good Citizen.

The 2015 Putnam County DAR Good Citizen winner, Chloe Carter (left) of South Putnam High School, accepts her award from Washburn Chapter DAR Good Citizen Contest Chairman Jinsie Bingham Wednesday afternoon during a reception at the Putnam County Public Library.

Chloe Carter, the daughter of Jillian Gaston, 251 N. Grant St., Cloverdale, was named the 2015 DAR Good Citizen winner Wednesday afternoon by Washburn Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, during a reception at the Putnam County Public Library.

Accompanied to the program by South Putnam Principal Mike Schimpf and SPHS counselor Kristin Hendrich, Carter read her essay to the audience, addressing possibilities for motivating greater public involvement in the election process in the future.

As the South Putnam DAR Good Citizen winner as well as the county winner, Carter was one of four local students competing for the 2015 county honor. She will now participate in the state DAR competition.

Helping Chloe Carter (center) of South Putnam High School celebrate her selection as the 2015 Putnam County DAR Good Citizen winner are (from left) South Putnam Principal Mike Schimpf, SPHS counselor Kristin Hendrich, Carter and her mother, Jillian Gaston; and Jinsie Bingham, Good Citizen Contest chairman.

Representing the other Putnam County high schools were:

-- North Putnam's Madisyn Christine Smith, daughter of Craig and Tina Smith, 644 Jefferson Valley Drive, Heritage Lake (Coatesville). Her essay tackled the 19th Amendment of the Constitution and women's right to vote.

-- Greencastle's Allison White, daughter of Richard and Sue White, 1428 Willow Bend Rd., Greencastle. Her essay addressed freedom or religion and why the pilgrams came to American in the first place in explaining the true meaning of Thanksgiving.

-- Cloverdale's Tanner White, son of Kelly and Rhonda White, Spencer. His essay focused on education as a vital part of our American heritage.

The Putnam County Good Citizen competition is sponsored annually by Washburn Chapter, DAR. The faculty of each of the four county high schools selects one senior to represent his or her school in competing for the county title.

Joining 2015 Putnam County DAR Good Citizen winner Chloe Carter (center) of South Putnam High School are (from left) Washburn Chapter Vice Regent Sharon Baldwin; Madisyn Christine Smith, North Putnam; Allison White, Greencastle; Carter; Tanner White, Cloverdale; and Jinsie Bingham, DAR Good Citizen Contest chairman.

Students are chosen, Washburn Chapter Good Citizen Chairman Jinsie Bingham explained, for having a variety of interests, as well as positive contributions to home, church, school and community; qualities such as dependability, honesty, leadership, cooperation, self-control and initiative.

On top of that, each student was required to write an essay without using reference materials. The essay topic this year was "Our American Heritage and Our Responsibility to Preserve It."