The Bristol Elks Lodge recently announced that Maxwell Magilton, a student at Guiteras Elementary School, was selected as the 5th grade winner of the 2023-2024 Grand Lodge Americanism Essay Contest for the Town of Bristol.

For the contest, Maxwell had to submit an essay of 300 words or less about this year's theme: “What the Bill of Rights Means to Me”.

The Grand Lodge Americanism Essay Contest gives students in grades 5-8 the opportunity to thoughtfully evaluate and express their views on the selected annual theme. The contest starts with the local lodges selecting a winner for each eligible grade level in their town. These town winners then compete for the opportunity to advance to the district, state, and national levels. The contest ends in July with the national winner for each grade level being named at the Grand Lodge Session, which is held in Austin, Texas.

The author who is selected as the first-place winner for the national contest will receive a $1,000 monetary award for their efforts. Similarly, the author selected for second-place will be awarded $500, and third-place will receive $250.