Gallery • 10 Photos

Ron Woodruff

At the end of the ceremony, Yearbook and Broadcast adviser Miss Marnie Hade leads the group in reciting the Quill and Scroll pledge.

Quill and Scroll International Honors Society for High School Journalists is a program that helps people realize the educational benefits of journalism, and brings out the best of their capabilities.

It was founded April 10, 1926 at the University of Iowa by George H. Gallup and high school advisers for the recognition of student achievements in journalism.

More than 8,000 students are accepted. If a school is part of Quill and Scroll, students who meet the criteria can apply.

To be accepted, students must be in the top third of their class, and have a 3.0 grade point average.

The initiation fee is $25, and there is no annual fee or deadline for joining.

“I have one current member, and eight that have applied this year,” said Journalism teacher Ron Woodruff.

Quill and Scroll has two different contests – the Yearbook Excellence Contest, and the International Writing, Photography, and Multimedia Contest.

The Yearbook Excellence Contest has a deadline of Nov. 1 and a fee of $5, or $10 for the Theme Development division. The International Writing, Photography, and Multimedia Contest has a fee of $5 and the deadline was Feb. 6.

Winners of the contests are eligible to apply for Edward J. Nell Memorial scholarships in journalism, or one of the two George and Ophelia Gallup awards.

“If universities see that somebody is a member of Quill and Scroll, it means a lot. It is at the same level as the National Honor Society, but for journalism students,” said Woodruff.

The scholarships are open to all Quill and Scroll seniors, including those who did not enter any contests. They can be used on tuition, room, and board at any college or university. All a student has to do is get a letter of recommendation from a teacher/adviser and a principal/counselor, and send in a personal statement of no more than 500 words with three examples of journalistic work and a color photo of that applicant.

Quill and Scroll even has its own magazine. Members can contribute things to it such as journalism manuscripts, footage or audio of student-made broadcasts, links to school publication websites, and photos from the induction ceremony.

Quill and Scroll is a non-profit organization. For more information or if you wish to donate, go to www.quillandscroll.org.