The Captain Samuel Felt Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution honored its Good Citizens from Marcellus, Cassopolis, Dowagiac, Brandywine and Edwardsburg with a tea Dec. 14.

Honored this year were Zachary Plummer of Edwardsburg, Brenden Ludlow of Marcellus, Ann Zebell of Dowagiac, Joshua Youngs of Brandywine and Jessie Sopaseuth of Cassopolis.

Hampered by the construction at the Cass District Library where all former teas have been hosted, the chapter relocated the annual event to the Fellowship Hall of the Marcellus Methodist Church.

Good Citizens are chosen by a vote of their senior classmates and the faculty on the basis of their dependability, leadership, service and patriotism. Each has to provide a transcript and two letters of recommendation to compete in the Good Citizen contest. Each writes an essay on an assigned topic.

The essay is administrated by a teacher in a closed room. Books and phones are not allowed. Students do not see in advance the title of the topic.

Papers are evaluated by three non-DAR judges.

The paper considered by these judges to be the best of the five is sent to the state DAR, where it will compete with the 53 other chapter winners.

The state announces the winner of the competition at the awards day in March. The local winner will be announced by the Captain Samuel Felt Chapter March 14.

This year’s Good Citizens were welcomed by past Regent Paula Johnson, in the absence of Sarah Essex the Good Citizens chairman. Also welcomed were the counselors, parents, families and friends of the students.

Each student was asked to give a summary of his or her interests, honors, activities, participation in school, community and church and future goals.

Plummer plans on attending a four-year university and majoring in elementary education. He wants to become a teacher.

“I realize that you do not make a lot of money teaching, but if I can have former students come back and tell me that I made an impact on their lives,” he said. “That will be payment enough.”

Ludow plans to go into music education, get a minor in English and become a teacher.

Zebell did not specify her future plans, but based on her resume, it will be something in the mission field.

Youngs did not express his future plans, but he is already attending Andrews University’s mathematics and science center.

Sopaseuth wants to graduate from college with a dental hygienist degree. She is already helping the dental hygienist in the Ranger Clinic.

The DAR said the candidates were all excellent students and were chosen to represent the goals of the organization. Each student was presented with a certificate, wallet card and a DAR Good Citizen gold pin.

After their presentation, the group was entertained by the Marcellus High School jazz band with “Here Comes Santa Claus,” Winter Wonderland” and “Rock This Town.”

The band was directed by Miss Katy Essex.