OLD SAYBROOK, CONN. (January 29, 2024)—The Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of Connecticut Council of Administration voted to double their national VFW Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen scholarships, reaffirming the department’s commitment to these core VFW youth and education programs.

Department Junior Vice Commander Charles Pickett made the motion at the quarterly meeting, to raise the “Department of Connecticut and Auxiliary Scholarship” from $1,000 to $2,000 annually in the Voice of Democracy audio-essay program.

Additionally, Past Department Commander and current Department Judge Advocate Robert Bailey made the motion to raise the annual “Department of Connecticut and Auxiliary Award” scholarship in the the national Patriot’s Pen program from $500 to $1,000.

Both motions passed unanimously.

Pickett said the donations “reaffirms our department’s commitment to these core VFW youth and education programs.”

Current Department of Connecticut Commander Richard DeFederico, who has been the Connecticut Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen chairman for a decade, championed the donations by advocating for them after they were first raised as priorities at the previous Department of Connecticut Convention in June of 2023.