Oratorical Contest

The Topic for the 2011-12 Optimist Year is -

"How my Optimism Helps me Overcome Obstacles."

Who: Students under the age of 18 years as of December 31 of the 2011-2012 school year (December 31, 2011) who have not yet graduated from high school or the equivalent and who are educated in the United States, Canada or the Caribbean.

How to Enter: Interested must students submit a speech on the pre-assigned topic, a legible copy of their Birth Certificate and a completed Application to their local Optimist Club prior to participation in any contest. Most Club contests are held in March, but some are held as early as early February.

To find out the contact in your area, please email the Programs department at programs@optimist.org.

Contest Rules

Speakers must speak for a minimum of 4 minutes but not more than 5 minutes.

Each speaker must state the official topic before beginning his or her speech in order for the timekeeper to record the exact time of the speech.

Speakers may use notes, but can’t use props, special costumes or clothing.

Speakers may not identify themselves in any way.

Contest Background

The Optimist Oratorical Contest gives youngsters the chance to speak to the world. More than $150,000 in college scholarships is awarded annually from this program.

First conducted in 1928, this is the second most popular Optimist International Program. Nearly 2,000 clubs participate in this program each year. The winners at the Club level receive medallions and Zone winners receive a plaque. The Maryland/South Delaware (MDSD) District conducts Separate Gender Contests that provide for two $2,500 scholarships, one for each gender. Clubs are allowed to give monetary awards of up to $500 per winner for the Oratorical Contest in addition to the official medallions. Club awards are completely discretionary.

Our MDSD District Oratorical Chair is Bruce Robinson. Please consider volunteering to assist at the Zone contests and helping chaperone at the District Contest. It is a very rewarding experience. You may contact Bruce at Bruce@BruceRobinson.com, (410) 967-5858.

The contest rules, applications, etc. are available on the OI web site - http://www.optimist.org/e/member/scholarships4.cfm. 

Now is the time to get started!

MDSD Optimists - Contest Guidelines

Oratorical Contest Judges

3 - Non-Optimist judges will be used at the Zone & District Levels.

Spouses of Optimists may be used as judges only at the Club Level.

Judges cannot know the contestants. Teachers, neighbors, or others who know any contestant cannot judge.

Judge Guidelines

Provide Judges with the rules and judging form.

During the competition, judges and the timekeeper may be in different locations within the room.

After each speaker is finished, the narrator will give the judges up to 2 minutes to do their scoring, before calling the next contestant.

Judges will never discuss or compare their impressions of the speakers or their scores.

Each judge will render a final decision on all contestants without consultation anyone else.

Each judge will total their scores with no ties allowed.

The judge’s decisions will we kept confidential.

Audience

No one will enter or leave the room while a contestant is speaking.

No photos may be taken during the contest while students are speaking.

All cellular telephones and pagers must be turned off.

No applause is permitted until all the contestants have spoken, the judges have submitted their score sheets and the moderator permits.

Contestants have their choice of a podium and microphone, a podium without a microphone, a microphone without a podium, or none of these.

Contestants will be identified only by their assigned letter until all the students have given their speeches and the judges have submitted their score sheets.

If a speaker is interrupted through no fault of their own, at the discretion of the narrator, the contestant will be given the option of starting their speech from the beginning, starting from the point of the interruption, or waiting until the last speaker has spoken and then starting their speech from the beginning. No penalty will be assessed by the judges.

These Guidelines are supplemental suggestions to the governing Official Rules and Oratorical District Chair and Club Chair Packets published by Optimist International and available as part of the Official Application. In all cases, the Official Rules will govern the contests.

Dates & Deadlines

The District Oratorical Contest will be conducted as part of the 3^rd Quarter Conference, April 27 – 29, 2012, at the Carousel Hotel in Ocean City.

Zone Contests are scheduled by the Lt. Governor, but will be no later than April 13, 2012. Please notify the District Chairman at your earliest opportunity of the date, time and location of your Zone Contest.

Club Contest dates are set by the Club Oratorical Contest Chair once the Zone dates are established. Please advise the District Chairman of your club contest date, time and location.