The GEO Oratorical Contest Committee is now seeking entries for the Optimist International 2010-2011 Oratorical Contest. The Optimist Oratorical Contest gives youngsters the chance to speak to the world. More than $150,000 in college scholarships are 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. Districts will provide two $2,500 scholarships to the winners of the District Contest.

We actively recruit contestants beginning in January from local schools, churches, other organizations and our members for our Club contest, which will be held in the second week of March. Contestants must be under the age of nineteen as of December 31st and write and deliver a speech on the official Optimist International topic, which for this year is: “If I Were Leader of the Free World, the First Issue I Would Address Would be ...”

Each speech must be five minutes in duration, and given in front of an audience and three judges. Optimist members and qualified members of the community are selected to be judges. There is a girl's category and a boy's category. Our two club winners (one girl, one boy) will then compete at the Zone level. The winners of that contest will next move to an Area contest, between Zones in the same geographical area, where those winners go on to the District finals held at the 3rd Quarterly Meeting in May 2011. For the District competition, the participants and immediate family are "guests" of the Optimist Organization, with all travel expenses, meals and lodgings provided for.

If you know of a youth who may be interested in entering our club’s Oratorical Contest, please click here for an official entry form or contact Jim Carroll, Assistant Oratorical Chair, at (310) 415-0196 for more information. The deadline for entries is March 5, 2011.

Entry forms may be mailed to:

Gardena Evening Optimist Club

P.O. Box 2132

Gardena, CA 90247

Attn: Oratorical Chair

Or emailed to: info@gardenaoptimist.org