Anyone who knows me is not the least bit surprised to know I’m involved in the Royal Canadian Legion. One of the committees within the Legion I have often been active on is the Youth Education committee. Every branch is required to appoint a Youth Education Chair and it is expected they will engage with the schools in their areas to promote the programs.

Usually that involvement has been at the school and branch level. This year, I’ve participated at the Zone and District level and it has been interesting.

Earlier I wrote about participating in judging the Poster, Poem and Essay contest at the District level. That contest takes place around Remembrance Day and is focused on the entrants doing their entries on the theme of Remembrance.

Public Speaking Contest

The second major focus of the Youth Education program is public speaking. Children from grades 1 through to grade 12 are encouraged to participate. The subjects are of their own choosing. The goal is to help youngsters become comfortable speaking in public.

While the Poster, Poem & Essay contest goes right up to the Dominion (national) level, the Public Speaking goes up to the provincial level. Competition becomes tougher at each level.

Saturday was the Zone Public Speaking contest for my area. The zone is the next level up from the branch. The one I’m in encompasses ten branches. The first place winner in each category at each branch advanced to the Zone level. The winners there will advance to District.

No photos or recording is allowed during the speaking so I have a few photos here but none of the speakers themselves.

Speech Topics

It’s always amazing the diversity of topics the children select to talk about. There virtually no overlap of topics. Here’s the stated topics the children presented yesterday:

Primary Group Grade 1-3

• My Welsh Springer Spaniel
• Mythical Creatures
• Why I Love Dance and You Should Too
• History of Frankford PS
• Sharks
• Hockey
• German Shepherds

One of the judges, a retired school teacher

Junior Group Grade 4-6

• How Jane Goodall is Changing the World
• Homeless People
• Who is the King of Sting?
• Bullying / Lizzies Story
• The good and Evil in the Lord of the Rings
• The Sun
• The Songs in My Head

Intermediate Group Grade 7-8

• Impaired Driving
• Me to Me
• Everyday Super Heroes
• Music Has Lost It’s Meaning
• Female Equality
• Spitfires

Rules & Judging

There are three judges who volunteer their time and two timekeepers. They listen and observe the speed to judge on the basis of presentation, content and delivery. There is a total of 100 points each speaker can earn.

Speeches are 3-5 minutes long. For the Junior and up group being over or under on the time incurs a 5% penalty. The Primary group are not penalized. If a speaker freezes there is also a 5% penalty and all the time applies. A freeze is considered to be no speaking for 5 seconds or more. In some instances that freeze can put the speaker over on time which incurs another 5% penalty.

The audience is reminded in very strong terms not to coach the speakers in any manner. It’s recognized that many parents have heard the speeches so often they know the speech as well as the student. It’s suggested to avoid any unintended coaching to hold their program in front of their mouths during the speech. Coaching gets the speaker disqualified, so it’s important for the audience to listen to that rule.

After the judging on a group is complete, the score sheets are taken to the scrutinizers who check the judges totals and record the totals and applies any penalties to determine the standings for each group.

Judge, a serving military member. One of the timekeepers is sitting beside him

Speaking of Coaching

Sadly three contestants were disqualified as the result of family members coaching. It appeared the family members figured they were behind the judges and thus out of notice. What they didn’t realize was that person sitting at the door controlling the access was also watching the audience. That person was me.

Of the three students, one would have received second place.

The Speeches

While I’ve shared the stated topics of the speeches above. That hardly describes the content or the delivery the youngsters bring to their topics. Some of them do a fantastic job of delivering their content. Some of them bring personal experience to their speeches.

The youngster who spoke on Homelessness in the Junior group won first place. He has been making and helping to deliver plastic mats for the homeless to sleep on since he was four years old. As I listened to him speak I learned he has parents who volunteer in the community and that important lesson of volunteerism has been passed on to their son at an early age.

I chatted with them afterward and met a very mature young man whose parents guide and support him in what he does. He’s actively involved in sports and other activities. I asked him what he’s going to do with the rest of his life and received an answer that made me smile, “I’m doing it now.” Look out world, he’s on his way.

The Scrutineers, both of them are veterans

The Lord of the Rings speech introduced us to a young man who has been reading the trilogy with his father every night for a year. In the process of this shared experienced he has been introduced to and has learned many lessons about live including the importance of being responsible, volunteerism, leadership, choosing between good and evil choices.

The Songs in My Head led us through the students day in poetry and songs. The presentation was animated and humorous which earned him third place.

Everyday Heroes was an Intermediate student who talked about the stories of every day people who take courageous actions during events that could have been disastrous for the people who were helped by the hero of he story. She took first place.

Also in the Intermediate group was the student representing my branch and speaking on Impaired Driving. She started her speech describing a scenario in which a man chooses to drive with a drunk driver and ends up killed. The driver survived. She goes on to talk about the subject of impaired driving, the stats, the laws and the carnage of people choosing to drive impaired by alcohol and drugs, legal and illegal. It is near the end of the speech we learn the man killed at the start of the speech was her uncle who died four years before she was born.

Judges and the Youth Education Chairs

Conclusion

I enjoy taking part in these activities which brings the Legion into contact with the communities we serve. I also enjoy hearing the quality of the speeches the children deliver. In two weeks I’ll be judging at the District level where the winners from the five Zones will be speaking. If Zone is any indication of what I’m going to hear, I’m looking forward to it.

Until Next Time — Just Steem on

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