American Legion speech contest

WINNERS WILL EARN SCHOLARSHIP MONEY, CHANCE TO COMPETE IN NATIONAL FINALS.

High school students of Grimes County have been invited by McCluskey Post 640 of The American Legion to compete in the 2022 annual American Legion High School Oratorical Scholarship Program. The invitation to enter the competition was extended by Post Commander Steve Storey. The subject in the prepared oration portion of the contest must be about some phase of the Constitution of the United States, emphasizing the duties and obligations of a citizen to the U.S. government. The prepared oration must be the original effort of each contestant and must be 8-10 minutes in length.

Students will compete at various rounds with winders from post competitions being referred to competitions held at district, division, and state levels. State winners will compete in elimination rounds at National in Indianapolis. Winners at each round of competition earn college scholarship awards. In addition to awards by winners of the various elimination rounds of competition, college scholarships of $25,000, $22,500 and $20,000 will awarded to first through third place in the national finals. Each state winner who competes in the first round of the national contest will receive a $2,000 scholarship. Participants in the second round who do not advance to the national final round will receive an additional $2,000 scholarship. The top three youth orators who have advance through all previous elimination rounds of the contest will vie for top honors in the national contest in April in Indianapolis. The American Legion will pay the expenses of state winners at the national contest.

High school students in Grimes County who are interested in entering the competition may contact Ms. Brenda Storey, Mc-Cluskey Oratorical Chair, 858-722-9253 or email bren9976@gmail.com.

For more information, visit legion.org/oratorical.