The letter above has our state tournament outline, and the Official Rules brochure is available here: www.legion.org/get-involved/youth-programs/oratorical-contest/oratorical-contest-resources
The way a speech is “submitted” in our program of contests is by delivering it orally to an audience, without notes, lectern, props, or sound system, at each level of the tournament. Your original, main speech, or prepared oration, should be 8 to 10 minutes long on some aspect of the U.S. Constitution, with emphasis on the duties, obligations, rights, and privileges of American citizenship, and you can revise, rename, or improve it each time. For your main speech, you can use your own topic, or you can choose one of the assigned topics.
Everyone must be prepared to speak for 3 to 5 minutes on each one of the assigned topics www.legion.org/get-involved/youth-programs/oratorical-contest/oratorical-contest-assigned-topics found in the current Official Rules brochure. One of the assigned topics is randomly drawn in each contest, and after the main speeches are given, each of the contestants must then speak on the same topic drawn. Each contestant in turn will be given five minutes in a private room to prepare for the assigned topic speech, just before giving it. Notes are not allowed in the preparation room; only the topic card and pen and paper will be provided.
Penalty points are given for going over or under the required times, one point for each minute or fraction thereof. At the end of the Official Rules brochure, the Judge’s Scorecard shows the point system used for judging content and speaking skills.
Your first post or entry level contest does not have to be your last, if you don't advance and are seriously interested in continuing in the tournament this year. You have until February to qualify to advance to the district level, so be cautious about scheduling ACT or SAT tests from then until the State Final in March.
Please study the rules and watch the videos available on the National website at www.legion.org/oratorical. And then it’s practice, practice, practice…
The way a speech is “submitted” in our program of contests is by delivering it orally to an audience, without notes, lectern, props, or sound system, at each level of the tournament. Your original, main speech, or prepared oration, should be 8 to 10 minutes long on some aspect of the U.S. Constitution, with emphasis on the duties, obligations, rights, and privileges of American citizenship, and you can revise, rename, or improve it each time. For your main speech, you can use your own topic, or you can choose one of the assigned topics.
Everyone must be prepared to speak for 3 to 5 minutes on each one of the assigned topics www.legion.org/get-involved/youth-programs/oratorical-contest/oratorical-contest-assigned-topics found in the current Official Rules brochure. One of the assigned topics is randomly drawn in each contest, and after the main speeches are given, each of the contestants must then speak on the same topic drawn. Each contestant in turn will be given five minutes in a private room to prepare for the assigned topic speech, just before giving it. Notes are not allowed in the preparation room; only the topic card and pen and paper will be provided.
Penalty points are given for going over or under the required times, one point for each minute or fraction thereof. At the end of the Official Rules brochure, the Judge’s Scorecard shows the point system used for judging content and speaking skills.
Your first post or entry level contest does not have to be your last, if you don't advance and are seriously interested in continuing in the tournament this year. You have until February to qualify to advance to the district level, so be cautious about scheduling ACT or SAT tests from then until the State Final in March.
Please study the rules and watch the videos available on the National website at www.legion.org/oratorical. And then it’s practice, practice, practice…
