Twenty-two young people entered the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 406 Public Speaking competition on Saturday February 22. Legion Youth Education Officer William Cunliffe welcomed the crowd of about 50 family members, friends and volunteers who listened as the children spoke on a wide range of topics. Legion President Heather Poliquin said the annual contest is open to all students from Grade 1 to Grade 12, whether in school or home schooled. Although there are four levels, Primary: Grades 1 to 3; Junior: Grades 4 to 6; Intermediate: Grades 7 to 9; and Senior: Grades 10 to 12, like last year young people competed at only the first three levels. Unlike last year when only ten children attended, this time there were more than double the number of speakers. Poliquin said she greatly appreciated the support received both from parents and from teachers. (Above most of the speakers with Legion Youth Education Officer William Cunliffe at rear and Legion President Heather Poliquin at right)
A blend of history, curiosity, personal experience and humour was evident during the morning as the audience enjoyed a wide range of subjects delivered by the young people. First to speak was Gregory Shaw at the Primary level on the topic of Sherwood Forest and its inhabitants. There were eight Primary contestants who spoke on topics including hunting, skiing, my favourite teacher and video games. Kate Biffert was awarded first place for her talk about My Little Sister (cute, smart and mischievous); second place winner James Shaw told us about dinosaurs (especially his favourite, Triceratops). Liam Malley won third place for his speech about hunting (and the countdown until he can take Hunter’s Ed).
The biggest group of eleven speakers, the Juniors, came next. Topics included cartoon characters, endangered species, history (pirates, Charlemagne, soda pop, Vikings, archaeology), sports stars, and the advantages of large families. Certificates were awarded to Benedict Biffert whose first place talk was about Charlemagne and why we need more leaders like him. Elena Shaw disproved The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb to win second place; and Rivko Reimer spoke about ships and piracy, both historical and contemporary, to take third place.
As in 2019, the Intermediate field had just three contestants. In first place was Winter Biffert who described the benefits of going barefoot. Luetta Reimer’s speech about three inspirational young people who are making a difference in the world gained her a second place certificate. In third place was Tristan Biffert who discussed the pros and cons of Artificial Intelligence and why he thinks we can do without it.
The first place winner in each category was invited to compete at the Legion Zone finals in Eganville on Saturday March 7th.
Cunliffe thanked the contestants, their families and teachers for their participation and support. He said every speaker was to be commended for their efforts. Cunliffe also acknowledged the many Legion volunteers who made the morning go smoothly. The three judges were Sheilagh Dunn, Kristin Marchand and Travis Richards. The timekeepers were Liz Beasley and Connie Schweig. Registration was handled by Poliquin and Legion Sergeant at Arms Mike Bryce. The Ladies Auxiliary provided refreshments and a light lunch while the scrutineers tallied the judges’ scores.
