Vice Chair – Julie Roland
Chair-Toni Giffin
PURPOSE: Teach and mentor Hoover High School students who do not have the benefit of public speaking instruction and coaching in their schools – teach the art and techniques of competitive public speaking while at the same time teaching the code by which Rotarians live – the Four Way Test. Prepare these students to compete in speech contests with other high school students who have the benefit of speech classes and/or speech and debate coaches at their schools.
Conduct Rotary Club 33 speech contests with cash prizes. Support and mentor contest winners at three successive district speech contests from February through May of each year.
GOALS: To successfully introduce high school students to the value of business ethics as prescribed by the Rotary Four Way Test and to build their public speaking skills and confidence.
Provide Club Members with a meaningful opportunity to provide a public service to the youth community.
ROTARIAN ACTIVITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:
Workshops – Hoover Cardinals Interest – mentorship and assistance with practice
Speech Contest assistance
Support and sponsor winners through District Competitions
WHAT IS IT?
Students select a topic of their choosing and write and present a speech at a club contest (with prize money) that follows strict rules set up by Rotary as to content, timing and delivery. The student must apply all four parts of the Rotary Four Way Test in their speech.
WHY JOIN: Speaking in public is essential to every aspect of an individual’s life. Make a difference in the lives of these young high school students as they work hard to find their way in the world. Help them build the skills needed to make a better future. Qualified Rotarians are needed to support and mentor high school students at workshops and one-on-one as they write, practice and deliver their speeches. Workshop topics are:
- choosing a speech topic,
- research, writing and speech development
- speech delivery techniques practice and delivery of their speech.
Students learn by example. Quality instruction and feedback are essential for these students. We also need Rotarians to act as judges, timekeepers and hosts at our “club level” competition and by supporting our winners as they progress through the different levels of competition by attending the next three levels of contests after our club contest.
Help us inspire these kids to get up and have the courage to speak in front of a group. They have great ideas which need to be fine-tuned and developed.
All committee members – bring your cell phones, record the students practicing their speeches and give them positive, supportive feedback, tips, tricks and guidance. We need your help.
