SPEECH CONTEST
HOW TO ENTER
Contact your local conservation district office. They will be able to supply you with the information
you need.

SPEECH CONTEST RULES
 
The contest is open to all high school students in learning levels 9 through 12.
Entrants must be residents of the State of Kansas.
All previous first place state winners in the contest are ineligible.
Entrants may compete in the contest conducted by the conservation district where they attend school.  Entrants may participate in only one district contest.
Contestants who win a district contest during their senior year are eligible to continue competition in the fall.
 
District winners are required to compete in the area contest.  If the winner cannot advance, the alternate is expected to compete.
 
Area winners are required to compete in the state contest.  This contest will be held at the Education and Youth Committee meeting during the KACD Annual Convention in November, the Monday before Thanksgiving.
 
Order of participation will be determined by the drawing of numbers.
 
The speeches given by contestants must be at least five (5) minutes long and not longer than eight (8) mintes.  Failure to meet the time requirements will result in a penalty of deducting (1) point per second over 8 minutes or under 5 minutes being assessed by the judges scoring the speeches.  An official timekeeper will be designated for the contest.  Timecard will be used.
 
Contestants are to remain outside the room until their turn to speek.
 
Contestants will be permitted to use notes if the notes are on 3" x 5" cards.  Deductions in scoring may be made for this practices if it detracts from the effectiveness of the presentation.  The deduction will be taken from the Power of Expression points (not to exceed 50 points.)
 
Speeches will be judged on Content, Organization of Material, Voice, Stage Presence, Power of Expression, and General Effect.  the judges may converse with the contestants after the speech, if necessary.  The attached score card will be used.
 
In all contests a supporting document (news release or letter to the editor) of the speech must be presented to the judges.  The supporting document must be directly related to the topic.  Each student is encouraged to submit their  supporting document to their local paper or the appropriate audience.  (Note: This part of the contest is encouraged to train students to not only become an expert in their topic but also to become an advocate.)  Contestants are required to include a brief bibliography with their supporting document (3 copies).  Direct quotes from any source of information must be marked in "quotes" on the supporting document and be identified in the bibliography.
 
THE TOPIC FOR THE SPEECH CONTEST will be sent out on a yearly basis.
2010 - Dig It!  The Secrets of Soil
 
CONTEST AWARDS:
 
Scholarships of $500 for the first place and $250 for second place will be awarded to the winners at the state level.  Payment will be made to the winner upon proof of enrollment at an accredited school or training institution of the winner's choice.  Scholarships must be used within four years of graduating from High School.
 
The speech contest is sponsored by the KACD conservation Education and Youth Committee.  The KACD Auxiliary will present some monies for expenses.
 
 
 
(Revised November 2009 by the KACD Education and Youth Committee to go into effect for the 2010 contest)
 
 
KANSAS ASSOCIATION OF CONSERVATION DISTRICTS
CONSERVATION EDUCATION AND YOUTH COMMITEE