Speech Contest
April 2025,
Debi and Mark will continue for another year given our passion for youth and especially the Richard D. King Annual Youth Speech Contest.
The goals for this year continue to be the same since we have had the honor to lead the District Youth Speech Contest (DYSC) Committee:
- Achieve 100% club participation.
- Establish a self-sustaining model for funding leadership prize awards for the participants.
We are requesting the help of every Club and Area in achieving the two goals:
Achieve 100% club participation.
With the passing of Rick King, we believe that one of the best ways to honor him would be the "participation" of every club in the district. This could take the form of any (or all) of the following:
- Conduct a Club contest
- Partner with another club to conduct a contest
- Host one of the "joint" Area Speech Contests or the Southern/Northern Regional contest
- Participate in the DYSC Sponsorship Program (In fact, a $25 sponsor level has been added to enable all clubs and D5170 Rotarians to participate.)
Establish a self-sustaining model for funding leadership prize awards for the participants.
The DYSC Sponsorship Program has begun to accumulate funds in a restricted account in the D5170 Charitable Foundation. This enables the commitment to higher prize levels at the beginning of the Rotary year, prior to the collection of sponsor funds for that year. As "excess" funds are collected, budgets will be proposed to provide more support for leadership prizes, as well as support for clubs that have not been able to fund their own contests in the past. Please check out our 2025 sponsors below.
In the fall, Club Presidents and Youth Service Chairs will receive a request for their Club Speech Contest information to which they must respond to participate. (CLICK HERE to commit to a Club Contest in 2026.) Finally, with regards to the "joint" Area and Regional Speech Contests, as plans are finalized with the Areas and Clubs in early 2026, the information will be updated in Key Dates.
For 2025-26 the contest will continue with the following changes introduced in 2024-25, as well as one related to the schedule.
- The schedule is reduced by about 2 weeks, as the Speech Contest Finals will be on April 11, 2026 at the 2026 District Learning Assembly.
- The theme of the contest will be the Rotary Motto, Service Above Self.
- With the District now having 12 Areas, the Area Level contests will consist of "joint" Area contests, which will be organized to balance the number of clubs participating to ensure a more fair contest for the speakers.
- The minimum Club Prizes are $150 for first, $75 for second, and $25 for all other participants. (CLICK HERE for more information about the cash prizes.)
Regards,
Debi and Mark
Debi Pavlecic-Bischoff, DYSC Chair
Mark Linsky, DYSC, Vice Chair
District 5170 Speech Contest Committee
Thanks to our 2025 Sponsors