Livingston County and Carroll County students finish at the top in American Legion district competition

American Legion Oratory Contest Winners
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Madison Brown, a senior at Norborne High School in Carroll County was named district winner of the American Legion’s 84th annual High School Oratorical Scholarship Program Saturday at Brookfield. Brown, in winning the District Two contest, will now advance to Zone One Competition in Hannibal on January 21st and compete with winners from Districts 1, 8 and 9.

Meredith Oesch, a junior at Livingston County’s Southwest High School, was named runner-up in what contest officials described as a close finish and will serve District Two as the alternate entry to the Zone contest.

Each delivered prepared talks lasting no less than five minutes and no longer than six minutes on an aspect of the U. S. Constitution of their choosing. Then they each delivered an additional extemporaneous address on the Voting Rights 15th Amendment, a subject randomly drawn just five minutes before speaking.

In addition to the time restrictions, they had to speak without using note cards or written materials of any kind, no public-address system, and no podium. Contest officials praised the performance of both contestants, and described it as a “very challenging program that builds student knowledge of our nation while helping build on the speaking skills of the students who compete”.

The Legion’s annual High School Oratorical Contest was actually started by Missouri Legionnaires in 1934 and was adopted by the Legion nationwide in 1938. The Missouri Legion is also proud that three of the last seven of national winners came from the “Show-Me” state.

Additional Scholarship funds will be awarded for those who win at the State, Regional, and National competitions and can total more than $23,000 for the National winner. New this year, is an additional $13,000 scholarship offer from Drury University, for students who finish among the top two at Zone Competition and choose to attend Drury upon high school graduation.

The contest actually begins in November each year within High Schools, then County contests in December, District and Zone in January, State in February, and ultimately culminates at the National contest in April.


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