Legion offers speech contest

The Kalispell American Legion Post 137 invites local high school students to participate in a Constitutional Speech Contest for a chance to earn scholarship money.

The national contest is held through the American Legion Oratorical Scholarship Program. Competition begins at the local level with potential for participants to advance to the district, state and national levels.

Each contestant will give an original, prepared speech on some phase of the U.S. Constitution, giving emphasis to the duties and obligations of a citizen to his or her government. Speeches should be eight to ten minutes in length.

In addition, each competitor must give a three- to five-minute discourse on one of four assigned topics randomly chosen the day of the contest. This year’s topics are Constitutional Amendments five, six, eight and 19.

The local competition is open to high school students living within the district boundaries of Kalispell Public Schools.

Interested students may attend an informational open house at American Legion Post 137, 251 Fourth Ave. E.N., from 3 to 5 p.m. Nov. 2. Information packets containing rules, dates and contest locations will be available. Students may also register for the contest at this time.

The American Legion Post 137 has tentatively set the first round of competition on Dec. 14.

Top students at each level earn scholarship money.

At the local level, first place takes $250, second place $150 and third place $100. State winners may earn more than $1,500 in scholarships. The top three national finalists receive $18,000, $16,000 and $14,000, respectively.

For more information call Bert Blyth, oratorical contest chairman, at 756-9244.