The Manitoban Public Speaking Championships

The Senior Section (Grades 10 to 12) will take place at St. Boniface Diocesan High School from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM on Wednesday, November 14. Registration is from 5:00 PM until 5:15 PM. Snacks will be provided between rounds but students may want to eat before the event.

Students entering the Douglas Campbell competition must enter one, and only one,of impromptu speaking, persuasive speaking or poetry/peroration. These events are described in more detail below on the Rules Sheet. Each school is initially limited to a maximum of 2 students in each event (6 students in total), although more may be allowed if space permits. Each student will present his or her speech twice. Obviously, in impromptu the student will pick a new topic for his or her second speech. In the persuasive and peroration categories, the student would present the same material in both rounds.

In order to have a sufficient number of judges, we would like each school to bring a minimum ofone judge for every three or fewer students. These can be parents, teachers, or interested community members (please, no high school students as judges for this Senior competition). If you can bring more, it would be appreciated. If you are unable to bring one judge for three or fewer students or have any other concerns or questions, please contact David Lisowski by email at dlisowski@sbdhs.net

Email the names of your competitors and their events to David Lisowski, email: dlisowski@sbdhs.net

Deadline for registration is Wednesday, Nov 7

Douglas Campbell Public Speaking Competition

Rules

Each school may enter up to 2 students in each category. No student may enter more than 1 category. Thus a school may send up to 6 competitors to the event.

Categories:

Prepared Persuasive Speeches:

The topic of this speech is to be chosen by the student, but it should lend itself to a problem-solution approach (i.e. he/she should identify a problem and discuss one or more possible solutions to it) and must be an actual problem on a serious topic. The aim must be to persuade the audience in an interesting fashion. Notes may be used, but speeches should notbe read. Judging will be based on knowledge and research, organization, effectiveness and delivery. Time limits are from 5-7 minutes.

Poetry and Peroration:

Students will deliver from memory a prose passage, speech or poem of at least 200 words or 20 lines. No props are allowed. Judging will be based on literary value or difficulty, effectiveness of interpretation, delivery and memory. It must be a recital, NOT a dramatic interpretation; no costumes, props or movement, other than gestures and some limited pacing, are allowed. The maximum time allowed is 5 minutes.

Impromptu Speeches:

Each speaker will draw three topics, which may be words, quotations, phrases, statements or some combination of the four. He/she will then be given 2 minutes to prepare, during which time he/she must decide which topic he/she will speak on and to prepare his/her comments. Competitors may speak in favour of the topic, against it or about it. He/she may interpret it, within reason. He/she must, however, deal with the topic that he/she has been given and not use a previously prepared speech on a barely related theme. Judging will be based on adherence to the topic, appropriateness of treatment and content, delivery and effectiveness. Competitors may write notes during their 2 minute preparation time, but they may not bring these notes up with them when they get up to speak. Speeches must be at least 3 minutes and no longer than 5 minutes in length. If the speech is under the minimum time a time penalty will be assessed.