Application for 2018-2019 Optimist International Oratorical Contest
Name
Address City
State/Province/Country
Zip/Postal Code
Telephone ( ) E-mail
Date of Birth / / Age
Have you participated in any other Optimist Club’s Oratorical Contest this school year?
Yes
No
Contestant Agreement:
I have studied the rules of the contest, and I will be bound by all of the requirements.
Contestant’s Signature Date / /
Parent or Guardian Permission:
I give my permission for my child/ward to participate in this contest.
Signature Date / /
Relationship
I, grant the Optimist Club/International my permission
to use a picture/video of my son/daughter for their public relations
purposes. Optimist Club/International may use the photo/video in any publication they see fit.
Sponsoring Optimist Club Name
Sponsoring Optimist Club Number
Language speech will be spoken in: English French
Topic: “Is There a Fine Line Between Optimism and Reality?” For more information contact:_____________________________________
Address______________________ Phone Number:____________________
Official Rules
Section l
— General Rules
1.
The Optimist International Oratorical contest will
begin at
the Club level, proceed to the Zone and District level
and
end with a contest at World Championships level.
2.
Contestants must enter through a local Optimist
Club.
3.
The official application must be completed by each
contestant and submitted to the sponsoring Club’s
Contest
Chair.
4. Clubs, Zones and Districts will have a combined gender
contests.
5.
No Zone, Regional, or District level contest shall
have fewer than 3 or more than 20 contestants
competing.
6.
Optimist International has the right to edit, publish
and record any speech used in any contest without
payment to the author.
Section II
— Qualifications for Contestants
1.
The contest is open to contestants under the age of 19 as
of October 1st of the current Optimist International
Contest year (October 1 – September 30) and is not
enrolled as a degree seeking student of a post-secondary
institution. There is no minimum age.
2.
A contestant is eligible to enter/compete in only one
Optimist Oratorical contest during a contest year. Once a
contestant wins 1st place at the District level and/or
competes at the World Regional level, they are ineligible
to compete in the Optimist Oratorical Contest in a
subsequent year.
3.
Each contestant shall prepare his or her own speech. The
contestant may receive advice in the preparation of the
speech and may make minor changes or improvements in
the speech at any time.
4.
All contestants at each level of the contest must show
proof of age before competing. Optimist Clubs may
require a copy of birth certificate or passport if offering a
club scholarship separate from Optimist International.
District winners must provide a copy of the birth
certificate or passport with District entry documentation
5.
A printed copy of the speech must be furnished either
before or after the speech.
Section III
— Contest Rules
1.
All contestants must speak on the official topic.
2.
A speech may be delivered in English or French.
3.
All contestants must state the official topic in the first
sentence of the speech. Timing will begin with the first
spoken word. A 3-point penalty is automatically assessed
by the timekeeper for failure to state the official topic in
the first sentence.
4.
Any quotation, copyrighted, or largely paraphrased
material used in the speech must be identified verbally
during the presentation and in the written copy of the
speech with the original author’s name. The contestant
shall be fully responsible for the use of any quoted
material and Optimist International shall assume no
responsibility. Failure to identify non-original material
will result in up to 10 penalty points.
5.
The use of props, special costumes or clothing, will result
in 10 penalty points
6.
The use of audience prompters will result in
disqualification
7.
Notes and lecterns can be used if the contestant desires.
8.
The time allowed will be not under 4 minutes or over 5
minutes. Contestants going over or under will not be
cautioned, and will be penalized one point for each 15
seconds or fraction of over or under the allotted time. This
penalty will be determined by the official timekeeper.
9.
Timing will begin at the first word spoken. Timing will
stop when the contestant finishes.
10.
No reference can be made that identifies the contestant,
parents, school, community, sponsoring Optimist Club or
District. This will result in a deduction of up to 5 points.
Contestants shall not be identified by name or sponsoring
Clubs until after the last oration has been presented and
the judges and timekeeper have started deliberations.
11.
Any protest in the conduct at any level of this contest
must be made immediately after the condition is noted.
Protests received after the next contestant has been
introduced, or in the case of the last contestant, after the
judges leave to total the scores, will not be accepted under
any circumstances.
12.
The Contest Chairperson will decide all protests in
accordance with the official rules. The decision of the
Contest Chair is final and no higher appeals will be
recognized. In the case of Club contests, the Club Contest
Chair has this authority. In the case of Zone and District
contests, the final authority is vested in the District
Contest Chair. The Zone Chair has the authority to handle
protests that may arise during the Zone competition with
the District Chair having the final authority.
Section IV
— Scoring
Scoring in all Club, Zone, District, and World
Championships contests will
conform to the following
criteria.
1. Poise – appearance and personality: 10 points
2. Content of Speech – subject adherence, theme,
content, logic and color: 40 points
3. Delivery & Presentation – voice, volume,
pronunciation, gestures, eye contact,
sincerity and
emphasis: 35points
4. Overall Effectiveness – appeal, impression, attitude
and effect: 15 points
Section V
— Penalties
1. Failure to announce the official topic in the first sentence –
3 points
2. Failure to identify non-original material –
up to 10 points
3. Use of props, costume, etc. - 10 points
4. Time penalties – 1 point for each 15 seconds or
fraction of over or under the allotted time.
1.
5. Self-identification – up to 5 points
2.
6. Failure to complete speech – disqualification
3.
7. Use of audience prompters - disqualification
Section VI
— Awards
1. Club Level – Medallion
2. Zone Level – Plaque
3. District Regional Level – Plaque
4. District – Plaque and Scholarship
Each winner of the District level contest will
receive a
scholarship for use at a college,
university or trade school
only. Three District winners are awarded
scholarships of
$2,500, $1,500 and $1,000
respectively for 1
st
, 2
nd
and 3
rd
place.
All scholarships will be payable to the educational
institution of the recipient’s choice, subject to the
approval of
Optimist International.
Optimist International will
administer all scholarships and winners must claim their
scholarship by the age of 25.
5. World Championship Optimist Oratorical Contests –
Plaque and Scholarship
A. Each winner of the World Regional level contest will
receive a scholarship for use at a college,
university or
trade school only. There will be one winner
for each
World Region
awarded a $5,000 scholarship at the World
Regional Level. All winners of the World Regional
Contests will be eligible to compete in the World
Championship Contest with awards for first, second,
and third place of $15,000, $10,000, and $5,000
respectively at Saint Louis University in St. Louis,
Missouri.
B. All scholarships will be payable to the educational
institution of the recipient’s choice, subject to the
approval of Optimist International.
C. All scholarships will be administered by Optimist
International.
D. Winners of an Optimist International scholarship
must
claim their scholarship by the age of 25
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