82nd Department Oratorical Championship Contest
"A Constitutional Speech Contest"

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From Left: PDC Rodney Strong,2019 Department High School Oratorical Contest Champion Isaac Bock, and Department Oratorical Chairman, James Grauvogal.
The American Legion Department of Indiana held the 82nd Annual Department Oratorical Contest at the National Headquarters in Indianapolis on March 3, in National Executive Committee room.

The Oratorical program is designed to teach important leadership qualities while promoting effective communication skills.

Mark Gullion, Department of Indiana Children and Youth Commission Chairman explained that this is more than just an Oratorical Competition.
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Mark Said, “Each of our state finalists have already received an $800 scholarship. The runner-up will receive an additional $1,000 scholarship and the winner will receive $4,200 in scholarships with a chance to compete at the National competition where they could earn up to $21,000 in scholarships. This contest can become a life-changing experience for some of these students.”  ​

Oratorical Scholarship Contest

OBJECTIVES
  1. Develop a deeper knowledge and understanding of the Constitution of the United States on the part of Indiana high school students;
  2. Give each participating student an opportunity to utilize this knowledge in an atmosphere of competitive public speaking; and
  3. Offer students an avenue to obtain scholarship awards to assist them in pursuing a college education.

COMPETITION LEVELS
The American Legion Oratorical Contest consists of a series of competitive levels. They are:
  1. District Contest – will determine the representative to advance to the next level of competition;
  2. Zone Contest – will determine the four State finalists; and
  3. State Contest – will determine the State Oratorical Champion. This contestant will automatically advance into National American Legion competition, leading to The American Legion National Oratorical Championship and a chance for up to $19,500 in scholarships.

ELIGIBILITY
The American Legion State Oratorical Contest is open to any student who is enrolled in classes equivalent to the regular 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grades. All students must be under twenty (20) years of age. All students must be enrolled in an Indiana high school during any and all levels of participation in this contest. All contestants must be a citizen of or lawful permanent resident of the United States. Students may only enter one District, Zone and State competition.
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The student must compete in the District in which his/her sponsoring Post is located.
DATES OF COMPETITION
District and Zone contests are generally held in January and February respectively. Times, dates and locations of competitions will be provided by American Legion posts to the contestants they sponsor. 

The State Finals will be held at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 1, 2020, at the National Headquarters of The American Legion located at 700 North Pennsylvania Street, Indianapolis, IN  46206.  


National Finals will be held at the Wyndham Indianapolis West Hotel the weekend of April 17-19, 2020.
CERTIFICATION
If a school wishes to enter a contestant in The American Legion State Oratorical Contest, school officials must fill out and sign the “Certification of High School Representative” form. Click below. ​​
CONDUCT OF CONTEST
At any level of oratorical competition within the state of Indiana, the contest is under the supervision of a contest chairman, who has the responsibility of seeing that the contest is held in accordance with The American Legion State and National oratorical rules.

At any level of oratorical competition in the interest of fairness, the contestants are never allowed to hear the other contestants’ orations. The contestants deliver their oration one at a time while the other contestants are being held in a sound proof or isolated room away from the contest stage.
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So that a speaker may know the length of the oration while it is being delivered, timekeepers will hold up cards during the prepared oration after 8, 9, and 10 minutes have elapsed. During the assigned topic portion, cards will be held up after 3, 4, and 5 minutes have elapsed.
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RULES
  1. The subject to be used in the Oratorical Contest must be on some aspect of the Constitution of the United States which will give emphasis to the duties and obligations of a citizen of our Government.
  2. At the Zone level and State finals of oratorical competition, a contestant will be required to deliver an 8-10 minute prepared oration and a 3-5 minute assigned topic oration. The assigned topic portion of the oratorical contest will not be required at the District level of competition only.
  3. The prepared oration must be an original work of the contestant’s own efforts. Plagiarism will be grounds for disqualification by contest judges.
  4. The subject of the assigned topic will be chosen from a field of topics of the United States Constitution, the areas of which are outlined in this packet. This group of assigned topics will be drawn from at those levels of competition where an assigned topic oration is required.
  5. At any oratorical contest, only one assigned topic will be drawn from the field and each contestant will speak on the same chosen topic. Five (5) minutes will be allowed to each contestant for preparation.
  6. A contestant will not be allowed the use of a podium, amplification equipment, props, prompting, or notes during his or her oration. This applies to both the prepared and assigned topic portions of the contest.
  7. In the delivery of both a prepared and assigned topic oration, quotations must be indicated as such. For quotations which are more than ten words in length, the author’s name must be given.
  8. Penalty points will be assessed for orations which finish over or under the time limit allowed, or for those orations judged as not relating to the United States Constitution.
​A Constitutional Speech Contest" 
Participants in the American Legion Oratorical Contest develop leadership qualities, the ability to think and speak clearly and intelligently, and are better prepared for the acceptance of the duties and responsibilities, for the rights and privileges of American citizenship.

A single main speech topic related the United States Constitution will be required with a length of 8 to 10 minutes, as well as an "Assigned Topic" that must consume 3 to 5 minutes  of presenter's delivery.

Posts sponsor contestants to compete against their peers and move up to their respective Districts. Those that win at the district level go on to compete at the Zone level. There are five zones across Indiana. (See maps below) Zone winners compete at the Department level and the Department winner will earn the opportunity to represent Indiana at the National level of competition. ​​

Contest Forms & Guides
(click to download)
ORATORICAL CONTEST BROCHURE
ORATORICAL RULES & REGULATIONS
ORATORICAL COMMITTEE CONTACTS

​​​SCHOLARSHIPS
  • Each Zone contestant receives a $200 scholarship
  • Each Zone winner receives an $800 scholarship
  • Each State level contestant receives a $1,000 scholarship
  • The State winner receives a $3,400 scholarship and moves onto compete for larger scholarships at the National level
​ASSIGNED TOPICS FOR 2020 ORATORICAL CONTEST
 
  • Amendment XII – Electoral College.
 
  • Amendment XXIV – Citizens right to vote shall not be denied by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay poll tax or other tax.
 
  • Amendment XXVII – No law, varying the compensation for the services of Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.
 
  • Amendment XX – terms of President and Vice President.  When Congress shall assemble. Articles of Presidential succession.
​JUDGING
The judging of a contestant in any level of oratorical competition will be done by a panel of selected judges, to be no less than three, who are selected from fields of public speaking, education, law, media, and other degree'd professionals.
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The contestants are judged in a number of areas related to an oration, such as logic, knowledge of the subject matter, voice, style, diction, etc.

​​Department Programs Coordinator
Butch Miller
317-630-1391
FAX:  317-237-9891
bmiller@indianalegion.org
programs@indianalegion.org

Zone & District Maps