Application Deadline: March 8, 2018
Download Application
Contest Notes
The Optimist Club of Milton is encouraging area students to speak their minds about the topic “Where are my roots of Optimism’” as part of the 2018 Optimist International Oratorical Contest. As they prepare for their future, many of our local students need experience expressing their thoughts and opinions to an audience. The Oratorical Contest challenges them to do just that and also offers an opportunity for scholarships. In this way, our club hopes to bring out the best in each of them and help them achieve their goals for the future.
The Optimist Club will judge the local students’ speeches based on content and presentation to determine the top winners. The local club contest will be held at our dinner meeting on March 15, 2018. The winner of our Club contest will go on to the Zone contest, which will be held in April. The winner at the Zone level will go on to the District contest to be held in Barrie over a weekend in May. The winners at Club level and Zone level will receive medallions and/or plaques.
The District level scholarships are $2500, $1500, and $1000 respectively for first, second, and third place winners.
Students age 19 or younger as of December 31, 2017, who have not yet graduated from high school or the equivalent, are eligible to participate. The deadline to hand in speeches, along with the application is March 8 2018. Students wishing to participate in the oratorical contest can find out more information or apply by contacting President Keith Lamson, the contest chairperson at president@optimistclubofmilton.org.
The Optimist Club of Milton has been an active member in the community since 1967 and is always seeking new members. We are an expanding Community Service Club involved in sponsoring or running many youth-related events yearly throughout the community, including a Fishing Derby for disabled youth and adults, supporting "The Deck" after school youth centre in Milton, and Halton Food For Thought school breakfast and snack program, running a youth Bike Rodeo, and supporting many other local youth events and projects..
Optimist International is one of the world’s largest service club organizations with 93,000 adult and youth members in 3,200 clubs in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico and throughout the world. The Optimist Oratorical Contest is one of the organization’s most popular programs, with more than 2,000 clubs participating annually. Carrying the motto “Bringing Out the Best in Kids,” Optimists conduct positive service projects that reach more than six million young people each year.
To learn more about Optimist International, please call (314) 371-6000 or visit the organization’s website at www.optimist.org.
