Photo – intermediate competition winner Wellingborough School
Eloquent young public speakers from across Great Britain and Ireland provided a great deal of food for thought at the grand finale of Rotary Youth Speaks 2009.
Some 45 competitors waxed lyrical in the prestigious final on Saturday 18 April, after beating off stiff competition from thousands of others in local and regional heats.
This year’s winning senior team from Thomas Telford School (pictured below) impressed judges with their professional treatment of their subject Don’t Blame Barbie – an interesting deliberation on today’s role models for young people, whilst the intermediate team winners from Wellingborough School gave an amusing insight into the language of young people.
[IMG: 477 style=”width: 217px; height: 282px” height=”282″ alt=”Youth Speaks Senior winners – Thomas Telford School” width=”217″ align=”center” border=”0″]Other topics ranged from humorous yet thought provoking debates on chocolate (vice or virtue), the trials and tribulations of teenage life, and the ludicrous importance of celebrities on today’s society, to the more serious ethical subjects of human cloning, knife crime and whether Britain is ready for a black Prime Minister.
Ian Thomson, President of Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland, said: “The quality of speakers this year was truly remarkable. Each competitor showed a confidence and eloquence to be marvelled at and the topics covered gave the audience much to think about when they set off home.
“In a time when young people are often painted as mindless hoodlums, these competitors have reminded us how passionate, inquisitive and honourable most young people actually are. Their unique and honest perceptions and fervent desire to change the world should be an example to us all.”
This year’s winners are:
The Intermediate Competition for 11 to 13 years old:
• Overall winner – Wellingborough School, Wellingborough
• Best Speaker – Alice Gividen, Wellingborough School, Wellingborough
• Best Chairperson – Katharine O’Donelly, Arran High School. Lamlash
• Best Vote of Thanks – Lucjan Kaliniecki, Claverham Community College, Battle
The Senior Competition for 14 to 17 years old:
• Overall winner – Thomas Telford School, Telford
• Best Speaker – Justina Ogunseitan, Twyford C of E High School, Acton
• Best Chairperson – Poppy Bennett, Thomas Telford School, Telford
• Best Vote of Thanks – Michael Bingham, Claires Court College, Maidenhead
This year’s guest adjudicators included Glastonbury Organiser Michael Eavis, the CEO of the English Speaking Board Lesley Cook and BBC journalist Chris Vacher.
Rotary Youth Speaks sets out to offer young people the experience of speaking on a public platform and formulating ideas on significant subjects, whilst gaining the opportunity of learning and practicing high standards of expression, presentation and appearance. Teams come from schools, colleges, youth training schemes or youth groups and comprise three members: the chairman, the speaker and the proposer of the vote of thanks.
For more information about Rotary’s youth programmes, visit www.ribi.org.
Ends
NOTE FOR EDITORS:
1. Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland, part of Rotary International, has 1,845 clubs and 58,000 members.
2. Rotary International was founded in 1905 in Chicago and is now the world’s largest international service organisation with 1.2 million professional men and women as members. There are 32,000 clubs in 200 countries and geographical areas.
3. Rotary initiates local and global projects to promote world understanding and peace and improve life conditions for people of all ages and cultures.
20/04/09
