| Where: | The Oratorical Scholarship Program will be held at the American Legion, H.U. Wood Post 245, located at 618 East Kingsbury Street, Seguin, Texas. | |
| When: | The competition will be held on November 19th, at 1:00pm. Students must arrive at the American Legion by 12:30pm. All contestants must be registered by no later then November 12th. | |
| Who: | A contestant must be a citizen of the United States or a lawful resident of the United States. Contestants must be bona fide students under the age of 20 on the date of the National Contest and must be enrolled in a High School or Junior High School in Guadalupe County, Texas (public, parochial, military, private or state accredited home school) in which the curriculum of the high school is considered to be of high school level, commencing with grade nine and terminating with grade twelve. Students must be enrolled in high school or junior high school during the time of participation at any level of the contest. | |
| What: | What topics do contestants speak on? There will be two. The prepared oration and the assigned topic. | |
| The subject to be used for the prepared oration must be on some aspect of the Constitution of the United States with emphasis on the duties and obligations of a citizen to our government. The prepared oration must be the original effort of each contestant and must not take up less than 8 minutes or more then 10 minutes for delivery. It must be delivered in the English language. | ||
| The assigned topic. The purpose of the Assigned Topic is to test the speaker's knowledge of the subject, the extent of his or her research, and the ability to discuss the topic as related to the basic principles of government under the Constitution. The topic will be on some phase of the Constitution of the United States. | ||
| The assigned topic will be no less then 3 minutes and must not exceed 5 minutes of time for delivery. | ||
| The assigned topic will be drawn by the contest official in full view of the audience immediately before the last speaker begins delivery of the prepared oration. The topic will be one of the below assigned topics. | ||
| 2023 Assigned Topics: |
Amendment II | |
| A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. | ||
| Amendment XXIII | ||
| The District constituting the seat of Government of the United States shall appoint in such manner as the Congress may direct: A number of electors of President and Vice President equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the District would be entitled if it were a State, but in no event more than the least populous State; they shall be in addition to those appointed by the State, but they shall be considered, for the purposes of the election of President and Vice President, to be electors appointed by a State; and they shall meet in the District and perform such duties as provided by the twelfth article of amendment. |
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| Amendment XXV, Section 3 | ||
| Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President. | ||
| Amendment V | ||
| No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, not be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. | ||
| Winners: | 1st Place will receive a $500.00 scholarship; 2nd Place will receive a $350.00 scholarship; 3rd Place will receive $150.00 scholarship from the local American Legion, H.U. Wood Post 245. | |
| Local winners may complete at the next higher level until eliminated. | ||
| National winners will receive a $18,000.00 scholarship for 1st Place; $16,000.00 scholarship for 2nd Place; and $14,000.00 scholarship for 3rd Place. | ||
| Registration consists of a Teacher calling The American Legion Post 245 and giving the students name, age, grade no later than 12 November, at 5:00 pm. Phone (830) 379-1079. | ||
| For more information or any questions, please call the The American Legion H.U. Wood Post 245. Additional information on The American Legion Oratorical contest can be found at www.legion.org/oratorical | ||
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