Rotary Speech Contest Draws Talents of Four RUHS Students

"Sonny" Holt, president of the Randolph Rotary Club, seems pleased with the company he keeps as he congratulates the two winners of the Club's annual speech contest. The winners, both RUHS students, were Lauren Soares and Morgan Brown. (Herald / M. D. Drysdale)

It was a photo finish at the Randolph Rotary Club’s seventh annual speech contest last Thursday, but the final result was the same as last year.

Randolph Union High School junior Lauren Soares edged out senior Morgan Brown in the contest, as scored by four Rotary Club judges. She will represent the Randolph club in higher levels of the contest.

Lauren won $100 for her achievement last week, and can win another $900 if she wins at the next three levels. Last year she came in second at the top district level.

Morgan won $50 for her second-place finish. Two other RUHS students participated as well, and their scores were not far behing the winners, said Herald Editor Dick Drysdale, who organized the event.

The other two were sophomores Katie Jickling and Danielle Bolio.

"I hope they both compete again next year. They were outstanding as first-time speakers," Drysdale said.

The speakers were recruited and trained at RUHS by English teacher Tina O’Donnell. She attended Thursday’s luncheon event at the Three Stallion Inn to give her young charges encouragement beforehand and hugs afterwards.

Participants gave five-minute speeches and were allowed to choose between two topics. One was Rotary International’s motto for the year, which is "Rotary Shares," and the other is the organizations "Four Way Test," which gives guidelines for "things we say and do."

Presiding over the meeting was Rotary President "Sonny" Holt, whose daughter Laura won the speech contest several years ago.