Rotary contest helps promote public speaking

Four finalists from four southern zone secondary schools gave 7–10 minute competition speeches at the Maungaturoto and Districts Rotary Club tea meeting on Tuesday August 28.

Bryce Robertson of Rodney College was the winner with his speech The pen is mightier than the sword.

Otamatea High School’s Lara Ware, with her speech What makes a New Zealander a Kiwi was runner-up.

Other finalists were Michael-Lydia Winiana of Mahurangi College and Laura Andrews of Bream Bay. 

Bryce will now go forward to compete against northern zone finalists.

Contestants were also judged on a one-and-a-half to two minute impromptu speech.

Adjudicators Anne Henry and Annette Dark said that the speeches were of an extremely high standard and that all finalists were to be congratulated.

The Rotary Club of Whangarei started this speech competition in 1961 when the late Hugh Rishworth, a past president of the Whangarei Rotary Club donated a cup as a prize for the winner of the speech contest. Subsequently, an anonymous donor invested $5000 to fund a visit to Sydney’s Crows Nest Club for the winner. 

The annual competition has become a prestigious event, aiming to promote the art of public speaking amongst young people and encourage all Northland secondary schools to do likewise.

The contest is made possible by the generous sponsorship of Urlich McNab Kilpatrick, Barristers and Solicitors, who have been involved since 2005.