Oratorical Contest

Since 1938, the contest has developed knowledge and appreciation for the U.S. Constitution among high school students.

Eighty Fourth edition of
THE AMERICAN LEGION
High School Oratorical Scholarship Program
“A Constitutional Speech Contest”

Events

DEPARTMENT CONTEST TIME SCHEDULE

POST LEVEL - to be completed by February 3, 2024 (results to the County Chairperson by February 10, 2024)

COUNTY LEVEL - to be completed by February 17, 2024 (results to the District Chairperson by February 24, 2024)

DISTRICT LEVEL -to be completed by March 16, 2024 (results to the Department and the Department

Chairman immediately after contest completion) 

District 3 Competition: March 9, 2024

Woodbridge Municipal Building

contestants arriving by 10:30am Contest 11:00am

1 Main Street, Woodbridge NJ 07095

District 4 Competition: Tuesday March 12, 2024 6:30 pm to 10pm

Maple Shade Fire Department Hall

53 South Maple Ave, Maple Shade, N.J. 08052

DEPARTMENT FINALS will be held on March 30, 2024, at the Joyce Kilmer Post 25 – 4 J. F. Kennedy Drive Milltown NJ 08850 at 9:00 a.m. 

National Quarter Finals Round will be held Saturday morning, May 18th, 2024.

National Semi-Finals Round will be held on Saturday afternoon, May 18th, 2024.

National Final Round will be held Sunday morning, May 19th, 2024.

Contest

The Prepared Oration

The oration must be on some aspect of the Constitution, with emphasis on a citizen’s duties and obligations to our government. The same subject and oration used in the department contest must be used in the national contest.

Contestants may have a copy of their prepared oration while waiting in the first holding room. They may consult the copy until they exit to begin the contest. The copy will then be surrendered to the contest official monitoring the first holding room.

Quotations must always be indicated as such. Where quotations are more than 10 words in length, the author’s name must be given in the manuscript and cited orally.

It is acceptable to utilize or incorporate short phrases in a foreign language to develop the argument, establish a point, etc. It should be understood that the vast majority of the prepared oration and/or assigned topic must still be delivered in English. Singing is not permitted and will result in immediate disqualification. The contestant may, however, quote a verse(s) of a song(s) provided proper attribution is made.

Assigned Topic Discourse

The assigned topic discourse must not consume less than three (3) minutes or more than five (5) minutes for delivery. The purpose of the assigned topic discourse 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 assigned topic shall be drawn by the contest official in full view of the audience immediately before the last speaker begins delivery of his or her prepared oration and will be made known to the audience and each contestant approximately five (5) minutes prior to the time of delivery. The topic will be on some phase of the U.S. Constitution, selected from Articles and Sections as listed under assigned topics for the current year's contest in this brochure.

All contestants at each contest level are required to speak in the English language on the same assigned topic.

Assigned Topics for 2024 Oratorical Contest

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.

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.