Our 2019 public speaking contest will be held on Monday, February 25, 2019 at the Campbell's Senior Citizen's Club, 16 Circassion Drive, Cole Harbour, NS B2W 5C2. Students should arrive before 6:45 pm, and the contest will begin at 7:00 pm.  The student who places first in our Club's contest will advance to the Zone Speak-out Contest in March at the Eastern Passage Cow Bay Lions Club.  That contest begins at 7:00 pm.

Are you a grade 9 junior high student or a high school student attending school in Cole Harbour?  If so, you could win cash prizes and awards in the Cole Harbour Lions Speak-out Contest!!  This experience also looks great on your resume.

Every year in February, the Cole Harbour Lions Club hosts a public speaking contest for students attending grade 9, 10, 11 and 12 in Cole Harbour.  Students prepare a five (5) minute speech and compete for cash prizes and trophies.  

There are four levels to the contest:

1. Club 
2. Zone
3. District
4. Multiple District

If you have any questions or would like to enter the Speak-out Contest, please send an email to coleharbourlions@hotmail.com.

General Information

The Cole Harbour Lions Speak-out Contest provides students with an opportunity to think about important current issues; to organize their thoughts and ideas; and to effectively present these ideas publicly. The Speak-out Contest provides a forum for young people to build self confidence as they publicly put forward and defend their views.

Contest Rules

1. The contest will be co-educational at all four levels (Club, Zone, District and Multiple District). 
2. All grade 9, 10, 11, and 12 students in full-time attendance may participate.
3. Speakers will be assigned numbers which are to be drawn prior to the Speak-out. Contestants will be introduced by number and topic. Speakers will be identified after all have spoken.
4. All speeches are to be approximately five (5) minutes in length. Speeches shorter than four (4) minutes or longer than six (6) minutes will be penalized one (1) point for each ten (10) seconds or portion thereof; e.g. 2 seconds - 1 point, 8 seconds - 1 point, 13 seconds - 2 points, 33 seconds - 4 points, etc.
5. Contestants at the Club Level may use prepared scripts, but excessive reading will be penalized. Contestants at the Zone and District levels may use notes only.
6. Contestants may use a different topic at each level of the Speakout, however, the speech must be an original.
7. At the end of each speech, contestants will be asked One (1) question by the Questioners. The judges will award points for knowledge of subject and manner of response. Questioners will not score speakers. Questions should be brief and to the point.
8. Questioners will ask questions pertaining to the contestant's topic, and questions should be simple and concise.
9. All speakers will be evaluated in three (3) categories (see judges score sheets). A. Delivery of  Speech, B. Material of Speech, C. Response to Questions

Sample of Judge's Scoring Sheet

Student Resume and Consent for Photographs

Students must complete the Student Resume in order to enter the contest.  Also, in order for photographs to be published in the newspaper or on the Lions Clubs website, parents/guardians are required to sign the Consent at the bottom of this form. Click here to download a copy of the Student Resume and Consent for Photograph form.