Four-Way Test Speech Contest Rotary District 6600 2014 Saturday, March 22 The FOUR-WAY TEST of the things we think, say or do First Second Third Fourth Is it the TRUTH? Is it FAIR to ALL concerned? Will it build GOOD WILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? Will it be BENEFICIAL to ALL concerned? Host Club: Van Wert
District 6600 Four-Way Test Speech Contest Timeline 1. Between Now and March 8, 2014 Organize your local contest and contact area schools Conduct your Club s contest 2. By March 15, 2014 Submit the Four-Way Test Registration Form to the District Chair 3. March 22, 2014 Four-Way Test District Speech Competition Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio 10700 SR 118 South (directions at www.npacvw.org) Van Wert, Ohio District Competition Speech Winners will be asked to present at District Conference. District 6600 2014 Speech Contest Contact: Paul Hoverman The Van Wert County Foundation 138 E. Main Street Van Wert, OH 419-238-1743 (O) 419-513-0123 (C) 419-238-3374 (fax) Email: paulhoverman@gmail.com
ROTARY Speech Contest Open to Grades 9-12 ORGANIZING THE FOUR-WAY TEST SPEECH CONTEST AT THE CLUB LEVEL DIRECTOR S DUTIES: 1. Confer with last year s Four-Way Test Director for valuable suggestions and materials. Contestants will be judged at the club level. One winner from each club will then compete at the District Competition, held on March 22, 2014 in Van Wert, Ohio. 2. Schedule through your Program Director a date for your club level contest. 3. Personally contact the speech teacher, guidance counselor and/or principal at the local high school(s) to announce this year s contest. Touch base with your school contacts ASAP. Send copies of all materials, including Rules and Rubric, to the appropriate teacher(s). 4. Arrange in advance for three judges and a timekeeper (could be you.) Can use Rotarians and save meal cost. Deliver a copy of the Rubric to judges before the day of the contest for their familiarization. 5. Arrange with the Club Treasurer to have scholarship checks for winners (1 st, 2 nd, 3 rd, etc places as your Club chooses.) If your club plans to use plaques or trophies instead of, or in addition to scholarship awards, order them in advance. 6. Complete and return the Registration Form no later than the March 15, 2014, deadline to the 2014 Speech Contest Chair. At the District Competition, prizes will be awarded and the winner will be invited to deliver his/her speech again at District Conference. 7. This year s District Competition prize money is: First Place - $500 Second Place - $300 Third Place - $200 *NOTE: This is an increase from last year s prize money! DIRECTOR S DUTIES ON CONTEST DAY UPON ARRIVAL: 1. Greet the contestants as they arrive and have them draw for speaking order. 2. Do not allow students to sit at table with judges and your judges should not sit together. 3. Judges should never confer, but should make notes on Rubric. Judges points will be tallied by you to determine the place finishes.
ROTARY FOUR-WAY TEST SPEECH CONTEST RULES WHO LENGTH This contest is an opportunity for any high school student to compose and orally deliver an original speech based on the Rotary Four-Way Test. Contestant may be a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior in a public, private or home school and may have competed and won in previous years but with a different speech. Potential home-school contestants, if affiliated with a local high school, should be encouraged to compete in that school s preliminary competition. Otherwise, the Club may address how to hold an initial competition for home-school students leading to a home-school representative for the Club s contest. The Defiance Club/attn: Darline Clemens has addressed such a contingency. 5-7 minutes with a 15 second leeway (4 points off for going over or under.) DELIVERY Speech may be memorized or notes may be used, but reading is discouraged. Memorization is certainly more impressive. At the District level, a microphone will Not be used. The acoustics are very good in the Lecture Hall at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center in Van Wert, but contestants should keep in mind excellent voice projection as it will benefit their speech performance. A podium is provided, but feel free to use the entire stage if you prefer. TOPIC Material must be original in content and be about applying the Rotary Four-Way Test to an important issue in our everyday relationships with other people. The test asks the following four questions: Is it the TRUTH? Is it FAIR to ALL concerned? Will it build GOOD WILL & BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? Will it be BENEFICIAL to ALL concerned? Contestants should prepare a speech with facts, statistics, stories, examples and quotations. Add some humor and personal touches. Inspiration is always a plus! Judging will be based upon the attached performance criteria and point system.
Speech Performance Rubric Name Date Rater (Rate 1-4 with 4 being superior) Criteria Points Comments Attitude Enthusiasm Confidence Responsibility Appearance Maturity Sincerity Voice Volume Rate Pitch Nonverbal Eye Contact Variation Posture Language Quality Enunciation Variation Gesturing Visual Aids Integration Accuracy Grammar Clarity Appropriateness Pronunciation Expressiveness Content (using the Rotary Four-Way Test as a model) Clarity Originality Accuracy Organization Purpose Introduction Conclusion Adaptation Attention Feedback Knowledge Documentation Reasoning Sufficiency Transitions Unity Subordination Credibility Interest Reinforcement Effectiveness of Theme (using the Rotary Four-Way Test as a model) Assignment Notes Outline Research Under time Over time TOTAL SCORE:
ROTARY FOUR-WAY TEST SPEECH CONTEST Registration Form (Return no later than March 15, 2014) Contestant s Name: (Last) (First) (Middle) Mailing Address: Telephone Number: Cell Phone (if different): Email: The above named individual has been chosen to represent High School in the Four-Way Test Speech Contest for the Rotary Club of. The local club contact is: Address: Phone: Cell: Email: High School Principal or Responsible Instructor Date Rotary Club Contact Date FOUR-WAY TEST SPEECH CONTEST RELEASE FORM By signing this release, I indicate my willingness to have my speech reproduced in any form and to have my picture used in media releases. I also indicate my willingness to participate, when my schedule permits, in speaking engagements requested by the Rotary Club. Contestant Return to District 6600-Speech Contest Contact: Paul Hoverman Van Wert Rotary Club The Van Wert County Foundation 138 E. Main Street Van Wert, Ohio 45891