The Rotary District 7690 – 
Jim Armstrong Four Way Test Speech Contest

On Saturday, February 24, 2024 Rotary District 7690 held the Jim Armstrong Four Way Test Speech Contest for high school students at Randolph Community College in Asheboro. Students presented speeches aimed at their fellow students using Rotary’s Four Way Test as a guideline for a lifetime of ethical behavior. The first place winner has been invited to present his speech at District Conference in April. Thanks to our judges: Van Lankford, Ron Pierce, Karen Pollard, Mark Brandon, Anant Venkataraman, and Lenise Lynch. Thanks also to our timekeeper, Brent Holmes, and to Regina Rush, Matt Higgs, Chris Yow, and Mini Singh for their help with registration and setup. Finally, a special thank you to all of the clubs that sent a participant to the competition for their support. Twenty-five students participated in the District Competition. The winners of the 2024 District Contest were:

• 1st Place – Nathanael Burns of Oak Grove High School, sponsored by the Thomasville Rotary Club
• 2nd Place – Izzy Cline of East Surry High School, sponsored by the Surry Sunrise Rotary Club
• 3rd Place – Griffin Hobbs of Northwood High School, sponsored by the Pittsboro Rotary Club
• 4th Place – Ava Moore of Pinecrest High School, sponsored by the Southern Pines Rotary Club
• 5th Place – Ashlyn Spolyar of West Forsyth High School, sponsored by the Clemmons Rotary Club

Other participants were:

• Dorothea Ayers of Seaforth High School, sponsored by the Jonesboro Rotary Club
• Travis Ball of Uwharrie Ridge 6-12, sponsored by the Liberty Rotary Club
• Aidyn Eli Brown of Uwharrie Ridge 6-12, sponsored by the Midstate Rotary Club • Raymond Byars of Uwharrie Ridge 6-12, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Asheboro
• Casey Cao of Davie County High School, sponsored by the Mocksviller Rotary Club
• Brantley Deal of Lee Early College, sponsored by the Guilford Rotary Club
• Kaylee DiJohn of Stokes Early College, sponsored by the Rotary Club of King
• Sam Funchess of Northwest Guilford School, sponsored by the Greensboro Rotary Club
• Daisy Gaither of Gaither Arts & Science Academy (homeschool), sponsored by the Eden Rotary Club
• Gabriel Grant of Piedmont Classical High School, sponsored by the Greensboro Airport Rotary Club
• Trinity Griffin of Mount Airy High School, sponsored by the Mount Airy Rotary Club
• Bryson Helton of Yadkin Early College, sponsored by the YadkinValley Rotary Club
• Avary Herman of Westchester County Day School, sponsored by the Kernersville Rotary Club
• Emilia Hermenegildo Perez – West Stokes High School, sponsored by the Reynolda Rotary Club
• Emily Mabe of West Stokes High School, sponsored by the Western Forsyth Rotary Club
• Brandt Meske of Yadkin Early College, sponsored by the Greensboro Downtown Rotary Club
• Kaylee Rudd of Southwestern Randolph High School, sponsored by the Randolph Rotary Club
• Justin Sommerville of West Forsyth High School, sponsored by the Winston Salem Rotary Club
• Carolina Venegas Soriano of Lee Early College, sponsored by the Sanford Rotary Club
• Sawyer Williams of Wesleyan Christian Academy, sponsored by the High Point Rotary Club

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This is an opportunity for high school students in grades 9 through 12 to develop their public speaking and leadership skills while increasing awareness of Rotary in our communities.

High school speech contestants are asked to present a six-minute persuasive talk, directed toward their peers, to promote high ethical standards in daily life.  The speech should clearly mention the application of Rotary’s Four Way Test to facilitate positive and ethical behavior in youth and teens.  If applicable, they may incorporate Rotary’s theme for the current year into their speech.

Contestants’ speeches will be judged for content and presentation.  The content should be focused, clear, and accurate, and should be delivered in a logical, organized, and persuasive manner. Articulation, body language, creativity, and effectiveness in engaging peers in the message of ethical choices and behavior relating to the Rotary’s Four-Way Test will be important criteria in judging the presentations.

District prizes will be:

• $1000 for first place
• $500 for second place
• $250 for third place
• $100 for fourth place

At the contest, Rotary District 7690 may videotape the contestants’ presentations and may use them on the Rotary District 7690 website or other Rotary District social media at the District’s discretion.

Contest Rules:

• The contest is open to all students in high school grades 9 through 12 who are currently enrolled in a high school curriculum.
• All contestants must be physically present to compete in the contest on February 24, 2024.
• Each club is limited to one contestant. If the club has multiple students interested in participating, the club will be responsible for judging the presentations at the local level and should select one of those individuals to represent the club on February 24, 2024.
• More than one student from the same school may compete if they are sponsored by different clubs.
• The speeches will be judged for
  • Content (knowledge of subject, logical development, clarity of ideas, and persuasiveness to peers).
  • Originality (captures audience interest and attention, effectively connects the information about ethics to the lives of teens today).
  • Delivery (enunciation/pronunciation, expression/poise, sincerity/tone, positive approach)
  • Staying within the 6-minute time limit.
• No props or PowerPoint presentations will be permitted but notes on 3×5 cards are allowed.
• Speeches should be the original work of the contestant and should not be read.
• Contestants should remain anonymous, not revealing their name, town, school, etc. until after the contest to prevent any bias on the part of the judges.
• Each contestant must consent to Rotary District 7690 videotaping their presentation at the District contest on February 24, 2024.
• Each club must send the application for their contestant to Kathy Homiller by Wednesday, February 14, 2024.

Below there are links to four documents.  The first two are copies of the letters that were emailed to each club president and youth services contact with event details.  One of the letters is for use in recruiting applicants.  Each club should contact the schools in the area they serve to invite them to solicit applicants.  If necessary, clubs in the same school district should coordinate with each other to decide which club is responsible for contacting which schools in that area.  An application form (copy attached) must be filled out for the club’s contestant.

• 2023-24 Announcement of Contest to schools
• 2023-24 Announcement of Contest to Clubs
• 2024 Four Way Test Speech Contest Application
• HISTORY OF THE 4 WAY TEST

Questions or comments?  Contact:

Kathy Homiller – Chair – khomiller@triad.rr.com 336-653-8502

 

District 7690 4 Way Test Speech Contest 2023

2023 District 7690 1st Place 4-Way Test Speech at District Conference

On Saturday, February 25, 2023 Rotary District 7690 held its annual Four Way Test Speech Contest for high school students at Guilford Technical Community College in Jamestown.   Students presented speeches aimed at their fellow students using Rotary’s Four Way Test as a guideline for a lifetime of ethical behavior. The first place winner has been invited to present her speech at District Conference in May.  Thanks to our judges: Debbie Branson Scott, Ron Pierce, Cathy Harpster, Van Lankford, and Jim Armstrong.  Thanks to our timekeeper Brent Holmes.  Thanks, too, to the student volunteers from New Garden Friends School who helped with registration and setup.  And a special thank you to all of the clubs that sent a participant to the competition for their support.

Twenty-seven students participated in the District Competition.  The winners of the 2023 District Contest were:

• 1st Place – Anna Marley of Faith Christian School, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Asheboro
• 2nd Place – Sophia Crawford of Wesleyan Christian Academy, sponsored by the High Point Rotary Club
• 3rd Place – McKenna Voncannon of Asheboro Hybrid Academy, sponsored by the Randolph Rotary Club
• 4th Place – Kaylee DiJohn of Stokes Early College High School, sponsored by the Rotary Club of King
• 5th Place – Mercer Meadows of Mount Airy High School, sponsored by the Mount Airy Rotary Club

Other participants were:

• Georgia Aldridge of Pinecrest High School, sponsored by the Carthage Rotary Club
• Emma (Jeanne) Apperson of Lee Early College, sponsored by the Sanford Rotary Club
• Evelyn Atkins of Seaforth High School, sponsored by the Pittsboro Rotary Club
• Quinn Augustine of Pinecrest High School, sponsored by the Downtown Greensboro Rotary Club
• Trent Benton of Page High School, sponsored by the Greensboro Rotary Club
• Keiontae Brown-McKinnon of Piedmont Classical High School, sponsored by the Greensboro Airport Club
• Raymond Byars of Uwharrie Ridge High School, sponsored by the Midstate Rotary Club
• Isaac Carter of Pinecrest High School, sponsored by the Southern Pines Rotary Club
• Gideon Cheek of A&T Four Middle College at NC A & T, sponsored by the Guilford Rotary Club
• Payton Collette of West Forsyth High School, sponsored by the Clemmons Rotary Club
• Madison Gamble of Wesleyan Christian Academy, sponsored by the Western Forsyth Rotary Club
• Chloe Harnpanich of the Early College at Guilford, sponsored by the E-Club of Global Trekkers
• Emily Ingram of the Early/Middle College at GTCC – Greensboro, sponsored by the Mocksville Rotary Club
• Logan Mercier of Cummings High School, sponsored by the Alamance Rotary Club
• Jay Richard Mitchell of Surry Early College, sponsored by the Sandhills Rotary Club
• Jose Luis Mondragon Perez of Montgomery County Early College, sponsored by the Troy Rotary Club
• Katie O’Neal of Surry Central High School, sponsored by the Surry Sunrise Rotary Club
• Anushka Saroha of Weaver Academy, sponsored by the Crescent Rotary Club
• Malakai Sharick-Duckworth of the Yadkin Early College, sponsored by the Yadkin Rotary Club
• Emma Shell of the Early Middle College at GTCC – Jamestown, sponsored by the Gate City Rotary Club
• Justin Sommerville of West Forsyth High School, sponsored by the Reynolda Rotary Club
• Shelby Woodrum of East Davidson High School, sponsored by the Thomasville Rotary Club

 

 

District 7690 4 Way Test Speech Contest 2022
District 7690’s Four Way Test speech contest was held on Saturday, February 26, 2022, at Guilford Technical Community College. Sixteen contestants presented speeches aimed at their fellow students using Rotary’s Four Way test as a guideline for a lifetime of ethical behavior. The first-place winner will present her speech at the district conference in April.

Thanks to our judges: DG Chris Justice, DGE Debby Scott, DGND Ron Pierce, and High Point Rotarian Jim Armstrong. Thanks, too, to Tim Montgomery and the students from the Piedmont School who served as aides to the contestants as we held the contest in COVID mode for the second year. And a special thank you to all the clubs that sent a participant to the competition for their support of ethical behavior for youth.

The winners of the 2022 District Contest were:
• 1st Place – Emily Maerz of Randolph Early College, sponsored by the Randolph Club.
• 2nd Place – Grant Aycock of Wesleyan Christian Academy, sponsored by Furnitureland Rotary.
• 3rd Place – Raymond Byars of Uwharrie Ridge 6-12, sponsored by the Asheboro Club.
• 4th Place – Regan Rhymes of East ForsytDistrict 7690 4 Way Test Speech Contest 2022
District 7690’s Four Way Test speech contest was held on Saturday, February 26, 2022, at Guilford Technical Community College. Sixteen contestants presented speeches aimed at their fellow student District 7690 4 Way Test Speech Contest 2022
District 7690’s Four Way Test speech contest was held on Saturday, February 26, 2022, at Guilford Technical Community College. Sixteen contestants presented speeches aimed at their fellow studenth High, sponsored by the Kernersville Club.

Other participants were:
• Raygan Hawkins of North Stokes High, sponsored by the Global Trekkers Club.
• Fiza Khan of Southwest Guilford High, sponsored by the Greensboro Club.
• Isaiah Morgan of Western Alamance High, sponsored by the Alamance Club.
• Olivia Phillips of Mt. Airy High, sponsored by the Surry Sunrise Club.
• Madison Flynt of Ledford High, sponsored by the Thomasville Club.
• Katelyn Sarwi of Weaver Academy, sponsored by the Crescent Club.
• Katie O’Neal of Surry Central High, sponsored by the Mt. Airy Club.
• Madison Spangler of West Forsyth High, sponsored by the Clemmons Club.
• Catherine Luzzi of West Stokes High, sponsored by the King Club.
• Sophia Mack of Pinecrest High, sponsored by the Southern Pines Club.
• Lauren Hiatt of Wesleyan Christian Academy, sponsored by the High Point Club.
• Cerenity Cornell of Glen High School, sponsored by the Gate City Club.

 

 

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