Think you have what it takes to get up in front of a room full of people and talk about something you have a passion for and want to tell others?
The Fonthill Lions and The Fabulous Fenwick Lions are giving young orators a chance to do just that through their 2025 Effective Speaking Contest, taking place at the Fonthill Legion, located at 141 Hwy. 20 East. In Pelham, on March 2 at 1 p.m.
“We just got the letters out to the schools now,” said Lion Eleanor Arbour, who is an organizer for the contest, adding there are three age categories – junior (Grades 4-6), intermediate (Grades 7-9) and senior (Grades 10-12) for both English and French schools.
Speech lengths are set at 3-5 minutes for juniors and 5-7 minutes for intermediate and senior divisions.
“The first-place winners from our competition go to a district competition, and then the winners from there go to what we call the MDA competition, which is all of Ontario,” Arbour said.
The regional competition will be held in Port Colborne at the Lions Hall on March 30 while the Multiple District A (MDA) competition in Toronto will take place on May 2 and 3.
The contest is open to both elementary and high school students in Pelham and Welland. Entry may be made through local schools or by email to [email protected]. The deadline to register is Feb. 22.
The speaking competition is just one program the Lions Club has geared toward youth. Other programs include the Lions Youth Exchange and its annual youth camps. The Lions also host an annual Peace Poster and Essay contest as well as the LEO Clubs for youth ages 12-18.