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Wednesday 23 October 2013

Youth Speaks


The ability to speak in public to an unfamiliar audience is an extremely useful skill in many situations.  This competition enables you and two partners to gain an invaluable experience and the opportunity to pit yourselves against colleagues and those from other schools and groups.

Rotary clubs all over the country have been running this competition for over twenty years and nearby teams from Roundwood Park School and Hitchin Boys School have been successful in the national finals in the last couple of years.

The first round of the competition, the local heats are coming up next month on 18th Nov with entries due by 11th.  Please give serious thought to entering - it is an excellent opportunity, difficult to get in any other way.

The details of the competition and an entry form are below.  The entry form should be copied and emailed as an attachment to midhertsrotary@ymail.com

John Walton
Chairman, Mid Herts Rotary





WELWYN HATFIELD ROTARY YOUTH SPEAKS 2014 ENTRY FORM
Please read the rules and guidelines before completing IN CAPITALS – Including e-mail addresses - and sending this form to midhertsrotary@ymail.com


INTERMEDIATE SENIOR COMPETITION  (Please delete as appropriate.)

Name and address of school, college, youth group, other organisation:

 
 
…………………………………...………………..…………………………………………….………………
Name of teacher/adult responsible for the team, home & mobile numbers and e-mail

 
 

………..………………...………………..…………………………………………….………………………..




Subject chosen:

 
 

……………………………………………………………..……………….…………………………………..

Team members                                                                                             Date of birth

 

 
 

Chairperson: ...……………………………………………………….................................................……             

 

 
 

Speaker: ...…………………………………………………………….................................................……     

 

 
       
Proposer: ………………………………………………………………................................................…..        
    
The parents, guardians or carers of the team members have given permission for the team members to take part in the competition and for photographic records to be taken and used for RIBI publicity purposes.
 

 
Name (capitals if handwritten):
Teacher or other adult responsible for the team………………………………..……………………………


 
Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland has adopted a Policy in respect of its work with children, the elderly, the vulnerable and those with a disability.

Signed: …………………………………………..        Date: ……………………………………………..
(if not submitted electronically)

Please add brief details (100 words) of the school, college, youth group or other organisation for use in press releases, published information and competition programmes:


 


RIBI Youth Speaks 2014
 
A Public Speaking Competition


Mid Herts Rotary Heats

Closing date for entries: Monday 11th November
Competition date:  Monday 18th November
6.00pm for 6.15pm start
Entries to: midhertsrotary@ymail.com


Potters Bar/Brookmans Park Competition
Organised by Potters Bar Rotary Club
Organiser:  Rtn Mike Thorpe
115 Park Avenue, Potters Bar EN6 5EW
Tel: 01707 652682

 

Welwyn Hatfield Competition
Organised by Welwyn Garden City Rotary Club
Organiser:  Rtn John Walton
18 Sheepcote, Welwyn Garden City AL7 4QD
Tel: 01707 890790

The competitions may be amalgamated if there are insufficient entries.
INTRODUCTION TO 2014 COMPETITION

Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI) has, for many years, run public speaking competitions for young people.  Public speaking is an important life skill and is one that Rotarians value.  Rotarians are always delighted to support and celebrate the expertise of young people.

Each year, thousands of young people take part in events that culminate in the regional and RIBI finals to which participants travel from throughout the British Isles to take part. It is a wonderful demonstration of the achievement of those taking part and a great experience of their speaking talent..

We are inviting teams to take the first step on that journey by entering the Welwyn Hatfield heat of the competition, the winners of which will go on to the District semi-final in February and hopefully to the further levels.

The Intermediate competition is open to students aged 11 to 13 years at 31st August 2013 and the Senior competition to those aged 14 to 17 on the same date.

Teams consist of three young people. The Chairperson has two minutes to welcome the audience, to introduce the Speaker and to inform the audience of the relevance or expertise of the Speaker to the subject of his/her speech.  The Speaker has six minutes for the address and a maximum of two minutes to consider and answer a question that will be posed by a Questioner.  The third member of the team proposes a vote of thanks and comments on the content of the speech and the answer to the question.

The Speaker is free to choose any subject approved by the organisers, with the exception of subjects directly concerning party politics, race or religion. Considerable discretion is urged in the choice of subjects which might be sensitive to members of the audience. 

Entries should be sent to midhertsrotary@ymail.com or to the relevant organiser (contact details on front page) using the form attached by Monday 11th November.




The Rules and Organisational Guidelines for Competitions leading to the RIBI Finals


THE RULES

1.    Objectives

The competition aims to offer young people:
¨       An experience of speaking on a public platform as members of a team.
¨       An incentive to formulate ideas on significant subjects.
¨       The discipline in dealing with a topic in a limited time.
¨       The opportunity of learning and practising high standards of expression, presentation and appearance.
¨       The impartial criticism and assessment of performance by experienced adjudicators.


2.    Competitors

The competition is open to teams of young people entered by Rotary Clubs from schools, colleges, youth training schemes or youth groups within the geographic area covered by Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI).

There are two categories: Senior and Intermediate. 

Intermediate:                       Aged 11 – 13 years (DOB 01/09/1999 – 31/08/2002)
Senior:                                 Aged 14 – 17 years. (DOB 01/09/1995 – 31/08/1999)

Consequently, in the Intermediate Competition some entrants may be aged 14 years and in the Senior Competition some entrants may be 18 years of age.

No entrant may be a member of more than one team. 

No team may participate more than once in any qualifying round. Team membership will normally be unchanged for each stage of the competition. In case of illness or other reason why a member of the team cannot participate, then the organisers must be contacted for approval to make a substitute.


3.    Teams

Each team shall comprise three members: the chairperson, the speaker and the proposer of the vote of thanks.


4.    Format

The Chairperson has TWO minutes to welcome the audience, to introduce the Speaker and to inform the audience of the relevance or expertise of the Speaker to the subject of his/her speech.

The Speaker has SIX minutes for the address and a maximum of TWO minutes to consider and answer a question that will be posed by the Questioner.  The Speaker is free to choose any subject approved by the organisers, with the exception of subjects directly concerning party politics, race or religion.

Considerable discretion is urged in the choice of subjects which might be sensitive to members of the audience.  The subject selected may however change from round to round.

When the Speaker has finished, the Chairperson will invite the Questioner, who shall NOT be an adjudicator, to put one question only to the Speaker.

The Speaker shall answer the question.  Clarification of the question via the Chairperson is permitted, however, the Speaker, who is the subject matter expert, may not consult with other team members. After this the Chairperson will briefly introduce the Proposer of the vote of thanks.

The Proposer of the vote of thanks has TWO minutes in which to propose the vote of thanks, remarking on both the content of the address and the response to the question asked by the questioner.  The audience should then be invited to show its appreciation of the Speaker.

After the vote of thanks and applause, the Chairperson will close the proceedings.

The overall time for each team’s presentation will be approximately 15 minutes, including the question.


5.     Procedure

Before each competition takes place, a draw will be held to determine the order in which teams will make their presentations.  This order will be notified to the teams on the day of the competition.

A system of lights will be provided: green to begin, yellow as a warning that the time is coming to an end and red to signal the end of the speaker’s time.  There will be a back-up system of coloured cards in the event of an equipment failure.

At the beginning of each event, a Master of Ceremonies (MC), usually a Rotarian, will welcome the participants and guests, introduce the adjudicators and the questioner and outline the procedure. The MC will then invite each team, in order of the draw, to come onto the stage to make its presentation.

The team should be ushered onto the stage by the Chairperson, who should sit down with the Speaker on their right and the Proposer of the vote of thanks on their left.  When the team are ready the Chairperson will stand and the green light will show.  Once the green light has been given, the timing will begin and the Chairperson is in control until the Vote of thanks is complete and the proceedings are closed.

Chairperson, adjudicators, questioner and audience will be aware of the passage of time by a system of lights used as follows: -

Chairperson:                                     Green light to start
                        Yellow after 1.5 minutes
            Red after 2 minutes.

Speaker:                                             Green following introduction by the Chairperson
            Yellow after 5 minutes
            Red after 6 minutes

Proposer - vote of thanks:               Green after introduction by the Chairperson
Yellow after 1.5 minutes
            Red after 2 minutes



6.     Question to the Speaker
      Note: For those who have entered the competition before, we will be having a question to the main speaker in the Welwyn Hatfield heat this year.

The Questioner, who will have been briefed in advance, will ask a single question. This will be short, sensible and clearly relate to the main theme of the address.  The age of the Speaker will be taken into account when framing the question.

The Questioner should choose each question carefully as it could be significant to the success of the team.


7.    Adjudication

There will be three qualified adjudicators. The Chairperson of the Adjudicators will be a person with experience of adjudicating speaking activities for young people.  Adjudicators may be drawn from adults with relevant experience of public speaking or oral presentations.  The team of adjudicatorswill, if possible, display a balance of gender. 

It is important that, at every stage, the adjudication is seen to be impartial and fair. Conflicts of interest will be avoided. 

Criteria:

The Chairperson’s management of the meeting                                (25 points)

The Speaker’s ability to present and develop an argument
and to answer the question                                                                (50 points)

The quality and courtesy of the Vote of thanks                                  (25 points)

Included within the marking will be the importance of teamwork.

Over-running and under-running of the allotted times will be penalised: one point for every complete 15 seconds of over-run and one point for each complete thirty seconds of under-run for each speaker.  The time-keeper will notify the adjudicators.

A marking sheet will be provided for the use of the adjudicators. 

After all the teams have presented and the performances judged, the adjudicators will comment on the performance of each team and the result will be announced.  The adjudicators will not discuss marks or how they have been allotted.  The decision of the adjudicators is final. No correspondence or discussion will be entered into following the event.

We will ensure that the adjudicators are completely familiar with these rules and the expectations of each member of the competing teams with regard to their role within the team.


8.    Guidance for participants and adjudicators.  

In assessing the presentations, Adjudicators will pay attention to the following:-

All team members
·        Effective use of voice, clear enunciation, easy manner, natural gestures.
·        Whether the personality of the individual comes over to the audience. 
·        Humour, in the right context, will be appreciated.

Notes can be used, but they should not be too obvious; simply reading written content will be penalised. Audio-visual aids (excluding microphones and amplification in venues that require this) and props of any description are NOT allowed. Use of such items will lead to disqualification.

Chairperson
·         A business-like, yet courteous, handling of the meeting.   
·         Attention to the duties specified above.
·         The creation of a friendly and receptive atmosphere.

Speaker
·         The construction of the address that should include an introduction, the main subject matter and a conclusion.  
·         The content of the speeches and the logic and weight of the arguments developed will be given great importance.  A weak argument, however good the presentation, will not produce top marks.
·         The impact created on the audience.
·         The answers to the question should be courteous, to the point, full but not unduly wordy.

Proposer of the vote of thanks

·         The duty of the Proposer is to express to the Speaker the appreciation of the audience.
·         Reference should be made to the content of the address and the answer to the question.
·         Finally, the Proposer should invite the audience to express their appreciation of the Speaker.


9.    Stages in the Competition

There will be four stages in the RIBI Youth Speaks Competition:

·        Club Competitions, which are run by local Rotary Clubs, individually or jointly.  Two or more clubs may run a combined event if either has insufficient entries for a single event. 
·        District Competitions, in which winning teams from the Club competitions take part.
Where a high participation rate is experienced, Districts may decide to hold Area rounds of the competitions or Semi-finals leading up to the District Final. Events should be limited to a sensible number of teams that make it manageable.
·        Regional Finals.
·        National Final


10. Awards

All participants will receive a certificate at each stage.
In the Welwyn Hatfield competition the members of the winning team at each level will each receive a £20 book token prize.

At the Regional Final level, there may be an award for the winning teams.
At the RIBI Final, every participant will receive a commemorative gift and a certificate.
The winning teams will receive the RIBI Challenge Trophy, which is to be held for one year.
Each member of the winning, second and third teams will receive an individual award.

The 2014 RIBI Final will be held on Saturday 10th May 2014 at Maidstone.
 

Thursday 17 October 2013

2013-14 Activities

New Rotary Year, New School Year

And that means lots of new activities and competitions.  So,without more ado...


Youth Speaks Local Heats – Monday 18th November 2013
This popular and long-established public-speaking competition has been entered by many local secondary schools and other groups in previous years.  We plan to hold two heats, one essentially for Brookmans Park/Potters Bar, the other for Welwyn/Hatfield.  (We may amalgamate the two heats if there are insufficient entries for two decent competitions.)  Teams of three are needed, a main speaker, a chairperson and a proposer of a vote of thanks.  There are two age groups, Intermediate (approximately Key Stage 3) and Senior (approximately Key Stage 4 & 5).  The local competition winners can progress to district, regional and national stages of the competition.  Teams may speak on any subject with the exception of those directly concerning party politics, race or religion. Details are at http://ribi.org/what-we-do/youth-competitions-and-awards/ribi-youth-speaks   Deadline for entries is Monday 11th November.  

This year young authors are being asked to produce a written or typed story in prose entitled “what a difference that made to my life/their lives”. The that can be anything they choose. An A4 page or 500 hundred words is a suggested suitable submission.
The competition runs in three age groups, Junior (approximately Key Stage 2), Intermediate (approximately Key Stage 3) and Senior (approximately Key Stage 4 & 5).  Further details are at http://ribi.org/what-we-do/youth-competitions-and-awards/ribi-young-writer  The deadline for entries is Friday 21st February 2014.

This well-established competition is sponsored by Waitrose and Filippo Berio.  Entrants have to submit a menu and the judges then select the best six. The six selected competitors then cook their menu at a cook-off at Monks Walk School on Saturday morning 8th February 2014 within a two-hour time limit.  The competitors are provided with a voucher to cover the cost of ingredients and the winner goes on to district and potentially regional and national finals.  Details are at http://ribi.org/what-we-do/youth-competitions-and-awards/ribi-young-chef   The deadline for entries is Friday 25th January 2013 and the cook-off is planned for Saturday 8th February. 



Competitors have to submit a portfolio of 3 photographs on the theme of “People”, no more than A4 in size, with a 50 word description of what inspired them.  The competition runs in three age groups, Junior (approximately Key Stage 2), Intermediate (approximately Key Stage 3) and Senior (approximately Key Stage 4 & 5).  Competitors have to submit 3 different prints along with digital.  Further details are at http://midhertsrotary.blogspot.com/ or http://ribi.org/what-we-do/youth-competitions-and-awards/ribi-young-photographer    The deadline for entries is Friday 24th January 2014.



 The Rotary Young Citizen Awards, which have been going for some 10 years, have recently received some publicity on television as they are now sponsored by the BBC News channel.  We are keen to recognise the achievements of young people in the local community.  If you know of individuals or groups doing great things who you feel are worthy of wider recognition, please email us at midhertsrotary@ymail.com.  It may be that they qualify for the national Rotary competition, details of which are at http://ribi.org/what-we-do/youth-competitions-and-awards/ribi-young-citizen-awards , in which case we will be pleased to put them forward.  Proposals are needed by Friday 31st January 2014.

                     
This competition has been running successfully for many years and most of the local schools have entered.  Teams of four have to design, build and document a solution to a problem posed on the day.  At the end of the day the various solutions are demonstrated and winners chosen.  Details are at http://ribi.org/what-we-do/youth-competitions-and-awards/ribi-technology-tournament   This year’s local competition will probably be on Tuesday 4th March 2014 (TBC).

                                           
Welwyn Hatfield Rotary Walk, Sunday 28th April 2014

This event is open to all individuals and groups who wish to raise money for a charity or project through a sponsored walk, an ideal way of raising money without the hassle of having to organise the walk yourselves!  There is a choice of 7-mile or 11-mile routes, or a 2-mile suitable for very young or disabled participants, all starting at Campus West car park in Welwyn GC and following a gloriously scenic route through Sherrardswood, Brocket Hall park, bluebell woods and along the River Lea.  75% of what you raise goes to your chosen project and 25% to Rotary charities.  Why not organise a group to come and take part?  An excellent social activity as well as a fund-raiser.  Or perhaps a warm-up hike for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award?  Details at http://www.whwalk.org.uk/  

Rotary Young Leaders Award
A weekend “Outward Bound”-type experience at the end of June or beginning of July 2014 run by the RAF Regiment at RAF Henlow for 18-30 year olds sponsored by their local Rotary club.   If you think you would benefit from this, let us know at midhertsrotary@ymail.com.   Further information is at http://ribi.org/what-we-do/youth-competitions-and-awards/ryla-rotary-youth-leadership-awards 

Shelterboxes

Shelterboxes provide a tent to accommodate 10 people and essential supplies to help them survive the aftermath of a disaster.  The great thing is that the boxes are stockpiled in readiness for the next disaster and can be shipped at very short notice anywhere in the world along with a team of volunteers to distribute and help set them up.  Each box with its transport costs is about £500 and there is a critical need at present as stocks have been run down by a series of disasters including the Syrian civil war.  More information at http://www.shelterbox.org/      Maybe your group could raise funds for this?

Rotary offers many extraordinary opportunities for 16-30 year olds in a wide range of countries all over the world. For further information go to www.youthexchange.org.uk or contact us at midhertsrotary @ymail.com



Why not set up a school Interact Club?  These are groups of students from the age of 12 upwards, who share the Rotary aims of serving the community and promoting peace and international understanding.  You will need to find an adult within the school to help and we will provide a Rotarian mentor to work with them and the support you need to make your club a success.  More information at http://www.ribi.org/youth/interact or contact us at midhertsrotary @ymail.com


Calendar of Events


Youth Speaks                                     Entries by Monday 11th November 2013. 
Local heat Monday 18th November 2013

Young Chef                                       Entries by Friday 25th January 2014
                                                          Cook-off Saturday 8th February 2014

Young Citizen Awards                     Proposals by Friday 31st January 2014

Young Photographer                        Entries by Friday 24th January 2014

Technology Tournament                  Tuesday 4th March 2014 (TBC)

Young Writer                                    Entries by Friday 21st February 2014

Welwyn Hatfield Rotary Walk        Sunday 27th April 2014

Young Digital Artist                          Entries by Saturday 31st May 2014

Rotary Young Leaders Award        A weekend late June/early July 2014 (TBC)