The Constitution Comes Alive

Evan Williams from Strom Thurmond High School Delivers His Speech

Have you ever wondered what keeps our nation's freedoms intact? The answer lies in a document over two centuries old—the Constitution. This cornerstone of our American republic delineates the liberties guaranteed to us as citizens. Owing to its crucial role, The American Legion has made it a mission to ensure our future leaders not only understand the Constitution but also embrace its democratic principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

One way we accomplish this is through the annual American Legion Oratorical Contest which offers high school students a unique opportunity to deepen their understanding of the Constitution while honing their public speaking skills. Participants deliver an 8–10-minute prepared oration on one aspect of the Constitution. With that under their belt, they are challenged with a 3–5-minute impromptu speech on one of four pre-determined, but randomly-assigned amendments. Competition for scholarships at the post, quadrant, department, and national level is fierce; at stake is more than $200,000 awarded annually in scholarships that can be used at any college or university in the United States.

Waiting to speak with him at the end of two back-to-back delivered talks was a rare and valuable gift to young orators: the event’s three judges, all experienced Toastmasters. Gathered around a table, they offered positive reinforcement for the many aspects of a good performance and tendered small critiques to strengthen his successive presentations. The participation of these men who gave their time to young people, strangers to them, further demonstrates that this is a community-wide coming-together to help raise up the next generation of citizens. Post 222 is Evan’s proud sponsor as he advances in the contest and he’s precisely the reason our American Legion posts are so motivated to commit our time to young men and women in our community.

The American Legion could not achieve this level of success without the support of several key individuals and organizations. STHS Vice Principal Crystal Hadden used her connections and insight into students’ abilities to identify promising contestants and generously allowed us to use the excellent school facilities. Our judges, Toastmasters Ronald Baker, Eldon Smith, and Ricky Rhodes, always bring expert-level qualifications and provide the students with professional guidance that is uncommon in competitions at the high school level. Event hosts, American Legion Posts 30, 154, and 222, encourage interested students to reach out to their guidance counselors for information about participating next year.

The American Legion Oratorical Contest is open to youth enrolled in high school grades nine through twelve, including public, parochial, military, and home school settings.