Moorcroft Leader - The Voice of the Community Since 1909, Serving Moorcroft and Pine Haven, Wyoming

Faith Honey Anderson placed second in the Wyoming American Legion High School Oratorical Speech Contest on March 1 in Douglas. Anderson placed first in the local post #80 contest and first at the District 5 contest to earn the right to compete at the state level.

Scholarships are awarded to the top three contestants at the state level. According to Donald L. York, Chairman of the Oratorical Contest Committee, the first Department of Wyoming contest was held in 1958.

Anderson delivered her memorized speech entitled “Our Nation’s Masterpiece: The Constitution.” The 8-10 minute prepared oration must be on some aspect of the Constitution, with emphasis on the citizen’s duties and obligations to our government.

Each contestant also delivers a 3-5 minute dissertation on one of the four assigned topics. The topics for the 2020 contest were Amendment12, Amendment 20, Amendment 24 and Amendment 27.

Contestants do not know which topic they will speak on until five minutes before the time of delivery, as the topic for the day is drawn at every contest. The purpose of the assigned topic discourse is to test the speaker’s knowledge of the subject, the extent of his or her research and the ability to discuss the topic as related to the basic principles of government under the Constitution. No notes can be used for either of the orations.