Rotary Oratorical Contest on Ethics

Chair:  Jeff Krans

Sponsored Jointly by
Rotary District 7120 and the Rochester Area Colleges

To see the video of the 6 Finalists of the 2008 Oratorical Contest click here

     Key Dates:    

            January 31, 2008:  Application/Club Sponsorship Form Due (see below)

            March 8, 2008:  Semi-final contests completed, Finalists identified

            March 29, 2008:  District 7120 Final Contest to be held at SUNY Geneseo

The Rotary District 7120 Final for our Oratorical Contest is being held Saturday, March 29th, 2008.  The site is the Hunt Room in the College Union on the campus of SUNY Geneseo.  Dr. Dahl, the President of SUNY Geneseo, has graciously agreed to host our event on behalf of the Rochester Area Colleges, our co-sponsor.

Participants, judges and others helping with the event should arrive no later than 11:30 for briefing and set-up.  The contest will begin at 12:00 noon.

Go to the following site for maps and parking directions

Any questions, please contact Jeff Krans at jkrans@rochester.rr.com or call 315-536-7180.

Documents explaining the contest, including judges scoring sheets (rubrics) and further explanation of prizes, can be downloaded by clicking on the pdf files at the bottom of this page.  (NOTE:  the rubric below is being edited this Fall, but the criteria will remain much as they are.  Editing is being done to clarify the meaning, not change the criteria)

     Club Options for Participation:

         Sponsor one or more candidates (one per school in Club's service area)

         Contribute toward prize money and/or contest expenses

         Co-sponsor a candidate and share responsibilities

         Provide a judge

         Invite winner(s) to speak at a club meeting

         Arrange to have winner(s) speak at high school assembly of non-participating  school as inducement for future participation

      Club Responsibilities:

           Club responsibilities fall into two areas, ORGANIZATION and SUPPORT.

           Specific tasks in those areas include:

      Establish a working relationship with local school district(s) regarding potential speakers, use of facility, internal and external publicity and recognition

      Establish relationship with Rotary Clubs in the area regarding calendar, location of semi-final contests, judges, prizes and publicity

      Maintain communication with District Level Committee

      If sponsored student wins, provide transportation to District Conference

      Sign Application and Sponsorship form and submit to Jeff Krans with the $50 fee (see form)

      Provide mentor/coach for each candidate who will:

      Provide objective feedback for candidate's efforts

      Ensure that candidate and his/her family know and understand expectations and responsibilities of participation

      Ensure that transportation is provided for student to competitions

      Accompany students to competitions

     Prizes:

       Local awards to be determined by sponsoring Rotary Club                           

• Semi-Final Contest winners:  $100 Prize 
• Top three District Finalists to receive a $500 Bond
• Up to three District finalists may be awarded the opportunity to choose from scholarships available for September, 2009 (Alfred Univ, $2,500/yr; MCC $500/yr; SUNY Geneseo, $750/yr; SUNY Brockport, $2,500 yr; Keuka College, $2,500/yr; Nazareth College, $3,000/yr; Roberts Wesleyan, $2,500/yr; RIT, $5,000/yr; St. John Fisher, $2,500/yr; and the U of R, $7,500/yr)

Please click on the files you need below.  Difficulties: email Jeff Krans at jkrans@rochester.rr..com

(NOTE:  the rubric below is being edited this Fall, but the criteria will remain much as they are.  Editing is being done to clarify the meaning, not change the criteria)

  2006 Oratorical Contest winner video 

       Click here