The Optimist Club of Anguilla’s Oratorical Contest was held on Saturday 17th February 2012 at the Teacher’s Resource Centre in The Valley. The topic for the competition was ‘How my Optimism helps me Overcome Obstacles’. Seven dynamic and eloquent young speakers, four girls and three boys, between the ages of 13 and 16 participated in the competition which was ably chaired by Mrs Sheila Hodge. The participants wowed the appreciative audience with their creativity, articulation, knowledge and use of personal experiences as they spoke to the topic.
Due to the high quality of the presentations, the task of selecting the winners for the male and female categories was not an easy one. The qualified judging panel of Merlyn Rogers, Erica Edwards and Bren Romney however, were up to the challenge. In the female category, first place went to Arielle Gaskin. Arielle had entered the competition three times previously and won in 2010. Second and third places in the female competition were won by Arianna Woodley and Remesha Minette, respectively. In the male category, Jhavez Hamilton captured first place, with Malik Richard coming in second and Kevin Thompson third. This competition marks the fifth time that Jhavez has participated and won the local.
Arielle Gaskin and Jhavez Hamilton will travel to Jamaica in April to represent the Optimist Club of Anguilla at the Optimist International Caribbean District Oratorical Contest. This is the second time that Arielle will be representing Anguilla at the District contest. Jhavez will be competing in the District contest for the fifth consecutive year. In 2011 Jhavez took third place in the male category of the event at the District level.
The Oratorical Contest is held annually in February. Past participants have indicated that it is an ideal opportunity for youngsters to develop and build their confidence and public speaking skills. The competition is open to young persons under the age of 18.
The Optimist Club of Anguilla is best known for its practical service projects and the many and varied youth serving activities that they are involved in. By believing in young people and empowering them to be the best that they can, Optimists do ‘bring out the best in Children’.
(Source http://www.anguillanews.com/enews/index.php/permalink/4215.html)
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