Youth Speaks

ROTARY Youth Speaks is a debating competition for young people between the ages of 11 and 17-years-old, to support and encourage effective communication skills in the art of public speaking.

Teams consist of three members each with a specific role: a Chairperson, who introduces the speaker and the subject they will be speaking about; a Proposer, speaking for the motion; and an Opposer, speaking against the motion.

The competition is divided into two age groups; intermediate (11 to 13 years) and Senior (14 to 17 years). The teams are judged by a panel of three judges who will assess the overall presentation, concentrating on enunciation and delivery, as well as the construction of their speeches.

The local Rotary clubs run their own competitions for schools in their area, but there are four stages of the competition, and the winners can progress to district, regional, and even national level.

Gosport Rotary Club has run a Youth Speaks competition for over 50 years as we believe it provides considerable help in the development of young people to learn the skills and gain the confidence of public speaking.

Over the years, hundreds of students have taken part in the competition from the various schools and colleges in the Gosport area, and the quality of their delivery and speaking, even in the youngest age group, has always been outstanding.

This year, the competition was won by a team from Bay House School, whose topic was: 'Animals do not have their rights protected enough'.