Esther Frederick, Kylie Shaul and Brett Wilder placed First, Second, and Runner up respectively at the annual Oratorical Contest sponsored by the Optimist Club of Meridian. Their speeches were given on Optimist International’s 2012 official topic “How my Optimism Helps me Overcome Obstacles.”
Esther is home schooled and Kylie and Brett are students at Meridian High School.
Esther and Kylie will advance the Pacific Northwest District Regional Contest in May. That contest will include contestants from Caldwell, Eagle, and Horseshoe Bend, Two winners from that contest will travel to Newport, Oregon on May 19 to compete in the District contest for a $2500 scholarship.
This contest is open to all young people under the age of 18 as of December 31, of the current school year.
Since its start in 1928, the Optimist International Oratorical Contest has become the longest running program sponsored by Optimist International. Nearly 2,000 clubs participate in this program each year. The contest is designed for teens to gain experience in public speaking and to provide them with the opportunity to compete for a college scholarship.
The Optimist Club of Meridian has been participating in the Optimist Oratorical Contest for many years and has been active in the community since 1976. Other programs and service projects that the Club is involved in include Annual Easter Egg Hunt, Holiday Food Baskets for the needy, Junior Rifle Club, Essay Scholarship Contest, Bicycle Safety Program and more.
More information is available at http://meridianoptimist.org/
