This contest is for students who welcome learning. For the student who looks for an academic challenge and an opportunity to gain scholarship monies, The American Legion High School Oratorical Scholarship Program is a natural fit. Students learn about our country’s Constitution in a contest that has been held by The American legion for more than 70 years.
The main purpose of The American Legion High School Oratorical Scholarship Program is to develop a deeper knowledge and appreciation of the Constitution of the United States on the part of high school students. Other objectives of the contest include the development of leadership qualities, the ability to think and speak clearly and intelligently, and the preparation for acceptance of the duties and responsibilities, the rights and privileges of American citizenship.
Post Contests gets students started
Each Post of The Pennsylvania American Legion may certify one contestant into the district or inter-district contest. From there, the winner moves onto the next contest eventually moving up to the Department Oratorical Contest having the ability to win $7,500 scholarship. The Department Oratorical winner will then move onto the National contest with the opportunity to win $18,000.
Don’t let the high school students in your community miss out on this scholarship money. Ask your members if they know a student interested in scholarship money. Go to your local high school, take a half an hour and talk to the principal, school counselor, American social studies educator or the speech and debate club sponsor. You can be the motivator to get things going for families in your community.
Who is eligible to participate?
You are eligible to participate in The American Legion High School Oratorical Scholarship Program if you are a citizen or a lawful permanent resident of the United States. Further, all contestants must be bona fide students under the age of 20 years and must be enrolled in a high school or junior high school (public, parochial, military, private or home school) in which the curriculum of the school is considered to be of high school level, commencing with grade nine and terminating with grade twelve. Students must be enrolled in high school or junior high school during the time of participation at any level of the contest.
For more information on the Oratorical Contest, check out our Oratorical program.
As the department convention is approaching, I’m preparing several mini-movies to be shown before, during, or even right after the convention sessions. The mini-movies will be pictures of our Pennsylvania American Legion “Posts-in-Action” set to patriotic music. And I want to include pictures from your Post, your District, your programs!
This year’s Pennsylvania American Legion Department Convention will be held at the Hilton Hotel in Harrisburg from July 15th to the 18th. After the convention, I will post the mini-movies to Department’s website for everyone to view.
The mini-movies will be made from pictures of the events involving our Pennsylvania Legion Posts. You can send pictures of your Post meetings, Christmas party, Oratorical contest, summer picnic, Legion baseball, testimonial dinner, the front of your Post building, Memorial Day parade, Veterans Day event, visiting a local school, welcoming home our current military, flag burning ceremony, or any other event held by your American Legion Post supporting your community, children & youth, Americanism and of course our veterans.
The mini-movies will be similar to the movie shown at the January Housing for Homeless Veterans benefit dinner. If you did not see the movie you can go to Department’s website to view the movie.
You can:
Send me your pictures taken during the 2009 -2010 membership year via email no later than June 15, 2010
Send as many as 25 pictures to be included as part of the mini-movies – you can send as many emails as necessary to send the 25 pictures
Write your Post # on the subject line of the email
Or mail a CD with the 25 pictures on it to Shannon Kyle, 2072 Rockfield Road, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 15243 – please include your Post number with the CD
Do Not send the actual pictures – I need the pictures by email or CD only
If you don’t have pictures then ask around; you may have a Post Historian, Post Adjutant, Post Commander, or even any other members from your Post can have pictures from this current membership year 2009-2010.
We will be honoring the youth of Allegheny County by presenting awards and showing recognitions for their outstanding work through the American Legion programs. This dinner pays tribute to the young people throughout Allegheny County, who achieved excellence in their schools, community, Boy or Girl Scouts, Junior ROTC, ect. The youth will be given a medal, including a certificate, and an opportunity to speak before those assembled to describe their achievement.
As you may be well aware, they are our future leaders and we appreciate, as Legion and Auxiliary members, the chance to showcase these deserving young men and women of Allegheny County and other local communities. Please consider supporting this noble event by placing an ad in the Youth Achievement Dinner Program Book.
Click Here for more information about the Allegheny County Youth Achievement Dinner