The American Legion Department of South Carolina

H.W. Dare Maness High School Oratorical Program

2023/2024

The American Legion Department of South Carolina

H. W. Dare Maness

High School Oratorical Scholarship Program -"A Constitutional Speech Contest"

The purpose of The American Legion High School Oratorical Scholarship Program "A Constitutional Speech Contest" 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 skills, 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.  All Department & Quadrant Scholarships must be used within five years from graduation from high school.

QUADRANT SCHOLARSHIPS DEPARTMENT SCHOLARSHIPS
1st Place Award - $1000.00 1st Place Award - $2500.00
2nd Place Award - $500.00 2nd Place Award - $1500.00
  3rd  Place Award - $750.00
  4th Place Award - $750.00

NATIONALSCHOLARSHIPS:  The winner at the Department/state) level who is certified into and participates in the first round of the national contest will receive a $2,000.00 National scholarship.

Each first round winner who advances to and participates in the second round, but does not advance to the final round, will receive an additional $2,000.00 scholarship to pursue education at any college or university in the United States.

National scholarship awards are presented to the three finalists in the final round of the national contest as follows:               

1st place - $25,000.00

2nd place - $22,500.00

3rd place - $20,000.00

A contestant must give both their prepared oration and the assigned topic discourse in order to receive the scholarship.                               

2023-2024 Oratorical Contest Rules                                                       *Please note correction on Department 1st Place Award

Tabulator Instructions
Chairman's Guide Timekeepers Instructions
Dept Commander's letter to Posts and Schools Timekeepers Card
2024 Certification Form Ushers Instructions
Judges Prepared Oration scratch tallysheet Judges Instructions
Judges Scorecard Escort Instructions
Judges assigned topic scratch tallysheet Quadrant Map
Tabulator form/card Contest Flyer
   

All questions regarding the 2023/2024 contest should be directed to:

Chairman -Robert Scherer - 828-292-6031-rdscherer@ymail.com

Michael D. Strauss, Department Adjutant - 803-612-1171 x 30 or dept.adjutant@southcarolinalegion.org

All 2023 Quadrant Contests will be held on Saturday, February 10, 2024 @ locations listed below, for further information on each contest, please see the contact person and number for each contest:

Quadrant One Location

10:00 am @ Spartanburg Post 28, 94 W. Park Drive, Spartanburg, SC  29306, please arrive no later than 9:00 am

Contact:  Bruce Donegan, Dept 1st Vice Cmdr, - polysciman526@aol.com or 845-453-4810

Quadrant Two Location 

10:00 am @ Greenwood Post 20, 206 Main St, N. Greenwood, SC  29646-2240

Jim Rabon, Dept 2nd Vice Cmdr, skipper3701@gmail.com, 803-420-0123, 

Quadrant Three Location 

10:00 am @ Sumter Post 15 38 Artillery Drive, Sumter, SC  29150 

Contact:  Jack Lonergan, Dept 3rd Vice Cmdr - jelong2000@yahoo.com

Quadrant Four Location  

10:00 am @ Goose Creek Post 166 116 Howe Hall Rd Goose Creek, SC

Contact: Russ Cantrell cantrell0926@yahoo.com

 

The 2024 Department Contest will be held on March 9, 2024  @ 10:00 am

St. Pauls Lutheran Church

1715 Bull St

Columbia, SC  29201