The Rotary Club of Burton-Middlefield (BMR) held its annual speech contest on March 5 in the main dining room of the Welshfield Inn...
The Rotary Club of Burton-Middlefield (BMR) held its annual speech contest on March 5 in the main dining room of the Welshfield Inn. High school students delivered speeches based on Rotary’s 4-Way Test, which states, “Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it create goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?” The students pick a topic for their speech and develop it around these four guiding questions.
Three students from Berkshire High School attended the weekly Rotary meeting to present their speeches. Senior India Martin spoke on school safety. Senior Camden Hedrick addressed industrial farming and its negative repercussions, and sophomore Whitney Davis spoke on the importance of Title IX in women’s sports.
All three presentations were thoughtful, well-developed, and professionally delivered. The audience was deeply impressed by the students’ maturity and the quality of their speeches — a reminder of the promising youth in our community.
The winner of the $500 first prize was India Martin; Camden Hedrick placed second, winning $300; and Whitney Davis was third, winning $200. India advances to Rotary District 6630 contest Held on April 12 at Springfield High School.
The evening’s program was set up by Rotarian Dave Terrill, the club’s youth service director. He also coordinates the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA), hosted this year at Hiram College and open to high school juniors and seniors. This leadership camp brings together students from all over Northeast Ohio. There is also the Rotary World Community Service camp in Wisconsin, where local high school students sponsored by BMR can develop leadership and peace-building skills in early June.
Youth-focused initiatives like these, combined with strong scholarship opportunities, keep BMR at the forefront of youth support in Geauga County. BMR awards scholarships to graduating seniors at Berkshire and Cardinal high schools and Auburn Career Center for students to continue their education. In addition, BMR offers an endowed scholarship through Kent State Geauga for multiple students to further a career in nursing. The scholarship continues to grow through support from the Maple Splash Raffle profits and this year may fund scholarships for three students. Contact the scholarship director at KSU Geauga for more information.
For information on joining the club, visit burtonmiddlefieldrotary.com.
Also, do not forget to purchase Maple Splash Raffle tickets to help support BMR’s programs and perhaps win a great prize at Maple Splash Raffle Festival on July 12.
By Robert Johnson, secretary, Burton-Middlefield Rotary
