Contest will he held May 4, 2024 at 8:45 AM CST. The competition will take place at Johnson Corners Christian Academy, 11008 Highway 23, Watford City, ND 58854 (14 miles east of Watford City). The registration fee for this competition is $10.00, all proceeds will be donated to the Sunrise Women’s Clinic. If the registration fee presents a hardship, please contact us at mcrtlspeechcontest@gmail.com for a waiver request. DEADLINE TO REGISTER: April 30, 2024

$1,500 FIRST PLACE
$1,000 SECOND PLACE
$750 THIRD PLACE
$500 FOURTH PLACE
$250 FIFTH PLACE
$150 SIXTH PLACE
$100 SEVENTH PLACE
$50 EIGHTH PLACE

The McKenzie County Speech Competition is open to all students who are in grades 7-12 as of May , 2024. 

Rules and Regulations

1. Contestants are to research, write, and present an original pro-life speech on abortion, infanticide, euthanasia or stem cell research. The speech should address one of these topics directly. The speech should be written to persuade the listener of the sanctity of all human life.

2. The speech is to be 5 – 7 minutes in length. A 2 point deduction will be made from the final score of the contestant for every 30 seconds (or fraction thereof) that the contest is under 5 or over 7 minutes.

3. Appropriate gestures are allowed. Props are not allowed.

4. Speech content may not be significantly changed as a contestant advances. Fine-tuning for minor corrections or to adjust time is allowed and encouraged. A written copy of the contestant’s speech must be submitted BEFORE the contest begins, this written copy can be hand delivered to any of the judges the day of the tournament.

5. The contestant should use up-to-date factual information.

6. The style should be appropriate to the message of the speech. A dramatic presentation is not acceptable. A dramatic presentation is considered anything that is read or performed that has been previously written by another author; a short story, a poem, etc. Although quotes to support a position or statement are appropriate, they may not dominate the speech, and should be appropriately cited. Dramatic presentations are also defined, for the purposes of this contest, to include acting as a thing or another person, such as acting out the life of an unborn baby. This rule is not to be interpreted to rule out the use of emotion.

7. The judges’ background and qualifications differ, so the speech should appeal to a broad audience.

8. No copyrighted speeches shall be used in the contest.

9. The contest may be videotaped or recorded, if so, tape will remain the property of McKenzie County Right to Life and/or Unapologeticallyprolife.

10. Contestants may use notes.

11. The use of microphones will not be allowed. The Contest Director may make an exception if the contest room creates a necessity for the use of microphones.

12. The Contest will consist of two preliminary rounds. The top 8 scoring participants after the two preliminary rounds will be in the final round. For the preliminary rounds, contestants will be assigned to rooms with 5-8 contestants.

13. All rooms will have a 1 judge and a timekeeper, except for the final round. In the final round, there will be three judges and a time keeper.

14. Speaking order for the preliminary rounds will be determined before the contest by drawing.

15. The judges score the contestants in several areas; introduction, organization, content and accuracy, stage presence, delivery, conclusion and purpose. Contestants are given a score of 1-5 (5 being the best) for skills in each area. The scores are added together (100 being perfect). The judge’s scores are added together for the grand total. The grand total will determine which contestants move to the next level. In the final round, the judges score will be added together to determine the winner of the contest. To review a copy of the judging ballot click here.

16. The judges’ decision will be final.

17. All efforts are made for accuracy. In the event of a mistake, every effort will be made to correct it.

18. Ties will be handled by the Contest Director.

19. These rules apply only to the McKenzie County Right to Life Speech Tournament. No other rules from any national, state or local speech contest or groups apply.

20. Any concerns or issues shall be dealt with by the Contest Director.

21. The decision of the Contest Director concerning the application of these rules or the contest will be final. These rules are meant to be comprehensive. However, if any change needs to be made before or during the competition, they will be announced at the tournament and posted in a conspicuous place.

22. No contestant will be allowed to compete after the start of the first round. No refunds will be given for contestants who arrive after the start of the first round.