The American Legion National High School Oratorical Scholarship program is once again under way. It is a Constitutional Speech contest providing winners with scholarships to pursue education beyond high school. Students in grades 9 through 12 of public high school, private school, parochial school and home-schoolers are invited to compete in the 2013 contest.

The usual procedure is for contestants to compete in a local American Legion Post contest, progress to a district contest, and then the district winner will advance to the state finals.

The winner of the state competition will represent Maine in the National Contest in Indianapolis in April 2013, with the National organization funding round-trip tickets, two nights at a hotel, and daily allowances for both the contestant and a chaperone over 21 years of age.

The primary purpose of the contest is to instill in students a better knowledge and appreciation of the United States Constitution. A secondary purpose is to assist students in paying the high cost of a college education: Students who compete in these contests have the opportunity to earn monetary awards toward their future school endeavors. Previous contestants have also remarked that the positive experience of speaking in front of an audience has helped them in many aspects of their life going forward.

Post and district awards will be determined by those areas. On the state level, the first-place winner will receive $1,000; second place, $500; and third place, $300. Each state winner who is certified into and participates in the first round of the national contest will receive a $1,500 scholarship. Those who advance to the second round, but do not advance to the final round, will receive an additional $1,500 scholarship award.

Scholarship awards for the three finalists in the final round of the national contest are: first place, $18,000; second place, $16,000; and third place, $14,000. The scholarships awarded by the national organization of The American Legion may be used to attend any college or university in the United States.

There are two portions of the contest: a Prepared Oration, and an Assigned Topic Discourse. The subject in the Prepared Oration must be about some phase of the Constitution of the United States, emphasizing the duties and obligations of a citizen to the United States government. This is an opportunity for the student to pick a subject of interest to him or her, whether it is what is wrong or right with our society/government, and to express his/her ideals in relation to U.S. Constitution. This portion shall not be less than eight minutes or more than ten minutes in length.

The Assigned Topic Discourse will be one of four listed in the rules and regulations, selected from the Articles and Sections of the Constitution, and presented in no less than three minutes or more than five minutes. Contestants may use one of the four Assigned Topics as the basis of his or her Prepared Oration.

The State Oratorical Contest will be held on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013, at Thomas College in Waterville. Local Brunswick Post 20 is holding their Oratorical Contest during the November school break and the district competition will occur in December or January.

For more information, contact a local American Legion Post, Joe Donahue 725-8431, a school guidance counselor, or the American Legion state department headquarters at 873-3229.