Over thirty speakers from Batlow, Braidwood, Canowindra, Cowra, Young, Yass, Harden and Grenfell High Schools will compete for the Boorowa Country Women’s Association trophies and Boorowa Apex medals in the competition.

This event has an excellent reputation in surrounding regions for giving students a non-threatening environment to try out their speaking skills in a friendly atmosphere.

High school students from Year 7 through to Year 10 will speak for four minutes on a topic they choose from six options.

Contestants are judged on criteria including argument method, speaking manner and the speech’s content, and all are awarded participation certificates sponsored by the Boorowa Council.

Adjudicators for this year’s competition include Ms Lisa Judge who is an Inter-varsity Accredited Adjudicator.

Lisa has participated in numerous debating tournaments as part of the Australian National University Debating team and she qualified for the Australian Worlds Debating team in 2008.

Timekeepers Rebecca Luxford and Harmony Mewburn from Year 10 are also looking forward to working with our second adjudicator Mr Isaac Wright.

Isaac, an Apex State and Fenner Hall ANU public speaking champion, is returning to his hometown to adjudicate here for his first time.

He gained his accreditation as an adjudicator with the NSW Department of Education Performing Arts Unit while he was a senior student at Boorowa Central School.

This competition involves many volunteer students who are not speakers as they take part in the important roles of hosts, timekeepers, scorers and chairpersons.

Catering for 60 people is never an easy task. The School Representative Council puts on such an amazing morning tea and luncheon that many of our guests say they are repeat visitors, ‘especially for the terrific feed.’

Captain of this year’s Boorowa Central School team, Year 10 student Gabrielle Hewitt said the competition day is a team effort.

Her speaking team members are Meg McIntosh, Olivia Gay, Kirsty Taylor and Rebecca Poplin.

The Boorowa community is most welcome to come to the school library to watch one of the two sessions on the day.

Session One is from 9am - 11am and Session Two will be competed between 11.30am and 1pm.

- Debra Eustace, public speaking/debating coach/coordinator