When the Grand Falls-Windsor Lions Club was resurrected last February it had a goal to bring back some traditions.
With that in mind, the club is looking forward to its Lions Club Speak Off public speaking competition this Wednesday, March 4. It's the first speak-off since the community group folded several years ago.
Speak off committee chairperson Shane Budgell is expecting between seven and 10 competitors from Exploits Valley High to take part.
The event is being held at the College of the North Atlantic campus.
“(The speak off) has always been an international event,” said Budgell. “We’ve always had some really good success with past students in Grand Falls-Windsor and we’ve had students go to the Atlantic provinces to what we call the multiple district convention and speak out.”
Students who perform well in the zone competition will move on to the district event. From there they could go further.
Budgell, the former district governor for Newfoundland and Labrador, remembers a time when the speak off winner from the central Newfoundland zone won one of the multi-district competitions.
He sees the event as a good stepping stone for students as they continue their education.
“It involves the youth and it gives them the confidence to speak in public,” said Budgell. “It is nice to see there is interest again.”
This year, they are sticking with the high school public speaking event, however, the Lions Club plans to bring back the junior high speak-off next year.
This month marks the one-year anniversary of the return of the Lions Club to Grand Falls-Windsor.
Budgell said it has been a successful return and they look forward to resurrecting more projects.
“I thought it was very important that we give back to our community again and bring back some of the traditions of Lionism in Grand Falls-Windsor,” he said.
