District Five National High School Oratorical Contest, Powder Springs Post 294, February 18, 2007

Chairman Buddy Acree declares the Fifth District Oratorical Contest has commenced. He lays out the rules and regulations of the contest for the audience.


The speakers have spoken (pictures not allowed during the speaking contest). Here are the three contestants and the judges:

Department Commander Charles French and Fifth District Commander Bill Lienhop present the Third Place Winner, Chris O'Connell, a sophomore from North Springs High School and representing Powder Springs Post 294:

Commanders French and Lienhop present Second-Place Winner Kimberly Shealy, a junior from Kennesaw Mountain High and representing North Cobb Post 304. Although Kimberly performed extremely well at the District Five Contest, she was bested by a junior from Atlanta Post 291 and came in second place. The judging for the top two winners was tight but Kimberly’s slight hesitation during the Assigned Topic, which was based on the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution, may have been her downfall.

And the winner is ... Jamelia Frink, a junior from Sandy Creek High School and representing Atlanta Post 291. The winner of the District Five contest advances to the Area Contest, which will be held on Saturday, February 24, 2007 at the Cartersville Post.

Here are the contestants and the Commanders:

Legion: Congress Sent Wrong Message Today

WASHINGTON, February 16, 2007 - The leader of the nation’s largest wartime veterans’ organization provided the following statement in response to the House vote disapproving the President’s decision to deploy more than 20,000 additional combat troops to the Iraqi theater.

“Congress may consider its vote today on H. Con. Res. 63 to be non-binding, but veterans of previous wars and those in the field of combat right now consider Congress’s action to be a betrayal of trust and the first step toward surrender to the terrorists who caused this war in the first place.

“We must never forget the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, when two U.S. commercial aircraft were used to kill nearly 3,000 innocent people in an unprovoked attack against our nation’s sovereignty. We must never forget those brave Americans who downed their plane in Pennsylvania, saving the lives of many in the Capitol. We must never forget the attack on the Pentagon, or on the USS Cole, or our embassies, or our Marine barracks in Beirut. The list goes on and on.

“Even the Clinton administration tried to kill Osama bin Laden by lobbing missiles at him. This war didn’t just start with the invasion of Iraq. It’s been going on for decades. It’s been going on in Republican and Democrat administrations and Congresses.

“It isn’t about partisan politics. It’s about America. It’s about all of us, and especially those who are at this moment risking their lives on the field of battle.

“Americans are not the enemy here. The terrorists and all of those governments that support them are the enemy. We must never forget that. And, equally important, we must never forget the primary lesson learned in Vietnam: you cannot separate the war from the warrior.

“Congress can talk all it wants to about how it supports the troops. But its actions set the table. The message they sent today to the frontline is that America is preparing to cut and run. We essentially told our fighting men and women that ‘we have taken step one in the plan to cut reinforcements, to cut armaments, and to withdraw any support you need to complete your mission.’

“The Speaker characterized it succinctly when she said, “(t)his legislation will signal a change in direction that will end the fighting and bring our troops home.’

“What she failed to add was ‘… in defeat, and without completing the mission they were trained to complete and ready to win if only America had not given up before they did.’

“The American Legion and the American people find this to be totally unacceptable and we will do everything within our power to ensure that our troops are not used as political pawns by a Congress that lacks the will to win.”

The American Legion Post 304

National High School Oratorical Contest - February 10, 2007

West Cobb Regional Library

Kennesaw, GA

The official timers for the contest, Legionnaires Fred Gaines and Commander Larry Lieber. (Fred was also the official photographer - thanks, Fred.)


We wish you all could have been there to enjoy the orations given by two North Cobb County High School students on the United States Constitution. The extemporaneous part of the contest was based on Amendment II to the Contstitution - The Right to Bear Arms. The speeches were inspirational, as were the students who participated.

Contest Chairman David Burdette opens the Contest and welcomes the Legionnaires and attendees.

Part of the crowd, consisting of parents of the contestants, Legionnaires and relatives.

Another shot of the crowd.




After the speeches (no pictures were allowed to be taken during the orations), the judges and contestants were seated in front of the audience. Left to right, Chief Judge Bob Titshaw, Steve Anderson, Hervey Ross, Contestant Kimber Shealy and Contestant Garret McDowell.

Burdette presents Second Place Certificate and check for $150.00 to Garret McDowell, a junior from Acworth, attending North Cobb High School.

And the winner is ....

Kimberly Shealy, a junior from Powder Springs, attending Kennesaw Mountain High School. She was presented with a Certificate of Participation and a check for $200.00. Congratulations, Kimber! She will represent Post 304 in the District Contest to be held on Sunday, February 18, 2007, at 4:00 p.m. at the Powder Springs Post.

Commander Lieber presents a Certificate of Appreciation to Judge Steve Anderson.

And to Judge Hervey Ross.

And recognition is given to Chief Judge and Immediate Past Commander Bob Titshaw.

Judge Hervey Ross provides some encouraging words to the contestants ...

And Judge Steve Anderson also adds some constructive help to the contestants for future speaking endeavors.