“The Culture of Life

Oratorical Competition”

$500, $250 and $100 Cash Awards

Top Winner Competes in State Competition in Albany

Queens County Regional

Sponsored by:

Queens County Respect Life, county affiliate of NY State Right to Life Committee;

Catholic Daughters of America, Queens Chapter;

Knights of Columbus, Long Island Chapter of Brooklyn and Queens;

Virginia and Herman Lenth Fund;

Office of Family and Respect Life, Diocese of Brooklyn;

Joint Parish Respect Life Committee of Queens

___________________

The contest is open to all high school juniors and seniors, either residing in or attending a high school located in Queens County. Each contestant must write and orate an original speech, five to seven minutes in length (approximately 750 spoken words), which addressed infanticide, euthanasia, abortion or stem cell research. The speech must advocate for what Pope John Paul II calls the “Culture of Life”, namely that all human life is sacred from conception until natural death.

The competition will be held in Queens on April 24, 2004. First prize is $500, second prize $250 and third prize $100. The first prize winner will represent Queens in the state competition in Albany, NY (held May 8, 2004). The state champion will be awarded a $1000 cash prize plus a paid trip (winner and a chaperone) to the National Right to Life “Jane B. Thompson” national oratorical competition in metro Washington, DC (held July 3, 2004).

Pre-registrationis required for the Queens Regional competition

Allregistrations are due by April 14, 2004.

Each registration must include contestant’s name, address, phone number, email, school, grade year and the proposed title of their speech. The final number of registered contestants will determine most preferred venue for contest. Email completed registrations to: ProLife New York @aol.com or send by US mail to James McCloskey, QCRL Oratorical, PO Box 570663, Whitestone, NY 11357-0663. Any contestant who does not receive a prompt confirmation of their registration should email or call QCRL contest officials. Contest winners will be determined by the scoring of eligible speeches by QCRL judges, which will be final upon certification by QCRL contest officials.

Registration forms, competition rules and judging criteria for speeches can be obtained from the New York State Right to Life Committee website at:  www.NYSRightToLife.org(go to “Oratorical Contest” link).Contact Queens County Respect Life (QCRL) contest officials for more information via email at: ProLife New York@aol.com or call James McCloskey at (646) 220-3748; or email Donna Mattner at the NYS Right to Life Committee in Albany at: DonnaM@NYSRightToLife.orgor call her at (518)434-1293.