84th Battle of Flowers Association Oratorical Contest
The contest is invitational and will be held on Friday, February 27, 2009, at the San Antonio Garden Center. The theme for the 84th contest is "Legendary Leaders-Great Governers of Texas." As in the past, the number of contestants from each invited school will be limited to four.
The contest is open to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in a Texas college or university. To qualify, an undergraduate student must be enrolled for at least 12 hours and graduate students for at least six hours. Students who have previously won first place are not eligible.
The speech must be original, historically accurate and delivered from memory. All sources, including the Internet, must be verifiable. The speech may not be under 10 minutes or over 12 minutes In length. Speakers who do not adhere to the time limits may have points deducted or may be subject to disqualification. Timing will begin when the contestant begins to speak. A contestant may arrange for his or her own time prompter, If he or she chooses to do so. The focus should be on content with the speakers using platform rather than dramatic style.
Students are encouraged to submit their entry forms and reserve their topics as soon as possible. The first twelve contestants to submit complete registration information to the contest chairman will be entered. Contestants will be notified of their acceptance by U.S. mail. If a student has not received notification of acceptance by that date, please contact the contest chairman by telephone or e-mail. Entries will not be accepted on the day of the contest.
Judging will be based on content and presentation. Content includes the following:
- Appropriate subject matter consistent with the theme,
- How well the topic is developed and organized, and
- Whether the speaker provides important, accurate information.
A speaker's historical facts must be supported by bibliographical references. Presentation includes the following:
- Delivery which is poised, confident and pleasant,
- Language which is clear, appropriate and interesting, and
- A style which is platform rather than dramatic. In both content and presentation, the speech should be one that will present well at the Battle of Flowers luncheon and possible taping by KLRN-TV.
Each student must provide two copies of his or her speech, including bibliography, to the contest chairman at registration the day of the contest. We regret that students who fail to do so will not be eligible to speak.
On the day of the contest, contestants and coaches should arrive at the San Antonio Garden Center, 3310 N. New Braunfels, by 8:30 AM to sign in and submit two copies of their speeches and bibliographies. Spelling, punctuation and neatness are important because copies of the top two winning speeches will be placed on file at the San Antonio Public Library and The Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library at the Alamo. The contest will be begin promptly at 9:00 AM.
Individuals possessing expertise in Texas history, the contest topic, or skills in oratory/speech, along with members of the Battle of Flowers Association, will judge the contestants. At the conclusion of the morning session, contestants and coaches are Invited to be our guests for lunch. The morning judges will select five finalists to be announced at the beginning of the afternoon session. Those students who are not finalists will each be presented a Certificate of Appreciation at that time.
The afternoon finals will begin promptly at 1 PM. A new panel of judges not present at the morning preliminaries will judge the finalists. Certificates of Merit will be presented to the five finalists. Cash awards of $1000 for second place, $750 for third place, $500 for fourth place and $300 for fifth place will be awarded after the judges have made their decisions. The first place winner will be presented a check for $2000 at the Battle of Flowers Luncheon, which is scheduled for Thursday, April 24, 2008, and will be invited to ride in the annual Battle of Flowers Parade the following day.
If you're interested in competing in the 84th Battle of the Flowers contest, please contact Ryan McPherson ryan.mcpherson@utsa.edu or Steve Levitt steven.levitt@utsa.edu.