Despite the uncertainty over Covid-19, Pahiatua Lions Club was able to hold its annual Junior Speechmaker Contest, meaning there are no gaps in the 34 years that the competition has been running.
This event is an important date in the school year, one that all 11 primary schools within the Bush District spends many hours building up to and, along the way, giving students the opportunity to write and deliver speeches within their own schools.
The value of this important life skill should not be underestimated. The young people who represented their schools did a superb job of putting across their topic to an appreciative audience of friends, family and teachers.
The speeches were varied and interesting ranging from why I don't like spelling, movies and Google, through to "the lies parents tell". The three judges, Rebecca West (Tararua College head of English), Jaekob Jolly (senior student leader) and Hans Welling (author) had a very difficult job picking the first three places.
However in the end they returned to announce their picks. Simone Kittow from Alfredton School took third place with an animated speech about the Auckland Sky Jump, and Johnny Fowler from Pongaroa School took second place with a well-delivered speech on "militant vegans".
