Dannevirke student comes second in national speech competition

Left to right: Third place: Hannah Webster from Central Hawke's Bay College; Winner, Leo Mwape from Palmerston North Boys’ High School; Runner-up, Lydia Black from Dannevirke High School.

By Mike Harold, Dannevirke Lions Club

Lydia Black recalls as a young child that her first public speaking experience was traumatic.

Sponsored by the Dannevirke Host Lions Club, and representing the southern zone of Lions District 202M, the Dannevirke High School student clinched her second placing in the NZ Lions Young Speechmakers Competition 2024 with a composed and structured impromptu on how “the importance of failure is a stepping stone to success”.

Dannevirke High School student Lydia Black was runner-up in a national speech-making competition.

Adding an element of humour, Lydia recalled her first public speaking efforts as a younger child, concluding “and here I am speaking in Wellington – and I haven’t broken into tears and had to sit down just yet!”

In her prepared speech Lydia, with good evidence, advocated for a community-wide approach to addressing youth crime – “we are all in this boat together”.

With eloquence and conviction, 12 of the best aspiring young public speakers from throughout New Zealand gathered at Wainuiomata last weekend to present, persuade and challenge their audience to think more deeply about issues important to Kiwis.

The day was a celebration of excellence in the craft of public speechmaking.

As has so often been the situation in past years, regional winners contesting the final of NZ Lions Young Speechmakers Competition 2024, presented with a high-quality of content, structure and delivery in the prepared speech section of the competition. This stage required each contestant to speak for six minutes on a topic of their own choice, after which the judging panel had the unenviable task of separating a very tight field.

The much-anticipated, shorter impromptu speech segment of the contest again proved to be a key factor in the adjudication process. Each contestant spoke for two minutes on the same topic, but had just one minute to prepare.

Lydia was runner-up to the overall winner, Leo Mwape from Palmerston North Boys’ High School.

Hannah Webster, from Central Hawke’s Bay College, sponsored by the Waipawa Lions Club and representing the northern area of Lions District 202M, was third overall. Hannah delivered an accomplished prepared speech, highlighting major issues of maritime safety in NZ, and followed up with a confident and assured impromptu speech.

Overall this was a really special day. Well hosted by Wainuiomata Lions, with much for those in attendance to take away and ponder. Huge thanks to Lions New Zealand and to all the speakers for a wonderful day’s celebration of the oratory tradition.