Public speaking finalists show exceptional talent

Finalists in the Rotary District 9660 Public Speaking Competition have been praised for showing exceptional talent.

The finals were held at the district conference in Tamworth at the weekend and students were supported by families from across the North West.

Dubbo representative Isaiah Luckensmeyer took out first place in the competition.

His grandparents Richard and Drinda Luckensmeyer, of Narrabri, eagerly awaited the result with family members in the audience.

The finalists were asked to deliver a five-minute speech on a topic of their choosing, referencing at least one part of Rotary’s four-way test.

They then had two minutes to prepare a two-minute speech on the topic of ‘my hero’.

Isaiah delivered an engaging five-minute speech about his family’s friendly twist on ‘ding dong ditch’.

Far from a prank, unlike the namesake, Isaiah and his family came up with the concept of leaving a hot meal on the doorstep of someone’s home as an act of kindness.

For his two-minute speech on ‘my hero’, Isaiah praised his father Jonathan for always providing for the family.

St Mary’s College Gunnedah representative Lewis Donaldson spoke about the power of learning a second language.

He delivered part of the speech in French and said learning a second language was of significant benefit to cognitive ability.

Lewis referenced academic studies.

For his two-minute speech on ‘my hero’, he delivered an impromptu talk on Nelson Mandela.

He said it was during a course in modern history and learning about Apartheid that he developed an appreciation for the South African leader. Similar to Mandela, Lewis wants to make a lasting, positive impact on society.

Isaiah and Lewis were joined by two other competitors – one from Newcastle and another from Armidale at the final. One of the competition’s judges, Narelle Lyon, said the panel was blown away by the level of talent of the competitors.

“I am confident that we are looking at the leaders of tomorrow,” she said.

The Public Speaking Competition formed part of an action-packed conference line-up.

Former Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove was one of the keynote speakers on the Saturday morning.

Sir Peter primarily spoke about conflicts and the need for peace.

However, he also made mention of interactions with people as part of his former vice-regal role.

It was an interaction with entertainer Marcia Hines that Sir Peter was particularly impressed with, as he said she had a broad understanding of NSW and had no difficulty in pronouncing town names like Wee Waa and Wauchope. However, she did come unstuck with pronouncing Cessnock.

Boggabri farmer Andrew Watson addressed the gathering on Sunday morning.