The Lions speech contest is a California State wide public speaking contest for high school students. Each level a student winner is awarded scholarship money and recognition for their speech.
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Contact your nearest Lions Club to see how you can get involved
if you are a high school student in any of the counties listed below:
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Siskiyou, Modoc, Trinity, Shasta, Lassen, Tehama,
Plumas, Butte, Glenn, Colusa, Yuba, Sutter
Our challenging topic for the 2023-2024 contest is:
“For a better world, what would you change?”
Awards for this year contest:
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Club Winner $ 75 and $ 25 to each finalist.
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Zone winner $ 100
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Region Winner $ 150
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District Winner $ 4,500 Scholarship
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Area Winner $ 6,500 Scholarship
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California State Winner $ 10,000 Scholarship.
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Contest Deadline Dates :
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Club Contest by late February 2024
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Zone Contest by mid March 2024
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Region Contest by early April 2024
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District Contest by May 2024
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Area Contest by late May 2024
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State Final Contest in June 2024 TBA @ Council of Governors
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The Student Speakers Foundation was organized in 1960. Its father is Don Snyder, District Governor in Southern California, 1958-59. He asked Past International President Fred Smith and then International Director Dwight Stanford to join him as the organizers and first directors of the Foundation. Don did all the work getting IRS and California taxing authorities approval. He is now a lifetime, honorary Director of the Foundation, as is Dwight Stanford.
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The Foundation’s first cash came from the profits of the Lions Goods Store at the next California Lions State Convention. District Governor Al Mendel of Apple Valley, 1961-62, ran the store and suggested the gift. The first few years of the Foundation were a bit thorny. It was hard for the organization to collect money when it had very little prestige. Gradually the situation changed and the Foundation began to supplement the prizes which heretofore had been paid for entirely out of the California Lions State budget. Foundation funds come entirely from voluntary donations and income from the accumulated assets.​
"I do not want the peace which passeth understanding,
I want the understanding which bringeth peace"
-Helen Keller