Grand Monadnock Rotary is sponsoring a speech contest for high school students in the ConVal School District, including home-schoolers and private school students. The competition challenges participants to deliver a five- to seven-minute speech applying Rotary’s Four-Way Test to ethical dilemmas in everyday life.

The Four-Way Test questions ask:

– “Is it the truth?”

– “Is it fair to all concerned?”

– “Will it build goodwill and better friendships?”

– “Will it be beneficial to all concerned?”

Speeches must address all four questions and be given from memory, not read, although adequate notes are acceptable.

The contest offers cash prizes of $250 for first place, $150 for second and $100 for third. The qualifying round is set for Wednesday, March 26, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Peterborough Town Library Classroom, 2 Concord St. The local finals will take place Tuesday, April 1, from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at Noone Falls, MaXt Meeting Room.

The district semifinal will be Sunday, April 6, in Henniker, followed by the district final Saturday, April 26, in Londonderry.

Registration is required by midnight on Tuesday, April 18, at clubrunner.blob.core.windows.net/00000002945/en-ca/files/homepage/four-way-test-speech-contest-2025/2025-FourWayTestSpeech-rules.pdf.

For information, send email to Bob MacDonald at bobmacdonald@pobox.com.