The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1916-05-26
PUBLIC SPEAKING CONTEST.
West Nottingham Academy Orator
Wins Second Prize At Tome.

A1Lor conference lasting Ia
minutes the first prize of SIS was
awarded to Sterling Harris, of the
Centreville High School, in Tones
first statewide public Speaking Con-
test held in Memorial Hall last
Saturday night. The second prize
of $15 went to Basil Reynolds of the
West Nottingham Academy. Donald
Turner of the Franklin High School,
was close third. Mr.. Harris gave
stirring address on 'The European
War and American Ideais" the key
note of which was "the message of
America Basil Reyn-
olds, along with four others, chose
Preparedness" as his topic and
spoke in clear, convincing manner,
showing great familiarity with his
theme.
Lots were drawn for the order of
appearance and the program was as
follows:
Malcolm W. Lowenstein, Park
School Edison, Biographical
Sketch.
Edward Grabill, Brunswick High
School-David Lewis, Biograph-
ical Sketch.
John Clifford, Calvert Agricultural
School-Keep the Boy on the Farm.
Ralph E. Nichols, Delmar High
Standardization in MS~yland.
John B. Houck, Chesapeake City
High-Preparedness.
Hasson t. Terrell, Cecil County
High-Preparedness.
E. S. Basford, Charlotte Hall
Shakespeare, the Poet.
Donald Turner, Franklin High
Preparedness.
Sterling Harris, Centreville
High-The European War and
American Ideals.
Basil Reynolds, West Nottingham
Academy-Preparedness.
R. L. Maitland Taylor, Tome
The Motion Pictures.
The last four on the program were
easily the best orators of the even
ing. Mr.. Taylor, who has very
pleasing personality ana easy pres
O~ASSS
way effects are gained in the
movies by the means Of exceeding
ly ingenious devices. While the
majority of the budding orators
aimed at simple, clear-cut style Of
speech, yet a few could not forego
the temptation Of indulging in all
the sweeping gestures and sonorous
verbiage that is Mostly reminiscent
of a gone-by generation. The ex-
treme representative OF this group
was one young man who very evi-
IDENTIFY had not only listened with
deepest admiration to Billy Sunday,
but who, just as evidently, is living q
life of as near. imitation to the real
thing, as he knows how. However,
though he did not seemingly bring
many converts to his cause, he man
aged to keep his audience in peals Of
laughter during his entire perform
ance.
Plans for this Public Speaking
Contest at Tome were made several
months ago. All the secondary
schools in Maryland were invited to
hold preliminary competitions from
the results of which they were to
send one representative to the affair
on May 20. A speech of eight min
utes was allowed each contestant
and the subject had to be chosen
from the following list:
Some Phase of Agriculture in
Maryland; Biographical or Chara-
cter Sketch Of Prominent Ameri-
can; My Most Thrilling Experience;
My Most Amusing Experience; Some
Modern Invention; The American
Merchant Marine; Some Phase of
the Present War (non-partisan)
Preparedness; Education in Mary
Picture.
The judges were DR.. Murray Pea
body Brush, Dean of the Jehns Hop
kins; DR.. NJ. Bates Stevens, State
Superintendent of Education, and
Mr.. Charles ]. Koch, Supervisor of
Public Schools of Baltimore, all of
whom had spent the day at Tome,
having come up to attend Tones
tenth annual interscholastic track
and field meet on Saturday after
noon. In addition, great many
other out-of-town guests who were
spending the weekend at Tome, and
many visitors from nearby points
helped to make up a large and in
spring audience before which the
embryo Patrick Henrys made their
bows. -
This first statewide PublicJ
Speaking Contest of Tones turned
out huge success, and beyond
doubt it will be continued as one OF
the most attractive features OF the
schools yearly program.