Evening star., 1927-05-15
LOKER TO RECEIVE
0RAT0RY AWARD
Maryland Youth Will Be Re-
cipient of Preliminary Honors
Before National Contest.

In his quest for the championship
of this region in the fourth National
OratoricaI Contest, William Alexander
Ioker of Leonardtown. Nd, jour
neved 10 the contest and The Star;
now. his fight won, the contest and
The Star will travel to Lo.ler In Leon
arfltown for the formal Presentation
of the spoils of battle
Tuesday morning, on the same plat
form on which he won his nrst VICTORY
in the course of the contest, "Aleck
Iol,er will receive the 5000 cash award
that the championship carries with it
and the formal notification that he is
to represent this region, comprising
Maryland, Columbia and Virginia, in
the national finals, May p.
Early in the contest, on April 4.
fo he exact, the courthouse at Leon
ardtown was the scene of one of the
most exciting meetings that south
ern Maryland town ever had Wit
messed Four young orators, the best
that that number of schools of St
Marys County could produce, We'd
with one another for the right to
represent the county in the SubSe-
uuent competitions of the big series.
At that time, happily bowling stu
dents and their parents and scores
of townsfolks made up an excited
audience that the old court chamber
scarcely could house.
Big Test UpN Tuesday.
Since that night, however. the con-
test has progressed and one of those
four contestants has become the ora
torical champion of the entire region.
So, on Tuesday morning at 1880
o'clock, an even greater crowd is eX-
pected to turn out to see its ia
vorite son" receive concrete evidence
of his conquest.
The Washington party, including
Fleming Newbold, business manager
of The Washington Star; Randolph
Leigh. founder and director of the
National Oratorical Contest, and Miss
Louise Proctor, contest manager in
this region, will leave Washington by
automobile Tuesday morning. On ar
rival at Leonardtown they will De
met by Brother Ambrose, G.. r. N,
director of the Leonard Hall School,
in which young Loker is senior.
After a brief look about town the
Washington party with officials OF
Leonard Hall will go into the court
house for the presentation ceremonies.
While the program, which has been
arranged, is to be brief, it will be
ample, Brother Ambrose declares.
musical program will be presented
and j. Roland Duke, mayor of Leo2
artItown, will make the opening ad-
dress.
To Present Cash Prize.
Mr.. Newbold will present the cash
prize to "Aleck" Lokcr, and at the
same time he will inform the youth
that the banner of Maryland, the Dis
trict of Columbia and Virginia shall
be placed in his hands for safe car
riage through the final contest in the
Washington Auditorium May q.
"Aieck.'' himself. will speak next,
and many persons of the audience
will have their first opportunity TO
hear the champion orator of this re-
xion. The address will be "Aleck's
FIRST public speech since he won the
cha ampionship, although he has ap-
peared. in the leading role of th4
Leonard Hall Spring play in severa!
Southern Maryland towns.
The audience will include the entire
student body of Leonard Hall and it
is expected that many students of the
Mechanicsville High School will he
present also. Tomorrow hight the
Junior classes of the two institutions
will meet in debate and the visiting
students will be invited to the Leonard
towns guests the following day. Then,
too, the faculty of the Leonard Hall
School will be there and most Of
Leonardtown's civic officials.
Judge William M. Loker of the