Evening star., 1928-04-17
BOY BEATS GIRLS
IN SCHOOL CONTEST
Raymond Lynch First in SeC-
ond Virginia Group Ora
toricaI Meeting.

Tables were turned on the girls of
the Virginia district in the Fifth Ma
tional Oratorical Contest last night
when RAYMOND Lynch of the Lee-Jack-
son High School Of Fairfax County. n
lone boy competing in field with three
girls for = place in the Virginia finals.
won first honors in the second Virginia
aruup meeting staged at Herndon,
The third contender for the Virginia
district championship is being chosen
this afternon at LeeSburg. where an
other of the series Of group competitions
is being staged in the auditorium of
the LeeSburg High School.
While Virginia is progressing IN the
contest with It's group meets the public
high schools Of the District of Columbia
also are narrowing down their con-
teStant fields Western High School.
with only nine contestants surviving
its eliminationS. will stage its Semi-tinalS
at 9:ls O'Clock tomorrow morning With
the faculty contest committee acting as
Judges. five Of the nine survivors will
be chosen as the contenders for the
Western High School championship.
Three Girls Against Boy.
Last nights contest had been watched
with unusual interest by the various
high schools OF the Virginia district, be-
cause of the competition there between
the boys and the girls The girls who
have won their school championships
have far outnumhered the boys who
have won the same honors, and In the
contest last night at Herndon there
were three girls and single boy COM
peting
RAYMOND Lynch. the lS-ycar-old son
of Vernon M Lynch, Fairfax County
farmer. was the boy and he won the dc
ciSion by narrow margin over Miss
Grace /. Cooper. spokesman for the
Herndon High School. who was award
ed second honorS Speaking on THE
Present Significance of the Cons,iiu-
ton" Lynch paid laudatory tribute 10
the principles of the United States Gov
ernment. His delivery was quiet and al
most geStureless. vet his manner on the
stage was one Of complete reserve and
complacency.
Through his victory last night. young
lynch won The stars award of $50 and
the right to compete In the Virginia dis
trict finals for the right 10 represent
that territory in The Star finals. A
senior at the lee Jackson High School.
near Alexandria. Lynch Will be grad
uated May lS and next Fall he hopes
10 begin his study Of electrical engi-
neersng.
Besides Miss Cooper. Spokesman for
the HeYndon High school. last nights
contestants included Miss Alma Slusser
ot the AShburn High School, and Miss
Katherine Hummer of the FloriS VEGA
tional High School.
Miss Cooper First Speaker.
Miss Cooper was the first Of The four
81 hn sYs4ynTuenN hy T.
Hutchins. chairman Of the mseting who
was suddenly called upon to preside
when Wslbert WoodSon. clerk of the
Fairfax County School Board. scheduled
TO preside was elected a Judge by the
principals Of the contending schools
after one OF the previously appointed
Judges had been taken III
With her Grafton on The Present
significance of the Constitution" Miss
Cooper was rated extremely close 10 the
lop hy the Judges ballots Her speech.
delivered In minutes was well CONS
posed discourse upon the topic It's au~
lhor had chosen and the speaker never
allowed herself TO get far from the
actual suhject~-an admirable trait
which many of the contestants fail "a
xrasp
Miss Hummer. the Fiorls Vocational
School representative. was the unicst
speaker on the program. but in spite oi
her size. this little Girl presented her
speech Ia business-Mke fashion, A;igg
ShlsSeT, the ether contestant. stroyg
yallantly 10 conquer nervousness I'm iiFs
bid for victory and when she seemed
about 10 waveY she stuck 70 her TOO of
speaking and carried on 90 complete
her speech in something over seven
minutes
The judges last night were In add
ton to MIR Woodson DR. Peter Coopt-s
OF the United States Bureau Of Educa-
tion and pastor Of the Herndon
Congregational Church. and Frank
lin Williams 0i vienna. Va for
mel member OF the Virginia Lcgisla-
sure Rev % Campbell Mayors Of AHA
dIeburg, who was 20 have been one Of
the judges. vas taken seriously i'll ard
he IL AZ present In a Washington hos
pital Music for the program was pro-
vided By the Herndon Orchestra. under
the direction Of Mr8 Annie r.. waite.
School YeiIs and Songs.
Before the contest was begun and
during the interval In which "A judge
was being appointed % ill the vacancy
created by Rev Mayors illness, the
"baekers of the speakers made merry
with school yells and songs Herndnn
acting as host 20 the contest had the
largest team Of cheererS and. with gooc
gpoEtsmansfip and generosity. that
group gave yeils for each OF thc visit