Eligibility & Contest Rules

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Who Can Compete?

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The American Legion Oratorical Contest is open to eligible students who are ready to challenge themselves, strengthen their public-speaking skills, and deepen their understanding of the United States Constitution.

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To participate, contestants must meet the following requirements:

• Be a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States.

• Be under 20 years of age on the date of the National Contest.

• Be enrolled in a high school or junior high school curriculum, including public, private, parochial, military, or state-accredited home-study programs.

• Students must be enrolled during the time they participate at any level of the contest.

• Students attending school outside the United States may be eligible under the additional residency requirements outlined in the official Student Manual.

 

Full eligibility requirements are available in the 2026–2027 Oratorical Contest Student Manual.

 

The Competition

The Oratorical Contest includes two speaking components designed to test both preparation and a contestant's understanding of the Constitution.

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Prepared Oration

Each contestant prepares an original speech addressing some aspect of the Constitution of the United States, with emphasis on the duties and obligations of a citizen to our government.

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Time Limit: 8–10 minutes

The prepared oration must be the contestant's own work. Contestants should be prepared to deliver their speech without the use of notes, a lectern, or other speaking aids.

 

Assigned Topic

Contestants must also prepare to speak on an assigned constitutional topic.

 

Time Limit: 3–5 minutes

 

The assigned topic is selected immediately before the contestant speaks. Because contestants will not know which topic they will receive in advance, they should be prepared to speak on all four assigned topics for the 2026–2027 contest year.

 

2026–2027 Assigned Topics

Contestants should prepare for:

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Contestant Attire​

Contestants are expected to present themselves professionally.

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Appropriate business attire is required.

 

Uniforms are not permitted, and contestants may not wear awards, medals, ribbons from previous competitions, or items representing clubs or organizations.

 

Important Competition Rules

Contestants should keep these important requirements in mind:

• Props are not permitted.

• Contestants may not use notes, a lectern, or other speaking aids while delivering their prepared oration.

• Quotations longer than 10 words must include proper attribution.

• Singing is not permitted and results in immediate disqualification.

• The prepared oration must remain essentially the same throughout each level of competition, although minor changes are permitted.

• All contestants at a particular contest level receive the same assigned topic.

• Contestants compete under standardized judging, timing, and tabulation procedures.

 

Your Path Through the Competition

The Oratorical Contest begins locally and provides students with the opportunity to advance through multiple levels:

 

Post 191 Contest

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District Contest

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Area Contest

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Florida State Contest

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National Contest

 

A student must first participate at the American Legion Post level. The winner advances to the District Contest, followed by Area and State competition. Florida's State winner advances to the National Oratorical Contest.

 

Important Dates

For the 2026–2027 contest year, the Florida competition schedule is:

 

Post Level: December 1, 2026 – January 17, 2027

District Level: January 18 – February 7, 2027

Area Level: February 8 – February 21, 2027

Florida Department Finals: March 13, 2027

 

Post 191's local contest date and registration deadline will be announced separately.

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READY TO COMPETE?​

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NEED MORE INFORMATION?

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