1. The District Governor shall determine which Opportunities for Youth contests are to be conducted each year and shall appoint a District Chair, approve the date, time, place and budget for all contests, contest entry fees and awards for each contest. Additional monies may be raised through fund raising efforts, sponsors, grants, gifts and so on… The three contests for 2009-2010 are: Diabetic Essay Contest, Outstanding Youth Award Contest, and the Peace Poster Contest.

2. 2-A1 contests for youth shall be conducted under the direction of the "Opportunities for Youth" Committee, selected by the District Chair. Each separate contest will have a coordinator appointed by the District Chair, who will conduct the contests under the direction of the District Chair and follow closely, the guidelines as established for the MD-2 State contests of like name.

3. Three knowledgeable judges are to be secured by the District Chair for each of the three contests. No judges shall have served for any District or Club contest preparatory for the District contest and shall not be related to a contestant in a contest preparatory for the District Contest.

4. Application to participate in the contest is an agreement by all signatories to the application to comply with all general rules of the contests and the rules of each individual contest, as approved by the District governor and interpreted by the District Chair and Coordinator.

Timeline Dates:

June 1, 2009 First of several organizational meetings of the District Youth Contest Committee

August 1-15 Complete contest packet to include contest rules, guidelines, dates and etc, that is to be presented to clubs and schools.

July & August Discuss district contest concept with all clubs in the district to get commitment on which one or all three contests they will participate.

Sept – Oct Info Packets need to be in the hands of school counselors, teachers and etc.

November 15 Peace Poster deadline to District

November 16-20 District Peace Poster contest judging in San Angelo.

December 1 District winning Peace Poster entry with application to State

April 4 Youth Contest deadline to District

April 24 District Youth contest winners announced and prizes awarded during District

Convention

May 15 Dist Contest winners deadline to State

June State contest competition and winners announced during State Convention

5. Rules of eligibility are:

a.) A Club may sponsor no more than one contestant in each contest by submitting a completed entry application (containing all requested information and signatures) and the appropriate entry fee to the District Contest Chair prior to the contest deadline date. No late entries will be accepted.

b.) A false statement on the entry application causes disqualification of the contestant, with the entry fee being forfeited.

c.) There shall be no refund of any entry fee.

d.) Each contestant shall have placed first in their club contest this Lions’ year.

e.) When a first placed club contestant is unable to participate in the District competition, the first alternate contestant from that club (when approved by the District Chair) may enter the contest using the original entrant’s sponsoring fee.

f.) Each contestant must be or have been a regularly enrolled student in a public high school or comparable educational program, and must be a high school Junior or Senior at the time of the District competitions.

g.) Contestants may be required to use a microphone.

h.) Contestants will draw for contest participation positions and shall remain outside the contest room until instructed to enter by a Contest Official.

i.) All District contests shall be conducted in the English language and contestants, during contest presentations, shall speak English.

6. Ranking of contestants in the District contest shall be:

a.) First place shall be the contestant receiving the highest grand total score, and shall receive a certificate and trophy.

b.) First Runner-Up shall be contestant receiving the second highest grand total score, and shall receive a certificate and trophy.

7. Awards, certificates, scholar / grants and recognitions, presented to contestants, shall be uniform among all contestants. The number of awards and the amount of scholarship or cash money given will be approved by the District Governor. Awards shall be presented according to contestant’s placement in each contest from last to first.

8. Scholar / Cash / grant awards may be presented on the day of the contest, but no later than the District Convention of that same contest year.

9. Entities such as Past District Governor’s, the District, Lions Clubs and other organizations and businesses are welcome to show their support for the District 2-A1 "Opportunities For Youth" program by providing funding for the scholar/grants and cash awards.

10. The District shall provide:

a.) Awards, certificates and recognitions.

b.) Certificates, recognitions and honoraria to contest judges.

c.) For the judges – Food and lodging during service to the contest, and a maximum of one nights lodging, to be arranged by the District Chair.

d.) For the contestants – one night of lodging before the contest and up to three (3) meals.

11. The sponsoring club shall be responsible for all expenses not paid by the District for each contestant and chaperone. All contestants shall be accompanied by a chaperone approved by the sponsoring Club.

12. For budgeting purposes, District Chairperson shall submit a recommendation to the District Governor about estimated cost of the year’s contests.

13. The Outstanding Youth Award Contest Coordinator may organize a community service seminar for all District Opportunities for Youth Contestants. The seminar would include, but not limited to, utilization of the services of State Officers, District Officers, PDG’s, and the District Contest Chairperson.

"OUTSTANDING YOUTH AWARD"

1. Each contestant must be a full time student in a Texas high school or comparable education program, must be a junior or senior class member at the time of the contest and be sponsored by a Lion/Lioness/Leo Club in District 2-A1. The first place winner will be the Districts’ contestant in the State contest.

2. Judges should be persons who are knowledgeable about community service and high school level leadership.

3. Each entrant shall compete with other contestants at a time appointed by the District Contest Chairperson.

4. Competition evaluation shall include high school grade point average, a personal biography, a community service and leadership participation worksheet, three letters of recommendation, and a personal interview (attire should be suitable for a professional job interview).

5. The District Contest shall be comprised of two separate judging parts or activities:

7. Contestants are requested to attend a Contest Orientation at 9:00 AM on April 3^rd, 2010. This Orientation is scheduled prior to the contest, and will be held at the same location as the contest, i.e., the San Angelo ISD Administration Building (see above). Contestants will visit the presentation area, test a microphone (if used), and ask any questions about the contest that they may still have. After the Orientation, Contestants will draw for their positions for the personal interview.

8. Semi-final scores from the Prefatory judging and the Interactive Interview judging will be combined to create the final score for each of the 10 contestants. Highest combined score is declared contest winner and next highest score declared runner-up.

Judging

Prefatory Level Judging - all Applications will be evaluated on grade point average, personal biography, community service and leadership participation worksheet, and three letters of recommendation. The maximum number a contestant may score is 70 points as outlined (a. thru d.) below. Only the 10 highest scoring Applications will advance to the second part of the District Contest. No other Applications will advance.

The maximum points to be used for judging contestants shall be:
a.) Grade point average = twenty points
b.) Personal biography information statement = five points
c.) Community service and leadership worksheet = thirty points
d.) Three letters of recommendation (total) = fifteen points
e.) Personal interview (from Interactive Judged Interview) = thirty points

Interactive Judged Interview – only the top 10 Applicants from the Prefatory Level Judging will compete against one another in an interview with three judges, each knowledgeable about community service and high school level leadership. The maximum points possible to score is 30 points.

he Judges will interview each contestant separately and ask four leading questions, each contestant has up to two minutes to fully respond to each question.

Once the Judged Interview is complete for all 10 Applicants, the scores from the Prefatory Level Judging and the Judged Interview will be combined to produce a single score, the "District Contest Score," with a maximum possible score of 100 points (a. thru d. plus e.).

Details about the Contest

1. The contest area must have good acoustics, be free from outside noises and disturbances, and have controlled access. No one will be allowed to enter or leave during an interview and until judges have finished scoring the Contestant. Intermissions may be scheduled.

2. Contestants shall remain outside the contest room in a designated waiting area until invited to enter by the Contest Chair or his/her representative.

3. Before the contestants enter the contest room, the audience will be instructed not to talk

during the interviews, to turn off all cell phones, and not to applaud after each interview. The audience members shall be requested not to leave until all the Contestants have completed their interviews.

4. Upon entering the contest room, contestants shall state only their names and the interview shall proceed. Following the contest, contestants will take their seat in the assigned area and remain to hear following interviews. After all interviews have been conducted, contestants in the order of their presentations will stand and state their names, hometowns, ages, schools, grade levels, and their Club sponsors. At the end of this process, the audience may then collectively applaud all contestants. Persons involved in the conduct of the contest, as well as parents, chaperones and guest(s) of the contestants may be introduced.

5. The two Applicants with the highest combined scores will be recognized on April 3^rd, 2010, as the District Winner (1^st Place) and the District Runner-Up (2^nd Place). The other 8 Applicants will receive a Certificate of Participation. .

6. The District Winner and District Runner-Up will be recognized again during the District Convention’s "Opportunities for Youth" luncheon at 12:00 noon on April 24^th, 2010. The Contest Winner will receive a $1,500 check, and the Runner-Up will receive a $1,000 check. The winner will read his/her personal biography at that time.

7. Contestants must agree to be reasonably available, on request to participate in District 2-A1 events and activities during the period immediately after the contest until the following year’s contest.

8. The entry fee is $100 for the District Outstanding Youth Award contest. These documents must accompany the entry fee to be considered as a contestant:

• District "Opportunities for Youth" Application
• Two wallet sized color photographs (close-up, head & shoulders)
• Official School Transcript
• Personal biography information, limited to two pages in length, including the students school/community activities, goals, awards, interests and hobbies.
• Community service and leadership worksheet
• Three separate letters of recommendation

The sponsoring club must make sure all documents are completed and have all required signatures. The fully completed application and all required information shall be sent to the District Contest Chair by March 1^st, 2010, contest deadline.

9. At the District Contest and Convention, all Contestants shall be accompanied by two adult chaperones: one chaperon who is a family member/guardian, and one chaperone who is a Lion from the Contestant’s sponsoring Club. The District will provide two meals for each Contestant and chaperone on the day of the District Contest (a continental style breakfast and a pizza party for lunch). Guests of the Contestants are welcome to attend the pizza party. The District will not authorize or provide any overnight lodging. The sponsoring club shall be responsible for all expenses not paid by the District for their contestant and chaperones. The District shall also provide a meal for the District Winner and Runner-Up and for their chaperones on the day of the District Convention, April 24^th, 2010.

10. The District Contest Winner will advance to the State Contest, scheduled for May 13^th-15^th, 2010, in El Paso, TX. All State Contest and chaperone guidelines apply at that time.

Direct all questions and send applications with required information along with $100 entry fee to District Outstanding Youth Award Contest Chair:

Lion Kimberly Floyd
District OYA Contest Chair
3646 Apollo Lane
San Angelo, TX 76903
(325)655-3646