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2012 Battle of Flowers Oratorical Contest
Theme: Horns, Hides and Hooves - The Trail Drives of Texas
Date: Friday, February 24, 2012
2012 Oratorical Contest Rules (pdf)
Additional Info: Contact Chairman
The 87th Oratorical Contest of the Battle of Flowers Association will be held on Friday, February 24, 2012 at the Witte Museum in San Antonio. It is the oldest university and college level forensics contest in the state of Texas and the second oldest in the country. Our historical event awards more prize money to its winning contestants than any other similar competition in the nation. The topic for the 2012 Oratorical Contest is “Horns, Hides and Hooves – The Trail Drives of Texas”.
From the end of the Civil War until the turn of the century, vast herds of cattle and horses were driven across the Great Plains from trails beginning in Texas to northern markets. The trail drives encompassed hardship, danger and unforgettable experiences that shaped the social, political and economic character of Texas. In keeping with the contest theme potential topics may include, but are not limited to, an individual trail driver, a famous cattle trail or the ways in which the trail drives affected the present day civilization and prosperity in Texas.
In order to encourage the participation of four year universities and colleges with strong forensics programs, we are targeting our invitation this year to specific schools and limiting the total number of contestants to twelve, with no more than two students from any one school competing. Each speech should be original and historically accurate, and delivered from a lectern by memory using conversational platform style.
The benefits to students for entering this prestigious contest are many:
-Prizes of $2000, $1000, $750, $500 and $300 will be awarded to the first through fifth place winners, respectively
-New in 2012, contestants who are not chosen for the Finals Session and deliver their entire speech during the preliminary round will receive $100
-The contest winner will deliver his or her speech to an audience of 600 hundred dignitaries and members at the Battle of Flowers Association annual luncheon to be held during Fiesta Week on April 26, 2012
-The following day, the first place winner and their Director of Forensics will ride in the Battle of Flowers Parade – the third largest parade in the nation and the only parade of this size put on entirely by women
-Copies of the first and second place speeches will be filed in the Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library at the Alamo
-The winning speech will be taped for broadcast by KLRN Public Television of San Antonio