Competition Overview
Selected contestants will present 5-minute speeches about James Madison’s role in American political history. Students will inform and engage a public audience while demonstrating strong speaking skills. This competition is hosted by the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center in celebration of America’s 250th year. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three speeches, as judged by a panel.
Registration Deadline: Sunday, August 23, 2026
Date of Competition: Sunday, September 20, 2026 at 3pm
Location: Madison-Morgan Cultural Center (Historic Auditorium)
Prizes: 1st Place: $500, 2nd Place: $250, 3rd Place: $100
Eligibility
Participants must be currently enrolled high school students (grades 9–12) who live in Morgan County. (Students may be enrolled in any high school program—public, private, virtual, or home-schooled).
Participants must register by submitting this form.
The deadline to register is Sunday, August 23.
Following registration, students will have until Sunday, August 30 to submit:
1.) a summary of their speech, and
2.) a teacher recommendation
Up to eight contestants will be selected to present their speeches to the public on Sunday, September 20 and compete for cash awards.
Each student may submit and deliver only one speech.
Topics to Consider (students may also develop their own):
1.) James Madison as the “Father of the Constitution”
Explain Madison’s role at the Constitutional Convention, his preparation of the Virginia Plan, and how his ideas shaped the U.S. government.
2.) James Madison and the Bill of Rights
Focus on how Madison helped create the United States Bill of Rights and why those freedoms still matter today (speech, religion, etc.).
3.) The Federalist Papers
Discuss how Madison used The Federalist Papers (co-written by Alexander Hamilton and John Jay) to persuade people to support the Constitution.
4.) James Madison and Checks and Balances
Explain how Madison helped design a system where no branch of government becomes too powerful.
5.) Critiquing James Madison.
In 2026, looking back at James Madison’s political achievements, how might Madison have erred in a particular action or philosophy?
Speech Length
- If a speech is substantially short or long, it will be penalized. -Speeches that are outside the grace period, will be penalized by two points. (I.e., A two-point penalty would be applied to any speech that is 3:00-3:44 in length or 6:16-7:00 minutes in length.)
- Speeches that are under 3 minutes or over 7 minutes will be disqualified.
Use of Notes
- Participants are allowed to use notes during their speech.
- Notes must be:
-Handheld (e.g., note cards or paper)
-Non-digital (no phones, tablets, or smart devices)
- Reading directly from notes for the entire speech is discouraged and will affect scoring.
Prohibited Aids
- No visual aids (slides, posters, props) are permitted.
- No costumes or theatrical elements.
Delivery Recommendations
- Speeches should be delivered from memory as much as possible, with notes used as support.
- Participants should demonstrate:
-Clear articulation and audible voice
-Eye contact with the audience
-Appropriate pacing and expression
Judging Criteria
Speeches will be evaluated based on:
- Content (30%): Accuracy, depth of research, and relevance to topic
- Organization (20%): Clear structure, logical flow, strong introduction and conclusion
- Delivery (30%): Confidence, engagement, vocal clarity, and effective use of notes
- Interpretation (20%): Originality, insight, and critical thinking.
Plagiarism Policy
- All speeches must be the original work of the participant.
- Any use of sources must be properly paraphrased or quoted and attributed.
- Use of direct quotation is permissible if acknowledged (For example, "As historian Mary Smith wrote " ......" or "In Madison's own words....").
- Obvious plagiarism will result in disqualification.
- Representing wording produced by AI (ChatGPT, etc.) as original to the speaker constitutes plagiarism.
Competition Procedure
- Speaking order will be determined randomly.
- Timekeepers will provide signals:
-Green: Start
-Yellow: 1 minute remaining
-Red: Time limit reached
Awards
- Awards will be given for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.
- Judges may optionally award one or more “honorable mentions.”
- Judges’ decisions are final.