Centenary elocution contest

Yes, I shall be there at the Pinhorn Hall tomorrow for The Old Frees' Association Centenary Elocution Contest. 

But I shan't be there simply to watch the contest and perhaps cheering on the contestants. No, I shall be there as a judge representing The Old Frees' Association. The invitation to judge the contest was made weeks ago and I gladly accepted it. How could I refuse the offer? I consider it as doing my duty to the Association and the School, see? Killing two birds with one stone.

At a short meeting yesterday with the school convenors, I told them that I would prefer to judge the contest for the Lower Secondary participants. There's a separate contest for the Upper Secondary students but I decried from judging that contest because I had a good suspicion that I would know many of them from the leadership workshops last year. 

True enough, when I got to see the list of contestants later, I recognised the names of four or five of them. Therefore, my decision seemed wise enough because I did not want to appear as favouring them in any way. Let their talents shine on their own! But I shall cheer them on silently.

Note 1: There are three judges for each contest. Apart from the two OFA judges (Khoo Boo Teik is the other one and he shall be judging the Upper Secondary students), three others are the School's present English Language teachers and the fourth is a retired Free School teacher who taught English too.

Note 2: I heard that last month, The Old Frees' Association had arranged for a group of Toastmasters to coach the students on public speaking. It will be interesting to see how much of the coaching has been translated into the contestants' efforts at this elocution contest.