Lincolnview HS student wins State Optimist Contest

Club News, Oratorical
Clayton Priest, a senior at Lincolnview High School was the winner of the Ohio District – Optimist International Oratorical Contest last weekend in Columbus, receiving a $3,500 scholarship and the opportunity to participate in the 2024 Optimist International Oratorical World Championships in St. Louis in July. Priest began his journey of competing through the various levels of Optimist speech competitions by winning the local Optimist Club of Van Wert contest on February 29. From there, he won the zone competition at Findlay in April and the regional contest held in Lima last month. Last weekend at the Ohio District Competiton, he bested regional winners from throughout the state to be the sole representative for Ohio in the national competition. Priest will compete next at the Optimist Regional Contest at Saint…
Read More

2024 Oratorical Winners

Club News, Oratorical
The Optimist Club of Van Wert held its annual oratorical contest on Feb. 29 at CHP Home Care & Hospice in Van Wert. Ten students from Crestview, Lincolnview, and Van Wert schools presented speeches on the topic, “How to Change the World with Optimism.”  Clayton Priest, a senior from Lincolnview, earned first place in the contest. Annabel Horstman, an eighth grader at Lincolnview, earned second place, and Nora Linton, a seventh grader at Lincolnview was third. These students receive medallions and prize money of $300 for first place, $200 for second, and $100 for third. Priest and Horstman will advance to the zone/regional contest. From there, contestants could move on to the district (state), and possibly national and international levels, for the opportunity to win college scholarships. Students were judged…
Read More

23-24 Oratorial Contest

Oratorical
The annual Optimist Club of Van Wert Oratorical Contest will be held Thu. Feb. 29 at 6:00 p.m. The topic is “How to Change the World with Optimism.” The contest is offered to Van Wert County students under age 19 (as of Oct. 1, 2023). There is no minimum age. It is a four-to-five-minute oral presentation. Speeches will be judged based on content and presentation. First, second, and third-place winners will receive prizes of $300, $200, and $100. The top two local contestants will advance to compete for the opportunity to win up to $22,500 in scholarships. Entry forms may be submitted by email to vwyinger@gmail.com; by mail to Greg Yinger, 1159 Westwood Dr., Van Wert, OH  45891, or by fax to 419-238-9391. Download Application
Read More
Oratorical Contest Winners

Oratorical Contest Winners

Club News, Oratorical, Scholarship Opportunities
The Optimist Club of Van Wert held its annual oratorical contest on March 5 at CHP Home Care & Hospice in Van Wert. The topic this year is, “Discovering the Optimism within Me.”  Eliza Leiendecker, a homeschooled ninth-grade student from Van Wert, earned first place in the contest. Chloe Dettrow, a junior at Van Wert High School, garnered second-place. Both will be awarded medallions and prize money of $300 for first place and $200 for second.  “The Optimist Oratorical Contest is a great opportunity for local students to express their thoughts and opinions to an audience and win prize money,” said Greg Yinger of the Optimist Club. “Our club strives to bring out the best in each student and we hope this project will be a step to help them achieve…
Read More
Optimist Club Hosts Oratorical Contest

Optimist Club Hosts Oratorical Contest

Club News, Oratorical, Scholarship Opportunities
The Optimist Club of Van Wert held its annual oratorical contest on March 6 at CHP Home Care & Hospice, 1159 Westwood Dr., Van Wert. The topic for 2020-21 is: “Staying Optimistic in Challenging Times.” Eliza Leiendecker, a homeschooled eighth grade student from Van Wert, earned first place in the contest. Berkley Webster, a third-grader at Van Wert Elementary, garnered second-place, and Cooper Webster, a sixth-grade student at Van Wert was third. All three were awarded medallions and prize money of $300 for first place, $200 for second, and $100 for third. Derek Young from Crestview Middle School placed fourth. Leiendecker advances to the regional contest on Apr. 9 at UNOH in Lima. The winner at the regional contest moves on to the district (state) level, and possibly national and international…
Read More
2022 Optimist International Oratorical Contest

2022 Optimist International Oratorical Contest

Club News, Oratorical
The annual Optimist Club of Van Wert Oratorical Contest will be held Sunday, March 6, 2022. Applications are due by Mar. 1. The topic is “Staying Optimistic in Challenging Times.” The goal is to have the contest in-person, but this could change based on Covid conditions at the time. The contest is offered to local middle school and high school students. Speeches will be judged based on content and presentation. First, second, and third-place winners will receive prizes of $300, $200, and $100. The top two local contestants will advance to the zone, regional, and possibly district-level competitions for the opportunity to win scholarships. The Oratorical Contest challenges students to express their thoughts and opinions to an audience with the opportunity to win prizes and scholarships. Our club hopes to…
Read More
Optimist Club Hosts Oratorical Contest for Students

Optimist Club Hosts Oratorical Contest for Students

Club News, Oratorical
The Optimist Club of Van Wert held its annual oratorical contest on March 14 online via Zoom. The topic that local students were challenged to address was “Healing the World with Optimism.” Austin Yinger, a fifth grade student at Crestview Elementary, earned first place in the contest. Derek Yinger, an eighth grader at Crestview Middle School, garnered second place, and Myles Moody, an eighth grade student at Lincolnview Middle School was third. All three were awarded medallions and prize money of $300 for first place, $200 for second, and $100 for third. Abbie Mengerink from Van Wert High School and Garrett Mosier from Lincolnview Middle School also competed in the competition. Austin Yinger advances to the regional contest on Apr. 17. The winner at the regional contest moves on to…
Read More
Essay and Oratorical Contests Announced for Area Students

Essay and Oratorical Contests Announced for Area Students

Club News, Essay, Oratorical, Scholarship Opportunities
The Optimist Club of Van Wert invites area students to enter its annual Essay and Oratorical contests, for the opportunity to win prize money and the possibility of earning thousands of dollars in scholarships. ESSAY CONTEST The Optimist Club Essay Contest encourages area students to write about the topic, When All the World’s Problems are Solved, is Optimism Still Necessary?  Optimist Club members will judge students’ essays and determine the winners of medallions and cash awards of $300 for first-place, $150 for second-place, and $50 for third-place. Winners of the local contest advance to the district contest to compete for a $2,500 college scholarship. Essay contest applications are available now at Crestview, Lincolnview, and Van Wert middle and high schools, or may be obtained by contacting Diana Cearns at 419-238-1463.…
Read More
Optimist Communication Contest for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CCDHH)

Optimist Communication Contest for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CCDHH)

Club News, Oratorical
$3500.00 in Scholarships Will Be Awarded to the Winner By Optimist International & the Ohio District! The Ohio Optimists are, once again, offering a fantastic scholarship opportunity to students who are deaf or hearing impaired and a chance to improve their oratorical skills at the same time with their C.C.D.H.H. Please share with anyone you know who may be interested. Download the Flyer here:     Download the Application here:       Last year, only 8 students participated state wide in this contest so I'm not sure if it is due to lack of interest or the students not receiving the information.   This year's topic is: “Is There a Fine Line Between Optimism and Reality? Interested students should complete their application and turn it back in to me…
Read More