Soroptimist Public Speaking Competition 2017
On Thursday 16th November 2017, three Rainey pupils took part in the Soroptimist International Public Speaking Competition -Ballymoney and District Local Area Competition. Alana Atkinson, (L6) Ellie Beattie, (L6) and Eimear Nugent, (L6) all competed in this local round of the competition which was held in Ballymoney. The three girls had to prepare a speech lasting between four and six minutes on a topic from a list of six topics and then on the night they delivered these speeches in front of the audience. There were three judges and all of the judges were very experienced public speakers.
Alana delivered an engaging and thought-provoking speech on the topic, “Ill health begins in the mind.” Ellie opted for the title, “Every generation has had its problems-what’s in store for me?” and gave a humorous speech which also posed some serious questions. Eimear addressed the topic, “Immigration-How open should our doors be?” and again gave an engaging speech with a serious message at its core. All three girls worked extremely hard to prepare for the competition, attending rehearsals at break, lunch and after school. The hard work paid off as all three girls performed brilliantly on the night and represented the Rainey so well.
A pupil from St Mary’s Grammar School Magherafelt came first in the competition and they will go through to represent Ballymoney and District at the Northern Ireland Final which will be held in February 2018. Our congratulations goes to the deserved winner and we wish her the very best as she goes on to represent the area in Hillsborough. Congratulations also to Ellie Beattie from Rainey who came second in the competition. This is a fantastic achievement so well done, Ellie! A St Mary’s pupil came third and again congratulations to her on a super speech. Finally, congratulations to Alana and Eimear for also giving such fantastic speeches and to all the competitors who took part. It is a great achievement to say that you have delivered a speech on stage in front of an audience and highly esteemed judges and all of the girls should be proud of their achievements.
Thank you to Alana, Ellie and Eimear for all of their hard work and dedication, to their parents for their support and to everyone at Ballymoney Soroptimist for organising such a worthwhile event and being so encouraging. Everyone had a really enjoyable evening and the girls have gained valuable skills which I’m sure will help them when they enter the world of work. Finally, congratulations again to our three Rainey pupils – we are all Rainey very proud of you all!
