Purpose

Participation in this competition gives students a deeper knowledge and appreciation of the United States Constitution and furthers their research, essay writing, and public speaking skills.  Entering this contest gives students valuable insight into the rights and privileges of American citizenship and the associated duties and responsibilities.

 

Eligibility

Contestants must be 7th or 8th-grade students in the general Naperville area attending any public, parochial or private school or homeschooled.  They must be under the age of 15 on the date of the county contest (February 22nd, 2026)

 

Contest Rules

Each contestant will present a four to six-minute speech on some phase of the Constitution of the United States.  The students will be judged on content (70 points) and speaking skills (30 points).  Contestants will speak from a podium and should not read their speech but may refer to notes during the speech.  They will be shown a time card at the 3, 4, and 5 minutes marks.  If there is a violation of the time requirement, a penalty of one point per minute or fraction thereof will be assessed.   Friends, family members, faculty and other interested parties may observe the speeches (no cheering or applauding permitted), but participants may not listen to the speech of a competitor.

 

Post Level Competition

The competition is limited to twelve participants.  If more than twelve registrations are received, the first twelve based on date of email will participate.  The final deadline for registrations is January 13th.

Please register by emailing the registration information (below) to John Nelson at Jnelson.csm99@gmail.com

The competition will be held at the Post 43 meeting hall at 10 W. Chicago Ave, Naperville, 2nd floor, at 6:00pm (students check-in at 5:30pm) on Tuesday, January 20th, 2026.  

 

Awards

Post 43 awards are $175 for 1st place, $100 for 2nd place, and $75 for 3rd place.  All participants will receive at least $25.  Additional awards will be presented at the county level for students advancing from individual post competition.

 

County-Level Competition

Each post in the DuPage County may advance two students for judging in the County 7th and 8th Grade Speech Contest.  The county competition will take place on Saturday, February 22nd, 2026 at the Visitor Center Theater at Cantigny Park, Roosevelt & Winfield Roads, Winfield, IL.   Participants should check-in by 9:30 am and the competition will start at 10:00 am.

 

Contact Information

Direct questions to the American Legion Post 43 Contest Chairman, John Nelson, at 312-401-4127 or jnelson.csm99@gmail.com