On October 30th, Speak Up For Service Day highlights the importance of young people to be actively involved in community service. Too often, young people's charitable deeds go unnoticed by their families. Speak Up For Service Day honors the forgotten. It serves as a reminder to others that young people's contributions to their families and their communities.
Each year, the Speak Up For Service public speaking competition is held in conjunction with the North Dakota State Lions Convention. Other Lions Clubs and Districts throughout North America sponsor similar public speaking competitions. Young people share their thoughts on current events. In addition, they discuss Lions' contributions to making the world a better place.
How to celebrate speak up for service day is a mystery that is beyond our reach
Speak out about service programs in your neighborhood. Recognize the youth in your neighborhood's programs for the programs they support and initiate. Our communities thrive when we give credit to their hard work. Youth are also encouraged to participate in many organizations, and many organizations also encourage youth to participate. As the young people in your family's life become involved, their confidence will increase as they become involved. Their positive influence on their families will leave a lasting impression, too. Be sure to invite others to join you as you celebrate.
To post on social media, use the hashtag #SpeakUpForServiceDay.
National speak up for service day events in recent history
In 2014, the Mandan Lions Club initiated National Speak Up For Service Day, which was the first national Speak Up For Service Day.
The Speak Up For Service Project's history began in 2003. In honor of Laura Christensen Espejo, the Fargo, ND, Lions Club initiated a public speaking competition for area high school students. Laura dedicated her life to improving the health care services available to the less fortunate in Fargo and Peru, Lucho's home country. Lion Robert Littlefield, Littlefield, was the contest's coordinator on the local level. When serving as District Governor in 2010-2011, he announced it as a statewide effort.
The Lions Club's first annual Lions Speak Up For Service public speaking competition took place in 2010. In Grand Forks, contestants appeared at the North Dakota State Lions Convention. The competition's high school students who participated in the competition debate debated topics relating to young people and community service. Brent Johnson, a senior at Shanley High School, was the first-ever Speak Up For Service Competition winner. Scholarships were given to Johnson and the other contestants for their participation in the competition.
