In addition to all the general contest rules stated by North South Foundation, the following rules are applicable for Public Speaking Bee Competition.

1. There are 2 levels of competition for Public Speaking Bee:
   • PS1 (Junior): Grades 6, 7 and 8
   • PS3 (Senior): Grades 9, 10, 11 and 12
2. A 1st rank winner at the National Finals of the North South Foundation PS3 (Senior) contest is not eligible for competing in this and future Public Speaking contests conducted by the Foundation. A contestant who participated in a higher level bee cannot participate in a lower level bee in subsequent years.
Contest Procedure:
3. The contestants for the competition will be placed in a separate room (Waiting Room.) Badge numbers will determine the order of the speakers.
4. Each contestant will be escorted to a separate room, Preparation Room, 30 minutes before the contestant’s turn, where he/she will hear the speech topic. Thus the contestants will not know the speech topic ahead of time. No smart phones or any other devices are allowed inside the room during preparation time.
5. The contestant will be escorted to the contest room to give the speech. The contestants will have up to 3 minutes to give a short speech on the “given topic.”
6. The contestant will be shown a green card when 2 minutes are reached, a yellow card when 2 minutes 30 seconds have been reached and a red card once 3 minutes have been reached. The contestant should strive to finish up his/her speech within the 3 minutes limit. If the contestant goes beyond 3 minutes 30 seconds, the chief judge will request the contestant to stop immediately. Failing to do so will disqualify the contestant.
Judging Rules:
7. Each contestant will be scored by a panel of three independent judges. Guidelines for judging criteria
8. The results of the Public Speaking Contest will be announced right after the Contest.
Winners and Ranks:
9. Each speech will be scored by three independent judges. Based on the average scores of the three judges, winners will be determined. The 1st place winner shall be ahead by at least (.01) to be declared as the champion.
Tiebreaker Rules:
10. The tie-breaker rules apply ONLY if there are at least 5 or more contestants participating in a given center.
11. In case of a tie, the participant of lower (or lowest) grade will be the winner.
12. If there is still a tie among the contestants who are in the same grade, multiple winners will be declared sharing the same rank. When announcing joint winners, the following rules are used:
    • If two are tied for the 1st place, skip rank 2 and announce rank 3 for the third contestant.
    • If two or more are tied for the 2nd place, skip rank 3.
    • If three or more are tied for the 1st place, skip ranks 2 and 3.
Invitation to National Finals
13. Invitation to National Finals is ONLY for PS3. Registration for Senior Public Speaking at Finals is only available to those who participated at the Regional Contests in Senior Public Speaking, subject to an upper limit of 30. First come first serve rule will apply for registration at the National Finals.

JPS: In the 3 minutes provided, describe a project that you and your friends might undertake during the week of spring-break that will help a section of the community or individuals that are less fortunate?

SPS: Suppose you are the speech writer for your favorite candidate for the Presidential elections in 2008. What would be your speech to convince voters on why they should vote for you?

• National Student Speakers Association (NSSA): Resources
• http://www.school-for-champions.com/speaking.htm
• http://www.kidsturncentral.com/links/speakinglinks.htm
• http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/speech/commcentral/mgpubspeakresour.html
• http://www.selfgrowth.com/public.html

Feeling some nervousness before giving a speech is natural and healthy. It shows you care about doing well. But, too much nervousness can be detrimental. Here's how you can control your nervousness and make effective, memorable presentations:

• Know the room. Be familiar with the place in which you will speak. Arrive early, walk around the speaking area and practice using the microphone and any visual aids.
• Know the audience. Greet some of the audience as they arrive. It's easier to speak to a group of friends than to a group of strangers.
• Know your material. If you're not familiar with your material or are uncomfortable with it, your nervousness will increase. Practice your speech and revise it if necessary.
• Relax. Ease tension by doing exercises.
• Visualize yourself giving your speech. Imagine yourself speaking, your voice loud, clear, and assured. When you visualize yourself as successful, you will be successful.
• Realize that people want you to succeed. Audiences want you to be interesting, stimulating, informative, and entertaining. They don't want you to fail.
• Don't apologize. If you mention your nervousness or apologize for any problems you think you have with your speech, you may be calling the audience's attention to something they hadn't noticed. Keep silent.
• Concentrate on the message -- not the medium. Focus your attention away from your own anxieties, and outwardly toward your message and your audience. Your nervousness will dissipate.
• Turn nervousness into positive energy. Harness your nervous energy and transform it into vitality and enthusiasm
• Gain experience. Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking. A Toastmasters club can provide the experience you need.

If you'd like to learn more about joining Toastmasters, please visit: http://www.toastmasters.org