1. “You just can’t lose” Lions Youth of the Year Program
The YOTY Program is a project of MD201 and is proudly supported by the NAB
The Program has been in existence for 45 years and has a proven extremely popular both within Lions and the wider community. That this has continued for this time is a great testament to its strength.
The Program is well known throughout the length and breadth of the country and we have a long line of former contestants who have gone onto become leaders within our communities. The current PM being one of the more well known.
The Program is a great opportunity for our young people to gain experience and improve their skills whilst participating in an interview and a public speaking event.
For many years now our motto has been “You just can’t lose” and this is a very appropriate!
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“You just can’t lose”

2. So, … you are running the Youth of the Year Final !! WHAT DO YOU DO NOW????
So you are running the YOTY final
What do you do now???
In the next few slides, we will run through the basics of what is required for the Program.
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3. There is a manual for each level of the Program
YOTY Manual
Explains Program in detail
Excellent format – easy to follow
Available from the YOTY website
There is a manual for each level of the Program
Download and read it!
The YOTY Manual
This could be referred to as the “Bible” of the Program
There is a manual tailored for each level of the Program that explains the Program in detail for that level.
It is an excellent reference and easy to follow.
The Manuals are expensive to print and whenever there is a Rule change, it becomes outdated.
To overcome this, the manual is available to be downloaded from the YOTY website.
If you don’t have a computer, you will know someone who has one.
Get a copy of the manual for your level downloaded and printed - and READ it!
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4. RULE 1 You are not alone!! Help is at hand … We have a structure:
District Chairperson
State Coordinator
MD Chairperson
So, once you have your manual there are a couple of rules that are important
Rule No 1 – you are not alone!
You are NOT expected to be an instant expert
Whilst you will find these slides are very informative, there is a lot of information to come, so we don’t expect you to remember it all right now. So the first thing to remember is you are NOT alone.
The Program has a well established chain of people who are there to help you:
Your first point of contact is always your YOTY District Chairperson
(If your Chairperson cannot answer your Question, then he/she will contact the State Chairperson).
Finally, there is the MD Chairperson.
Please use this chain of command. Do not bypass these levels as it just makes things more complex for everyone.
Like so many things; COMMUNICATION is very important.

5. RULE 2 DON’T try and do it all yourself!!
CLUB Chairpersons
ZONE/REGION
ENLIST HELPERS:
The duties are set out in the Manual and include:
Greeters at the interview
MC for the Public Speaking function
Assistance at the Public Speaking section:
Greeters
Treasurer
Time Keepers
“Minders”
ENLIST A CLUB
Get them to help with:
Organising a venue, caterer etc
Greeters at interview
MC for Public Speaking section
Assistance at Public Speaking section:
Greeters
Treasurer
Time keepers
“Minders”
Rule No 2 – Don’t try and do it all yourself
There is a comprehensive outline of your duties in the YOTY Manual, but here are a few things you will need help with:
For Club Chairpersons – enlist your club members
(Read list on screen)
For Zone/Region Chairpersons – enlist a Club to help you.
It is very important to remember that this final is part of your duties as a Zone or Region Chairperson, so you MUST be involved. You CANNOT simply appoint a Club and leave it to them.
Some of the things you need to do include:
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6. Aims of YOTY Leadership Personality Citizenship qualities
TO FOSTER, ENCOURAGE AND DEVELOP:
Leadership
Personality
Citizenship qualities
Sportsmanship
Cultural appreciation
Public speaking
Now for a little background about the Program.
The aims of the Program are simple and clear
(Read off the screen)
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7. Your Role Receive and study Program paperwork.
To ensure the conduct all aspects of the Club (or Zone or Region) judging conforms with the Program rules.
To complete all paperwork and forward to the next judging level.
To publicize the Program as widely as possible.
As the Chairperson for the Program at your level, your have responsibilities:
Receive and study the Program details.
This might sound basic and obvious, but you would be surprised how many people do not do this.
There is a lot of stationary that you will need to have to run your final. If you don’t have a package, please contact your District Chairperson who will have supplies of what you need.
Ensure that YOUR final is run in accordance with the rules of the Program.
The format for the final is set out in detail in the manual and is the same for all levels.
There is NO room to vary the format.
For example, the format of the interview must be consistent
There MUST be 2 impromptu speeches – and they MUST precede the Prepared Speeches.
There can be NO aids of any sort – apart from a microphone.
Complete the paperwork and pass it on to the Chairperson of the next level
Please remember to do this as it makes it so much easier for those who continue the Program at the next level.
You must complete
a Winners Advisory Form
Forward the Winners Advisory Form for ALL contestants at ALL previous levels
Forward the ORIGINAL Entry Form of the Overall winner of your stage. Photocopies are not acceptable.
Publicize your final as widely as possible.
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8. Program STAGES CLUB ZONE (where required) REGION (or Multi Zone)
DISTRICT
STATE
NATIONAL
There are 5 or 6 stages of the Program – depending on your local circumstances
Club Final – this is the starting point of the Program.
Zone Finals are only required where there are too many Club winners to proceed to a Region Final in one step.
Where this occurs, the interim “step” is to run Zone Finals.
At the Zone Final the order of finishing is NOT announced, but the first 2 place getters progress to the Region Final. There is still a separate Public Speaking winner at the Zone Final.
Region Final – in some Districts there are no Regions, so this is called the Zone or Multi Zone Final, depending on the local circumstances.
State Final – Comprising the winners of the District Finals
MD Final – comprising the winners of the State Finals
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9. Who can enter?
Young people over 15 and under 19 years on June 30 of the year of the National Final and who are, or have attended school at one of the following schools during that year; July - June:
High School or other Secondary school or equivalent in any other educational establishment.
School of Isolated and Distance Education
ENTRANTS CAN ONLY ENTER ONE (1) CLUB LEVEL JUDGING IN ANY Program YEAR.
Who is eligible to enter the Program?
(Read Slide)
VERY IMPORTANT!!!
Many Clubs run their Final after in the New Year. This means that after Christmas a young person who satisfies the age requirements and who has left Secondary School is STILL ELIGIBLE at he or she has attended a Secondary school during the current YOTY year.
The Entry Form must be signed by the Principal of the entrants former secondary school as that signature verifies the school related information on the form.
The entry criteria now also allows for non-permanent residents of Australia to enter the Program – UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS. Please read the relevant section of the YOTY Manual for this requirement.
If you require further clarification, please contact your STATE CHAIMAN or MD Chairperson.
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10. How to get entrants Contact Principal Contact delegated staff member
Explain details of Program
Ask staff to assist with selecting entrants
Recommended there be a maximum of 3 entrants at Club level
If an excess of entrants:
share entrants with another nearby Club
NEVER knock back entrants!!!
How do you get entrants??
Nobody pretends that this is easy, but with perseverance, they CAN be found.
Contact the Principal.
DO NOT just send the advertising material to a school and expect a reply – it won’t happen!
Schools are very busy places and only personal contact will give you the best opportunity to get entrants.
Arrange to meet the most appropriate staff member to speak to about the Program. It might be:
Year level coordinator
English teacher
Debating or pubic speaking teacher
Someone else!!
Explain the Program, its stages, the process – entry form, interview, public speaking
The Guide to Judges form is an excellent reference material to work through.
Ask staff to assist with recruiting entrants
Ask to talk to the eligible students – either as a group or individually
The ideal number of entrants at Club level is 4 or 5. If you are fortunate enough to attract more, refer them to a neighbouring Lions Club
NEVER; NEVER knock back entrants
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11. Judging Panel MEMBERSHIP OF PANEL 3 members have a reserve judge
wide background of professions and experiences
No Lions, Lionesses or Leos
No school staff from schools with entrants in your final
Judges may only participate ONCE in any Lions year
The next important step is to get the right judges
At Club, Zone and Region level you may have 3 or 5 judges – either is acceptable and it is you choice
An odd number is mandatory!
It is a good idea to have an emergency judge – late withdrawals by judges do occur.
It is important to have a range of experience and backgrounds in your panel.
Invite people who know how to relate to young people
Judges must be friendly, easy to get along with and put the entrants at ease
A gender balance is preferable, but not mandatory – the right people for the job is important
There are some people who are ineligible to be a judge
Lions, Lionesses and Leos CANNOT be judges
School staff from the school that entrants come from
Judges can only participate ONCE in any Program year.
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12. Briefing of Judges Go through "Guide to Judges" sheet
Outline Aims and Values of the Program
Go through "Guide to Judges" sheet
Discuss each category
Contestant interview 30 ‑ 40 minutes - NO MORE!
Discuss the two types of speeches to be made
(Impromptu & Prepared)
Prepare Questions
For Interview (4 questions)
For Impromptu speeches (2 questions)
Questions to reflect Lions Objects & Ethics
Chairperson has right to reject questions that breach this rule.
Organise time for interviews
It is important to carefully brief your judging panel.
Ideally you should allow 60 – 90 minutes to properly brief your panel
Work through the Guide to Judges form – it has all the information required
Discuss each category
Advise the judges that the interview with each contestant should be minutes – NO MORE
Discuss the 2 type of speeches the contestants will make
Impromptu and prepared
It is the responsibility of the panel to set the following questions:
4 general knowledge questions for the interview
2 impromptu topics for the public speaking function.
You cannot direct a judging panel regarding the questions or type of questions they will ask,
HOWEVER, it is YOUR responsibility as Chairperson to ensure these questions reflect the ideals of Lions Objects and Ethics.
Please note that the topic of the prepared speech is a topic of the entrants choice. We CANNOT reject a topic chosen by a candidate.
Organise a time for the Interviews.
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13. Judging format SCORING
Point Scores for all categories cannot be altered
SPEECHES (order of contestants set by draw from hat)
IMPROMPTU (2 minutes each)
MC reads question Copy placed before candidate
MC reads question again
Time starts at END, of the 2nd reading
one gong at end of 2 minutes (no warning gong permitted)
PREPARED (5 minutes)
Time starts from FIRST word
one gong at 4 minutes
two gongs at 5 minutes
PENALTIES for under / overtime (may finish current sentence)
SHEET FOR TIME KEEPERS
JUDGES TO KEEP ORDER OF FINISH OF ALL CONTESTANTS
The Judging Format
The points allocated for each section are set out on the Guide to Judges and are FIXED.
They cannot be altered, but how a judging panel distributes the points within each section is the decision of each panel.
Speeches
(work through the impromptu and prepared speeches detail on the slide)
There is a Sheet for the Time keepers to record the time of each speech for each candidate
This is to be handed to the judging panel when they retire for their consideration.
IMPORTANT
The judging panel is independent of the Lions Club
You are not to ask for scores or the final order of finishing,
HOWEVER you must ask the Chairperson of the judging panel to retain the order of finishing in case of the winner being unable to proceed to the next level.
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14. Interviews REMEMBER YOUR CLUB IS ON SHOW TO YOUR COMMUNITY
ORGANISE VENUE
Must have suitable facilities. (can be home or office)
Waiting Room
Tea, coffee etc
LION(S) TO BE PRESENT
To welcome students and parents
To help keep the process on schedule
REMEMBER YOUR CLUB IS ON SHOW TO YOUR COMMUNITY
The Interviews
Organise a suitable venue
Must have a waiting room
Provide tea, coffee etc
It is important that candidates feel welcome and comfortable at the interview
Ensure Lions are present at the interview to:
Welcome the candidates and their parents
To help keep the program running smoothly
VERY IMPORTANT
Instruct judges to FINALISE their scoring for the Interview before they leave the interview room.
ALSO, they are not to re-visit this score when they are adjudicating the public speaking section
WHERE THIS IS NOT DONE, THE PUBLIC SPEAKING EVENT BECOMES TOO LONG AND DOES NOT LEAVE A GOOD IMPRESSION ON THE AUDIENCE.
REMEMBER
Your Club is on show to YOUR community
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15. Timing of each stage SELECT JUDGES MEET and BRIEF JUDGES
at least 6 weeks before final
(do some groundwork well in advance)
MEET and BRIEF JUDGES
1 week before pre‑judging to:
let judges get to know each other
prepare questions for the interview & impromptu
ADVISE CONTESTANTS & PARENTS
as far in advance as possible
The timing leading to the final
Select your judges at least 6 weeks prior to the final
Meet and brief the judges one week before the final to:
Let the judges meet and get to know each other
Prepare the questions for the interview and impromptu speeches
Advise the contestants of the:
Date
Time
Place
Any other important details
For BOTH the interview and the Public speaking function
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16. Your Final PLAN CAREFULLY AND IN DETAIL
Remember – YOUR Club is on show
PROCEDURE (make sure it is correct)
FORMAT (must be the same at all levels)
Impromptu then prepared speeches
JUDGES
Seat them with Club members for the meal
Make sure they have a separate table during judging
Planning your final
Read the Slide
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17. After the Final THANK YOU LETTERS NOTIFY Chairperson AT NEXT LEVEL
Schools (Principal, staff)
Contestants
Judges
NOTIFY Chairperson AT NEXT LEVEL
Winner Advisory Form
Winner’s Contestant Entry Form
Titles of your Impromptu speeches
Title of winner’s 5 minute prepared speech
SUPPORT YOUR ENTRANT
Through all further levels – this is very important
After the final
Read the slide
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18. Prizes CERTIFICATES TO: PUBLIC SPEAKING WINNER PENS, PINS, COMPENDIUM
Contestants
Judges
PUBLIC SPEAKING WINNER
Special Certificate
PENS, PINS, COMPENDIUM
At Club's discretion
Details available from District Chairperson
MONETARY PRIZES
Recommend no more than $50 voucher at Club level.
Zone/Region determined by District
The question of prizes
This is up to the committee at each level, but it is recommended that you follow the guidelines set out in your manual. Briefly these are:
(Read through the slide)
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19. IMPORTANT … Invite a National Australia Bank representative
to either be a judge or to attend.
Recognise the National Bank’s sponsorship
without this sponsorship this project would not continue
(now over $700,000 in total)
One more important point ..
Our sponsor – the NAB - is our lifeline. Without this support, the Program cannot survive.
There are 2 things you can do:
Invite the NAB to provide a judge – or at least attend the public speaking function
RECOGNIZE the NAB and its contribution to the Program
This applies even if there is no representative of the NAB present.
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20. FINALLY! LIONS YOUTH OF THE YEAR GREAT FOR OUR YOUTH
GREAT FOR YOUR CLUB
GREAT FOR LIONS
“You just can’t lose”
So, finally, please remember
YOTY is great for
Our youth
YOUR club
The wider Lions community
Youth of the Year - “YOU JUST CAN’T LOSE”