Procrastination is a regular part of our lives. But organizers of the St. John Oratorical Festival – at the parish, Metropolis and Archdiocesan levels – are doing their best to make sure we’re not waiting until the last minute by offering ways to prepare for success today. For example, the topics for the oratorical festival were published in November 2021 and can be found online at:
https://www.goarch.org/en/-/preparing-for-a-local-oratorical-festival
In the Metropolis of Pittsburgh, oratorical festival organizer Ann Ariano offers the following tips for a successful parish event:
- Include the list of topics in your Parish’s monthly/weekly newsletter.
- Distribute the list and remind students of the festival dates during GOYA meetings.
- Brainstorm ideas for speeches into the Sunday School Curriculum for 7th-12th grades (beginning in January)
- If your Parish has had a past Metropolis or National Finalist, ask him/her to speak to your Sunday School/GOYA about their experience.
- Make the Parish Festival a formal event, consider including a meal for the participants and their families, invite the entire parish to attend.
- Encourage 4-6th grade students to participate in the Elementary Division of the Festival and have speeches at the same time as your Junior/Senior speakers to gain experience speaking in public and to be inspired by their older peers.
- Ask Festival Judges to provide written constructive feedback to all speakers - including Elementary participants.
- Consider offering scholarships (to camps, for example) or other incentives. Also consider asking Parish organizations such as Philoptochos, AHEPA, Sunday School, etc. for donations towards scholarships. Elementary participants can each receive a small gift or cash award.
- In the weeks that follow your Parish Festival, allow the participants to give their speeches in church so the entire community may hear them.
You can learn more about the Metropolis of Pittsburgh Oratorical Festival online, by visiting: https://www.pittsburgh.goarch.org/oratorical
