Rotary club host public speaking contest

The Rotary Club of Chesterfield president Mike Cudzich-Madry chaired the weekly meeting of the club in March. It was the club's annual Ladies Day and final of the Chesterfield Schools Public Speaking Competition. The president welcomed members' wives, president Joan Doody and members of Chesterfield Inner Wheel, competing students, teachers and parents from four local schools, and public speaking master of ceremonies Chris Townsend.

He also welcomed 2017 young chef competition winner Oliver Warby (Whittington Green), and 2016 junior verse speaking competition winner Ethan Woolley (Hady Primary), both being recognised by the club for their achievements. Chris introduced the four public speaking finalists Daniel Clark (St Marys), Bethani Robinson (Springwell), Nathalie Allen (Hasland), and Ivan Zailac (Hasland) who all delivered a short talk on a chosen topic. As the votes were counted, the audience were entertained by Ethan Woolley, the winner of the club’s junior verse speaking competition, who recited his winning poem ‘Columbus’. The overall winner of the competition was Ivan and he was presented with the winner’s trophy by the president. His topic was about the woes of Afghanistan translators unable to obtain safe sanctuary in the USA.