By Amelia Brain
ALLEGRA Bradley, from Proserpine State High School, was the winner of the annual Proserpine Lions Club ‘Youth of the Year’ award at the Club Night, held on Wednesday, February 19.
Allegra was one of six competitors representing Proserpine State High School and St Catherine’s Catholic College, who gave it their best at the event, held at the Proserpine Whitsunday Leisure Activity Centre.
Topics such as ‘The inspiring power of music’ and ‘Why alarm clocks are the true villains’ engaged and entertained the audience, which was made up of the Lions Club, community members and students’ families.
Allegra’s speech on the topic of public speaking and facing your fears inspired the judges, resulting in her achieving the highest score and making her the overall winner.
She will now compete at the zone final of the competition, due to be held in Proserpine, on Sunday, March 9, 2025.
“I believe that my speech will continue to relate to my audience, as public speaking is a fear most people face. All I can do is try my best and hope for the best,” Allegra said.
On Monday, February 17, Allegra was joined by Savannah Lamont, Thalia Foster, Sonny Telford, Finlay Farrell and Andrew Kimlin, when each student underwent a challenging interview process.
They responded to questions assessing their leadership and achievements, and input within their school communities, as well as their extracurricular involvement within the wider Whitsunday community.
This process earned each student their first score out of 70, however, it all came down to the final on club night to determine the winner.
As well as their individual prepared speeches, each student on the night was asked two spontaneous questions and had two minutes to respond.
The first question was ‘If your life ever flashed before your eyes, what is one scene, either past or future, you would hope to see?’.
The second question was ‘You will wake up tomorrow in a different place in the world, where would you choose and why?’.
Each student responded to the first question with fond memories of family travels and gatherings.
While some students’ reply to the second question included waking up in unique places such as Greece, Machu Picchu or playing soccer in Brazil, St Catherine’s Catholic College Student Andrew Kimlin chose to wake up in his own bed, where he could enjoy the beauty and communality of his home.
This response, and Andrew’s speech about the hidden evil intentions of alarm clocks, resulted in him deservingly receiving the club’s Public Speaking Award.
The Lions Youth of the Year competition was adopted by the Lions Club more than 60 years ago, originating in Queensland.
“The Lions love this night, it’s one of the highlights of their calendar,” Proserpine Lions Club Youth of the Year chairperson Jane Bettridge said.
The students’ confidence, professionalism and sportsmanship were also praised by the Lions Club members, representing youth in a positive light.
“Congratulations to all participants and the amazing work of the judges, Proserpine Lions Club members and volunteers on the night,” Allegra added.
