By Khalida Sarwari
The Saratoga Rotary is prepping for a busy 2015, offering plenty of programs and activities for young people over the next several months, from speech contests to leadership conferences and scholarships.
From now until Feb. 9, any high school student in Saratoga can apply to participate in the Rotary’s annual speech contest. This year’s event will be held at Saratoga High School on Feb. 11. Rotary members will select first, second and third place winners who will go on to compete in advanced rounds.
The speech itself must be four to five minutes long and should reflect the theme of “Light Up Rotary,” incorporating the four principles of the Rotary: truth, fairness, goodwill and beneficial.
“Every time they go up a level, they win a monetary prize,” said Shinku Sharma, a member of the Saratoga Rotary Club.
On Feb. 28, the Rotary, in partnership with the Rotary-sponsored Interact clubs at Saratoga and Prospect high schools, will participate in a Stop Hunger Now initiative where they’ll pack 10,000 balanced meals for families. That event takes place at Saratoga High from 10 a.m. to noon.
“It will be funded partially by Saratoga Rotary and it’s our first time doing this event so we’re very excited about it,” Sharma said.
In March, the Rotary will hold its Enterprise Leadership Conference in Pacific Grove. Saratoga and Prospect high school students will be among 60 high school juniors from 15 local high schools who have been selected to participate in the conference, which touches on the principles of business in the American free enterprise system. The conference takes place March 11-13.
In early February, Saratoga high school students are invited to vie for a chance at a piece of a $10,000 scholarship. Two students from each school will be selected to receive $2,500 scholarships each toward their college education.
Rotary is looking for students who not only have a financial need but are involved in their school community, have demonstrated leadership and are well-rounded, according to Sharma. The application deadline is March 15, and application forms will be available at the schools in early February. The scholarship presentation ceremony is scheduled to take place in April.
The following month will be arguably the Rotary’s biggest event of the year. On the weekend of May 2-3, the Rotary will hold its annual art show, and this time around it will be a two-day event.
“That’s what the artists wanted, and it’s just better for us also because there’s a lot of work that goes into it,” Sharma said. “We might as well take advantage of the whole weekend, because a lot of shows are set up that way.”
For more information about the Rotary and its events, visit saratogarotary.org.
