National and State Contest Dates

NATIONAL CONTESTS are April 21-23, 2023, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Maryland sends one contestant to the first of the three National rounds. The top three national finalists earn berths in Original Oratory at the National Speech & Debate national tournament. National winners also win a trip to the National Convention in August. 

The road to the National Contest looks like this: 

1. Post Contests: January 2023. The American Legion Post is the primary entity of our organization. You will begin your competition here. Contestants should commit to and start to write, memorize, and practice their speeches by Thanksgiving or at least by the December school break time!
2. District Contests: February 2023. There are eight Legion districts in Maryland. Each district is comprised of between 4-6 counties but you can usually expect 2-4 competitors at this level. 
3. State Finals On Sunday, March 5, 2023.  The site of this year's contest is to be determined.  ​There may be up to eight competitors at this level. Not only does the winner of the state contest go to the national contest in April, but we look forward to you speaking at our state convention in Ocean City on July 12-13, 2023.

Get Details About the State/Department Contest