Guides from St Albans battled against Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Bedfordshire teenagers in the recent final of a speech competition.
Seven teams, with three 11 to 13 year olds in each, competed in the Youth Speaks District Intermediate Final for 2016/17, organised by Rotary International, at Etonbury School in Stevenage – the 5th St Albans Guides team were pipped to the post and came runner-up.
Millie Drury, Elysia Hilton-Kodalashvili, and Emily Hogg spoke about fame and celebrity in the 21st century and the responsibilities that come with it.
Team-member Elysia’s mum, Sandra Hilton, said she was proud: “It’s quite an achievement, and for me what was really good about it was just giving the girls’ confidence.
“Elysa is quite shy, and this gave her the opportunity to speak in front of up to 100 people really confidently. All of the teams were very strong, and they worked so hard.”
She thanked an older guide, Patricia Sollis, for coaching them through the process.
The Hitchin Boys’ School team were the only group to rank higher than the girls with their speech about driverless cars.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here