WATERVILLE — High school students from all over Maine have been invited by Maine Department of the American Legion to compete in the annual American Legion High School Oratorical Scholarship Program to be held at Thomas College on Saturday, Feb. 14, starting at 8 a.m. Snow date will be the following Saturday.

The invitation to enter the competition was extended by Don Chase, the Maine American Legion Oratorical chairman, after the students qualified at local American Legion Post and District competitions.

The contest for Maine students has been arranged with the full cooperation of local high school officials from faculty and guidance officials who assist with the contest arrangements.

The subject in the prepared oration portion of the contest must be about some phase of the Constitution of the United States, emphasizing the duties and obligations of a citizen to the United States government. The prepared oration must be the original effort of each contestant and must be 8-10 minutes long.

Upon successful completion of the prepared oration, the students randomly select one of four Bill of Rights items; the contestant must deliver a 3- to 5-minute unprepared oral presentation

On the state level, the first-place winner will receive a cash scholarship in the amount of $1,500, second place $500, third place $300 and fourth place $125.

The first-place winner with chaperone is also awarded round-trip travel to the 2015 National Finals from April 9-12 in Indianapolis. Quarterfinal and semifinal contests are scheduled for Saturday, April 11, with the finals on Sunday, April 12.

In addition to the awards by winners of the various elimination rounds of competition, college scholarships of $18,000, $16,000 and $14,000 will be awarded to the first through third places in the national finals. Each state winner who competes in the first round of the national contest will receive a $1,500 scholarship. Participants in the second round who do not advance to the national final round will receive an additional $1,500 scholarship. The top three youth orators who have won all previous elimination rounds of the contest will vie for top honors in the national contest in April in Indianapolis.

For more information, visit www.legion.org/oratorical.