Group 4 (14 to 17 yrs)

I Speech Contents

Answers to the following questions are expected in your speech. Please be brief and to the point. Contents are worth 60 points: 20 points for each question:

1. What makes Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji a supreme treasure of divine wisdom to create an ideal human, society, and government for the well-being of all creation? How can we coexist with those from different belief systems?

2. What is the purpose of human life according to the concept of hukam? What are the main obstacles in achieving this purpose. What role does Gurmukh versus Manmukh oriented lifestyle play in this journey.

3. Discuss some prevalent practices among Sikhs today that are contrary to the teachings of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Why and when did these practices arise? How can we reverse such trends?

II Presentation (40 points):

• Included in this area are items like style, delivery, poise, eye contact, voice, diction, language and effectiveness.

• Time allotted to finish the speech for this group is 7 minutes. There is no penalty for finishing the speech either earlier than 7 minutes or during the grace period of the next 30 seconds.

• After the grace period, i.e., after 7 minutes and 30 seconds have elapsed, one point would be deducted for every extra 10 seconds or part of 10 seconds, from every judge’s score for the participant.

III Punjabi Presentation and Maintenance of Sikhi Saroop:

Use of Punjabi and maintenance of Sikhi Saroop needs to be encouraged. Participants who use Punjabi and/or maintain Sikhi Saroop will be judged according to the above format. However, it is suggested that such participants be rewarded suitably.

IV Suggestions on preparing youth for the Sikh Youth Symposium:

• Given that the primary purpose of the Sikh Youth Symposium is for our children to focus on their learning, we would like to clarify the appropriate levels of support children should receive as they prepare fortheir speeches. It is our recommendation that it is in the best interest of the children to write their own speeches, with minimal support from parents or other adults.

• Parents/Mentors may sit with children to read and discuss the book and questions; however the children should write their own answers. Parents/Mentors may verbally support the children develop thoughts, suggest the ways and means to use better language without providing exact language to use in the speech.

• If your child’s speech is prepared in Punjabi, it must still follow the guidelines above. If it is prepared in English, it can be translated into Punjabi after it is created per the above guidelines. However, once the speech is in Punjabi, your child should understand the speech in its entirety.

• Although these are only suggestions, in order to make this experience most meaningful and equitable for all children, it is recommended that we adhere to these suggestions as closely as possible.