A young Wellington orator who dreams of being an actor came second at a national speech competition.

Oscar Shaw, 17, competed against 15 young people at the Lions Clubs Young Speechmaker contest in Auckland yesterday.

The Wellington College pupil won an all-expenses trip to Australia for his prepared speech encouraging other young people to follow their dreams.

He will spend up to a month in Australia later this year and will be billeted with Lions members.

Contest organiser Kerry Beach described Oscar as a ‘‘very focused young man’’.

‘‘He had extremely good eye contact and wants to be an actor. He certainly demonstrated confidence in speaking.’’

Judges considered voice and grammar, speech structure, development and speech value, and effectiveness.

Competitors made a five-minute prepared speech and an impromptu speech of up to two minutes.

They had one minute to prepare for the impromptu topic – leaders are born, not made.

Winner Thomas Moss, of Te Awamutu, will go to the United States and Canada in December.

Third place getter Saini Manisha, of Tokoroa, won a place at the Lion’s International Youth Camp in Rotorua later this
year.

Sixteen competitors were selected from the 121 who entered from around the country.

The contest began more than 40 years ago.

Janek Chmielewski, of St Patrick's College in Kilbirnie, made a speech on how New Zealand is a land of both poverty and plenty.

Porirua’s Wetini Wilkins-Larkin, who attends Hato Paora College near Feilding, also competed.

- © Fairfax NZ News