The final event of the District 5220 Rotary Speech Contest was held in Turlock at California State University Stanislaus on March 13. This annual contest is hosted by Cal State with Dr. Vickie Harvey, of the Communications Department, as the official host.</p><p>Kendra Waters, a junior at Chowchilla Union High School placed second. She received an award of $750 at the District Speech Contest.</p><p>Winning first place was Emily Shumway speaking on the topic: "The Future Is In Our Hands." Shumway is a sophomore at Tuolumne High in Tuolumne and was sponsored by the Twain Harte Rotary Club.</p><p>Susan Drake, the Governor of Rotary District 5220, awarded certificates to all 11 speakers. She took the Rotary International Theme for this year (The Future of Rotary Is In Your Hands, and created the distinct speech topic. The students described their thoughts on how Rotary, other organizations, people in general and themselves hold the future in their hands.</p><p>Over $17,000 was awarded to the more than 150 speakers who took part in the 40 local, 11 area and final contests. The local contests were held in late January and the area contests in late February. the top speaker in the district won a total of $1,300 in the three contests she won.</p><p>Eleven high school speakers participated in the final contest. Each won a Rotary Club contest that was held in one of 40 Rotary clubs in District 5220. From Oakhurst to Galt and from the foothill communities of the Sonora area to clubs on the westside, Rotary Clubs held these contests. The club winner then spoke off in one of eleven area contests. The club winners then spoke off in one of 11 area contests in Lodi, Stockton, Sonora, Tracy, Gustine, Chowchilla, Merced, Modesto, Escalon, Ceres and Oakhurst.</p><p>These students in the final contest, had each won a total of $300 in the previous two contests. The first place winner won $1,000 and will speak at the annual Rotary 5220 District Conference in May to be held at Lake Tahoe.</p><p>The Future of Rotary</p><p>By Kendra Waters</p><p>Have you ever had a dream? I am not talking about what you dreamed last night. I am talking about an aspiration, a goal, a hope for something great in your future! Maybe you dreamed of becoming an astronaut, a fire fighter, or policeman. Maybe you dreamed about traveling the world and having a family.</p><p>Our hope for the future lies in the dreams we collectively share together. But, what motivates our dreams? Our motivations are the fabric of what our dreams are made of. Are we focused on making a positive impact in our world? Are we creating a brighter future that focuses on others as well as ourselves?</p><p>Rotary President, John Kenny spoke at the 2009 Rotary International Assembly and reminded us that "the future is shaped right now, right here, by us." President Kenny is correct. Just as the future depends on us, the past depended on individuals who desired to make our lives safer, healthier and more prosperous.</p><p>Because of Benjamin Franklin electricity opened the door to a technological transformation. Because of Thomas Edison our lives are no longer limited by the cycle of the sun. Because of Alexander Graham Bell how we communicate in our world and even in our universe has no limits. Because of George Eastman history has been transformed from words to images. They are among the many people that have impacted our future because of their inventions.</p><p>December of 1903, the Wright Brothers made the first manned, powered flight. They had been dreaming about flying since the 1890's. They were not trained scientists or engineers, but they worked to overcome the problems of flight. These two men simply dreamed a dream that impacted our future. Following their success, someone said, "A dream as old as humanity had been achieved."</p><p>Martin Luther King spent his life inspiring us to think beyond ourselves and look past differences in order to move toward social justice. The struggle that he started to bring peace and end racial conflict in the United States America continues to this day. He is a perfect example of someone who sought a brighter future for not only himself, but for future generations as well.