The road to the National Contest looks like this:

1. Post Contests: February or early March 2026. The American Legion Post is the primary entity of our organization. You will begin your competition here -- use the Post locator to find a sponsoring Post. Students must sign up not later than December 1, 2025 with a sponsoring Post, but if that date has passed please reach out to the Post and inquire about the contest entry. Contestants start now to start to write, memorize, and practice their speeches by Thanksgiving or at least by the December school break time.
2. District Contests: March 2026. There are eight Legion districts in Maryland. Each district is comprised of between 4-6 counties but you can usually expect 2-4 competitors at this level.
3. The State Finals will be on March 22, 2026 at Towson Post 22 in Towson, Maryland.   ​There may be up to eight competitors at this level. Not only does the winner of the state contest go to the national contest in May, but we look forward to you speaking at our state convention in Ocean City on July 16, 2026.