Erin Pearson
A SPEECH on addiction to money has won Christian College student Ben McCarthy Torquay Lions Club’s Youth of the Year award.
The 16-year-old said he was “stoked” with the honour, which he earned in a public-speaking showdown against two other nominees at a club dinner.
“Public speaking is something people often shy away from but I’ve always been interested in disputing arguments – my friends will say that,” he laughed.
“My school didn’t have a debating team this year so I was looking for something I could speak in and my English teacher dobbed me in.”
The Lions’ Youth of the Year dinner posed impromptu questions about cyclists sharing roads and computer time before asking each competitor to give a five-minute speech.
“My speech was about how people become obsessed with money and the bad things and bad health problems that often come with it and money becoming the basis of laws,” Ben said.
“It was very good to see a lot of people had a bit of a deep look on their faces after it.”
Club president Esther Rosewall praised Ben as an “outstanding young man” who, along with the other nominees, impressed the 50 dinner guests.
“These young people showed us that Australians can have confidence in the young people of today,” Ms Rosewall said.
The next Lions challenge for Ben, who lives at Belmont, will be zone Youth of the Year judging in February.
Other contenders for the Torquay award were Jordan Brown and Reece Hodge.
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