Margie Burke Speech Tournament
REGISTRATION FOR THE 42nd ANNUAL MARGIE BURKE SPEECH TOURNAMENT
AT ROSS SCHOOL WILL OPEN IN 2026
MBST is the largest county-wide speech tournament for middle school students in Marin. Ross School is proud and delighted to host this event for our community.
Register online at mbstross.com
Key information:
- Tournament date: Saturday, April 25, 2026
- Tournament location: Ross School
- Persuasive Speaking is now called Argument Speaking. The rules remain the same. See below.
- We have a limited capacity for the number of participants in the overall tournament and it is first come first serve by registration date.
- Each school is responsible for bringing 3 volunteer judges or room moderators. Please submit their names & emails (or share the website with them to register themselves) on the website.
Argument Speaking is the new name for the Persuasive Oratory category. A successful speech in this category should:
- Present a claim and use evidence to support it
- Acknowledge and address alternate views
- Emotion and subjective opinion are welcome, but judges will be looking for facts, too.
Thank you so much for your leadership and support and for helping your students and team be successful in this event!
We are here to answer any questions that may come up.
Sincerely,
Jordan Kahn
2026 MBST42 Co-Director
Beth Sutro
2026 MBST42 Co-Director