Outstanding Performances from Ryan Toole representing the Lions Club of Grenfell and Matilda Morley representing the Lions Club of Mt Panorama on Sunday, 22 March hosted by the Lions Club of Canowindra.

Amazingly, both students hail from the Weddin Shire.

Matilda who attends boarding school at Bathurst and formally Quandialla and The Henry Lawson High School, Matilda's family live in Bimbi whilst Ryan hails from Pullabooka.

Zone Chair Lion Barbara Andrew welcomed Quest entrants and their families, judges, Lions and Lions Ladies to Lions Club Youth of the Year Regional Judging North for 2026.

PDG/Zone Chair Lion Barbara Andrews presenting Certificates of Appreciation to Judges PDG Lion Tony Smith and Yvette Simunicp.

Two outstanding students, Ryan Toole and Matilda Morley displayed their talents and knowledge before distinguished judges Yvette Simunic and PDG Lion Tony Smith from Cowra.

Following the private interviews that contributed to the final scores, the entrants addressed the two two-minute impromptu questions.

Q1: If you had the power to “De-vent” one thing that has already been created – what would it be and why?

Q2: If you had an ‘invisibility cloak’ for 24 hours, where would you go and what would you do, knowing you would not be caught?

Each captivating the audience with powerful and moving speeches.

Matilda’s speech, “Technology and how it affects human relationships”, focused on changing technology and how it affects the ways in which we interact with each other – positively or negatively.

Meanwhile, Ryan’s heartfelt story about his conversation with his grandfather explored the theme of “Connection over Perfection”.

The speaking segment which the public witnessed only accounts for 30 of the marks with the other 70 marks being allocated from their performance at the private interview and information supplied on their entry forms.

Ryan was announced as the Overall and Public Speaking winner of the competition.

Lions Youth of the Year Regional Final Winner Ryan Toole from Grenfell with judges PDG Lion Tony Smith and Yvette Simunic.

We congratulate Matilda and Ryan on their outstanding achievements and wish them every success in their future endeavours.

The Quest is a community project that is designed to encourage, foster and develop leadership in conjunction with other citizenship qualities in our youth, at the age when they are about to enter the fields of employment or higher education, and provides students with the incentive to pay greater attention to the general qualities, so vital in developing our youths into first class citizens.

The qualities sought, apart from academic attainments are those of leadership, personality, sportsmanship, public speaking and good citizenship.

The students meet in fellowship and have the opportunity of open discussion, exchange of ideas and meet professional people of a community service club organisation.

Certificates were presented to the judges and timekeepers.

Ryan will now represent the Lions Club of Grenfell in Griffith on 11 April at the District Finals and if successful will participate in the N-Districts State/Finals in Woden ACT on 2 May.