Speak Out North Texas

Speech & Debate Club

2007–2008 Policies & Requirements

Mission Statement

Speak Out North Texas (SONT) is a Christian Speech & Debate club for homeschooled students. We support the mission of the NCFCA, by facilitating the training necessary for home schooled students to practice and sharpen analytical/oratorical skills from a Biblical worldview. In the NCFCA, tournaments provide checkpoints throughout the season for students to prepare, practice and polish speeches and debate cases. The mission of our club is to raise up Christian leaders who can articulate their values to an unbelieving world by facilitating the training necessary to prepare students for NCFCA competition.

Board

The SONT Board is comprised of 4 families to provide accountability/ leadership in designated areas:

Steve and Rosie Watson: Founders and Executive Directors

Hazem & Suzanne Nasser: Tournaments, Organization/Administration, Communication/Web

Jeff & Heidi Sherman: Registration/Assimilation, Finance/Treasury, Social

Coordinators

Coordinators organize each of our club offerings: Team Policy, Lincoln Douglas, Speech and Junior Speech. Below are their responsibilities:

Gifting: Organization/administration, leadership

§ Submitted to club leadership & established policies

§ Commitment to the subject area (TP, LD, speech)

§ Coordinate curriculum planning prior to the start of club (Sept 6^th)

§ Coordinate club meeting agenda (topics, speakers, activities)

§ Overall leadership at club meetings (requires 96-100% club attendance)

§ Enforce Facility requirements/policies

§ Communicate weekly assignments to students

§ Keep student and parent club calendars current (yahoo calendar reminders)

§ Coordinate inter-club practices (e.g. round robins)

§ Networks well with other coordinators (TP, LD, IE) re: meeting times, facility setup, shared resources, RRs etc

§ Attend Coordinators’ Meetings (scheduled as needed)

Coaches

Our coaches are parents and experienced students who have a passion for specific types of speech (i.e. Interp, platform, Apologetics, Extemp), this year’s debate topic, or the activity of speech and debate in general.

Gifting: Teacher

§ Submitted to club leadership & established policies

§ Attend Aug. 30^th Coaches Training

Attend club meetings
Passion for subject area
Supervise small groups
Coach/critique practices

Student Leaders

Experienced/proven competitors who feel called to leadership and have a desire to pour into others are encouraged to serve as student leaders.

Gifting: Leader

§ Submitted to club leadership & established policies

Positive attitude and passion for subject area

§ Godly role model

§ Respected by peers

§ Attend Coaches Training (Aug 30^th)

§ Proven record in competition

§ Teach instructional modules

§ Lead breakout groups

§ Approved by club leadership

Christ-like Focus

Godly character is the measure of true success in raising up young leaders. Though our club meetings center around preparation for competition, we applaud our students’ achievements while aiming to instill the desire to please God is all they do.

Speech Club

The purpose of Speech club is to train and prepare students for Individual Event (IE) competition. The NCFCA offers 10 competitive speech events within three categories (Interpretations, Platform speeches and Limited Prep events) as follows:

Interps – Dramatic, Humorous, Duo, Open

Platform – Oratory, Persuasive, Expository

Limited Preparation Events - Impromptu, Apologetics, Extemporaneous

Instruction on how to find, write or cut and perform a good speech is provided at club near the beginning of the season. Students will choose appropriate literary pieces from good books or original literary works, depending on the speech category. As the year progresses however, weekly meetings include small group practice time with parent coaches/assistants. Active participation of both parents and students is essential to student’s sucess. Practice and homework may take 2-3 hours per week until pieces are selected and memorized.

Meetings begin on time! Please plan to arrive a few minutes early to get settled so you don’t miss out on important instructions or valuable training. Our coaches are all volunteers and we will want to respect their commitment by honoring the times we set for them to be there.

*Club meetings will be divided between interp, platform and limited prep speeches. Only students that are doing the event being covered in club that week need to attend. An outline for the Fall term will be distributed at the first club meeting.

Junior Speech Club

Junior Speech club is available for ages 8-11 during the Fall semester (Sept-Dec) if there is sufficient interest and a parent volunteer to spearhead the effort.

Juniors will be introduced to speech through fun games and interactive activities to help them become comfortable speaking in front of an audience. They are encouraged to prepare for the Junior Impromptu, Original Oratory, and Open Interpretation events that are included at a few of the tournaments during the year. Junior speeches have a maximum time limit of five minutes. Juniors that are competiting in tournament events in the Spring will also meet for club the week before each tournament.

Debate Club

The objective of the Debate club is to train and prepare students for debate tournaments. Students can choose either Team (policy) or Lincoln Douglas (values) debate. Meetings will include teaching time, small group exercises and practice time (with parent coaches), to develop debate skills as well as affirmative and negative cases for this year’s NCFCA resolution. Debate research and homework could take 4-6 hours per week.

Meetings will begin promptly! Please plan to arrive a few minutes early to get settled to respect our parent coaches that have volunteered their time.

Required Texts – All debaters are required to purchase the Training Minds source book for the style they pursue:

Team Policy (1^st year students) – Blue Book

Team Policy (returning students) – Blue Book Advanced (or Blue Book Plus)

Lincoln Douglas – Red Book

These books may be purchased from Monument Publishing at http://www.monumentpublishing.com/products/. Email sont@speakoutntx.com if you’d like to participate in the club group discount.

Evidence Ring – There are many different cases each year, making it difficult for one team to research and adequately prepare to refute each one. One of the greatest benefits of the club is to pool the efforts of all students in researching and preparing briefs against known cases. The SONT evidence ring is available for members that are competing under SONT. At the beginning of the season, students will be given assignments to research and cut evidence for known cases (typically Blue/Red Book cases). Once tournament season begins, students will be assigned to write briefs on the cases they went negative against at tournaments. Weekly assignments will be compiled and shared among members who contribute. This approach strengthens and equips our debate teams and provides an atmosphere of serving and encouraging one another.

SONT debaters are required to read and comply with Evidence Ring Rules, click here to review.

Team Policy Partnerships – partnership decisions are ultimately up to the parents of each student, within the boundaries of our SONT Partnership Policies. Please review these policies thoroughly before committing to a partnership.

Requirements

- All prospective members (& parents), please plan to attend the mandatory New Member Orientation @ 6:30pm on August 23^rd at Bear Creek Bible Church.

- All new students are required to attend a beginner’s Speech or Debate workshop prior to joining the club.

- Students must be age 12-18 on January 1, 2008, and home schooled at least 50% of the time to compete in the NCFCA. Junior Speech is also available at some practice tournaments for ages 8-11.

- All SONT members are required to compete in the NCFCA.

- Student success requires parental involvement! Parents are encouraged to attend a minimum of 2 club meetings a month with their students.

- SONT debaters are required to read and comply with with Evidence Ring Rules, click here to review..

- Parental support will be required for tournaments and Round Robins hosted by our club.

- Members must compete in one or more tournaments each year.

- Members are to register for NCFCA Affiliation by Sept. 15, 2007.

Dress Code

The spirit of the dress code is modesty and professionalism with the intent to glorify Christ. The goal is to minimize the focus on the body or outward appearance and maximize the focus on the development of ideas and communication skills. Young ladies should wear modest clothing with pants or skirts below the knee and must have NO midriffs showing. No tank tops, low-cut blouses, short skirts or T-shirts with offensive slogans are allowed.

Code of Conduct

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him [Col 3:17].

All club members are to exhibit a kind, polite and respectful attitude toward others at all times and to behave in a manner that brings glory and honor to God.

All club members are required to stay within the geographical boundaries set by the administration of the facilities we use and are to strictly adhere to all established rules/regulations.

If a student is disrespectful, uncooperative or disruptive, the student will be given 1 warning. If the behavior continues the leadership will consult with the parents. Habitual problems will result in dismissal from the club.

Mistakes will occur, but how they are dealt with is important. Conflicts will be resolved according to Matt 18:15-17, whereby the offended goes directly to the offender to resolve the issue, refraining from gossip and rumor. If necessary, one or two Board members will assist to resolve the matter.

Tournaments

Students must be between the ages of 12-18 on January 1, 2008, and home schooled at least 50% of the time to compete in speech & debate tournaments. Junior Speech competition is also available at practice tournaments for ages 8-11. The dress code for tournaments is professional business attire (suits are recommended). One parent is required to accompany his/her student to tournaments and will be trained to serve as a judge and timekeeper.

Official Tournament schedules are typically published around December. Families are encouraged to plan for monthly tournaments in the Spring. A typical season may offer the following opportunities:

Practice Tournament or Local Round Robins: November –December 2007

Qualifiers (to Regionals): January – March (DFW, Houston, Austin)

National Opens: January – March

Regionals (Houston): April

Nationals: June

Each family should prayerfully consider their commitment level when approaching tournament opportunities. Some families attend all the tournaments; others are selective based on financial constraints. All SONT students are required to attend at least one qualifying tournament in the Spring. Each tournament is an opportunity to develop skills and bring home valuable ballot feedback. Tournament participation level is typically directly related to how far a student advances in a given season.

An overview of the NCFCA tournament structure is available on the NCFCA website. Students that qualify for the Regional Tournament (in April) will have the opportunity to qualify for the National tournament in June. Please check our website for the current season’s tournament lineup.

SONT will host Round Robin debate practices Nov-Dec and May.

SONT will host or assist with an NCFCA Regional Qualifier in the DFW area in the Spring which will require the gifts and talents of our club families. Parent volunteers will be needed to coordinate the banquet, judges, facility, hospitality, awards and other functions. This is a great opportunity to serve with the other families and provide a local qualifying tournament opportunity for North Texas competitors.

Speak Out members must compete in one or more tournament each year. Members are to register for NCFCA Affiliation by Sept. 15, 2007.

Facility

We are grateful to Bear Creek Bible Church for allowing us the use of their facility for our weekly club meetings, and expect club members to treat the staff and property with the utmost honor and respect. This applies to any facility we are privileged to use for club meetings, Round Robins, conferences, tournaments, etc. Parents are financially responsible for any damage to the facilities caused by their children.

Club Meetings

Thursday evenings (September 6^th – May 1^st)

Location: Bear Creek Bible Church (1555 N Tarrant Pkwy, Keller 76248)

Fall 2007 - Thursdays (weekly)

4:00-5:30pm Speech*

5:30-6:00pm Dinner Break & Announcements

6:00-9:00pm Debate

Spring 2008 - Thursdays

4:00-5:30pm Speech* (1st & 3rd Thursday only)

4:00-5:30pm Debate (non-speech nights)

5:30-6:00pm Dinner Break & Announcements

6:00-9:00pm Debate (weekly)

* Junior Speech will only meet during the Fall term and the week before tournaments in the Spring.

Communications

All announcements including club meetings, tournament information and other events will be communicated through the Speak Out North Texas parent and student yahoo groups. Families are responsible for checking email regularly to stay informed. To join the yahoo groups, send parent and student’s name and email addresses to sont@speakoutntx.com.

Suggestions? Your input is important to us! We welcome your feedback and are always looking for ways to improve. We ask that you take the time to jot down your suggestions and email them to our Communication Coordinator at admin@speakoutntx.com..

Childcare

Childcare will not be provided during club meetings. Parents with younger children are encouraged to coordinate childcare with other club families outside of club. Junior Speech is available weekly for children ages 8 to 11 during the Fall term (4-5:30pm). Children that are not participating in club meetings must be supervised by their parent at all times in order to remain in the facility.

Registration

To join:

Complete the Enrollment Form (download from www.speakoutntx.com)
Annual Non-refundable Club Fee: $75 for the 1^st student + $15/additional students ($100 family max)
Submit Enrollment form and fee to Suzanne Nasser (by Sept 6^th)

Other costs to consider:

NCFCA Affiliate fee: $30 - $40 per family (per year)
Average Tournament entry fees: $60/student
Travel expenses: 2-4 out-of-town tournaments

For more information, contact Suzanne Nasser at sont@speakoutntx.com