April 2016 |A monthly publication of the National Speech & Debate Association
Dear District Leader,
Thanks to everyone who submitted National Congress legislation on behalf of your district! The complete docket will be released in early May. This month, check out fundraising tips and other important reminders below.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
District Ads » District chairs, help recognize your competitors as they perform in Salt Lake City this summer! Submit your district ad for the 2016 Tournament Book by May 13. Half and full page ads are available. For more information, including dimensions and pricing, please visit www.speechanddebate.org/book.
Summer Leadership Conference »The 2016 Summer Leadership Conference will take place August 7-10 in Las Vegas and is open to all district leaders and any other coaches interested in leadership. Enjoy a Sunday evening dinner and keynote address followed by 2-1/2 days of leader-led sessions including inclusion and diversity, tournament best practices, addressing ethical standards in behavior and content, building local partnerships, enhancing the judge pool, and MUCH more! This year's conference will also recognize the unique qualities of large and small districts through sessions on engagement and keeping your district "healthy." For more information and to register, click here.
Fundraise with NSDA Powergrants » Encourage teams in your area to take advantage of our partnership with Edco and set up an online fundraising page! Edco empowers teachers and students to raise money from family, friends, and other members of their community with an easy fundraising software platform for K-12 schools. Programs can earn up to $500 in Powergrants to build your fundraising potential! To get started or learn more, please visit hello.ed.co/NSDA or email hello@ed.co. You can also sign up for an Edco webinar this Thursday at 7:00 p.m. CT!
GET INVOLVED
Board, District, and Hall of Fame Elections » One chapter advisor per active school may log in to the Points Application to cast their vote in the Board of Directors and District Committee elections. They may also vote on the Constitutional Referendum. Additionally, current Hall of Fame members and active coaches with three or more diamonds may vote online to select this year's inductees to the Hall of Fame. Once you are logged in, you will see the voting links on the left.
Constitutional Referendum » Last Thursday night, Scott Wunn and Don Crabtree held a Q&A session regarding the proposed changes to the constitution. If you missed the discussion, you can catch up here. Go to www.speechanddebate.org/constitutionalballot for further information about the proposed changes.
Middle School Nationals »Be sure to remind middle school coaches in your district that they should register here as soon as possible to increase the likelihood of getting into the tournament. Many events are already on a waiting list, so don’t delay!
DISTRICT REMINDERS
Student of the Year Nominations – Due April 15 »Member coaches may nominate their graduating seniors for District Student of the Year by using this form and emailing it to their district chair. As a reminder, district chairs must UPLOAD a PDF of the winning nomination form via the Points Application no later than April 15 for consideration as National Student of the Year. If a district holds its tournament series after April 15, the District Committee should determine a means of selecting the winner prior to that.
Judge Nominations – Due May 2 » Each district chair must recommend five highly qualified judges to be used at the National Tournament in semifinal and final rounds. All nominated judges must be available for the entirety of the tournament. The chair is required to notify these judges of their selection, and remind them to attend all assigned rounds at the National Tournament. Judges who do not appear will forfeit their judge bond. Please complete the online form by or before May 2. Log in to the Points Application and select Judge Nominations from the left side menu.
Send Us Your World Schools Debate Qualifiers » Each district may enter ONE team of three to five students to the National Tournament. Districts will not be allowed a second team. If your district intends to enter a team, click here to access the online form. After your completed form is received, all students will appear on their school's National Tournament registration page. If you have already registered a team but have updates to your entry, email the changes to Lisa Vossekuil at info@speechanddebate.org. Please do not complete a second form.
District Audit Procedures » District leaders should pay careful attention to the audit procedures outlined on page 74 of the High School Chapter, Rules, and Tournament Operations Manual, available for download here. All districts are required to use these procedures set forth by the Board of Directors.
