ACTAA Fall Conference TAC Forum
Welcome to our time together to address issues presented to this Body at Summer Conference and
to bring up issues related to the upcoming season of competition throughout Arkansas.
Who is this guy?
Why might I need to contact Sean?
TAC Forum Norms
TAC Forum Fall 2024 Agenda
“Light Roberts’” -In open discussion: Raise hand, Please wait to be called on and please defer to those voices who have not spoken yet to be heard first.
Honest assessments and Solutions Focused if at all possible.
Professionalism Plus Please
Lets produce what is best for all our kids.
Notes from Summer Conference Summer Meeting
provided by Martine Campbell:
Student Congress Executive Action (ACTAA/NSDA)
Student Congress and Congressional Debate Point Entry Memorandum
To: Arkansas Speech and Debate Coaches
From: ACTAA Student Congress Committee, ACTAA Tournament Advisory Committee, and the NSDA Committee for Arkansas
The committees mentioned above are addressing a concern from our member coaches that involves both ACTAA and NSDA. The issue is the lack of consistency in NSDA point entry for ACTAA Student Congress and at invitationals around the state and country.
ACTAA Student Congress: The committees agree that the total point allocation should be the total number of points provided by the ACTAA Student Congress ballots doubled for the competitors to be entered for the student on NSDA. However, points may not exceed 108 to adhere to the 36 point maximum per day.
Invitational Tournament Point Entry: Many invitationals do not automatically post congressional debate points, post them incorrectly, or leave it up to a coach to figure out and enter. We suggest that Arkansas coaches follow the provided NSDA point guide, which limits a total of 36 points per day for congressional debate. Points should be based on the point values of the speeches and divided by the number of judge scores. Competitors should not receive 36 points per day per tournament without proper justification; instead, we should utilize the provided structure from NSDA.
Examples:
Please ensure that point entries align with these guidelines to maintain consistency and fairness across all competitions. If you need help, please reach out to one of the contacts listed below.
Martene Campbell, Sean Petersen, and Daniel Caudle
Proposal #1 for Consideration for the TAC Committee
Proposal No 1. Amending the ASC Qualifying Tournament Document to add theatre events back to Arkansas competition. Submitted by Jenny Moses
ACTAA Forensics Theatre Event Proposal In an attempt to better prepare Arkansas students to be more nationally competitive, we shifted to a NSDA event focus. Unfortunately, this has resulted in unexpected consequences such as:
● Arkansas no longer has a unique perspective of events
● Many of our theatre driven programs and educators left the competition circuit
● Many of our theatre driven programs and educators then left ACTAA
● Fewer in-state tournaments are offered which penalizes smaller and/or non-traveling programs
By adding additional theatre events at the State Championship level, we provide an opportunity to:
● Invite those programs and teachers back to ACTAA
● Increase the local circuit numbers
● Provide valuable performance experience and feedback for students who may only have one other avenue of evaluation outside of the local teacher
● Provide inclusive options for theatre to expand our impact and increase our voice
Proposal #2 for Consideration for the TAC Committee
D. Tabulation & Tabroom
a. The ACTAA Sanctioned Tournament Shell will be built by the ASC Committee following the annual Summer Workshop and presented for approval by the ACTAA Board of Directors at the annual Fall Conference.
b. Tournament directors must utilize the ACTAA Sanctioned Shell Tournament format on Tabroom.
c. Tournament directors have the authority to make changes to any aspect of the tournament as long as written notice is provided in the tournament invitation a minimum of two weeks before the drop deadline.
d. Tournament directors must publish the format in which they will break competitors into out rounds. (ie. Cumulative or Sudden Death)
e. The ASC State Chair, Permanent Director, and Tabroom.com Arkansas Circuit Administrator must have viewing access to all sanctioned tournaments f. Exemptions to these guidelines must be approved by the ASC committee a minimum of three weeks before the tournament drop deadline.
Proposal #4 for Consideration for the TAC Committee
Article III , SECTION 3. DELEGATION ENTRY FEES Regardless of the total number of delegates, the 25 entry fee for collegiate delegations shall be $240; and a high school delegation shall be $200. There 26 shall also be a $10 additional fee assessed by the Student Congress Committee for each substitution 27 in an entry and drop of a judge after the registration deadline. Additionally, if a delegation drops 28 entirely after the registration deadline, there will be a $50 administrative fee assessed.
Article IV Section 1 (C) Student Appointed Positions. The Senate President Pro-tempore and House Speakers shall, 31 upon taking the office, appoint from respective house a Chamber Chaplain, a Resolutions 32 Committee, and a Rules Committee. Duties for the above-mentioned respective positions shall be 33 referenced in Robert’s Rules of Order, newly revised. If the Chamber Chaplain chooses to offer a 34 prayer, this prayer will not be scored nor will it count in speech precedence.
Proposal #4 for Consideration for the TAC Committee
Article VII, Section 2 (B) Committee Reports. After the reading of a bill title, the presiding officer shall allow for three (3) minutes each for designated committee members to deliver majority and minority reports, in that order, on said bill. At the conclusion of the majority report, the reporter shall move for the adoption of the bill.
Article VIII, Section 5 (B) Previous Year’s Legislation. No delegate shall be allowed to submit a bill for consideration by Student Congress relating to topics from bills considered at the immediate previous year nor from the ACTAA Fall Docket. The Student Congress Director shall publish a list of the titles of the previous year’s legislation.
Article IX, SECTION 5. NAME PLACARDS All delegates shall be provided a standardized placard by the Congress Committee. have a name placard for which the delegate is responsible. The delegate’s name, school number and delegate’s letter should be printed at 80 point (or less) Arial font in BLOCK LETTERS in black ink on white paper or cardstock. The placard should be folded at the top, making a two-sided “stand-on-its-own” placard. Each side should measure 4 1/4” tall by 11” long. Uniform size and color is a must for fairness. Delegates not complying with this rule may not be allowed to participate until they have secured an appropriate placard.
TAC Chair Reflections from 2023-24
This year there were some concerns about tournaments as the season concluded. Here are the concerns:
The Floor is Open for Issues of Concern
Now welcome any new ideas of concerns related to tournaments to be addressed by the whole committee.
Please keep comments short and abide by the following norms:
Constructive comments
No Targeted Items of Conversation