NCFL Diocesan League Directors�Spring Meeting 2026�May 16�

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�This Meeting is Virtual�(But we’ll see you in Washington, DC soon!)

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(This document will be posted to NCFL.org after the conclusion of this meeting)

May 16, 2026 - 1

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Agenda

• Welcome - Tom Beck (President)
• Election of NCFL Officers for 2026-2028
• Tournament Updates - Roland Burdett (Tournament Director)
• Upcoming National Tournaments
• Fall Directors Meeting
• Questions

May 16, 2026 - 2

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Election of NCFL Officers, 2026-2028

The Slate From The Nomination Process:

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President → Katy Cecil, Louisville

1st Vice President → Marc Rischitelli, Worcester

2nd Vice President → Carolyn Cook, Kansas City

Secretary → Susan Peebles, Erie

Treasurer → Greg Cunningham, Boston

Publicity Director → Crawford Leavoy, Raleigh

Tournament Director → Roland Burdett, Arlington

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May 16, 2026 -- 3

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

NCFL 2026 - Tournament Updates

• Competition Sites
• Tabroom Locations
• Logistics
• Health & Safety
• Situational Awareness
• Tabroom & LiveDocs
• Posting Party
• Mass
• Service Project

• League and School Check-In
• Registration Assistance
• Before & After Awards
• ByLaws Updates (& Reminders)
• ChatGPT et al (Reminder)
• Observers
• Judge Training
• Getting Help
• Next Steps

May 16, 2026- 4

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Competition Sites

• Saturday:
• Policy → Convention Center, Exhibition Hall A
• LD, PF → Convention Center, Exhibition Hall A-B
• Congress → Convention Center, 1st Floor Rooms
• Speech
• Extemp, OO, DEC → Convention Center, Exhibition Hall B
• Extemp Prep → Convention Center, 1st Floor, Room 151AB
• OI & DP → Marriott Marquis
• DUO → Marriott Marquis & Convention Center, 1st Floor Rooms

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• Sunday:
• PF & LD Elims → Westin Hotel
• Speech, Policy, and Congress Elims → Marriott Marquis

May 16, 2026 - 5

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Venues Map

May 16, 2026 - 6

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Tab Room Locations - Saturday

• Policy @ Convention Center, Room 155, Report at 7am
• LD @ Convention Center, Room 154-B, Report at 7am
• PF @ Convention Center, Room 154-A, Report at 7am
• Congress @ Convention Center, Room 149-B, Report at 7am
• Extemp Prep @ Convention Center, Room 151-AB, Report at 7:15am
• Speech @ Convention Center, Room 152-B, Report at 7:30am
• Equity Advocates @ Convention Center, Room 149-A, Report at 8:00am
• Protest @ Convention Center, Room 153, Report at 9:00am​​

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May 16, 2026 - 7

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Tab Room Locations - Sunday

• Policy @ Marriott Marquis, Level M3, Capitol Hill Room, Report at 6:45am
• Congress @ Marriott Marquis, Level M4, Senate Room, Report at 6:45am
• LD @ Westin Hotel, Foundry Branch Room, Report at 6:45am
• PF @ Westin Hotel, Dumbarton Oaks Room, Report at 6:45am
• Extemp Prep @ Marriott Marquis, Level M1, Georgetown Univ Room, Report at 7:15am
• Speech @ Marriott Marquis, Level M2, Marquis 12-13, report at 8:00am
• Equity Advocates @ Marriott Marquis, Level M2, Marquis 15, Report at 8:00am
• Protest, @ Marriott Marquis, Level M2, Marquis 14, Report at 9:00am​​

May 16, 2026 - 8

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Logistics - ADA

• Buses
• There are none !!
• Reminder: Please make sure all ADA Requests have been emailed to our Tournament Director
• All buildings are fully ADA compliant with elevators and escalators
• Roland Burdett - rburdett@NCFL.org

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May 16, 2026 - 9

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Logistics - Internet

• Internet
• Provided at All Sites
• Access instructions will be in the LiveDocs
• Reminder: competitors CANNOT connect to or communicate with persons outside the competition/prep room (including: coaches, assistants, teammates, etc.)
• Students are advised to have offline backups of all their files in case there’s a WiFi problem

May 16, 2026 - 10

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

A Critical Note About WiFi on Saturday

• This is critical, please pass the word to your coaches and students:
• At the Convention Center on Saturday our WiFi is extremely limited.
• Students and Judges should use the Public WiFi for Tabroom blasts, and in-between rounds, and for your phones.
• Only use the dedicated NCFL WiFi during competition rounds.
• Do NOT use the NCFL WiFi to stream video or music, tiktok, etc

May 16, 2026 -- 11

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Logistics - Power

• Power
• While we’ve set up power drops in the cubicles and there should be wall outlets in the conference rooms, there is no guarantee of power
• All debaters should bring power strips, teams will need to share with their partner and the judges
• There are no power strips in the Extemp Prep Room, students will need to charge in between rounds in the hallways or student lounge
• WACFL will have a limited number of short strips available for sell at the Merch/Souvenirs Table if you forget

May 16, 2026 - 12

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Logistics - Hotels

• Hotel Incidental Holds
• Embassy Suites: An incidental hold will not automatically be charged at check-in. If you wish to have the ability to charge items to your room, you will need to provide a credit card guarantee of $125 per room per night. You will need to request this at the hotel check-in desk.

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• Fairfield: During hotel check-in, guests will need to provide a credit card guarantee to cover the incidental hold of $30 per room per night.

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• Grand Hyatt: An incidental hold will not automatically be charged at check-in. If you wish to have the ability to charge items to your room, you will need to provide a credit card guarantee of $50 per room per night. You will need to request this at the hotel check-in desk.

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• Marquis: An incidental hold will not automatically be charged at check-in. If you wish to have the ability to charge items to your room, you will need to provide a credit card guarantee of $100 per room per night. You will need to request this at the hotel check-in desk. If you are parking a car with the valet, you will be required to provide the credit card guarantee.

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• Westin: During hotel check-in, guests will need to provide a credit card guarantee to cover the incidental hold of $300 per room per stay.

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• Please be aware that a credit card should be used for incidentals. If using a debit card, the fee will be deducted from your bank account.

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May 16, 2026 - 13

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Logistics - Saturday Food

• Saturday Lunch - Convention Center, Exhibit Hall C:
• Tab Staff & Hired Judges will get $25 Cards towards Lunch
• All Judges & Students can purchase lunch there, cashless only

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• There will be a light continental breakfast for all Judges on Saturday from 7am - 9am at the Convention Center in Room 146-ABC
• This room is the Judges’ Lounge all day

May 16, 2026 - 14

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Tab Staff & Processes

• Please remember that everyone is dealing with stresses in their life outside of our tournament.
• We need to treat everyone with kindness and grace
• We need to meet everyone with a sense of service, and to help them as best we can after they’ve chosen to spend their weekend in DC with us.

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• We will have “Front of House” and “Back of House” Teams in all Tab Rooms

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• We are continuing our re-work of the Speech Tab Processes

May 16, 2026 - 15

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Speech Tab Process & Assignments 2026

• Judges will be in the Marquis and/or Convention Center all day
• The two buildings are connected by a tunnel
• There will be a Judge Stand-By Room in the Convention Center

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• We will have Tab Staff, Room Checkers, and Events Team folks
• There won’t be Tab Tables by event
• We’ll have 2 people responsible for tracking, checking each event
• Any Tab staff needing help with Tabroom.com (knowing where to find things for Saturday), we will be available all day Friday in the Marriott Marquis, Level M2, Marquis 12-13

May 16, 2026 - 16

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Health & Safety

• Masks Are Optional in Competition Spaces & Throughout the Tournament Weekend
• May be worn by anyone at any time ... Students, Judges, Coaches, Staff
• Competitors can choose to wear their mask during their speech
• Judges will not deduct points or make comments (in room or on ballot)
• If you are feeling sick or have symptoms, please consider wearing a mask or removing yourself from the tournament

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May 16, 2026 - 17

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Situational Awareness

• REAL-ID Travel Requirements are now in effect
• All DC Area Airports (DCA, IAD, BWI) are Ports of Entry
• Our locations are all public property, we do not control any of them
• Wristbands are a precaution, but not assurance
• There remains a National Guard, and Federal Agency presence on the streets
• Other activities in DC area include:
• Smithsonian, Spy, Word Museums
• Memorials
• Big Bus DC and Old Town Trolly Tours

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May 16, 2026 - 18

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Tabroom & LiveDocs

• Tabroom Blasts will be used to update students and coaches real time for each event
• Reminder: No text updates
• In addition, each Event will have LiveDocs
• Pay attention to Event Specific updates in those
• Social Media and NCFLNationals.org will be updated as needed
• #NCFL2026
• All Social Media Updates through Facebook and Instagram
• LiveDocs will be available starting Thursday
• ChatBot will be available starting Thursday
• Tabroom Blasts & LiveDocs are the source of official information

May 16, 2026 - 19

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Mass & Postings Party

• Mass on Saturday evening
• Immaculate Conception Catholic Church
• 1315 8th Street, NW, Washington DC
• Across the street from the back of the Convention Center
• 8:30 pm - 9:30 pm (Doors open at 8pm)

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• Postings Party follows the Saturday Mass
• Marriott Marquis, Level M2, Marquis Ballroom Salon 5-6
• 9:30 pm - 12:00 am (Doors open after Mass is completed)
• Postings expected to be released ~10:30 pm Online
• We can’t have the video screens this year, so postings will be Online and we’ll announce when they are live
• We do post as soon as we are able after all protests are resolved and all

results are triple checked

May 16, 2026 - 20

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Service Project

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At Martha’s Table, our mission is to support strong children, strong families, and strong communities.

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Martha’s Table's mission is to support strong children, strong families, and strong communities. Since 1980, Martha’s Table has been a symbol of dignity, equity, and opportunity in Washington, DC. What began with a sandwich and a safe space for youth after school on 14th Street NW has grown into a powerful, community-centered organization serving over 45,000 neighbors each year through high-quality education, healthy food and wellness initiatives, family support, and investments that spark opportunity and strengthen community.

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https://marthastable.donordrive.com/campaigns/NCFL2026

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May 16, 2026 - 21

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

League and School Check-In

• Two-Tiered OnLine ”Start of Tournament” Registration:
• TIER ONE - Diocesan League Registration (Thursday, May 21 from 10am-6pm):
• Local League Directors will Email or Zoom into Registration Office
• Confirm everything is set with Registration
• Identify changes/drops

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• TIER TWO - School Online Check-in (Friday, May 22 from 10am-6pm):
• School Coaches will click the “Here” Button on Tabroom.com
• Coaches can email or Zoom into Registration Office with problems or questions
• School Coaches and Judges should pick up Wristbands at this time

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May 16, 2026 - 22

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Registration Assistance

• Registration Assistance
• Email = ncfl@tabroom.com
• Zoom = Email Invite is coming
• Physical Location = Marriott Marquis, Level M2, Marquis 12-13
• Thursday, 10am to 6pm
• Friday, 10am to 6pm

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May 16, 2026 - 23

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Wristbands, & Merch

• Wristband Pick-up
• ALL students, judges, observers, volunteers, + staff need them (Saturday + Sunday)
• Available Friday (10am - 8pm) - Marriott Marquis, M2 Level Foyer (beneath the sign for the Convention Center Connector)
• League Directors or Schools can pick up, Hired Judges can also pick up
• Early Morning Saturday Pick-Up, same location, 6:30am - 8:30am

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• Merchandise Sales
• Available Friday (10am - 8pm) - Marriott Marquis, M2 Level Foyer
• Continuing throughout the tournament - Marriott Marquis, M2 Level Foyer

May 16, 2026 - 24

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Anonymized Pairings

• Note that the codes you currently see in Tabroom.com are NOT final
• Do NOT distribute or depend on those
• They will be finalized by Thursday morning
• We will distribute the Program Booklet of Names as a PDF via a link from Tabroom.com
• We will NOT publish lists publicly
• We will use CODES for all Competitors, we will not publish Names or Abbreviations
• We will use CODES for all Judges in pairings, but will provide Names in blasts to competitors in their room … so you can look up paradigms

May 16, 2026 - 25

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Before & After Awards

• Before Awards - SpeakPipe will be available
• Competitors receiving trophies should record the pronunciation of their names on Sunday afternoon prior to Awards
• A link will be sent Sunday morning to participants of Elim Rounds
• Before Awards - Medals
• Debate Medals for Double-Octo Finalists can be picked up in their event Tab Rooms
• Congress Medals for Semi-Finalists can be picked up in the Congress Tab Room
• Speech Medals for Octo Finalists can be picked up at the Marriott Marquis, Mezzanine Level, Rose Garden Room, between 11am and 3pm on Sunday
• After Awards - There will be NO Diocesan League Packets

May 16, 2026 - 26

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

ByLaws Reminders & Updates

• Read the NCFL ByLaws & Ballots !!
• https://www.ncfl.org/bylaws.html

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• All Judge Quotas lock as of today … an entry drop does not reduce judge quota
• LD & PF:
• Double-flighted on Saturday
• Play-In Round Sunday morning

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• Internet Connectivity allowed in Congress & Extemp Prep

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• Smaller Congress Chambers, Breaking to Semis, then Finals:
• Prelim Chambers will be 16-18 students
• Top 5 from each clear to Semi-Finals
• Three Semi-Final Chambers will be 18-20 students
• Top 6 from each clear to Finals
• Final Chamber will be 18 students

May 16, 2026 - 27

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

ByLaws Reminders & Updates

• Policy Elims
• Must have: 4 preliminary wins or at least 10 preliminary ballots to advance to Double octo-final; up to a maximum of 32 teams
• Extemp - Use of Timers
• “While students may time themselves during their speech, the judges have the final decision on when time expires. If a student is using any handheld device other than a physical stopwatch or timer, such as a phone or tablet, they cannot hold the device, and must put it on a desk or a stand throughout the speech, and cannot touch or access the device during their speech.”
• Congress
• New Congress Manual, be sure all your League’s entries and judges have read
• https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YVvnh9LhE59wAITNG8ZkQtpHLse8iToP/view

May 16, 2026 - 28

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

AI (ChatGPT et al) (Reminder for 2026)

NCFL Statement on the Use of ChatGPT and Similar AI Tools

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NCFL will not restrict the use of ChatGPT, Bard, CoPilot or other similar AI-based research tools in Extemp Prep, Student Congress, or Debate events. These can be legitimate research tools. However, given that some of these systems lack current data and often do not cite exact sources or evidence, using them directly for speech preparation will be challenging.

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These tools are currently being used in schools and workplaces and usage will only increase as new versions and options are released. We need to teach students to use them, as first drafts or idea generators, and how to get to a finished product on their own after using them for a first draft.

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While we encourage all coaches, judges, students to carefully review the NCFL Bylaws prior to the National Competition, we do want to specifically remind coaches and students of some pertinent NCFL rules, set forth in the Bylaws, to keep in mind when working with these tools:

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• In Extemporaneous Speaking, rule #1 states, "The speech should be an original synthesis by the contestant," and continues, "The speaker is responsible for the ethical use of source information."
• In Original Oratory, rule #3 states, "The speech must be one that has been composed by the student delivering it."
• Students using these tools should cite them as a source and judges will be allowed to consider if a student's sources are well-chosen, pertinent, and sufficient when determining ranks.

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As a general reminder, we have no control over whether our host facilities will have blocked access to these tools (and other websites) on their network routers. If your preparation depends on access to these tools, you should plan on using a private hotspot to access the internet.

May 16, 2026 - 29

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Observers (Updated for 2026)

• On Saturday:
• NO observers in PF, LD, Policy, DEC, OO, or Extemp (the cubicles)
• Observers are allowed in the other events:
• ONLY with the permission of ALL Competitors & Judges in the Room
• Anyone can say NO without penalty or prejudice
• You must be seated in a chair, no standing or sitting on the floor
• There is no audio or video recording of competition rounds at all in any form by any device
• If you are competing you CANNOT observe any other rounds in your event
• On Sunday:
• Observers are allowed, but you may be asked to show your wristband to indicate you are with the tournament
• No permission is required
• There is no audio or video recording of competition rounds at all in any form by any device
• If you are still competing you CANNOT observe rounds in your event until you are eliminated
• Limited Seating on Sunday for all Rounds: Observers must be seated in a chair

May 16, 2026 - 30

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Judge Orientation

• Online Speech Judge Orientation
• Sunday, May 17 (7-8pm EDT)
• Notifications will be sent via Tabroom
• Online PF Debate Judge Orientation
• Wednesday, May 20 (7-8pm EDT)
• Notifications will be sent via Tabroom
• Ballot Test on Friday for All Judges
• All events
• Notifications will be sent via Tabroom
• Equity & Bias Training for all Judges will be available this week
• Recommended for all Judges
• Email will be sent to Coaches and Judges via Tabroom

May 16, 2026 - 31

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Getting Help

• Washington & Arlington Host Volunteers will be in MINT shirts
• Judges or Students with Missing Judge, Missing Kid, Conflict, or Room Problems can text their Tab Team directly
• Numbers are in the LiveDocs
• No “Dance Cards” distributed
• Everything is Online
• LiveDocs & Tabroom Blasts
• A Help ChatBot will be available starting Thursday
• QR Code also coming soon to take you to LiveDocs

May 16, 2026 - 32

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Next Steps

• Scheduled Activities This Week, All Times are Eastern Daylight Time:
• May 17 (7pm-8pm) = Speech Judge’s Orientation, Online
• May 20 (7pm-8pm) = PF Debate Judge’s Orientation, Online
• May 21 (10am-6pm) = Diocesan League Registration, Online
• May 22 (10am-6pm)= School Online Check-in
• May 22 (10am-8pm) = Wristband Pick-Up, Marriott Marquis, Level M2 Foyer
• May 22 (~6pm) = Flip for OI Posted on Speech Live Doc
• May 22 (~8pm) = LiveDocs Updated with any last minute announcements
• May 23 (~7am) = Congress Chambers Released, and all Debate Pairings Released
• May 23 (7:45am) = Extemp Prep Opens, Draw Begins at 8am
• May 23 (~8am) = Speech Pairings Released

May 16, 2026 - 33

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Upcoming National Tournaments

• 2027 – Minneapolis, MN (rescheduled from 2021)
• 2028 – Lafayette, LA
• 2029 – We expect to have a bidding league to review at the Fall Meeting
• 2030 – Open for bid

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May 16, 2026 - 34

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

2026 Fall Directors Meeting

• Fall Meeting
• In-Person preferred, but we will provide a virtual connection also
• Bylaws sets meeting for last weekend of September
• September 25 - 26, 2026
• Minneapolis, MN (thanks Jason Meyer & Travis Rother)

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May 16, 2026 - 35

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting

Questions

• Questions from the Floor

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May 16, 2026 - 36

Spring Diocesan League Directors Meeting