McGill Tournament 2014

Dear Coach,

On behalf of the McGill Debating Union we are pleased to invite you to our upcoming 55th annual High School Debating Championships. The important information regarding this year’s tournament is as follows:

Date: Friday October 24 and Saturday October 25, 2014 Location: McGill’s downtown campus in Montreal Registration fee: $125 per team

Registration Deadline: October 7, 2014

Team Cap: 5 teams per school, 2 debaters per team

Format:

The tournament will consist of six rounds of British Parliamentary impromptu debate, two on Friday and four on Saturday, breaking to semi-finals and junior finals. This tournament will not include a prepared round. There will be seminars offered on a variety of topics on Saturday.

Registration:

Registration will be conducted on a first-come, first-served basis. The deadline to register is October 7 however based on past experience we recommend that you register as soon as possible as spots fill up very quickly. Schools are permitted to register up to five teams initially, and may submit additional teams who will be placed on the waiting list. Teams from the waiting list may be permitted to attend if the tournament registration cap is not met by October 7.

Please inform us of the number of teams you would like to send by the registration deadline. We will try to accommodate as many teams as possible. We would like the names of the debaters as well as any dietary restrictions that they may have by October 14.

A deposit of $60 per team must be paid by the registration deadline in order to reserve space in the tournament. Please note that all deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable: if a registered team drops out, their deposit cannot be refunded or used to subsidize the remaining balance for the other

teams from their school. Cheques should be made out to the McGill Debating Union. We ask for your cooperation in only registering as many teams as you intend to send.

Deposit cheques can be mailed to:

McGill Debating Union c/o SSMU Front Desk 3480 McTavish Street

Montreal, Quebec

H3A 1X9

Accommodation

As with previous years, we have secured a reduced rate at the Best Western Ville-Marie Hotel & Suites located at Peel and Sherbrooke. The cost for a room with one bed is $119 per night plus taxes. For a room with two queen-sized beds the cost is $139 per room plus taxes for double occupancy; additional occupants are $10 each. You may reserve by calling 1-800-361-7791 or 514-288-4141 or by emailing Rania Tohme at rania@hotelvillemarie.com and mentioning “McGill Debating Tournament”. Please ensure you make the booking as soon as possible to ensure there is availability at the hotel. Rooms have not been blocked off, but rather are being offered at group rate on a first come first serve basis subject to availability at the hotel. Please note that the various taxes on accommodation in Quebec including PST and GST amount to just about 20%.

Meals

We will provide dinner on Friday October 24, and breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Saturday October 25. There will also be a reception for coaches on Saturday afternoon at which refreshments will be served. Please provide us with any information relevant to special dietary requirements in advance.

Clothing Orders

We will be selling a wide range of zesty and fashionable McGill Debating Union clothing, as we have at previous tournaments. If you or anyone from your school is interested in purchasing anything please complete the attached form (email the MSDA for the form) and mail it along with your registration deposit.

We look forward to seeing you at McGill University!

Sincerely,

Holly Engstrom and Ben Tang Tournament Co-Directors