Rupert's Land Public Speaking Tournament

33rd Annual Rupert’s Land Debate and Public Speaking Tournament 

Balmoral Hall School 

(Grade 10 to 12 Senior Tournament) 

December 5, 2025 

Dear Debate and Public Speaking Coaches: 

Balmoral Hall School invites you to the annual Rupert's Land Debate and Public Speaking Tournament for Grade 10 to Grade 12 students, to be held Sunday, January 11, 2026.  A complete agenda is located further down in this invitation.  

On the day of the tournament, registration for competitors is from 8:45 to 9:00 a.m. Registration for judges in the morning is from 8:45 to 9:00 a.m. Registration for judges in the afternoon is from 12:40 to 1:00 p.m.  

Each competitor must enter either the Persuasive Speaking or the Impromptu Speaking sections in the morning, and all competitors must compete in the Parliamentary Debating section of the tournament in the afternoon. Note: While there will be an option to choose between Impromptu and Persuasive Speaking in the morning, if the student wishes to qualify for the National Public Speaking Championships, the MB student MUST compete in the persuasive speaking category. The Debating will be coordinate impromptu style. This means that the competitors will have a different partner each round, and the partner will not be from the same school.  

Individual scores will be the total of the 4 rounds of scores completed by the individual. There will be awards for the top 3 individuals in each category, the top 3 individuals overall, and the top 3 schools, based on the combined scores of the top 3 competitors from each school.  The top 4 speakers from different schools in the top half of the tournament will represent Manitoba at the National Public Speaking Championships at SJR from February 7 to 9, 2026. Four additional competitors will also be named; however, only if they are able to provide an adult judge for the entire national competition.  

In order to ensure your spot at this tournament, coaches must register their students before Wednesday, December 17. Please use the specific registration form at the end of this letter.  

Competitors should also register independently and acknowledge that they understand the code of conduct rules for this tournament by December 17. This information will be necessary to determine if additional competitors can be accepted from your school. Please use the specific registration form at the end of the letter. 

There is a maximum of 6 students per school. Please indicate if you would like to enter more students, and I will do my best to accommodate you. I will announce additional spots on Thursday, December 18. 

Schools must bring a minimum of one judge for every two competitors. The same judge can remain for the entire day, or the judging role can be shared by two different judges, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. If you are able to bring additional judges, please let me know so that I can ensure there are an adequate number of judges for the tournament. Anyone who has graduated from high school is eligible to judge, and no previous debate judging experience is necessary.  Conferral judging will take place for both public speaking and debate.  All judges must register, prior to December 19. Please use the specific registration form shared at the end of the letter.   

Please note that we are asking for $20.00 per student and observing adult to cover the costs of snacks, juice, coffee, and lunch. The competitor, judge, and observer registration documents ask for dietary restrictions to be noted. All competitors are required to remain on campus for the lunch period as there will be only 45 minutes allocated for lunch. There is no cost to the judges and coaches who help with the judging for the entire day. Adults who are not assisting with judging or are observing will be charged the $20.00 fee for refreshments during the day. If you are not judging, please use the specific registration form shared at the end of the letter. An accurate list of individuals in the building and intentions for the day will assist in our preparation of meals. Thank you for your understanding. 

For meals, please provide one cheque from your school, and please make it payable to: Balmoral Hall School. We will collect the money at the desk for competitor registration. This value should NOT be combined with any MSDA Membership Fees as these are 2 separate entities. 

Please find enclosed: 

1. Guidelines for Persuasive Speaking 

2. Guidelines for Impromptu Speaking 

3. Agenda 

4. A link to the Parliamentary Debating Rules on the MSDA website: https://sites.google.com/site/manitobadebate/resources-for-debaters-and-coaches/rules-and-scoresheets/parliamentary-debate-rules 

The speaking time for constructive speeches is 6 minutes, and 3 minutes will be allocated for final rebuttals. Points of Information should be raised during constructive speeches after the first minute and before the last minute, leaving 1 minute of protected time for each constructive speech. 

Please email me if you have any questions, or phone me at 204-784-1600. I look forward to seeing you at the 2026 Rupert’s Land Debate and Public Speaking Tournament. 

Sincerely, 

Paula Fleury  

Debate & Public Speaking Teacher / Program Coordinator, Balmoral Hall School 

Secretary, Manitoba Speech & Debate Association   

Registration Forms: 

School Participation Registration Form (Due Dec. 17): 

https://forms.gle/XiyTRMfrLeMy7VZv8  

Competitor Registration Form (Completed By Student After School Registration by Coach (Due Dec. 17): 

https://forms.gle/QrmfNqrc9ouy7D4t6  

Judge Registration Form (Due Dec. 19): 

https://forms.gle/6h4JtwWDHyXsciRK8  

Non-Judging Coach / Observer Registration Form (Due Dec. 19): 

https://forms.gle/6QUbTSP2BU21HiaL7  

33rd RUPERT'S LAND DEBATE & PUBLIC SPEAKING TOURNAMENT 

Sunday, January 11th, 2026 

AGENDA 

8:45 – 9:00 a.m. 

Competitor & Judge Registration (Atrium) 

9:00 - 9:30 a.m. 

Speakers & Timers Briefing (Library) 

9:00 – 9:45 a.m.                             

Judges Briefing (Room 107) 

9:30 - 9:45 a.m. 

Competitors Briefing (Sifton Family Theatre) 

9:45 – 11:00 a.m.                           

ROUND I - Persuasive Speeches / Impromptu Speeches 

11:00 – 11:15 a.m.                        

Refreshments  

11:15 – 12:30 p.m.                          

ROUND II - Persuasive Speeches / Impromptu Speeches 

12:30 – 1:15 p.m.                         

Lunch in Dining Hall - All competitors must remain on the school property for lunch. 

12:40 – 1:00 p.m.                                 

Afternoon Registration for Judges in the Atrium 

12:45 – 1:15 p.m. 

Speakers’& Timers’ Briefing (Library) 

1:15 – 1:55 p.m. 

Judges’ Briefing (Room 107) 

1:15 – 1:30 p.m. 

Competitors’ Briefing (Sifton Family Theatre) 

1:30 – 2:00 p.m. 

Competitors receive topics for Round I Debating in the Sifton Family Theatre and prepare with partners in assigned rooms following the sharing of the definition by the government team. 

2:00– 3:00 p.m. 

ROUND I – PARLIAMENTARY DEBATING 

3:00 – 3:15 p.m. 

Refreshments in the Atrium  

3:15 – 3:45 p.m. 

Competitors receive topics for Round II Debating in the Sifton Family Theatre and prepare with partners in assigned rooms following the sharing of the definition by the government team. 

3:45 – 4:45 p.m. 

ROUND II DEBATING – PARLIAMENTARY DEBATING 

5:30 p.m. 

Awards (Sifton Family Theatre) 

RUPERT'S LAND PUBLIC SPEAKING TOURNAMENT 

RULES OF PERSUASIVE SPEAKING 

1. This speech is designed to persuade and must be on a serious topic, although this does not mean that humour and wit might not be useful at points in the speech. 

2. A problem/solution approach must be taken, i.e. speakers must identify a problem (it need not be an earth-shattering one) and propose, or at least examine, one or more solutions. 

3. Speeches should be prepared beforehand and should be from 7 to 13 minutes in length. 

4. Notes are not recommended; however, they may be used if they do not interfere with delivery or the effectiveness of the speech. If notes are used, only both sides of a single 3 x 5 inch index card of notes are allowed. 

5. There must be a persuasive element to the speech, although this may take a number of forms.  For example, the persuasive aspect might be in convincing the audience that a problem does in fact exist, or in convincing them of the causes of the problem, or that the speaker's proposed solution will solve the problem. 

6. There will be a time penalty of 10 points for speeches under 7 minutes or over 13 minutes. 

7. Salutation is optional.  

RUPERT'S LAND PUBLIC SPEAKING TOURNAMENT 

RULES FOR IMPROMPTU SPEAKING 

1. Each speaker will draw a slip of paper that includes three topics, which may be words, quotations, phrases, statements, or some combination of the four.  

2. The speaker then has two minutes to prepare, during which time they must decide which of the three they will speak on and to prepare comments. 

3. Competitors may sit or stand while preparing but must remain in the room. Competitors may make notes, although these may not be used when speaking. 

4. Competitors may speak in favour of the topic, against it, or about it. They may interpret it within reason. They must, however, deal with the topic that they have been given and not use a previously prepared speech on a barely related theme. Students must use their own examples and may not take material from students they have watched over the course of the tournament or in a previous speech. If you are unsure of an example, check with the convenor or MSDA executive. Wit, humour, philosophy, sentiment, or absurdity are all equally welcome. Judges will be looking for agility of thought, for "meat on the bones," for organisational ability and, above all, for the ability of each speaker to communicate with style and originality. Competitors must not be seen to be making use of previously prepared material. 

5. At the end of the speech the topic must be handed back to the moderator who will announce the topic to the judges. Therefore, this will entail that the speaker shall adhere to the topic. 

6. The speaker may not adopt a persona throughout the speech, but may quote in character at appropriate points. 

7. Each competitor must speak for 3 to 5 minutes.  

8. Salutation is optional.