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First Adopted: August 22, 2003
ARTICLE I – THE ORGANIZATION
SECTION 1: This organization shall be known as the Lincoln Parliamentary Debate League. For brevity, it shall, within this document, be referred to as “the LPDL” or “the league.”
SECTION 2: Membership in the LPDL shall be open to any institution of higher education that is willing to support, attend and/or host tournaments consistent with the league’s philosophy. Membership in any other state or national organization, including, but not limited to IIFA, NPDA, Phi Rho Pi, NFA or AFA is NOT a condition of membership in LPDL.
SECTION 3: To maintain membership in good standing, dues of $50 must be paid annually by each member school. Annual membership is due at the first LPDL sanctioned tournament a school competes at during the LPDL competitive season.
ARTICLE II – ORGANIZATIONAL PURPOSE
SECTION 1: The purpose of LPDL shall be to encourage and promote parliamentary debate competition and programs with a primary focus on (but not limited to) Illinois and the Midwest.
SECTION 2: The purpose of LPDL shall be to host tournaments and workshops designed to provide a highly educational forum for parliamentary debate.
SECTION 3: LPDL shall engage in other similar activity which the membership authorizes based on a belief that such activities will further the purposes of the organization.
ARTICLE III – OFFICERS
SECTION 1: At the annual meeting, the membership shall elect from among the membership, a President, a Vice-President, and a Secretary to serve one-year terms. At the end of those terms, and all subsequent terms, the Vice President shall become the President, and new elections shall be held for Vice President and Secretary for new one-year terms.
SECTION 2: In a timely manner after their election, the President, Vice-President and Secretary shall report to the membership, if necessary, their recommendation for Treasurer. The membership must vote to accept that nomination. The Treasurer and the other officers will determine the term of the Treasurer’s service for each appointment. Such determinations will be binding on future officers, unless changed by mutual consent of all officers, including the Treasurer.
SECTION 3: No two employees or representatives of the same institution may serve as officers of the organization.
SECTION 4: If an officer cannot serve his/her full term due to resignation or other circumstances, including, but not limited to, a job change that moves that individual to a non-member institution or an institution that already has a member on the board, the membership shall elect a replacement to serve out the remainder of that member’s term at the next gathering (meeting, workshop, tournament, or similar gathering) of the organization.
ARTICLE IV – THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS
SECTION 1: The President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer will serve as the governing board of the organization. The immediate past president, if not elected to a new officer position, with serve as an ex-officio member of the board.
SECTION 2: The duties of the LPDL officers, acting as the governing board of the organization, shall be to organize and execute LPDL tournaments and workshops. This board will be empowered to evaluate and adjudicate both technical and ethical problems arising during LPDL tournaments. This board will also be empowered to make similar decisions on issues that occur during a season that can affect LPDL tournaments. When possible, the board will consult the membership at the next scheduled gathering before implementing any decision. But, if the board determines that immediate action is necessary, the decision of the board shall be binding on the organization until the next organization-wide gathering. In adjudicating these matters the board shall be guided by two principles: 1) the board shall attempt to treat all member institutions equitably, and 2) the educational value of the activity should be of paramount importance.
SECTION 3: The duties of the President shall be to preside at all LPDL meetings and conduct the general business of the organization. The President will also serve as Tournament Director for LPDL tournaments and make the necessary assignments of tournament duties to the rest of the board. As part of that assignment of duties, the President may designate another board member to serve as Tournament Director.
SECTION 4: The duties of the Vice-President will be to serve in the role of the President, in the temporary absence of the President. The Vice-President will also serve as liaison between LPDL and other organizations. Additionally, the Vice-President shall be to collect all membership dues and maintain an accurate list of current members, and handle all the necessary financial business of the organization. The Vice-President shall also be responsible for preparing and disseminating a financial report prior to the annual meeting of the league.
SECTION 5: In the absence of the President and Vice-President the board will select a person to serve as tournament director.
SECTION 6: The duties of the Secretary shall be to take minutes at all LPDL meetings, keep files of all the organizational business, handle all the organizational non-tournament correspondence, and distribute notices of meetings, tournament and workshops. The Secretary shall be responsible for preparing and distributing to the membership copies of the minutes of all meetings of the organization.
SECTION 7: If a Treasurer is requested, the duties of the Treasurer shall be to collect all membership dues and maintain an accurate list of current members, and handle all the necessary financial business of the organization. The Treasurer shall also be responsible for preparing a financial report prior to the annual meeting of the league. Thus, these will no longer be duties of the Vice President.
SECTION 8: It shall be the duty of all of the officers to audit the accounts of the organization at least once a year.
SECTION 9: Each school is allowed to have one student representative (chosen by their respective schools) attend and have a full independent vote at the annual business meeting of the LPDL. This student will be known as an “LPDL Student Representative.” The purpose of this is to better ensure the representation of student voices in the shaping of LPDL policy.
ARTICLE V – WORKSHOPS, TOURNAMENTS, BUSINESS MEETINGS AND THE ANNUAL MEETING
SECTION 1: LPDL will make a good faith effort to hold at least two tournaments or tournament/workshop combinations during the fall semester. In addition, the membership may decide, at their sole discretion, to hold a separate season-opening workshop (without a tournament) prior to these two tournaments. In addition, LPDL will make a good faith effort to host at least one tournament during the spring semester. Where possible, tournaments will be scheduled to coordinate well in terms of time and place with other regularly scheduled tournaments.
SECTION 2: The annual meeting of the league will be scheduled during the last tournament of the spring semester. At this meeting, the annual financial report will be presented; regular elections for members of the board and officers will be held, if needed; by-law amendments may be considered, and the schedule and site of the following year’s tournaments and workshops will be determined. In addition, other regular business of the organization can be discussed at this meeting.
SECTION 3: The President may, at his or her sole discretion, schedule business meetings at any other gathering of the organization. The President must convene such a meeting if requested to do so, in writing at least seven days prior to the gathering, by at least three general members of the league. If any meeting is to be held, the membership must be notified seven days prior to the tournament or workshop.
SECTION 4: For the annual meeting, a quorum will consist of at least half of all members of the league. In the absence of a quorum, the board may exercise its powers under Article IV, Section 1 to implement policies and procedures consistent with the wishes of the members present. For any business meeting, a quorum shall be considered a simple majority of those in attendance at the business meeting.
SECTION 5: Each member institution shall be accorded only one vote in conducting the business of the organization.
ARTICLE VI – FINANCE
SECTION 1: Each member institution shall be required to pay an annual membership fee of $50, payable prior to participation in any LPDL tournament . Once the membership fee is paid, institutions remain a member until the first tournament of the league in the subsequent school year.
SECTION 2: The fee for attending workshops and tournaments will be determined by the board and the hosts, with the advice and consent of the membership. Fees for all tournaments will be consistent during an academic year.
SECTION 3: The normal expenses of the organization shall be: the cost of running LPDL tournaments and workshops, and general organizational operating costs.
SECTION 4: Each student dropped after 4 p.m. on the day preceding the tournament will incur a $25.00 drop fee.
ARTICLE VII – RULES OF LPDL COMPETITION
SECTION 1: LPDL tournaments will consist of parliamentary debate.
SECTION 2: Competitors must be undergraduate students at member institutions who have met the necessary requirements for competition as imposed by the member institution.
SECTION 3: The board will schedule the maximum number of rounds reasonably possible, with consideration for wellness, health and safety, at LPDL tournaments. Except where byes are necessary due to an odd number of teams, all teams will compete in every round at an LPDL tournament.
SECTION 4: Whenever possible, each team must consist of two people. Each team must be prepared to debate either the Government or the Opposition. LPDL allows and encourages the use of hybrid teams to maximize student involvement in these tournaments. Schools have the option of either: (a)communicating with each other and forming hybrid teams before submitting their entries (and then submitting these hybrided entries) OR (b) submitting a maximum of one individual “maverick” per school to the tournament. In cases where individual mavericks are submitted, the tournament director will randomly partner ‘mavericks’ into hybrid teams until there is a maximum of one ‘maverick’ entered in the tournament.”
SECTION 5: The Speaking format shall be:
Prime Minister (Government)…….. 7 minute Constructive
2 minutes flex time
Leader of the Opposition…………… 8 minute Constructive
2 minutes flex time
Member of the Government……….. 8 minute Constructive
1 minute flex time
Member of the Opposition..………. 8 minute Constructive
Leader of the Opposition………….. 4 minute Rebuttal
1 minute flex time
Prime Minister………………………. 5 minute Rebuttal
SECTION 6: Oppositions at LPDL tournaments may not utilize the “no split” option.
SECTION 7: Three topics will be used in all rounds. Resolutions will vary between policy, value, and fact and may be written in both literal and figurative forms. The tournament director will do their best to ensure that topics are administered fairly, and equally during preliminary rounds. For example, if round 1 is Value, round 2 will also be Value. However, in the event that there are not enough rounds to ensure , schools will be notified prior to the tournament. Final rounds resolutional will be determined by the tournament director.
SECTION 8: For topic selection, the judge will have one list of the three topic choices. The judge will first give the list to the Opposition who will then have one minute to read and strike one of the three topics. Immediately following, the judge will give the list to the Government who will then have one minute to read and strike one of the two remaining topics. The remaining topic will be debated in that round. The debate proposition will be restated by the judge in the room prior to preparation time, which will begin immediately.
SECTION 9: Each team shall be allotted fifteen (15) minutes total preparation time for the debate. The preparation time shall begin after the judge has announced the topic in the room. Either team may leave the room during the preparation period. If one or both teams remain, it is preferable that the judge leaves the room.
SECTION 10: No coaching by any coach, team member or other person, is allowed during the preparation period. Teams must prepare for rounds on their own.
SECTION 11: Teams may use internet research during prep time, but no information may be directly copied/pasted for use in the round and Internet may not be used during the round itself
SECTION 12: People not involved in the specific debate round may take notes as long as the note taker has the permission of all the contestants. Participating teams may use audio or video recording equipment to record the round, if they have the expressed permission of the other team. LPDL may use audio or video recording equipment for the purpose of developing educational materials to record any round as long as it has the expressed permission of both teams.
SECTION 13: In order to encourage speakers to concentrate on future and not past performance, and to discourage judges from taking records into account in their decisions, there will be no “warm room” (running results posting) at LPDL tournaments.
SECTION 14: Tournaments will be scheduled to provide some time for judges and debaters to discuss rounds. In order to keep tournaments on schedule, these discussion should occur at those scheduled times, not immediately after the round.
SECTION 15: Judges should not disclose their decision to anyone other than a member of the tournament staff.
SECTION 16: As long as tournament entry and size allows, LPDL tournaments will recognize three divisions: Rookie (students in their first semester of competition in any kind of debate at any level and who have not competed in any NPDA eligible elimination round in any division at any parliamentary debate tournament or earned a medal at any LPDL tournament); Junior (students in their first or second semester of college competition, who are not eligible for the Rookie Division); and Open (all other teams). For the purpose of determining eligibility in the Rookie division, any competition in any type of debate prior to the current semester will disqualify a student from that division. For the purpose of determining eligibility in the Rookie or Junior Division, NPDA guidelines for semesters of eligibility will apply, even if such guidelines would not normally apply to such debate experience (i.e. high school debate). Results of the Rookie Division will be reported to NPDA as “Novice” results.
SECTION 17: Undergraduates with at least three years debate experience (at least two of which were at the college level) may judge in the rookie division, if they are not competing in the tournament.
SECTION 18: LPDL supports and encourages the use of lay judges.
SECTION 19: Each tournament will consist of four preliminary rounds; the tournament director will determine the method of Elimination Round(s) using the procedures listed in Section 20.
SECTION 20: Based on the number of teams competing in the first round of the tournament, one of the two following Elimination Round Procedures will be followed.
Elimination Round Procedure #1 (to be followed when 15 or less teams participate in the preliminary rounds of a tournament). All scores will be tabulated at the end of the four preliminary rounds (using first W-L record, then total speaker points, then total ranks, then total speaker points with highs-lows dropped, then total ranks with highs-lows dropped). The top 6 seeds will be determined. Seeds 1 and 2 will meet in a “gold medal” round. Seeds 3 and 4 will meet in a “silver medal” round. Seeds 5 and 6 will meet in a “bronze medal round.” These three rounds will be scheduled to occur simultaneously, as soon as possible after the completion of preliminary round #4. Based on the decisions of the judges in these three rounds, these 6 teams will be awarded:
First Place and Gold Medalist (winner of the 1 vs. 2 debate)
Second Place and Gold Medalist (loser of the 1 vs. 2 debate)
Third Place and Silver Medalist (winner of the 3 vs. 4 debate)
Fourth Place and Silver Medalist (loser of the 3 vs. 4 debate)
Fifth Place and Bronze Medalist (winner of the 5 vs. 6 debate)
Sixth Place and Bronze Medalist (loser of the 5 vs. 6 debate).
Any additional teams with winning preliminary records (3-1 or better) will also be recognized as Bronze Medalists.
Elimination Round Procedure #2 (to be followed when 16 or more teams participate in the preliminary rounds of a tournament). All scores will be tabulated at the end of the four preliminary rounds (using first W-L record, then total speaker points, then total ranks, then total speaker points with highs-lows dropped, then total ranks with highs-lows dropped). The top 8 seeds will be determined. “Theta Division” will consist of the following debate bracket: Seed 1 vs. Seed 8, Seed 4 vs. Seed 5. “Omicron Division” will consist of the following debate bracket: Seed 2 vs. Seed 7, Seed 3 vs. Seed 6. Semi-Finals will be held in each Division. The losers of these Semi-Finals will be recognized as “Semi-Finalists and Bronze Medalists.” The winners of the Semi-Final rounds will advance to the appropriate Final Rounds (Theta Final, Omicron Final). At the conclusion of these separate Final Rounds, based on the judges’ decisions, the winners of these rounds will be declared “First Place Team(s) and Gold Medalists” (no attempt will be made to preference the winner of one Division over the other). The losers of these rounds will be declared “Second Place Team(s) and Silver Medalists” (no attempt will be made to preference the second place finisher in one Division over the second place winner in the other Division).
SECTION 21: Individual speaker awards will be presented to the top three speakers in each division, if there are less than ten teams in that division. Otherwise, five speaker awards will be given.
SECTION 22: The LPDL officers will attempt to hire judges for LPDL tournaments, but reserves the right to limit entries to only covered teams or to a limited number of uncovered teams; that number and the distribution of those teams will be determined by the LPDL officers.
SECTION 23: Standard tabulation procedures shall be employed unless otherwise determined by the governing board.
SECTION 24: As a community of forensics educators and students, LPDL believes that open communication is paramount and deviation from expected behavior should be recognized so that the LPDL communication culture is protected. Therefore, anyone with a concern about questionable ethical behavior or violations of any section of this Article VII should discuss, without accusation, those concerns with the forensics coach affiliated with the person committing that act.
If that conversation does not result in the coach immediately rectifying the situation, or if the coach is the person suspected to be in violation of the ethical standards, then an oral report describing the ethical breach should be presented to the tournament staff. The tournament staff may, at its sole discretion, request a written report as well. The committee will take the report under advisement and make a good faith effort to rule on the matter before the end of the tournament.
Formal sanction of the program or individual is not necessary, but possible, with possible sanctions including:
Debate team or squad disqualification from one or more rounds at a tournament
Debate team or squad disqualification from an entire tournament
a written complaint filed with the student’s record and/or the coach’s personnel file
rescission of institutional membership in LPDL
ARTICLE VIII – AMENDMENT
SECTION 1: These by-laws can be amended by a 2/3 vote of the members present at the annual meeting, if a quorum is present. In the absence of a quorum, no action on by-law changes shall be made at the meeting, but the membership may call for a vote by mailed ballot. The president and board shall not exercise their powers under Article IV, Section 1 and Article V, Section 4 to change the by-laws, even temporarily.
SECTION 2: If a by-law change is to be voted on at the annual meeting, all general members must be notified at least ten days prior to the meeting. If such notice is not given, the by-laws may be amended at the annual meeting only if at least 3/4 of the general members are present and if the votes in favor of the change represent at least 2/3 of the entire membership of the LPDL.
ARTICLE IX – Exemplary Awards
SECTION 1: At the final LPDL tournament of the season, each student competing in the tournament will vote via written ballot for a fellow competitor, also competing in the same tournament. The criteria for this award is the student who represents the finest qualities of LPDL debate. Students are encouraged to evaluate fellowship, community support, and strong argumentation skills. This award is named the Dittus-Schroeder Fellowship Award.