Requirements & Student Expectations

REQUIREMENTS

1. Age Requirement: 12-18.

NCFCA competitors must be 12-18 on or before September 1. Mature students who don't meet the Sept. 1 cut-off are welcome to compete in NCFCA junior events.

2. Member families must be practicing Catholics.

3. Parent attendance at every meeting: This is not a drop off program.  Parents are required to attend every meeting at which their student is present, and students will not be admitted to the Club meeting without their parent. During the meetings, parents will learn along with the students and be trained to serve as coaches. Students’ success hinges on the personal attention provided by parents in this capacity as coaches. A parent will also be in a committee to help with the responsibilities of running the club. 

4. Compete in at least two tournaments a year: We are not a class but a competitive speech/debate club.  Club meetings focus on preparing students for competition, which is the best way to hone the skills learned in the club. Our club competes in the National Christian Forensic and Communications Association (NCFCA). This is a national speech and debate league that hosts in-person and online tournaments throughout the spring semester both in our local region and across the country. A parent or another designated adult must be on site with the student for the entire tournament. He or she is obliged to judge a particular number of events in a day for the duration of the tournament. Online tournaments are usually four days long and in person tournaments are three to four days long. 

TOURNAMENTS

• Tournament season is December through April. There are usually 2 local tournaments, 2 distance tournaments (1-5 hour drives), and 2-3 online tournaments. 

• You may choose between online and live tournaments (or a combination). Live tournaments are more fun, as the students enjoy each other’s company between rounds.

• Parental time and support is mandatory for the entirety of all tournaments that the student attends. Most in-person tournaments last 3 full days (7:15 AM to sometimes past 10PM). Online tournaments are usually 4 days. 

• It is NCFCA policy for a parent/guardian/chaperone to be onsite for the entire duration of the tournaments. This means staying at the site of the tournament the entire time and judging a required number of rounds for each day of the tournaments or serving as staff at tournaments. This number of rounds to judge depends on how many community judges we are able to recruit to help us judge. 

• Each family is required to recruit a minimum of 3 to 5 judges for each tournament.

CODE OF CONDUCT

• Saints Peter and Paul Club members (students and parents) will follow a dress code. The spirit of the dress code is modesty with the intent to glorify Christ. The goal is to minimize the focus on the body or outward appearance and maximize the focus on the development of ideas and communication skills. 

• All club members (students AND parents) are to exhibit a kind, polite, and respectful attitude toward others at all times and to behave in a manner that brings glory and honor to God.

• If a club member (student or parent) is disrespectful, uncooperative or disruptive, he or she will be given 1 warning.  Habitual problems will result in dismissal from the club.  If the behavior concerns a student, the leadership will consult with the parents.

• You are members of the Saints Peter and Paul Speech and Debate Club; as such your speech, actions, emails, and any other online activity should be professional and courteous at all times.  Discipline should not be an issue at any club event – this includes camps, club meetings, and tournaments.  Negative attention brought to the club by any member will not be tolerated because it reflects on the rest of the club members.