BYU Speech and Debate

Club Charter

Webmaster's Note: This charter is out of date, and has not been reviewed by the current leadership. The posting of this document is for reference purposes only, and is in no way way binding upon Brigham Young University, the Humanities Department, team leadership or team members.

Mission of BYU Speech and Debate

1. Develop students’ skills in public speaking, advocacy, rhetoric, logic and argumentation

2. Help increase students’ awareness and critical evaluation of current political, social, economic, and cultural issues

3. Prepare students to enter the world as strong leaders and effective communicators

The mission of the Club reinforces the purpose of the Humanities College Student Council and of Brigham Young University in that it is an academically enriching organization and that it “provide[s] students an opportunity to develop leadership skills” (HCSC Charter, II.2.2) through helping them to become more effective communicators. Members of the Club are “developing [their] capacity to communicate. There is nothing more important. It is the basic element of leadership….And we will discover that the leader is one who knows how to communicate to others the principles or the plan in which he or she believes.” (Gordon B. Hinckley, Address to the National Forensics League, June 18, 2004)

Club Charter

Humanities College Student Council

Club Charter: BYU Speech and Debate

Article I: Name

The name of the organization shall be BYU Speech and Debate.

Article II: Mission Statement

The Mission of BYU Speech and Debate (hereafter, “the Club”) is to: Develop students’ skills in public speaking, advocacy, rhetoric, logic and argumentation

Help increase students’ awareness and critical evaluation of current political, social, economic, and cultural issues

Prepare students to enter the world as strong leaders and effective communicators

Article III: Description of Activities

General Meetings: General meetings of the Club shall be held regularly—at least weekly during fall and winter semesters, and as occasion and interest of members permit during spring and summer terms. Meetings shall be conducted by the President, Vice President, or Team Captain. The purpose of General meetings shall be to conduct all general Club business, to disseminate information pertinent to other club functions, and to prepare Club members for competition. This preparation shall be under the direction of the Team Captain, Debate Captain, and Speech Captain, and may include, but shall not be limited to the following: Instruction in debate strategy and speaking skills,

Instruction in current events,

Instruction in principles of political science,

Practice rounds of debate,

Coaching Individual Events.

Tournaments Tournaments at BYU The Cougar Classic: The Club will host an invitational high school tournament known as The Cougar Classic. This tournament will be under the direction of the Club Advisor, the Presidency, and the Tournament Director. The Tournament Director may appoint a member of the Tournament Committee to serve as Cougar Classic Coordinator.

The Utah Valley Scrimmage may or may not be held each year, at the discretion of Club officers. It will be a one day, informal tournament hosted at BYU, and open to other small college debate programs in the area. The Scrimmage is only intended as an opportunity to meet other debaters, practice debating, and have fun. It should be simple, and run at a minimal cost.

Away Tournaments: Under the direction of the Club Advisor, the Presidency and the Tournament Director, the Club will attend intercollegiate tournaments as often as interest, circumstances, and available funds allow. Special priority should be given to tournaments that run Friday-Saturday only. In keeping with the Standards of BYU and the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Club will refrain from competing on Sunday. Requirements for Tournament Attendance Members of the Club may attend tournaments to compete in debate events if they have attended 75% of Club meetings during the month preceding the tournament. Those competing only in individual (speech) events may compete if they have attended a significant number of meetings, and if their speech has been approved by the Speech Captain or a speech coach. In addition, all who attend at least one tournament per academic year will be asked to pay Club dues, as determined by Club leadership.

Travel to Tournaments Vehicle Usage: Ideally, the Club will use commercial transportation to attend tournaments. If this is not deemed financially reasonable by Club Officers, then club members will be asked to volunteer their vehicles for transportation. While requests may be made, members should not be coerced to drive to any tournament; the decision to use an individual’s vehicle should be made solely by that individual.

Expenses: When commercial transportation is used, each traveling club member will make a reasonable contribution, defined by club officers, to pay for gas. When personal vehicles are used, passengers in each vehicle will take turns filling the gas tank. Collection of any further reimbursement from individual passengers will be the sole responsibility of the owner of the vehicle; the Club will not reimburse members for gas.

Liability: The Club cannot, under any circumstances, be held responsible for any incurred costs for, injury of, or damages to, any personal vehicles. The owner of any vehicle used for Club activities is responsible to ensure that said vehicle is in good repair and able to safely make the necessary trip, as well as to ensure that the vehicle is driven safely during aforementioned trip. The owner of a privately-owned vehicle used for approved University travel shall have the sole responsibility for providing collision, comprehensive, and all other forms of personal insurance coverage for such a vehicle and as a condition of participation in the activity or program must assume all risk and potential liability associated with the vehicular travel activity. All terms and conditions contained in the BYU Undergraduate Student Travel Policy, contained in the Student Handbook (available on Route Y) regarding the use of private vehicles shall apply.

Those individuals who choose to drive their own vehicles to tournaments shall be given a copy of the above policy, and shall acknowledge receipt with their signature.

Other Activities: As circumstances, occasion, and interest permit, the Club may sponsor social activities to foster camaraderie and unity among members. These activities should not encourage any activity that would not be in keeping with the standards espoused by Brigham Young University.

Article IV: National Affiliation

The Club is a member of the National Parliamentary Debate Association (NPDA), a group that consists of speech and debate organizations at colleges and universities throughout the United States, and is committed to ideals relevantly similar to those of the Club. More information on the NPDA is available at http://www.parlidebate.org/.

The NPDA regulates intercollegiate tournaments, hosting a national championship each spring. It also provides members with resources for training new students in parliamentary debate.

Article V: Leadership Structure

Committee Organization: The leadership of the Club shall consist of a hierarchy of committees, chaired by officers, and consisting of three levels: The Presidency Committee, the Officers Committees (including items b-d below), and the General Committees (including items e-j below). All officers and other club members shall be accountable to the chairs of their respective committees for the execution of such duties as may arise from committee membership, the President being accountable to the Club Advisor, as well as to the general membership of the Club. The committee structure shall be as follows: The Presidency – shall be chaired by the President, and consist of the President, Team Captain, Vice-President, Executive Secretary, and shall consist of four separate individuals, unless four separate qualified individuals are not available. This committee presides over all other committees. The duties of this committee are as follows: The President—is responsible to see that all Club functions and activities help to accomplish the mission of the Club, and to ensure that the Club continues to exist and to function efficiently and effectively for future generations. The President shall conduct all meetings and activities unless otherwise delegated, and shall preside over the Administrative Committee.

The Team Captain—has co-equal status with the Vice-President in authority, but shall be primarily concerned with the training and instruction of Club members. The Team Captain shall preside over the Performance and Competition Committee, and has primary responsibility for the development of Club members’ speech and debate skills.

The Vice President—is co-responsible with the President in executing the aforementioned duties, and shall take the lead in all Club meetings or events at which the President is absent, and shall keep an updated list of Club Members, as well as an attendance record for all officers meetings and general Club meetings. In addition, the Vice President shall preside over the Development Committee.

The Executive Secretary—is a junior member of the Executive Committee. The Executive Secretary is appointed by the Presidency to assist the President and Vice President in their administrative tasks, including, but not limited to, keeping minutes of Presidency, Officers’ and General Meetings. In general, this position ought to be filled by a newer member of the club.

The Administrative Committee—shall be chaired by the President, and shall consist of the President, the Treasurer, and the Tournament Director. This committee shall facilitate and oversee the execution of duties of all subordinate committees.

The Performance and Competition Committee—shall be chaired by the Team Captain, and shall consist of the Team Captain, the Debate Captain, and the Speech Captain. This committee shall facilitate and oversee the execution of duties of all subordinate committees. This committee shall also be responsible for organizing teams for parliamentary debate.

The Treasurer—shall be responsible for: The collection of all revenue due to the Club, the depositing of the same into the Club account, and the recording of all accounts receivable and payments received;

The disbursement of Club funds for all outstanding Club debts, and the recording of all accounts payable;

Recording, in detail, all of the Club’s financial transactions;

The creation of a budget detailing current funds and projected expenditure, to be prepared by the second week of Fall Semester, and updated monthly throughout the academic year for submission to the Presidency and the Advisor;

The management of other financial duties as directed by the Presidency.

The Tournament Director—shall be a member of to the Administrative Committee, and shall be responsible for: Coordinating Club participation in intercollegiate tournaments, including registration, transportation, and lodging;

Coordinating, conjunction with the Presidency, all tournaments and scrimmages hosted by the Club.

The Debate Captain—shall be a member of the Performance and Competition committee, and shall be responsible for training members of the Club in parliamentary debate, as well as in other forms of debate as may become necessary, and for preparing Club members for competition.

The Speech Captain—shall be a member of the Performance and Competition committee, and shall be responsible for training members of the Club in all Individual Events in which Club members wish to compete.

The Public Relations Director—shall be responsible for recruitment, as well as for the coordination and publicity of campus and/or community events sponsored by the Club and intended for the benefit of the general public, and for the maintenance of the Club’s website. The PR Director, or a member of the PR Committee, shall be appointed as Liaison to the Humanities College Student Council.

The Activities Director—shall be responsible for all social activities of the club, including, but not limited to, an opening social in the fall, and an annual banquet (or other activity involving a meal) in the spring at which Club members may be recognized for outstanding contributions to the Club, as well as for such shenanigans as shall be deemed sufficiently humorous or embarrassing by the Activities Committee or the Presidency. The Activities Committee shall also have the special responsibility of ensuring that all new members feel welcome and included in the Club.

Formation of Committees: As shall become necessary and proper, the Presidency and other officers shall appoint members of the Club to serve on committees to be chaired by said officers.

Committee Meetings: All committees shall meet regularly throughout the academic year as deemed necessary by the chair of each respective committee. A meeting of the Officers Committees shall be held weekly, prior to the general Club meeting, to correlate and report on the activities of the General Committees.

Selection of Officers: The President and Vice President shall be selected by a general Club election held during winter semester. Candidates for these offices will be nominated by club officers, and shall be elected by a simple majority of Club members eligible to vote. The Electoral meeting shall be held on or before the fourth Tuesday in March. In order to vote in this election, Club members must have either made some contribution to the Cougar Classic or paid Club dues, and must have attended at least ten general Club meetings since the beginning of the academic year. All other officers shall be appointed by the new President and Vice President, and shall be confirmed by a simple majority of club members. Officers’ terms of service will begin on the first day of Spring Term, and end on the last day of the following Winter Semester. Vacancies in Club Offices: President—In the event that the President resigns, is removed from office, or is unable to continue to serve, the Vice-President shall assume the office of President for the remainder of that term of service, and shall appoint a new Vice President from among the officers.

Other Officers—Any other vacancies shall be filled by the appointment of the President with the approval of the majority of the Officers.

Expulsion from Office—Only an officer may move for the removal of another officer. The motion must be submitted to the Presidency, after which a member of the Presidency will meet with accused officer to discuss whatever problems may exist in regard to the execution of that officer’s duties. If this does not resolve the problem to the satisfaction of the Presidency within a period of time to be determined by the Presidency, then the question of removal from office shall be brought before the Officers Committee. One officer shall speak for removal, and another against, neither speech exceeding seven minutes, followed by rebuttals not to exceed four minutes. The accused officer shall have the right to speak for him/herself, or to select another to speak for him/her. An officer may only be removed from office by a 3/5 majority vote. If the accused officer is a member of the Presidency, then all references to the Presidency in the preceding paragraph shall be understood to refer to the other two members of the Presidency. Grounds for removal from office shall include but not be limited to: Consistent failure to make an effort, in good faith, to execute duties as outlined by these articles.

Absence without notice from three consecutive officers meetings. (Notice shall be defined as any reasonable explanation for absence, given to a member of the Presidency before the next officers meeting.)

Consistent absences, with or without notice, over an extended period of time.

Failure to assist with the Cougar Classic, or any other hosted tournaments, without a valid explanation.

Any action that may be reasonably construed to undermine the existence of the Club, or the accomplishment of its Mission.

Eating Cool Ranch Doritos® on a Wednesday after 7:30 pm or prior to the hour of 10:00 am any other day of the week.

Duties not otherwise specified: Any duties, responsibilities, or functions pertaining to the functioning of the Club that are not specified in these articles will be delegated to individuals and/or committees, either by assignment of the Presidency, or by amendment to these articles.

Article VI: Faculty Advisor

Role of Faculty Advisor: The Advisor shall take an advisory role in Club governance. He or she shall act as a liaison, when necessary, between the Club and Brigham Young University. Other roles and responsibilities may be defined by a consensus of the Advisor and the Club Presidency as circumstances require.

Article VII: Club Membership

A current list of members of the Club is kept on the Club’s blackboard site. A list of officers and Club members for the 2007-2008 Academic year is attached to this document as Appendix A.

Requirements for Membership: Club members must be enrolled as full-time undergraduate students at Brigham Young University. All who attend at least one meeting, and request to be added, will be added to the list of members.

Article VIII: Amendments to the Charter

Proposals for Amendments to the Club Charter may be submitted to the Presidency by any member of the Club. If a proposal is approved for consideration by two out of three members of the Presidency, it will be brought before all Club officers. (Note: this approval by the Presidency does not imply that the Presidency endorses the proposal.) The officers will hear an equal number of speakers for and against the proposal, with the actual number of speakers, as well as speaking time, to be determined by the presidency. A vote will then be taken. If the proposed amendment does not receive support from 3/5 of the officers, it will be discarded. If the amendment is passed by the officers, in order to become binding it must also be approved by a simple majority of those Club members who qualify to vote in elections.

Appendix A-Club Officers , 2008-2009

Advisor: Dr. Gary L. Hatch, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies

Presidents: Pat Scott, Andrew Johnston, Bruce Daniel