Vector Christmas Party, Thursday, Dec 11, 6pm

Vector Students and Parents -- Everyone is Invited!  

Please check your email for the Punchbowl Invitation and RSVP!

Vector Christmas Party!!!

Thursday, December 11, 2014 • 6 pm Dec. 11, 2014

Hosted by The Ehrenman Family 

**Bring a Treat to share (PLEASE NO NUTS)**

***Students bring a White Elephant Gift to exchange***

IMPORTANT NOTE: 

Speech Club will meet this week for coaching (Parents I will need you!). Our first speech tournament in January will come sooner than you think, so bring your scripts to work on!

Debate is cancelled this week in lieu of the Christmas Party.

Vector This Week - Nov 6 -- Parents & Students, please read ALL info!

ALL Students -- 5:00 - 5:30 Special Guest Speaker -- Vicki Powell will be lecturing on "How to Present Yourself in a Professional Manner".  Don't miss this! Mrs. Powell used to present and coach these ideas in the corporate world. She can help prepare you for the tournaments and give you a 'leg up' for the real world.

Tournament Jobs for Nov 14 Parli Tournament coming soon!  Be looking for an email from our tournament directors.

Speech-- 

• We will be covering Apol Speeches this week -- learning how to outline and give an Apologetics Speech. Apologetics is one of the most important speech events as it truly gives students the ability to defend their faith.

• Don't forget to file Extemp articles and this week is the deadline for the Mars Hill summaries.  

• Next week we will coach all Limited Prep Speeches -- will need parents for coaching!!

Debate--

• Practice Rounds -- We need parents to judge! ALL Parents, please check the Sign-In Log and fulfill your 2 meeting per month commitment.  

Vector This Week -- Oct 23

SPEECH-  This Week's Focus: Mars Hill 

• Platforms: We are setting aside working on Platform speeches for now to focus on Limited Prep Speeches to get ready for the Lim Prep Tournament Nov 22-- but don't forget about them, keep plodding along to get a finished script! A good goal is to finish it before the Christmas break.

• Lim Prep: We will be covering Mars Hill this week -- How to Write a Mars Hill Speech, Discussing Mars Hill Topics, and everyone will get a chance to give a Mars Hill Speech in Small Groups.  DON'T FORGET TO DO YOUR Mars Hill SUMMARIES & EXTEMP ARTICLES!

• Interps: With our first All Speech Tournament scheduled for Feb 7, but possibly as early as Jan 24 due to facility changes, make your goal to have Interp pieces cut and typed by mid-November so we have plenty of time to coach your Interps.

• Go ahead and Register for the Nov 22 Limited Prep Tournament if you know you will be competing. The earlier we know the numbers, the easier it is to plan accordingly.   

DEBATE-

• The Coaches will be doing debate instruction this week

• Briefs are Due -- Email them to Clayton strikebogle3x@gmail.com and print them out to bring to club. If you have any questions, please let him know.

• Register for November 14/15 Debate Tournaments

Vector This Week, Oct 16

SPEECH Students & Parents:

• I've got a great NITOC Duo video to show you at 4pm sharp so don't be late!  We'll be talking about the fundamentals of interpretive speech this week (blocking, faces, voices, etc) -- so bring your best voices and faces for some fun practice. 

• Bring your Interp Pieces -- bring the books if you have them.  I have finished the speech board so we can write in the title of your pieces (in pencil if needed at this point). 

• Keep working on your Platforms, writing and refining your drafts.  We will have our next Platform coaching session in a few weeks.

SPEECH & DEBATE Students:

• Upload your Extemp articles to the Google folders by Thursday!  There will be new Extemp assignments (or sign ups) this week.

• Tournament Registrations are now open -- take a look at the tournament calendar and go ahead and register for the fall tournaments you want to compete in. I am planning to go to the PA tournament, so let me know if you are thinking of going. (If you are a novice and need help with registration, please let me know).

--Kimberly Millhouse

NITOC 2015 -- Location and Dates -- Mark your Calendars!

The Stoa Board of Directors

is pleased to announce

NITOC 2015

Bob Jones University

Greenville, South Carolina

May 16 and 18: Parli
May 19-23: All Other Events

The Stoa Board is delighted to be making this communication of NITOC 2015 one month earlier than any previous NITOC announcement. We trust this will assist Stoa members in making family plans for the late spring and early summer.

Bob Jones University offers an outstanding location for the largest and most competitive Christian homeschool forensics tournament in the country.

The Board is excited to welcome members to the Palmetto State at what should be a lovely time of year. Daytime highs average in the upper 70's in mid-May.

Begin practicing those speeches and polishing those debate cases because you will want to join in the grand celebration of forensics excellence this next May in Greenville!

The Stoa Board of Directors

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
Romans 11:36 (NASB®)

Vector Speech This Week - Oct 9

All Speech Students --

• This week we will be talking about cutting interp pieces.  That seems like a big job, but I will teach you how to break it down into steps so it's not so difficult. Spend some time choosing a book, story or play you would like to do as an interp.  The deadline for choosing pieces is NEXT WEEK!

• Please bring your Platform Speech outlines (or even better, your drafts) this week. We will break up into small groups to give your speech for feedback.  

Parents -- 

I will need your help providing feedback and coaching the small groups on their Platform Speeches.

See you soon!

Blessings,
Kimberly Millhouse

Speech & Debate Wrap-Up -- Sept 25, 2014

It was a great meeting tonight—I’m so thankful for all the parents and students really pulling together to make this year awesome! Thanks to Mrs. Estep for the icebreaker activity. Thank you Mrs. McKay and Mr. Crouse for stepping up to organize and run our Jr. Vector! Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Adams for choosing great T-shirts and a cool design. (We should have awesome T-shirts in a couple of weeks.) Thank you to all the parents who were there and judged practice rounds tonight. The coaches can’t do it without you!

NEXT WEEK – Two important events at club:

1. ALL PARENTS (Please do not miss!) 5:00- 5:30 pm-- Mrs. Debbie Snyder : “How to Plan and Run a Tournament” -- Debbie will get us ready to organize and operate our Parli Debate tournament Nov 15 (registration will need to open soon on Oct 15!). 
2. The Pursuit of Moral Excellence Seminar at 6:00 pm -- Griffith Vertican – Pass the word and invite your friends!

SPEECH STUDENTS:

• Work on your Platform Speeches this week to develop the body paragraphs
• Read info on Intros and Conclusions sent out as Google Document and write Intro/Conclusion
• Choose Interp Pieces by next week! (See 1000 Books list on Blog for help)
• See ALL NEW Varsity / Jr. Varsity tab on Vector Blog for award requirements – If you want to work toward a Speech Award see Mrs. Adams to fill out a tracking form
• Kyle is on schedule for Devos next week

DEBATE STUDENTS:

• Check out the Varsity / Jr. Varsity Award Requirements on the Blog – if you want to work toward a Debate Award please see Mrs. Adams
• Complete all research assignments per your coaches!

See you next week! If you need any help with speeches or debate, please don’t hesitate to email your mentor or a coach!

Blessings,
Kimberly Millhouse

Special Guest Speaker, Griffith Vertican, Oct 2, 6 pm - The Pursuit of Moral Excellence

Special Note: Parents, as a part of the 2-Day Debate Camp Vector is sponsoring, Griffith Vertican will be speaking at Debate Club on Oct 2.  Because his message is much needed in our culture, we are opening this meeting to the public--please help us pass the word and invite others to come!  

I want to advise you of the mature nature of this talk-- Griffith recommends that anyone under 15 attend with a parent's expressed permission.  If you have any questions after reading the description below, please let me know.  If you would prefer that your student not participate in this seminar, our fabulous debate coaches will still be available to work with him or her in the chapel.  -- Kimberly Millhouse

The Pursuit of Moral Excellence Seminar

Speaker: Griffith Vertican, Esq.

Thursday, Oct 2, 6:00-7:30 pm

Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church, Purcellville, VA

Open to the Public (Recommended for ages 15+; younger students may attend with parent’s permission)

Griffith Vertican is the 2007 National Champion in collegiate debate (NPDA), a practicing attorney, and currently serves as the head coach of one of the largest debate clubs in California; but his greatest passion is challenging students to pursue moral excellence.

The Pursuit of Moral Excellence is Griffith's most requested lecture. The talk is the newest version of his classic Love Waits talk, which has received rave reviews from the likes of Jim Bob Duggar (19 Kids and Counting).  Griffith has been asked to speak all over the US and even in Singapore; from the Duggars’ church to a boy's prison in South Asia--the need for this message has never been more needed.

“We live at a critical point in human history as we are witnessing a dramatic shift in moral standards and a full blown assault against sexual purity. With the crisis of STI's, suicide, divorce and gender confusion, the world is becoming an increasingly hostile place to maintain biblical standards of morality. Preparing young people to live pure and holy lives in today's impure world is perhaps the greatest challenge facing parents in 2014.”

This seminar includes biblical references and cutting edge research with compelling evidence that is geared to address skeptics’ questions about the veracity of biblical morality. Griffith will deal with often distorted or ignored issues relating to sexual purity and looks at why waiting for marriage makes sense both biblically and scientifically.  

Topics covered:  Counting the Cost - Sex and the Brain - Why Well Intending Christians Don't Wait - The 7 Step Plan - Dating with Excellence - The Advantages of Waiting for Marriage

FAQ's about Griffith's seminar:

1. What's the purpose?  The purpose is to challenge young people to honor the Lord in the area of boyfriend-girlfriend relationships and moral purity.

2. What is the focus?  My talk will focus on how to be successful in the waiting game, the dangers of not waiting, and will include practical advice for avoiding temptation and how to pursue moral excellence.

3. Are parents invited? I purposely invite and encourage parents to attend. My hope is that my talk will create a springboard for further discussion and provide an excellent resource for parents to continue the conversation and prepare for battle in trench warfare of daily life.

4. Why do you talk on this topic?  Because I believe it is such a critically vital topic that ripples out into every area of a young person's emotional, physical and spiritual health. Television and the internet is filled with misinformation and out right deception when it comes to teens and sex, so my intention is to seek to set the record straight and defend what the bible teaches about sex as still relevant and desperately needed.

Debate: Stock Issues & Cases

Everyone,

The slides from last night's teaching are uploaded to the "Slides & Presentations" page. You can find them here: Debate: The Stock Issues; Debate: How To Build a Case

Wishing everyone a blessed weekend,
-Clayton

How to Choose an Event and a Topic Presentation is Now Available!

Dear Vector Students and Parents,

I have created new material designed to help all Vector students select appropriate Speech and Debate events and topics.  Yesterday I presented this information only to the new Vector students and their parents who attended this year's orientation meeting.

The presentation is now available as a link under the "Slides & Presentations" tab at the top of this blog, or you can access it directly from this link: How to Choose an Event and a Topic 2014-2015 (PDF).

Whether you are new to Vector or have previous experience, I encourage you to download and review these slides for assistance in selecting your events and topics for the year.

 Finally, if you are a leader, coach, parent, alumni or experienced Vector student, please also review the materials and provide me with feedback.  If there are any glaring issues, I can fix them immediately. I would also like to try to improve this presentation for new Vector families in future years.  I'm even willing to accept positive feedback, if you are so inclined!  ;-) You can email feedback to me at george (dot) estep (at) gmail (dot) com.  (Sorry, I'm spam-phobic!)

Blessings,

George Estep

Vector Speech Wrap-Up, September 11, 2014

Welcome to a new year of Speech and Debate! 

It was a great kick-off meeting today -- if you were not able to join us, and are new to Vector, here is the link to the Orientation Prezi: Click Here for Orientation Prezi.  For those of you interested in the Debate slides, Clayton will post those soon on a new tab with other Vector slide presentations.

Speech Next Week:   We'll start at 4 pm sharp next week so don't be late or you will miss the Persuasive Speech Example given by one of our veteran students who earned top ranking at NITOC. We will cover the essentials of writing a platform speech and break up in small groups to discuss your platform topics, theses, and outlines.  Novice students come with a topic so we can help you refine it and brainstorm ideas with you.

Here are some other items I wasn't able to cover in club today--

Novice Mentors: I've assigned all the novice students a veteran mentor, so you will get a chance to work together when we break up into small groups for coaching every week.  I'll let you know who is paired with whom at club next week.

Varsity & Jr Varsity Awards: The requirements for earning either Varsity or Jr Varsity status will be posted soon on a new tab.  We will have tracking forms for you to keep track of your work in the Varsity/Jr Varsity Binder at club each week.

Speech Event Captains: If you are a veteran student and interested in serving as a Speech Event Captain, please let me know.  I still have slots open for a few of the events.  Serving as a Captain is required for a Varsity Speech Award.

Weekly Student Devotions: I've assigned a student per week beginning with the Veteran students.  David Ehrenman will give our devotion next week.  I'll share the link to the schedule with you via email soon.

Speech Homework for Next Week: Veterans - Write a Thesis and outline your major points for your Platform; Novice -- Come with a topic idea or two for your platform speech for us to discuss and brainstorm.

If you have any questions, please let me know: pkmillhouse@gmail.com

See you next week!
Mrs. Millhouse

NITOC Awards!

Vector had a fantastic showing at the awards ceremony tonight.  I am so proud of ALL our competitors for all their hard work this year to first of all qualify for Nationals and then continue to sharpen their skills to compete at the national level.  And with 630 competitors the competitions were tough this week!  All of us can be inspired by their hard work and determination.  

National Awards given tonight:

Sam Estep - 27th Persuasive (Quarter Finalist)

Michael Boyles - 17th Humorous (Semi Finalist)

Kyle Ziemnick - 34th Broadcasting (Quarter Finalist)

Cooper Millhouse - 6th Place Persuasive, Quarter Finalist Storytelling, Quarter Finalist Extemp 

Also competed:

Christopher Davis 

Rachel Degan

Lydia Frommack

Beckett Millhouse

Ben Smallwood

I hope you will look forward to another year of Speech and Debate, knowing that each of you have the potential to achieve excellence!

Blessings from San Diego!

Kim Millhouse

NITOC: Finals

It's been a great week here in San Diego. Exciting news.... Cooper broke to finals in persuasive! The awards ceremony is tonight and we look forward to hearing how everybody placed.

NITOC: Breaks

The remainder of the tournament will be spent at the University of California San Diego. I can't imagine the tournament staff slept on Wednesday night because when we arrived early Thursday morning, everything was set up and ready to go.

Team Policy Triple Octas:

Defrank/Koehnke

Quarterfinals Breaks:

Broadcasting: Kyle Ziemnick
Extemp: Cooper Millhouse
Mars Hill: Nora Shaheen
Persuasive: Sam Estep, Cooper Millhouse
Storytelling: Cooper Millhouse

Semifinal Breaks:

Humorous: Michael Boyles
Mars Hill: Nora Shaheen
Persuasive: Cooper Millhouse

Please continue to pray for the competitors and tournament staff today. :)

~Lily

NITOC Update

We're finishing up day two of NITOC 2014. Due to the fires in San Marcos, California State San Marcos is closed. We relocated to Point Loma Nazarene University and enjoyed beautiful weather and a day of parliamentary debate rounds.  The NITOC staff worked tirelessly [while still keeping an attitude of encouragement and joy] to find a different location for today. Six rounds of team policy and Lincoln Douglas debate were held at a resort in SanDiego.

Please be praying for our competitors [speech events begin tomorrow] as well as the tournament staff as they work to provide alternate locations for the duration of the tournament.

I'll update you all with breaks later this week. :)

~Lily

NITOC Invitations are Out!

If you have earned two green checkmarks in any speech or debate category you should have received an email invitation from Stoa USA on Tuesday.

NITOC registration is open for a limited time and closes at 11:59 PST on Wed, May 7.  Follow the link in your invitation email to register for NITOC.

If you did not receive an invitation today by email, please check Speechranks.com to confirm you have two green checkmarks in a given category.  If you feel there is an error, please contact me and let me know and I will look into it.

**IMPORTANT NOTE: Stoa Membership is not covered by your Vector fees.  You must first register as a Stoa Member before attempting to register for the tournament.  The cost of Stoa Membership is $40 per family for one year.  Click here to register for Stoa Membership: Stoa Membership. After becoming a member, follow the link in your email invitation to register for NITOC.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Blessings,
Kim Millhouse

Dr. Michael Farris to Speak this Thursday, April 3!

This Thursday is our LAST CLUB MEETING of the year!  ALL Speech and Debate students and parents please come for this special treat.  Please don't miss it (even if you haven't been to club in a while).

Dr. Michael Farris* will speak at 4:45 pm

Dr. Michael Farris will speak on the benefits of forensics and how it can develop important skills. Please invite your friends who are interested in Vector Speech and Debate to come hear our special guest speaker. 

Following Dr. Farris’ talk the leadership of Vector Speech and Debate Club will host an Orientation and Q & A session for families interested in participating in our club during the 2014-15 school year.

When: THIS Thursday, April 3rd. Guest Speaker: 4:45 - 5:30 p.m. Q & A Session: 5:30 – 6:15 p.m.

Where: Ketoctin Presbyterian Church, 441 East Main Street, Purcellville

For questions or more information, contact Kimberly Millhouse at pkmillhouse@gmail.com.

*Dr. Michael Farris, Chancellor of Patrick Henry College and Chairman and General Counsel of the Home School Legal Defense Association, has influenced people and policy the world over. He has used his communication skills to defend parental rights, argue before the Supreme Court, found Patrick Henry College, write over fifteen novels, textbooks, and other books, provide a nationwide radio program, and pastor a church._.___

REGISTRATION CLOSES TONIGHT!!!!!

Everyone!!! If you want to squeeze in one last check mark to bump your ratings on speechranks, get your final checkmark to NITOC, enjoy the company of good friends, or just want to fine tune your speeches... your last chance ends tonight!!!


Registration for April 4 & 5 Speech and Debate

Click here to register: https://spring.homeschooldebate.net/

Friday, April 4 - Team Policy & Lincoln Douglas Debate
Saturday, April 5 - ALL Speech Events

Please remember to:
1) Register each student for each event
2) Register parent judges
3) Sign up to bring FOOD!
4) Pay for your registration online

If you have any questions, please contact the C4 Tournament Director: Alison Koehnke at c4debatecoach@gmail.com .

Registration for the Parli Tournament:
https://marchberryvilleparli.homeschooldebate.net/

Tournament Director: Debbie Snyder
Phone Number: 540-535-8539

Parent Meeting Next Week, March 27th, 6pm

2014-15 Vector Planning is underway!   

Next Thursday, March 27th, 6 - 7PM, is a mandatory parents' meeting for all families that plan to participate in next year's Vector club.  We have several important club roles that will vacate after this year, and we are looking to involve all of our parents to help fill these roles.

Many of you have communicated your enthusiasm about what your students are doing this year in Vector and at the tournaments. The club needs your investment and participation to continue to develop these important skills in our students next year. We are excited to diversify club responsibilities to make the most of all the gifts and talents that each family brings.  

Please RSVP to pkmillhouse@gmail.com to let us know you're coming.

See you on March 27th at 6PM!

Blessings,

Paul and Kimberly Millhouse

NITOC Hotel Accomodations!

If you are planning on attending NITOC, or even thinking about, it check out the information regarding Hotel blocks and rates.  I encourage you to make your reservations soon as these hotel blocks (especially the cheaper ones) will fill up fast.  Click Here for the NITOC Hotel Accomodations Page

Information regarding Campus Housing will also be posted soon-- this could potentially be substantially cheaper than a hotel, and as past Vector families have discovered it is super-convenient to be right on campus.  With the Tournament lasting 6 days, it is very desirable to be close! In addition, the hosting college usually extends privileges to enjoy the campus facilities like the gym and pool without charge to those housed there!

March Parli Tournament Registration OPEN

Hey everyone! We hope to see you at the March 29th Parli Tournament in Berryville!!

I know you have SO many questions... most importantly where do I sign up?

Sign up here: click here


Information is on the website!!!!! Sign up!!!!!

More exclamation points!!!!


More information if you don't want to go to the website:

Welcome to the March Berryville Parli Tournament

When - March 29th, 2014
Where - Crum's United Methodist Church
2832 Crum's Church Road Berryville, Virginia 22611

Fees: $15/ debate competitor.
If competitor drops after registration closes there will incur a $15/event drop fee as drops cause problems for the tab volunteers.

Pay at the door.

Tournament Director: Debbie Snyder
Phone Number: 540-535-8539
E-mail Address: debbievirginia@gmail.com

Registration opens - March 1st and closes March 23rd, 2013
Space is limited, so register early to guarantee a place.

Parli Debate: Resolution changes each round.

Judge Requirement: Each competitor MUST provide a judge available to judge two rounds. There is a four round family cap. Please encourage community and alumni judges to sign up through the judge registration link. Because of the way that judges are assigned to rounds, YOU MUST BE THERE FOR THE TIMES FOR WHICH YOU HAVE REGISTERED.

Timers: Debate competitors are expected to self-time their rounds. Please bring a timing device.

Food: Tournament food will be potluck.
March 29th Food Signup

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN -- Virginia Spring Sendoff Speech & Debate April 4-5

Registration is now OPEN for the April Speech and Debate Tournament!
Register Early as space for certain events is limited. Registration CLOSES MARCH 21st. 

Click here to register: https://spring.homeschooldebate.net/

Friday, April 4 - Team Policy & Lincoln Douglas Debate
Saturday, April 5 - ALL Speech Events

Please remember to:
1) Register each student for each event
2) Register parent judges
3) Sign up to bring FOOD!
4) Pay for your registration online

If you have any questions, please contact the C4 Tournament Director: Alison Koehnke at c4debatecoach@gmail.com .

Debate Next Week [March 13th]

Parli debaters,

The next debate meeting [March 13th] will be parli. We'll be doing a practice round. I'd like to start promptly at 6pm, so please do try to be on time. As usual, email your partners and make sure they can come.  Parents, I greatly appreciate when you come to judge. Please come if you can.

See you all next week,

-CM

Judging and Jobs for March 29th and April 5th Tournaments

Dear Vector parents, 

VECTOR is responsible for the March 29th and April 5th tournaments.  Vector earns the profits (if there are any), but Vector members (parents and students + me) also have to do the lion share of the work.  Please help out.  If an area interests you, please sign up on the spreadsheet.  Job training is available for all jobs.

Please sign up on the provided links for tournament jobs.  All tournament jobs require filling judge slots here and there as well as fulfilling the tournament jobs.  Please be generous with your time as many hands make light work (but the opposite is also true.)

Sign up for March 29th Parli Tournament: here

Sign up for the April 5th Speech Tournament: here

It is SO important that you sign up to judge at these upcoming tournaments as much as possible.

The minimum is two judge slots per tournament, but we need a lot more judges for speech tournaments, so if parents can judge the "extra mile" that would be fantastic.  All day speech parents would be very helpful for both speech tournaments.

Debate tournaments are easier to fill (less slots), but speech tournaments need all hands on deck.  Please recruit your friends, neighbors, alumni, PHC students etc. E-mail invitations sometimes work.  A personal phone call works much better.  If every family recruited only one judge, our judge recruitment stress would be less.  There is a $25 reward for all families recruiting five judges or more.

March 14th: Speech/Annandale

   https://march.homeschooldebate.net/  Judge Registration Open  

 

March 15: Team Policy/Annandale  (location changed)

   https://march.homeschooldebate.net/  Judge Registration Open 

March 29th:  Parli Tournament/Berryville

   https://marchberryvilleparli.homeschooldebate.net  Judge Registration Open 

April 4th: Team Policy/Lincoln Douglas Tournament/Annandale/

https://spring.homeschooldebate.net/     Judge Registration Open

April 5th: Speech Tournament/Marshall/Fresta Valley Christian School/

https://spring.homeschooldebate.net/    Judge Registration Open

No Vector this week March 6th--Spring Break!

Enjoy the week off, but don't forget to spend time working on your speeches for the March 14th Tournament.  

Next week we will have a special guest, Emily Boyles, a Vector alumnus, presenting her persuasive speech which she competed with at NITOC 2012.  

See you next week!

March Madness Speech and Debate Tournament - Registration Open Now, Closes Feb 28!

To register for the Tournament go to the link: https://march.homeschooldebate.net/  ALL Vector Students should plan to compete in at least one event at this tournament! (If you cannot attend this tournament, please let me know.) Registration Closes on February 28!

4 things you need to do in registration:

1) Register for any events you plan to compete in (remember that last minute 'drops' cost $15 because they are a huge headache to the tournament staff the day of the tournament).

2) Register your parents as judges (each competitor needs to provide a judge for two rounds for each event the competitor has entered. There is a six round family cap.)

3) Pay for your registration via PayPal.  Payment must be received in advance as this is no collection the day of the tournament.  Please don't make Mrs. Watson track you down!

4) Sign up to bring Food -- and please be generous. The food is for ALL involved -- competitors, parents (siblings), and most importantly, our community judges. The Food list link is at the very bottom of the Registration Home page.

If you have any questions, please let me know!

Judges Needed

Vector is  hosting a parli tournament in Berryville this Saturday, February 22nd,  and we are short of judges.

Please consider judging even one round.  Ask your neighbors, friends, & relatives to volunteer for this important task.  A tournament cannot be run without judges.

If you are uncomfortable judging, you can volunteer your time copying ballots and stuffing envelopes (a very needed job). 

Register to judge on this link and share it with your friends! https://berryvilleparli.homeschooldebate.net

Announcing NITOC 2014!

The Stoa Board of Directors is pleased to announce that NITOC 2014 will be held at

California State University San Marcos

May 19-24

CSUSM is a fantastic facility located north of San Diego and about a dozen miles inland from the Pacific Coast. Yes, plans are already underway for a post-tournament beach party like so many of you enjoyed after NITOC 2010 and 2011 in San Diego!

We are grateful to God for opening this door when so many others were closed, and to you for your extraordinary patience in waiting for this announcement. Now that the venue is finalized, the Board’s attention is focused on planning the best NITOC ever! Leading our team is IE Committee Chair Craig Smith together with his wife Julie, directors of the wonderful Concordia Challenge for the past several years. They will be joined by experienced tournament administrators from around the country in putting on this most special event.

One benefit to the extensive search process for this year’s NITOC is that the Board made significant progress in planning for NITOC 2015 and 2016, and we hope to announce these future NITOCs earlier than ever.

On behalf of the entire NITOC 2014 team, we encourage you to continue competing to the best of your ability for the Glory of God, and we hope you can join us for what promises to be a fantastic championship tournament!

See you in California!

Debate this Week: Parli

This week, barring an impending snowstorm, we'll be doing parli. With that in mind students, here's a few things to do:

1. Email your partner, make sure they're coming.
2. Look over your ballots from the last parli tournament [or from memory], and bring a few items you'd like to work on/discuss. We'll take time to debrief.
3. Bring pens and paper. I haven't made up my mind whether we'll be doing a round or drills, but come prepared either way.

That's all! I look forward to seeing you there.

-CM

p.s. Don't forget to register for the January 22 tournament. See the previous post for details.

Reminder!

Don't forget to register for the February 22nd parli tournament. The deadline for registration is February 16th. 

Find the tournament details and registration here: https://berryvilleparli.homeschooldebate.net

See you all Thursday, 

Lily

P.S. Don't forget to sign up judges! Recruit, recruit, recruit! 

Mars Hill Pizza & Movie Party! Saturday, Feb 15th, 3 - 7:30pm

Come for Pizza, a Movie, and Fun prepping the next three categories of Mars Hill Topics for the March 15th tournament.  We'll discuss the topics, pull together summaries and put Mars Hill Notebooks together. Even if you are not planning on competing in Mars Hill this year, please come and help! Parents are welcome too!

Saturday, Feb 15th

3:00 - 7:30 pm

at the Millhouse home

RSVP: pkmillhouse@gmail.com by Feb 13th

What to Bring:

$3 for Pizza (per person)

Laptop Computer

1/2" 3-ring Binder

8 Divider Tabs

The 7 students who got together at Loco Joes this week prepped the categories for the Feb 8th Tournament. In an hour and a half they got it all done and had a great time in the process.  I hope this can be great way for us all to work together and have fun doing it! 

 

Berryville Parli Tourney Registration Open

Welcome to the Berryville Parli Tournament

When - February 22, 2014
Where - United Methodist Church
2832 Crums Church Road Berryville, Virginia 22611

Fees: $15/ debate competitor.
If competitor drops after registration closes there will incur a $15/event drop fee.
Prepay via Paypal. If necessary, payment may also be made by check. Checks must be received within 5 days of completing registration.

Make checks payable to Vector and send money to:
Sara Watson
37804 Clearbrook Lane,
Lovettsville, VA 20180

Tournament Director: Debbie Snyder
Phone Number: 540-535-8539
E-mail Address: debbievirginia@gmail.com

Registration opens - January 23rd and closes February 16th, 2013
Space is limited, so register early to guarantee a place.

Parli Debate: Resolution changes each round.

Judge Requirement: Each competitor MUST provide a judge available to judge two rounds. There is a four round family cap. Please encourage community and alumni judges to sign up through the judge registration link. Because of the way that judges are assigned to rounds, YOU MUST BE THERE FOR THE TIMES FOR WHICH YOU HAVE REGISTERED.

Timers: Debate competitors are expected to self-time their rounds. Please bring a timing device.

Food: Tournament food will be potluck. Please sign up on the food link below.

Link to tournament (also posted on registration tab): https://berryvilleparli.homeschooldebate.net

Debate This Week: Parli & Prep

This week for debate we will be doing practice rounds for Parli. With that in mind, here's a few action items:

Students--email your partners and make sure they'll be there. It makes it easier to figure out rounds if I don't have to figure out pairings too. Also, do come. With the parli tournament this weekend, this is a much needed opportunity to practice.

Parents--please come! There will be a few coaches there, but not enough to judge all the rounds. I would like to get maybe 2-3 parents per room, so please do your best to come. [That said, I understand schedules - so no worries if you cannot make it].

We'll be holding warrooms [hopefully],  so this will be a great chance to enjoy a night of debate.

See you all Thursday,

CM

REGISTRATION OPEN for VA Groundhog Classic Debate & Speech Tournaments -- February 7 & 8

Welcome to the Virginia Groundhog Classic Debate and Speech Tournaments!  Please read all below information.

4 Easy Steps to Register!

1. Complete Competitor Registration

2. Pay registration fees

3. Complete Judge Registration (Parents)

4. Sign-up for Food

1. Competitor Registration: See the Register for Tournaments Tab for the link to registration. Registration will close on Jan 24. Space is limited, so register early to guarantee a place.  Please read all info on the registration site's home page.

Friday, Feb 7: Team Policy and Lincoln-Douglas Debate at Capitol Baptist Church in Annandale, VA. (see map on Vector Calendar details)
Saturday, Feb 8: Speech rounds will be held at Sterling Park Baptist Church in Sterling, VA. (see map on Vector Calendar details)

You may register for one day or both days.

2. Fees: $15/ debate competitor
$15/first speech event, $5 for each additional event
Family cap of $100
(Events dropped after registration closes will incur a $15/event drop fee.) 

Pay by either PayPal (preferred): saraswatson@gmail.com
Or by check made to Vector Speech and Debate; and mail to Sara Watson, 37804 Clearbrook Lane, Lovettsville, VA 20180

3. Judge Requirement: Each competitor MUST provide a judge available to judge two rounds for each event the competitor has entered. There is a six round family cap. Please encourage community and alumni judges to sign up through the judge registration link. Because of the way that judges are assigned to rounds, YOU MUST BE THERE FOR THE TIMES FOR WHICH YOU HAVE REGISTERED.

In addition, local competitors (those living within 30 miles of the tournament) are asked to recruit at least (4) rounds of community or alumni judging over the 2 day event. These rounds can be filled by one person or by multiple volunteers.

Timers: Debate competitors are expected to self-time their rounds. Please bring a timing device. Non-participating siblings (ages 10 and up) are encouraged to time and will be assigned to rooms on an as-available basis.

4. Food: Tournament food will be potluck to be shared with parents, community judges, and competitors. In addition, there are a variety of fast food options close to the tournament sites, and competitors can bring their own meals. Please sign up on google link below. Generosity is encouraged.

Food Sign-up List: Click Here  Note: If signing up for both tournaments, please bring the same food both days.

Register Today!

Just a quick reminder: please make sure you register for the January 17-18th Debate tournament by tomorrow! The deadline for registration has been extended until the 8th, but for the sake of tournament planning, please do your best to sign up by the end of this week.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and a happy New Year!

CM