New Zealand Schools’ Debating

In mid-February 2011 the New Zealand Schools’ Debating Council will be hosting a World Schools-style tournament that will be open to all countries to enter. Similar to tours the Council has hosted in the past, the tournament will take place over 8 days in a number of New Zealand cities.

Beginning in New Zealand’s busy capital city Wellington and finishing in the metropolitan hub of Auckland, teams will debate in 8 preliminary rounds (both prepared and impromptu) culminating in semifinals and a Grand Final. Hosted at the peak of the New Zealand summer teams will have the opportunity to visit our beautiful countryside and indulge in the best cultural and leisure activities New Zealand can offer. The highlight of the tour, besides the debating, will be a stop in Rotorua – famed for its strong Maori heritage and spectacular thermal activity.

Click here for a link to a one-pager about the tour, including a schedule. The tour will start on Saturday February 12 in Wellington and will finish on Saturday February 19 in Auckland.

Registration is now open and will close on November 20. Payment will be required by 15 December.

For more information, contact the Council.

The Council is pleased to announce that the National Finals of the 2011 Russell McVeagh New Zealand Schools’ Debating Championships will be held in Wellington from Friday May 27 to Monday May 30.

Nationals is earlier next year due to the 2011 World Schools’ Debating Championships being held in mid-August.

For more information, please contact the President of the Council.

This year’s Russell McVeagh New Zealand Schools’ Debating Team and NZ Development Team will be taking part in an international tournament in the North Island of New Zealand in mid-February 2011, currently being organised by the Council. The tournament will be run as a tour of major North Island towns, commencing in Wellington on Saturday February 11 and finishing in Auckland on Sunday February 19.
 
The New Zealand Schools’ Debating Council is therefore pleased to invite applications for three positions:

• Coach of the 2010 Russell McVeagh New Zealand Schools Debating Team
• Coach of the 2010 Russell McVeagh New Zealand Schools Debating Development Team
• Chief Adjudicator of the 2011 International Tour

Please pass this email onto those who you think may be interested.
 
Please note that applications will close on Sunday 24 October at 5pm.
 
NZ TEAM COACH AND NZ DEVELOPMENT TEAM COACH
 
Role of the Coaches
 
The role of the NZ Team Coach and NZ Development Team Coach is to prepare the NZ team and NZ Development team thoroughly for the 2011 International Tour. The coaches are expected to attend the tournament in their respective capacities.
 
The coaches will be expected to organise (in conjunction with the Council) training sessions for the teams in advance of the tournament, and to run those sessions.
 
The NZ team manager will assist with organising travel etc, liaising with the teams, and other non-debating matters that arise. The team manager will also act as the key contact point between the Council and the coaches.
 
Time Commitment
 
The coaches will be expected to travel on the International Tour with the NZ Team and NZ Development Team. In the months between the time of appointment and the tournament, the coaches will be expected to make themselves available to coach the teams on mutually acceptable dates for the team members and the coach.
 
The number and length of training sessions will be agreed between the Council and the coach. Indicative times at this stage are: a weekend in early December, some days in late January, and some days before the tournament starts in Wellington.
 
Costs
 
The Council will meet the reasonable travel and accommodation costs for the coaches to attend training sessions, if they are not held where the coaches live.
 
The coaches will be expected to pay a contribution towards the travel costs of sending him or her to on the International Tour. This contribution has not yet been set by Council, but will be no more than $600.
 
If applications are made by a pair of coaches on a co-coach basis, the Council will re-evaluate the contribution of each coach.
 
Appointment Process
 
The appointment process will be as follows:
 
1. Applicants to send a coaching CV and the name of one person who would be happy to be contacted as an oral referee to the NZ team manager, Christopher Bishop, by Sunday 24 October at 5pm on cjsbishop@gmail.com
 
2. Team manager to consider applications and meet with Council to create a shortlist of applicants.
 
3. Oral referees of shortlisted applicants to be contacted.
 
4. Council may authorise a sub-committee to conduct an interview with short-listed applicants if deemed necessary.
 
5. Council to advise applicants of outcomes by the end of October.
 
CHIEF ADJUDICATOR – INTERNATIONAL TOUR
 
The Council is also opening applications for the Chief Adjudicator of the International Tour.
 
Role of the Chief Adjudicator
 
The role of the Chief Adjudicator will be set the topics for the tournament (prepared and impromptu rounds), organise and select the judges for the tournament, allocate judges to each debate in the tournament, and organise the draw for the tournament, including the break.
 
Time Commitment
 
The Chief Adjudicator will need to be available for the entire International Tour (February 11 to 19) and will travel with the tour.
 
Costs
 
The Council will pay the registration fee for the Chief Adjudicator of the tournament
 
Applicants should:

• be experienced at judging debates in the World Schools format (the format for the tour);
• have some experience with topic setting and the running of a draw; and
• command respect as an adjudicator

Applicants should send an adjudication CV to Christopher Bishop by Sunday 24 October at 5pm on cjsbishop@gmail.com. The successful applicant will be advised by the end of October.

At the Annual General Meeting of the NZ Schools’ Debating Council in August 2010, a new executive was elected. The new executive took office on October 1 and comprises:

President: Christopher Bishop
Vice-President: Desley Horton
Treasurer: Yogesh Patel
Executive Officers: Clodagh O’Connor-McKenna and Udayan Mukherjee

The Council would like to thank Rosy Moar for all her hard work over the past two years as Vice-President, which included acting as the NZ Team Manager. We look forward to her continued involvement in schools debating.