NCFL sponsors the annual Grand National Tournament on Memorial Day weekend, offering six forensics events and four debate events. The National Association of Secondary School Principals has placed this program on the NASSP National Advisory List of Student Contests and Activities.

The Grand National Tournament is held at a different site each year. NCFL Grand Nationals has been held in Omaha, Chicago, Milwaukee, Boston, Arlington VA, Pittsburgh, and New York City. The competitions have been held in colleges, universities, high schools, government buildings, and hotels.

Academic forensics and debate teams take part in a variety of oral communication competitions. Students research, develop, practice, and deliver their performances which include speeches, interpretations or dramatizations of literature, and debates. Forensics competitors present a polished performance about 10 minutes in length, while debate students interact with students from other schools and respond orally to arguments presented from the opposing team.

The NCFL Grand National Tournament offers six speech events and four debate events. Speech Events: Dramatic Performance - Students present selections from published plays, screenplays, fictional or non-fictional work that are either serious or humorous in nature. The selections must be memorized with a maximum length of ten minutes. Duo Interpretation of Literature - A presentation by two participants of a single selection of literature. Each performer may present one or more characters. Each character should be sufficiently developed and should interact meaningfully with the other characters. The sections must be memorized. Movement should be limited and suggested rather than exaggerated. The maximum length is ten minutes. Extemporaneous Speaking - Each student draws three topics on current issues; chooses one and has thirty minutes to prepare a speech of a maximum length of seven minutes. Any periodical or other published material is permitted in the preparation room. Students may not refer to any written notes during the speech. Oral Interpretation of Literature - Students present selections in two categories -- prose and poetry. Each selection must be a maximum of ten minutes in length. The student must hold a manuscript and appear to be reading. The students alternate between rounds of prose and rounds of poetry. Oratorical Declamation - Open to students in the ninth or tenth grades only. Students must use a speech or portion of a speech previously given by another person. The speech must be memorized with a maximum length of ten minutes. Original Oratory - Students prepare original orations, usually persuasive or informative on a current topic. Any topic is permissible and any form of oration is permitted. The presentation must be memorized, with a maximum length of ten minutes. Debate Events: Lincoln-Douglas Debate – Individual students debating issues of values and philosophy. The NCFL Grand National Resolution is used for this competition only. Public Forum Debate - A team event that advocates or rejects aposition posed by the resolution. The focus of the debate is a clash of ideas in a persuasive manner that can be understood by a “lay” judge. Good debaters should display logic and analysis. They should use evidence when needed. They should win their case and refute that of their opponents. They should communicate effectively, using the fundamentals of good speaking. There are no burdens on either side. Policy Debate – Two person teams using the 8-3-5 switch side format debating issues of policy. The National Resolution is used. Student Congress - Permits students to participate in parliamentary debate. Legislation is prepared by the students in advance in the areas of Domestic, Economic, and Foreign Affairs. Students debate the merits of the legislation presented.

See the website for specific evaluation of each competitive event at the Grand National Tournament.

Website: www.ncfl.org

Managing Organization: National Catholic Forensic League (NCFL)

Contact:
Mike Colletti
bigmike4n6@aol.com

Eligibility:
The student's school must be a member of an NCFL Local League. These leagues are geographically distributed across the United States. Each league develops its own qualification system for the national tournament. Some leagues use a point system while others hold a qualifying tournament. League quotas represent the maximum number of entries in each category that can advance to the Grand National Tournament from each local league. Schools joining through a Local Diocesan League, must submit their Membership Forms and Dues to their Local League according to their Local Diocesan League deadlines. Local Diocesan Leagues must submit all membership forms and dues ($50 per school) by December 10. New and Existing Local Diocesan Leagues may submit late membership forms and dues ($55 per school) by January 10. New Leagues must submit membership information not later than January 10. Schools requesting Individual Membership must apply not later than January 10. Tournament Registration must be completed, and fees paid, by April 15. The fee to participate in the Grand National Tournament is currently $50 per student (thus a Duo Interpretation entry, Policy Debate team, or Public Forum team is $100).

NCFL sponsors the annual Grand National Tournament on Memorial Day weekend, offering six forensics events and four debate events. The National Association of Secondary School Principals has placed this program on the NASSP National Advisory List of Student Contests and Activities.

The Grand National Tournament is held at a different site each year. NCFL Grand Nationals has been held in Omaha, Chicago, Milwaukee, Boston, Arlington VA, Pittsburgh, and New York City. The competitions have been held in colleges, universities, high schools, government buildings, and hotels.

Academic forensics and debate teams take part in a variety of oral communication competitions. Students research, develop, practice, and deliver their performances which include speeches, interpretations or dramatizations of literature, and debates. Forensics competitors present a polished performance about 10 minutes in length, while debate students interact with students from other schools and respond orally to arguments presented from the opposing team.

The NCFL Grand National Tournament offers six speech events and four debate events. Speech Events: Dramatic Performance - Students present selections from published plays, screenplays, fictional or non-fictional work that are either serious or humorous in nature. The selections must be memorized with a maximum length of ten minutes. Duo Interpretation of Literature - A presentation by two participants of a single selection of literature. Each performer may present one or more characters. Each character should be sufficiently developed and should interact meaningfully with the other characters. The sections must be memorized. Movement should be limited and suggested rather than exaggerated. The maximum length is ten minutes. Extemporaneous Speaking - Each student draws three topics on current issues; chooses one and has thirty minutes to prepare a speech of a maximum length of seven minutes. Any periodical or other published material is permitted in the preparation room. Students may not refer to any written notes during the speech. Oral Interpretation of Literature - Students present selections in two categories -- prose and poetry. Each selection must be a maximum of ten minutes in length. The student must hold a manuscript and appear to be reading. The students alternate between rounds of prose and rounds of poetry. Oratorical Declamation - Open to students in the ninth or tenth grades only. Students must use a speech or portion of a speech previously given by another person. The speech must be memorized with a maximum length of ten minutes. Original Oratory - Students prepare original orations, usually persuasive or informative on a current topic. Any topic is permissible and any form of oration is permitted. The presentation must be memorized, with a maximum length of ten minutes. Debate Events: Lincoln-Douglas Debate – Individual students debating issues of values and philosophy. The NCFL Grand National Resolution is used for this competition only. Public Forum Debate - A team event that advocates or rejects aposition posed by the resolution. The focus of the debate is a clash of ideas in a persuasive manner that can be understood by a “lay” judge. Good debaters should display logic and analysis. They should use evidence when needed. They should win their case and refute that of their opponents. They should communicate effectively, using the fundamentals of good speaking. There are no burdens on either side. Policy Debate – Two person teams using the 8-3-5 switch side format debating issues of policy. The National Resolution is used. Student Congress - Permits students to participate in parliamentary debate. Legislation is prepared by the students in advance in the areas of Domestic, Economic, and Foreign Affairs. Students debate the merits of the legislation presented.

See the website for specific evaluation of each competitive event at the Grand National Tournament.

Website: www.ncfl.org

Managing Organization: National Catholic Forensic League (NCFL)

Contact:
Mike Colletti
bigmike4n6@aol.com

Eligibility:
The student's school must be a member of an NCFL Local League. These leagues are geographically distributed across the United States. Each league develops its own qualification system for the national tournament. Some leagues use a point system while others hold a qualifying tournament. League quotas represent the maximum number of entries in each category that can advance to the Grand National Tournament from each local league. Schools joining through a Local Diocesan League, must submit their Membership Forms and Dues to their Local League according to their Local Diocesan League deadlines. Local Diocesan Leagues must submit all membership forms and dues ($50 per school) by December 10. New and Existing Local Diocesan Leagues may submit late membership forms and dues ($55 per school) by January 10. New Leagues must submit membership information not later than January 10. Schools requesting Individual Membership must apply not later than January 10. Tournament Registration must be completed, and fees paid, by April 15. The fee to participate in the Grand National Tournament is currently $50 per student (thus a Duo Interpretation entry, Policy Debate team, or Public Forum team is $100).