ARKANSAS COMMUNICATIONS AND THEATER ARTS ASSOCIATION

2020 ARKANSAS STUDENT CONGRESS

Dear Colleague:

• Because of Covid-19 and the guidelines in currently in place, Arkansas Student Congress as we have traditionally hosted the competition will not happen this year in person over the traditionally scheduled dates of November 8^th to November 10^th, 2020. The Committee is greatly saddened to have to make this decision, but we must prioritize the health and safety of our students and coaches during this time.

  However, the Committee is going to offer an ACTAA Student Congress Showcase for the 2020 Season to allow students to continue to engage and learn with this competition. Hopefully, we will be back to our traditional tournament in November 2021.

  For the ACTAA Student Congress Showcase 2020, students can compete in any (or all) of the following ways

•   author a bill to enter into the best bill competition

• pre-record and submit an authorship speech on a bill

• pre-record and submit a candidacy speech for office

• take a parliamentary test live through on online platform on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 8^th.

Should you decide to attend Student Congress, your completed entry form and one clear copy of each bill must be E-MAILED to ACTAACongress@gmail.com Please send your bills as Word documents or google docs (with editing permissions enabled).

DEADLINES AND IMPORTANT DATES

Entry forms and bills to be submitted must be in the hands of the Congress directors by Friday, October 2, 2020.  To avoid technical glitches and to ensure the receipt of your entry, please e-mail ACTAACongress@gmail.com. You will receive a confirmation within 24 hours. If you do not receive a confirmation, we did not receive your entry. 

Speech submissions (Authorship and/or Candidacy) must be put in a google drive folder and shared with ACTAACongress@gmail.com by Friday, October 30, 2020.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF ALL DEADLINES; THEY ARE STRICTLY ENFORCED!   

ENTRY INFORMATION

All delegations must be sponsored by an active member of ACTAA.  Each coach is responsible for the Student Congress rule compliance of his/her delegation.  Colleges may enter a maximum of eight delegates; high schools may enter a maximum of six delegates. Entries must be submitted on time. This year, every delegate can submit a bill. Students may still co-author bills if they choose to do so; however, a student may only be an author or co-author on one bill and for high school students, authors and co-authors must be in the same house.

ENTRY FEES

The entry fee is by event this year. Entries are $10 per event entered. Fees are payable upon the return of the registration form online at www.actaa.net or by mail to Jennifer Akers, Executive Treasurer, 1818 N. Taylor St., Ste. B #307, Little Rock, AR 72207. If this is not possible for your delegation, please make arrangements with the Congress Director.  Please request checks now!

2020 ACTAA STUDENT CONGRESS COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Martene Campbell – ACTAA Student Congress Permanent Director

Patrick Laxson– Student Congress Director

Julie Rine– Co-Director

Casey Griffith

Joe Kieklak

Rachel Mauchline - Observer

Jennifer Akers – Tabulation

Zack Tucker – Immediate Past Director

IMPORTANT DATES

Entry and Bill Submission: October 2, 2020

Candidacy Speeches uploaded: October 30, 2020

Authorship Speeches uploaded: October 30, 2020

Parli Pro test taken virtually in a live meeting: Sunday, November 8, 2020

Virtual Awards Ceremony: Sunday, November 8, 2020

ACTAA MEMBERSHIP

If sponsors are NOT YET members of ACTAA, they must join!  Remember membership runs from September to August.  If you have not joined and would like to, please include full name/address (school and home, email) and a check made out to “ACTAA” for $50, and your membership will be forwarded to the Treasurer.  

Yours,

Patrick Laxson, Director (millsdebate@gmail.com)

Martene Campbell, Permanent Director (martene@gmail.com)                              

Arkansas Student Congress