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Speech & Debate Club (9-12) » Speech & Debate Club (9-12)

Speech & Debate Club (9-12)

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***Subject to change***

Last updated August 27, 2026 - Registration is now closed

Get ready for 2026-2027 Speech & Debate Club with these important dates!


Annual Membership Registration - Annual Membership Registration ended at 9 PM on Thursday, August 27. There is now late registration available. Students who participated last year will need to register again this year, including officers. Check your registration status.


The minimum number of participants needed for this club to form is 20. The maximum number of students is 49.


In addition to the Annual Membership Registration Fee, there is an Annual Participation Fee and Tournament Participation Fees for each tournament in which  the student commits to participating. 


Interest Meeting  - Check out the Speech and Debate Club on Thursday, August 20 at 4:10 PM in HS 1.11.


Weekly Meetings - Speech and Debate Club will meet weekly on Thursdays in Mrs. MacFarland’s room HS 1.11 from 4:10-5:10 PM starting Thursday, August 20 through Thursday, April 15, 2027. Please note the first official meeting will be Thursday, September 3. 


Tournaments - Speech and Debate Club members will have the opportunity to participate in local tournaments. 


The first tournament is tentatively scheduled for September 25-26 at Anderson High School at 8403 Mesa Dr. Austin, Texas 78759. Students need to commit to this tournament by September 3 and pay the tournament participation fee by September 10. 


2026-2027 Tournament Schedule

Welcome

Hello!

We are excited to advise and coach the Meridian World School’s Competitive Speech & Debate Club. This is our third year offering this club and our second competing in tournaments. We have chosen to focus on Public Forum, Lincoln-Douglas, Original Oratory for the year.  We look forward to coaching students this year in the 2026-2027 competition season. 

 

Your Speech & Debate Club Advisors,

Martha MacFarland and Jennifer Radebaugh

 

About Speech & Debate Club

Meridian Speech & Debate Club is a competitive organization for Meridian high school students (9-12). Students meet weekly to work on their skills. Additionally, students can choose to participate in local tournaments, with the possibility of earning advancement to the State Tournament and maybe even the National Tournament.


Speech and Debate club is designed to teach students how to compete in speech and debate tournaments against other schools in the Texas Forensic Association and National Speech Debate Association events focusing on three events: 1) Public Forum Format, 2) Lincoln Douglas, and 3) Original Oratory. Types of Events


Students who are new to the club will participate as Novice. Returning students can participate at the Varsity level.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Meridian School Speech & Debate Club is to promote strong communication skills in a competitive environment while fostering positive collaborative relationships, international mindedness, critical thinking, and research skills.

Weekly Meeting Information

Speech and Debate Club will meet weekly on Thursdays in Mrs. MacFarland’s room HS 1.11 from 4:10-5:10 PM starting Thursday, August 20 through Thursday, April 15, 2027. Please note the first official meeting will be Thursday, September 3.

Student Commitment Expectation

Students who do not participate at the same level and frequency in their competitive extracurricular activity negatively impact the group’s performance, morale, and culture.

  • For competitive extracurricular activities such as Speech & Debate Club, all members are expected to attend all weekly meetings.
  • For competitive extracurricular activities, such as Speech & Debate Club, students who know they have a regular conflict are encouraged to choose between conflicting activities before registering.

Upcoming Important Dates

Wednesday, August 19 - Annual Membership Registration opens

Thursday, August 20 - Interest Meeting at 4:10 PM in Mrs. MacFarland’s room HS 1.11 

Thursday, August 27 - Annual Membership Registration closes at 9 PM. No late registrations accepted.

Monday, August 31 - Annual Membership Participation Fee invoiced

Wednesday, September 2 - Please join the Speech and Debate ParentSquare group by this date.  A link to this private group will be shared after registration closes.

Thursday, September 3 - Commitment due for Anderson High School Tournament. First official meeting. (Students must be registered to attend this and future meetings.)

Friday, September 4 - Tournament Participation Fee invoices issued for Anderson High School

Tuesday, September 8 - Annual Membership Participation Fee due

Wednesday, September 9 - Local Tournament Permission Form due via ParentSquare

Thursday, September 10 - Tournament Participation Fee invoices due for Anderson High School

 

Registered participants and their parents/guardians can utilize the club’s private ParentSquare group for additional important dates after registration closes.

 

Annual Membership Registration

Annual Membership Registration is now closed. It ended at 9 PM on Thursday, August 27. No late registration will be available.

 

The Annual Membership Registration includes a Registration Fee ($52.30) attached to a Registration Form, which will be accessible on the Speech and Debate Registration webpage from Wednesday, August 19 through 9 PM on Thursday, August 27.

Important! Annual Membership Registration is required for all new and returning members, including officers.


Check your registration status

Terms for Participation

Students and parents/guardians must thoroughly read and agree to the Speech & Debate Terms for Participation prior to completing and submitting the Speech & Debate Registration Form and paying the Speech & Debate Annual Registration Fee.

 

Tournament Schedule

The tentative 2026-2027 Tournament Schedule will be updated throughout the season. 

 

Eligibility

Members must maintain the following types of eligibility:

  1. Character in Good Standing
  2. Financial
  3. Academic

Fees

There are three fees associated with participating in Speech and Debate Club:

  1. Annual Membership Registration Fee ($52.30)
  2. Annual Participation Fee ($150 if paying by check, or $156.90 if paying though MySchoolBucks; please note there is 4.6% user fee for My School Bucks)
  3. Tournament Participation Fees. Local tournaments range from $30-50 each. Travel tournaments require earning advancement. Travel tournament participation fees could cost more to cover the participating student’s and the chaperone’s travel expenses.

Tournaments

Students can choose to participate in local tournaments, which each has an additional Tournament Participation Fee. There is also an opportunity to earn advancement to the State and National Tournament. 

2026-2027 Tentative Tournament Schedule

 

Supervised After School Care with "After School 6-12"

If you are unable to consistently pick up your student immediately after their after-school activity or activities, we encourage you to register them for After School 6–12. The cost is $100 per semester. Please note that After School 6–12 ends at 5:45 p.m., and late fees begin accruing at 5:46 p.m. Learn more about registering for After School 6-12.  

Policy for Pick-up from After School Clubs

 

Lettering

Lettering is an honor reserved for high school students who participate at the highest level in their extracurricular or co-curricular activity. Lettering requirements include:

  1. Grade Level Requirement (9-12)
  2. Academic Eligibility Requirement (must maintain passing grades)
  3. Character in Good Standing (consistently abides by the Student/Parent Handbook and the Speech & Debate Terms for Participation)
  4. Financial Good Standing (does not owe the school money), and
  5. Participation Requirements (see below).

Participation Requirements for a Lettering Nomination

Students who compete at the varsity level at all tournaments in which they participate may be 

nominated by the club advisors to letter in Speech & Debate Club  after meeting one of two participation requirements:

  • Competing in at least 3 high school debate tournaments at the varsity level, OR
  • Advancing to nationals for National Speech & Debate Association, and/or qualifying and competing at the state tournament for Texas Forensic Association State (TFA).

All other lettering requirements also apply. 

Letter Jackets & Lettering.

 

Questions

  • About registration, tournament participation fee invoicing, school channels of communications (ParentSquare, website), eligibility, and lettering Secondary Enrichment.