2024 David Helton Fall Forensics Forum

• Setup:

  This status is used while the tournament is still being setup.

• Open:

  This status means tournament registration is open. Families can register for the tournament.

• Drops Only:

  This status means only registration drops are allowed. There are no new entries allowed but families can drop entries.

• Closed:

  This status means registration is currently closed for the tournament. There are no adds or drops allowed. Please contact the tournament director with any questions.

• Completed:

  This status means the tournament is completed.

Every day David sent a Scripture verse in a group text to 74 friends, most of whom were fellow speech and debaters for whom he also prayed. He served many hours with his church's outreach to those in need. He was a true Ambassador for Christ! We cherish the memory for his Christ-honoring life, a fun-loving, spontaneous-dancing, speech & debate champion, fisherman of people & fishes. We look forward, in God's timing, to our reunion with him in the Presence of Jesus, our Savior King, whom, we are absolutely certain, he is even more now loving, worshipping, and serving!

David Helton's Words of Encouragement to You His Friends (& Fellow Speech & Debaters)

David's Heart

1) David wants you to join him in following Jesus.

Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. - John 5:24

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. - John 11:25-26, (Acts 2:36-37; Acts 8:28-37, Acts 9:1-19)

2) David loves you every day, no matter what.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. – 1 John 4:7-8

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. - John 13:35

David's Walk

1) David wants you to be lifted up and encouraged by reading the Psalms and other scriptures each day.

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. - Romans 15:4

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. - 2 Timothy 3:16-17

How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. - Psalms 119:9

2) David wants you to pray for other people, your friends and family.

Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. - James 5:16

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

3) David wants to encourage you to stay connected to your friends by emailing or texting them Bible verses to encourage them.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.- Philippians 4:8

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.- 1 Thessalonians 5:11

4) David wants you to be more like Jesus every day.

Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. - 1 John 2:6

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship. - Romans 12:1

Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children, and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. - Ephesians 5:1-2

David's Destination

1) David is safe and secure in the hands of his Savior and friend, Jesus Christ.

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

2) David wants to see you again. He wants to give you a hug. He wants to dance before you and his Father.

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. - Philippians 3:20

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. - John 14: 1-3

A gift to you from David's family - Don, Maribeth, Jonathan, & Anne Marie Helton

David’s Cousin - Josh Hazelbaker & David's friend - Savannah Prozik

SV STUDENT CHECK-IN FOR ALL SV EVENTS - In Student Hang-out Room - Enter Church at the Far-Left Double Door Rear Entry under the Portico. Go straight down hall to large room on the left.  Student name badges and tent cards will be distributed at Check-In. 

 PARLI DEBATE CHECK-IN TIME: Thursday, November 14 7:15-7:40 am with Devotion & Announcement in Sanctuary at 7:40.

 TP/LD DEBATE & SPEECH ONLY CHECK IN TIME: Thursday, November 14 1:30-2:15 pm in Student Hang-out Room – See directions above

 ALL ADULT CHECK-IN: All Parents & Judges check in just inside far left rear church entry under portico where you will also receive your name badges. 

 COMMUNITY JUDGES: We ask you to arrive one hour before the start of the first event you choose to judge as we provide training for the event(s) you will judge. We also provide a delicious buffet for every meal and great snacks!

 VISITORS: To keep everyone safe, all adults need to check in at the  Judge Greet table just inside the rear entry.  See directions above.  

Safety

Parents or supervising adults, please plan to remain on site while your student is present throughout the tournament. Your student's safety and positive experience is of utmost importance. 

Importance of Parent Judges

Thank you for understanding that a sizable pool of parent judges is critical for providing a quality tournament for all competitors. With that in mind, your minimum requirement is to judge the rounds for which you signed up. You also need to check in with Ballot Push at the beginning of each round in case there are some unexpected judging needs.

Check-in

All Parents/Judges will check in just inside the far left rear church entry underportico where you will also receive your name badges.

Visitors

To keep everyone safe, all adults at the tournament need to check in and wear a name badge.  Please stop by the Judge Greeter to get one.

It is the goal and desire of both Stoa, and the Ambassadors for Christ Speech and Debate Club to promote professionalism and modesty in the behavior and dress for aour our student competitors, SV & JR/JV, and even for parents, and tournament staff at our tournaments.

The David Helton Fall Forensics Forum Tournament will follow the Stoa Dress Code. The specifics of Stoa's and our Ambassadors DHFFF Tournament's Dress Code are also listed below.

For the duration of the tournament students must dress and remain dressed modestly, neatly, and cleanly in their tournament attire.

Competition: During competition, students must dress in professional business attire.

Gentlemen: Suits; slacks and a sports coat, with a shirt and tie, and dress shoes.

Ladies: Skirt or pant suits; slacks, skirts or dresses with jackets, and professional dress shoes. Hemlines are to be at least to the knee.

Awards Ceremony: Students must attend the awards ceremony in full competition attire.

Violations: If the competitor’s attire at any time during the tournament is deemed a violation of the dress code, the competitor will be asked to come into compliance with the dress code.

A student will not be allowed to participate in competition or awards without compliance.

MANDATORY SV SCRIPT SUBMISSION

Deadline for Early Script Submission: Monday, October 21^st, 2024, 9:00 AM CST.

Deadline for submissions: Monday, November 4^th, 6:00 PM CST.

Deadline for script submission corrections: Monday, November 11^th, 6:00 PM CST. If your script requires corrections, it must be corrected and approved by this date.

 Submission address: ambassadorscript2024@proton.me.

If you have prior approval of a script from a STOA-sanctioned tournament and have not changed the script AT ALL, submit that approval email to our script submission email above no later than 6:00 pm CST, Monday, November 4^th, 2024.

You will receive a confirmation email once your script has been received and approved. Please save a copy of this confirmation email on your phone or print it out to have with you at the tournament.

All scripts must be submitted by the deadline above to avoid being dropped from your registration resulting in a charged drop fee for that event. 

 Early Script Submission Prize Drawing: We will be offering three cash drawings for every script submitted before Monday, October 21^st at 6:00 pm CST. Each early script is 1 entry into the drawing. Cash drawings will be made at random.

Double Click for  Stoa's Helpful Videos: 
7 Tips to Rapid Review & Approve for Platform & Interps
Stoa Plagiarism Policy
Stoa's Speech Citations Help Page
Stoa's Interp Speech Publication Guidelines

Doube Click for Script Submission Forms to submit for each speech:
1. Open Interp
2. Duo Interp
3. Dramatic & Humorous Interp
4. Platform Speeches: Expos, OO, Persuasive

5. Slam Poetry

Here is the format for your script submission file(s):
Last name, First name, Event name
For example: Smith, James, Humorous Interp

Scripts must be completed according to the STOA rules linked above and are to be PDF files. Please have the script(s) for each event with the REQUIRED pages in the following order:
• SIGNED script submission form(s) for your event(s) - found at the links above.
• Typed copy of the speech script.
• Works cited page (for platforms only).
• Highlighted photocopy of the original source text, including added words (for Interps only).

 After initial submission, this is how the procedure will go.

1/ Our Script Submission Team will get back to you with any changes that need to be made to the script or any questions we have. 
2/ Correct or Celebrate: If your script is returned for corrections, complete any requirements and resend within 24 hours. Scripts must be fully approved (with no corrections needed) no later than MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11^th at 9:00 PM CST. Otherwise, it is time to celebrate your approval!
3/ Bring and keep with you at the tournament hard copies of all your scripts in case they need to be referenced for any reason.

If you have any questions, please contact our Script Submission Team at ambassadorscript2024@proton.me

Apologetics rounds will be taken from the following categories (though not necessarily in this order):

• Category 1 - The Character and Nature of God
• Category 2 - Foundations of Christianity
• Category 4 - God and Man
• Category 5 - Christian Worldview Application 

Mars Hill rounds will be taken from the following categories (though not necessarily in this order):

• Current Music
• Literature
• The Arts
• Current Media

How Student Congress Works

JV Student Congress, much like mock trial or moot court, is an excellent hands-on learning experience where students debate as real life federal and state congress women and men. Our JV Student Congress will function as a real congress session with some perimeters for convenience.

Students debate a calendar of bills, written by themselves, other students, and alumni students. The entire round is directed and kept organized by the Presiding Officer.

Serving in the role of Presiding Officer for this tournament is Stoa and Ambassador Club alumni, Cyler Crandall. Cyler is very knowledgable and experienced as he has participated in numerous Congress events as well as serving as the Student Congress Presiding Officer at our Congress events in our state Capitol's Senate Chamber.

Speeches in Student Congress are timed with a 3 minute Sponsorship Speech by the author of the Bill, followed by 1 minute of questioning and 2 minutes for all other Pro or Con speeches focusing on the current bill being debted. Speeches are timed by the Presiding Officer.

For this Congress session, Margaret Myhre, will receive, review, and vet all student bills. Margaret has lots of experience in this role having coached and directed JV Student Congress for a number of years. 

The deadline for your Bills to be submitted to Mrs. Myhre at <margarettant@gmail.com> is 1:00 PM on Friday, November 1st. 

Check back on the JR/JV Student Congress Bills TAB at 6:00 PM on Saturday, November 2nd, for all the JR/JV Student Congress Bills to be debated in Student Congress.

Our Student Congress Manual shares sample bills and a template for writing your own bills. We recommend that you download the Manual, print it out (double-sided) so you can study it to be well-informed and ready for Student Congress!

Here is a step-by-step guide to how a round works:

- The Presiding Officer calls the session to order.
- The Presiding Officer gives or requests someone to give the Invocation (Opening Prayer).
- Roll call is taken by the Presiding Officer.
- All student legislators stand to take the Oath of Office (linked below).
- Debate starts with the first bill/resolution on the calendar (see list of bills on separate tab Nov. 2^nd).
- The first speech on a bill, called the Sponsorship Speech, is automatically given by the author of the   bill if they are present. Otherwise, like with every other speech, any student interested in speaking can rise to be recognized by the Presiding Officer who will call on a student legislator based on who has spoken the least amount of times thus far.
- Speeches by the student legislators continue back and forth, speaking for or against each bill, until a student calls for a vote.
- After a vote is taken, students move on to the next bill.
- The round is an hour and a half to two hours in length.

Oath of Office

Click on this link to view the Oath of Office

A JR/JV Student Congress Manual and other helpful materials

Here again is a link to our JV Student Congress Manual for you to use as you prepare for the Student Congress.

We recommend that you download the Manual, print it out (possibly double-sided) so you can study it to be better informed and ready for Student Congress and then bring it with your to the tournament to refer to during Student Congress! 

Here are the links to two charts on Parliamentary motions and procedures. 

Table of Most Frequently Used Parliamentary Motions

The table above is included in the Student Congress Manual.

Easy Chart of Parliamentary Procedures

Helpful Terms

Representative or Senator - Refers to student competitors. They are members of a Student Congress, a mock legislature, functioning as the Congress men and women who represent us in our state and federal legislatures.

Presiding Officer (PO) - The Presiding Officer is usually an experienced student competitor, an alumni who competed in Student Congress, who facilitates the round using parliamentary procedure according to Robert's Rules of Order.

House or Senate - The group of people with whom students are competing. Usually each House is given a name, i.e. the Polk House and the Jackson House.

Bill - Legislation that is being voted on to become law. Bills can be either federal or state level legislation. See the "bill format" tab for instructions on how to write one.

Resolution - An idea that a representative wants the house to adopt. It's not a law that makes something clearly legal or illegal. A Resolution might be used for something like declaring a new national or state holiday.

Calendar - The list of bills that will be debated each session.

Well - The podium at which representatives/senators stand to give speeches.

Floor - when a member has the full attention of the assembly to speak (also refers to the area where the assembly meets, where its members speak, and where it conducts its business).

Amendment - a specific change to an item of legislation, explaining exactly which words it modifies, and not changing the intent of the legislation itself.

Precedence - standard rule in most debate leagues which requires the presiding officer to choose speakers who have spoken least (or not at all). The only exception to precedence is when a speaker has authorship privileges to legislation when it is introduced for debate. In those cases, the presiding officer must recognize the author first. If no author is present, selecting a sponsor is based on precedence.

Recency - is where the presiding officer not only employs precedence, but also selects speakers based on who has spoken least recently or earliest.

Student Congress Chamber Etiquette

1. Note passing and whispering is allowed within reason. Don't abuse the privilege by talking to your fellow Representatives about topics not related to Congress.

2. Respect the Presiding Officer. Their job is hard, and they need the support and attention of everyone in the Chamber.

3. If there is a problem with the way anything is being handled in the Chamber, please tell the adult who is supervising the Chamber.

4. Please respect the Judges by supporting a motion to adjourn in the middle of a session to give them a break.

5. Make sure the Judges are ready before you begin speaking. This is for your benefit and for theirs. They don't feel rushed, and you get the benefit of their full attention.

6. Monitor your own appearance and behavior at all times. You should always look professional and attentive.

7. Approach the well/podium and make a speech if you have something new to say. Avoid repeating the same information. If all issues a bill presents have been addressed, make the motion to move to the previous question.

8. MOST IMPORTANT: Remember that our greatest aim is to be Ambassadors of Christ in all we do.

9. Finally...Have fun!

Ballot/Judging Criteria

The judges in the round will use the ballot below to evaluate students:

Student Congress Ballot

Cancellations prior to the close of tournament registration on October 19th will garner a full refund minus any Stripe fees. There will be NO REFUNDS after registration closes. Once the tournament closes on the 19th, a $10 fee will be assessed for any drops made beginning on October 20.  Drops create a domino effect of extra work for staff because they affect room allocation, judging needs, awards orders, and the awards ceremony.

Adult/Minor Modeling Participant Release

In consideration of my membership in Stoa, which includes the membership of all my dependent minor children, I hereby grant to Stoa and to its sponsors, and those acting with Stoa’s authority and permission, the irrevocable and unrestricted right and permission to take, use, reuse, publish, and republish photographic portraits or pictures, videos or recordings of me or of my minor children, or in which I or my minor children may be included, in whole or in part, made through any and all media now or hereafter known. I also consent to the use of any printed matter in conjunction therewith or the use of my name and/or the name(s) of my minor children, in connection therewith if Stoa so decides.

I consent to the use of my name or the name(s) of my minor children for the purposes of posting tournament results and point accrual to a Stoa designated online database.

I hereby waive any right that I or my minor children may have to inspect or approve the finished product or products.

I hereby release, discharge and agree to save harmless Stoa and its sponsors and all persons acting under its permission or authority from any liability including any claims for libel or invasion of privacy, rights of publicity, copyright or otherwise. I hereby warrant that I am a legal competent adult and that I have every right to contract for myself and/or the minor in the above regard. I state further that I have read the above authorization, release, and agreement, prior to its execution, and that I am fully familiar with the contents of it.

PHOTO RELEASE

The Stoa Marketing Committee would like to feature our tournament on social media in a short video reel. We will have a photographer onsite taking short video clips to use in our reel. This will be a fun way to remember our 2024 David Helton Fall Forensics Forum Tournament and to attract new families to Stoa. If you  would like to opt out of the videos, please email the tournament director.

Nearby Hotels:

Brentwood Suites

622 Church Street East
Brentwood, TN 37027
615-277-4000
Free Breakfast & WiFi
Brentwood Suites

Baymont by Wyndham Nashville-Brentwood

111 Penn Warren Drive
Brentwood, TN, 37027
855-649-5794
Free Breakfast & WiFi
Baymont by Wyndham Brentwood

Candlewood Suites-Nashville-Franklin

1305 Murfreesboro Rd (Hwy 96)
Franklin, Tennessee 37064
615-265-0550
Free WiFi
Suites w/ Full Kitchen
Fitness Center
Indoor Heated Pool
Outdoor Gazebo Grill
Guest Laundry
Candlewood Suites: Nashville-Franklin

Courtyard by Marriott Nashville-Brentwood

103 East Park Drive
Brentwood, Tennessee 37027
615-371-9200
Courtyard Nashille/Brentwood

Extended Stay America:Nashville-Brentwood

9020 Church Street East
Brentwood, TN, 37027
615-373-4272
Free Breakfast & WiFi
Extended Stay America/Brentwood

Four Points by Sheraton Nashville - Brentwood

760 Old Hickory Boulevard
Brentwood, Tennessee, 37027
615-964-5500
Free WiFi
Breakfast available (surcharge)
Four Points by Sheraton Brentwood

Hampton Inn Nashville/Brentwood-I-65 South

5630 Franklin Pike Circle,
Brentwood, Tennessee, 37027 615-373-2212
(615)373-2212
(888) 370-1940
Free Breakfast
Free WiFi
Hampton Inn Brentwood

Hilton Suites - Brentwood

9000 Overlook Blvd
Brentwood, TN 37027
615-370-0111
Free WiFi
Hilton Suites Brentwood

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Brentwood North-Nashville

5566 Franklin Pike Circle
Brentwood, TN
(615) 221-5001
Free WiFi
Free Breakfast
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Brentwood North

Holiday Inn Franklin - Brentwood South-Cool Springs

1738 Carothers Parkway
Brentwood, TN
(615) 277-8700
Free WiFi
Free Breakfast
Holiday Inn Brentwood South/Franklin

Hyatt Place

202 Summit View Dr
Brentwood, TN 37027
615-661-9477
Free WiFi
Free Hot Breakfast
Hyatt Place Brentwood

Sleep Inn

1611 Galleria Blvd.
Brentwood, TN 37027
629-220-2494
Free wireless high-speed Internet access
Free Morning Medley Hot Breakfast
Sleep Inn Brentwood

Country Inn & Suites

7120 South Springs Drive
Franklin, TN 37067
615-778-0321
Suites, Free Breakfast, High Speed Internet,
Indoor Pool, Fitness Center, Business Center
Take a virtual tour of their Non-Smoking, Wi-Fi-free facility:
Country Inn & Suites, Cool Springs, Franklin

Courtyard by Marriott Franklin-Cool Springs

2001 Meridian Blvd.
Franklin,Tennessee, 37067
615-778-0080
Fee Wi-Fi
Indoor Pool
Fitness Center
Courtyard by Marriott Franklin/Cool Springs

Hampton Inn & Suites Nashville-Franklin (Cool Springs)

7141 South Springs Dr.
Franklin, Tennessee, 37067
615-771-7225
Free Internet
Breakfast
Hampton Inn & Suites Franklin-Cool Springs