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Congress



JMU is happy to announce that Student Congress will again be offered at our tournament.

Participation: Schools may register up to 10 Congressors. If you wish to enter more please let us know as far in advance as possible.

Fees:  The registration for each Congress participant will be $10.

Legislation: For the original docket, each Congressor must submit one piece of legislation, either a resolution or a bill, in one of the topic areas listed below. A second or third piece of legislation may be submitted, but these will only be considered on a second or subsequent docket after the entire first docket has been considered.

The format for a resolution or bill can be found in the National Forensic League Student Congress Manual or on the www.vanfl.org website under http://www.vanfl.org/jmu. 

Please email legislation to jmudebate@gmail.com and it will be posted on the JMU debate website at http://www.jmu.edu/debate/highschooltournament/.

Judges:  Each school entering students will have to provide one Congress judge. The judge need not have ever judged Congress before, but should be capable of judging a three minute informative and persuasive speech.

Sessions: There will 3 sessions. If more than 40 students register for Congress, there will be a division into 2 preliminary chambers with the third session on Saturday afternoon being a Final Congress. The top half of each preliminary chamber will be invited to finals. If there are 3 chambers, then the top one third of each preliminary chamber will be invited, etc.

Awards: The top four Congressors in finals will be awarded trophies. In addition, the students will elect an Outstanding Legislator from each preliminary chamber.

Rules: The Virginia High School League rules will govern the Congress. Roberts Rules of Order will be the final arbiter. No computers may be used in Chambers.