Incorporation of WSDC as a charity

A press release says:

The World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC), the premier international speaking competition for high school students, is pleased to announce plans for incorporation as a legal body.

The competition was founded by Christopher Erskine of Australia in 1988 and was originally run by volunteers, with debaters billeted with local families. It has grown into a major worldwide organization with annual tournaments hosted by national debating associations, attended by teams from around 40 countries.

WSDC is registering as a company in the United Kingdom and applying for charitable status. The plans, drawn up by the WSDC Executive Committee, were recently approved by a vote of the World Council.

The costs of incorporation are being met by The English-Speaking Union (ESU), an international educational charity focused on using language to create international understanding, which is the Founder Sponsor of the new company. The costs include employing Eastside Consulting, a London-based consultancy specializing in financial advice for non-profits, to handle the administrative and legal steps involved.

James Probert, Head of Centre for Speech and Debate at the ESU, says: "Debating is the perfect way for articulate young people from different backgrounds to share and exchange their ideas. The World Championships are the foremost international arena for that. They not only help create global understanding but also foster life-long friendships. English-Speaking Unions in several countries have been closely associated with the tournament since its inception, and we're delighted that we're able to be involved in the next stage of its development."

The Executive is seeking interest from alumni of the competition, particularly those with relevant professional experience, to stand for election as Trustees of the charity or to be considered for appointment to its Development Board, to handle the day-to-day running of the company. Anyone interested in expressing interest at this stage should contact Trevor Sather, Vice-Chair of the WSDC Executive, at trevor@squareeye.com.

Learning Materials Working Group

JJ Rodriguez writes:

The Learning Materials Working Group is in the process of compiling learning materials in order to create a handbook for coaching schools debate. The handbook will include basic information on the format, activities to be used by coaches to teach a variety of skills, an appendix of gathered materials and resources, and other useful information. We would like you to submit anything you have that might be helpful. The sections of the text include:

• The Basics
• Definitions
• Style
• Content and Research
• Strategy
• Appendix including online resources, WSDC rules, WSDC adjudication guide, and other relevant materials that you submit.

If you have anything in one of these categories that could be useful, please send it to:

jjrodriguez@socal.rr.com

We are looking for activities, lesson plans, films, and anything else that has been useful to you. If you have already submitted something there is no need to send it again. We have it. We are also looking to answers to a few questions. If you have time please send me a brief response to the following:

(1) What would you like to see in a handbook for world schools debate?
(2) What are the coaching / resource needs in your country / region?
(3) What would you like to see on the WSDC website?
(4) What is the best way for you to access resources (e.g. the Internet, print materials, DVDs)? This is rather simple, I need to know if posting materials online will cut anyone off from our resources.

Thank you for your time and energy. Your participation is a vital part of developing resources that are useful to the community.