NL Speech and Debate Union
We oversee all Junior High and High School public speaking and debate-related activities both inside and outside of schools throughout the province. We also liaise with other related organizations to bolster their attendance, cross-promote, and expose students to related activities (this includes MUN Debate and the Memorial UN Society, among others). Additionally, we regularly work with National organizations like the CSDF and S&DCF to send students to out-of-province events. Finally, we also oversee all major debate competitions at the Junior High/High School level provincially for Newfoundland and Labrador, and teach people about how to coach debate and run events.
Website: https://nlsdu.org/
Contact Email: Chair@NLSDU.org
Requirements for Volunteering: All volunteers must have clear Vulnerable Sector Checks as primarily work with children. Debate or Public Speaking experience can be an asset, but is not required as long as they are comfortable interacting with children and learning to teach them new skills and concepts. Volunteers must be able to conduct themselves appropriately and serve as positive role models in this capacity.
Duties of Volunteers: Volunteer duties can vary based on the designated role, and there are always opportunities for delegation or flexible scheduling of an individual's workload becomes daunting. Generally speaking there are three types of involvement:
1. Board Member - This can include Director-at-Large, who supports other members and takes on miscellaneous duties, Director of Finances, Director of Programming (who plans and schedules our events), Director of Communications (who oversees our social media) and Chair (who supervises the other roles and sets board priorities, etc.)
2. Debate Coach - An individual attends a weekly club meeting at a local Junior High or High School and teaches students how to grow more comfortable speaking publicly, debating effectively, and about various specialized topics that can reinforce their general knowledge. They also help them to prepare for competitions and promote training events.
3. Event Volunteer - An individual who either judges at one of our events or helps with logistics such as setup/takedown, procuring refreshments, multimedia, etc.
Commitment: The level of commitment varies with the role.
1. Board Members can expect to meet once every two weeks and work on their delegate duties on a weekly or biweekly basis, as well as attend our events do the best of their ability (usually once a month at most, on a Saturday or Sunday from roughly 10am-4pm).
2. Debate Coaches can expect to meet with a Junior High or High School club once a week.
3. Event Volunteers can expect to be involved in an event once or twice a month, with the ability to attend partially on each day if necessary.
How to apply: You can simply email us at Chair@NLSDU.org or Programming@NLSDU.org specifying what role you would be interested in, ideally with a clear Vulnerable Sector check attached if possible. If you need to obtain one, we can write a letter for you to provide to the RNC to receive it free-of-charge. Additionally, you can sign up for our mailing list via the link at NLSDU.org
Social Media:
Twitter/X: https://x.com/nlsdu?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nlsdu/
You can join the NLSDU Mailing List at this address: https://forms.gle/1TXwg8SG6DH29du2A