Coast Forensic League

COAST FORENSIC LEAGUE (CFL) ORGANIZES SPEECH AND DEBATE TOURNAMENTS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. THIS IS SPELLED OUT IN ARTICLE II SECTION B OF ITS ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION, WHICH STATES THAT "COAST FORENSIC LEAGUE SHALL PROMOTE THE BEST INTEREST OF THE HIGH SCHOOLS WITHIN ITS BOUNDARIES, THE TEACHING PROFESSION, AND THE PARTICIPANT STUDENTS BY PROVIDING INTERSCHOLASTIC SPEECH AND DEBATE TOURNAMENTS." CFL SERVES HIGH SCHOOLS IN SAN MATEO, MONTEREY, SAN BENITO, SANTA CLARA, AND SANTA CRUZ COUNTIES (SEE ARTICLE II SECTION 1 OF THE BYLAWS). THE TERM 'FORENSIC' IN THE NAME OF THIS ORGANIZATION REFERS TO SPEECH AND DEBATE. ALL CFL MEMBERS ARE EITHER PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS OR NONPROFIT PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOLS THAT ARE ACCREDITED IN CALIFORNIA (SEE ARTICLE II SECTION 1 OF THE BYLAWS). SPEECH AND DEBATE PROGRAMS AT CFL MEMBER SCHOOLS ARE SUPPORTED BY THEIR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIONS AS PROMOTING AN EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND EACH PROGRAM HAS A TEACHER ADVISER. TO JOIN CFL, EACH SPEECH AND DEBATE PROGRAM MUST OBTAIN WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM ITS SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR (SEE CFL MEMBERSHIP FORM). IN THE 2021 - 2022 ACADEMIC YEAR, CFL ORGANIZED 13 TWO-DAY SPEECH AND DEBATE TOURNAMENTS, TYPICALLY ON THE WEEKENDS. THE TOURNAMENT SEASON RUNS FROM SEPTEMBER TO MARCH. TOURNAMENTS ARE NORMALLY HELD ON HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUSES. IN TOTAL, CFL SERVES ABOUT 2500 STUDENTS EACH YEAR FROM 49 SCHOOLS-ABOUT 200 COMPETITORS WILL ATTEND A GIVEN TOURNAMENT. THE TOURNAMENTS ARE RUN BY LEAGUE OFFICERS (LISTED IN PART IV OF THE 990-EZ FORM). THE OFFICERS ARE ELECTED ANNUALLY BY THE MEMBERS AND ARE UNPAID VOLUNTEERS. THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS ARE LISTED IN ARTICLE XXI OF THE BOARD MANUAL. ORGANIZING TOURNAMENTS TAKES OVER 90% OF THE TIME CFL OFFICERS SPEND VOLUNTEERING FOR THE LEAGUE. SPEECH AND DEBATE IS AN EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY DESIGNED TO TEACH STUDENTS PUBLIC SPEAKING AND EVIDENCE-BASED, LOGICAL ARGUMENT. IN DEBATE EVENTS, A STUDENT IS ASSIGNED A TOPIC ROOTED IN SUBJECTS SUCH AS ECONOMICS, PHILOSOPHY, SCIENCE, OR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND IS ASKED TO DEFEND ONE SIDE OF AN ISSUE AGAINST AN OPPONENT WHO TAKES THE OPPOSITE POSITION. IN PLATFORM SPEECH EVENTS, A STUDENT PREPARES AN ORIGINAL SPEECH ON A SOCIETAL PROBLEM OF THEIR CHOICE AND PROPOSES THEIR SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. IN EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEECH EVENTS, A STUDENT IS ASSIGNED A DOMESTIC OR FOREIGN POLICY ISSUE, AND, AFTER 30 MINUTES OF PREPARATION AND RESEARCH, DELIVERS A SPEECH ANALYZING THE ISSUE. IN ALL SPEECH AND DEBATE EVENTS, STUDENTS ARE THEN EVALUATED BY JUDGES WHO DETERMINE HOW WELL STUDENTS ARGUED, SPOKE, AND LEVERAGED THEIR SOURCE MATERIALS. SPEECH AND DEBATE TOURNAMENTS PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE AGAINST STUDENTS AND BE EVALUATED BY JUDGES FROM OTHER HIGH SCHOOLS AND THUS TO BE EXPOSED TO NEW STYLES OF SPEAKING AND ARGUMENTATION. THE JUDGING POOL AT TOURNAMENTS CONSISTS OF SCHOOL TEACHERS, SPEECH AND DEBATE COACHES, PARENT VOLUNTEERS, AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. EACH ACADEMIC YEAR, CFL ORGANIZES AND FUNDS THE SPEECH AND DEBATE DEMO DAY. DEMO DAY ATTENDANCE IS FREE FOR ALL STUDENTS, PARENTS, TEACHERS, COACHES, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS INTERESTED IN SPEECH AND DEBATE. THE EVENT FEATURES VARSITY SPEECH AND DEBATE COMPETITORS PUTTING ON DEMONSTRATION DEBATES AND SPEECHES IN ALL EVENTS OFFERED BY CFL. THE EVENT IS USEFUL FOR ADVERTISING SPEECH AND DEBATE TO INCOMING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, FOR TRAINING PARENT VOLUNTEERS ON HOW TO JUDGE SPEECH AND DEBATE ROUNDS, AND FOR PROVIDING AN EXHIBITION OF SPEECH AND DEBATE TO SCHOOLS THAT DO NOT YET HAVE A SPEECH AND DEBATE PROGRAM BUT ARE INTERESTED IN STARTING ONE. CFL SEEKS TO ENSURE THAT ITS TOURNAMENTS ARE AFFORDABLE TO ALL STUDENTS. THE STANDARD ENTRY FEE AT A CFL TOURNAMENT IS $12 PER STUDENT (SEE ARTICLE XI SECTION 3 OF THE BYLAWS). FOR COMPARISON, A TYPICAL TOURNAMENT RUN INDEPENDENTLY BY A SCHOOL WILL COST 100 DOLLARS PER STUDENT OR MORE. THESE ENTRY FEES PROVIDE THE BULK OF THE REVENUE CFL USES TO CARRY ON ITS ACTIVITIES (SEE PART I OF FORM 990-EZ). SINCE THESE ENTRY FEES ARE VOTED ON BY THE SAME MEMBER SCHOOLS WHO THEN PAY THEM WHEN THEY REGISTER FOR TOURNAMENTS, THERE IS NO INCENTIVE TO RAISE THE ENTRY FEES ANY HIGHER THAN IS NECESSARY TO COVER THE COSTS OF RENTING TOURNAMENT FACILITIES AND COVERING OTHER TOURNAMENT COSTS. IN ADDITION, ARTICLE II SECTION B OF THE CFL ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION STATES THAT CFL SHALL HAVE "A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON SUPPORTING HIGH SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS WHO ARE SOCIOECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED." THE SPECIFIC MECHANISM FOR THIS FOCUS IS OUTLINED IN ARTICLE XI SECTION 8 OF CFL BYLAWS, WHERE IN THE LEAGUE IS EMPOWERED TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL GRANTS TO SCHOOLS TO SUPPORT THEIR ACTIVITIES AND STUDENTS. IN THE 2021 - 2022 ACADEMIC YEAR, CFL GRANTED 100% MEMBERSHIP FEE AND TOURNAMENT ENTRY FEE WAIVERS TO FOUR SCHOOLS WHERE THE PROPORTION OF STUDENTS ELIGIBLE FOR FREE OR REDUCED-PRICE LUNCH WAS IN EXCESS OF 75%.