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Consultation Part 2

Dear colleagues and fellow members of the WSDC community,

As trailed just over a week ago, on behalf of the directors I would like to invite all members of the World Schools community to contribute to a consultation seeking their views and comments on two decisions, arising from the recent AGM, that the directors must shortly make. You may read and contribute to the consultation at http://forum.schoolsdebate.com. The consultation will end on Friday 22 July, and the directors will share their final decision with the community immediately after that.

If you have already registered to read or contribute to the AGM, you may log in to the forums using the same email address and password. If you have forgotten your password, use the link underneath the login form to reset it. If you have not previously registered, you may create a new email/password combination.

I look forward to reading the community’s contributions.

Best wishes to you all,


James Probert
Chair, World Schools Debating Championships Ltd
Company limited by guarantee in England and Wales, number 6666449
Registered address Dartmouth House, 37 Charles Street, London W1J 5ED

Consultations & changes at WSDC Ltd

James Probert, chairperson of the Directors of WSDC Ltd writes;


Dear colleagues and fellow members of the WSDC community,

You will be only too aware that at the conclusion of our AGM in February the Board of Directors pledged to consult the World Schools community on the details of the new membership system introduced by the bye laws adopted at that meeting. This consultation will include both a finalised version of the wording of the amendment to the bye-laws proposing a system of counting votes of members in blocks by country, and a schedule of fees payable by different categories of member.

Recently Andrea Coomber, chair of the board of directors from 2008 to 2009 and again from 2010 onwards, has decided for personal reasons that she is unable to make the level of commitment to WSDC in the future that the role of director requires, and has resigned. I would like to thank her both personally and on behalf of the entire community for her sterling service and hard work up to this point.

At the most recent meeting of the board of directors I was elected chair. At the same meeting I’m delighted to say that Trevor Sather was co-opted onto the board of directors, and following my resignation as chair of the development committee has taken up that challenge too.

There is much work ahead of us, the WSDC community embodied in WSDC Ltd, as we move toward registered charity status and subsequently play an important role in helping and driving the development of the series of annual tournaments, focussing, as agreed at the last AGM, on widening access, in a number of different ways, to the competition. I very much hope that we will be able to build on the work of the board to date, which has sometimes been of necessity slow and steady, and quicken the pace of the organisation’s maturation and growth.

The last meeting of the board of directors agreed to begin as soon as technically practical the consultation on membership fees and voting systems, with a view to implementing the preferred version of both before Dundee. Therefore, in addition to being an update on the changes of personnel on the board of directors and development committee, I would also like this email to serve as an advance notice of the online consultation, which will begin in one week, on 6 July 2011, and last for two weeks, until 20 July 2011. Instructions for taking part will be sent out in due course.

I look forward to as many of you as possible participating in the forums, and to a bright future for WSDC as the new and exciting measures necessary for our growth and development are put into place.

Best wishes to you all,

James

James Probert,

Chair, WSDC Ltd.

Vote now!!!

Hello everyone.

As you know -I hope- there is a postal ballot as to whether WSDC should abolish the "x+1 rule" which prohibits former WSDC debaters from judging at the WSDC championship immediately following the one in which they debated as school students. That subsequent championship can occur any time between 6-18 months after the championship at which they debated. Currently, they have to wait until the championship after that, hence the name "x plus 1."

This issue was discussed at length in the adjudication working group, the emails of which you can still read if you subscribe to the topica mailing lists and search through the group archive. As a result of a series of motions proposed by South Africa and seconded by Greece, a postal ballot has been convened so that we can resolve the issue one way or the other before the next WSDC Championship at Dundee in August 2011.

The ballot closes on 21 June 2011, which means at midnight on 21 June 2011 in your nation (midnight being just before 22 June begins!) Ballots are to be sent to our trusty secretary Hayah Eichler at hayah.eichler@gmail.com

Some nations have already voted. The Executive Committee thanks them for doing so and acknowledges receipt of their ballots. However, a large number has not voted. As at this morning the nations from which Hayah had NOT received ballots were:

Argentina
Bangladesh
Bermuda
Botswana
Chile
Indonesia
Ireland
Japan
Mongolia
Namibia
Peru
Qatar
Sweden
USA

I apologise if some of you have in fact sent Hayah your ballot in the meantime, but for those of you who haven't, I do invite you to have your say and cast your vote. We will welcome your ballot whether you wish to say "yes" or "no" or "abstain". We value your contribution to the decision-making process.

If you have lost or have not received the ballot papers please contact Hayah at the address above and she will only be too happy to send ballots and accompanying explanatory documents to you. If you are not your nation's delegate but you know who is, contact them and encourage them to vote.

Thanks for reading this. And...VOTE NOW!!!

Kind regards,

Claire Ryan
Chairperson
WSDC Executive Committee

PREPARED MOTIONS FOR WORLD SCHOOLS DEBATING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2011 IN DUNDEE

The WSDC Motions Committee is pleased to announce the following prepared motions for the 2011 Championships.

Round 1
This House would offer dictators immunity in return for leaving power

Round 3
This House believes that Universal Primary Education is a misallocation of resources for the developing world

Round 5
This House would legalise the sale of human organs

Round 7
This House believes that women can only achieve equality under a secular system of government

The Grand Final
This House believes that autocracy is doomed in the age of Facebook

All other motions will be announced one hour before the debates.

The Motions Committee (elected at WSDC 2010)
Mehvesh Mumtaz Ahmed (Pakistan/Hong Kong)
Christopher Bishop (New Zealand)
Simon Quinn (chair) (Australia)
Thepparith (TJ) Senamngern (Thailand)
Eva Spoor (Netherlands)
Cameron Wyllie (Scotland)

The Chief Adjudicators
Beth James (Wales)
Andrew Marshall (Australia/England)

For further information about the World Schools Debating Championships 2011 click here

To see Newsletters 1 & 2 from the WSDC 2011 organising committee,click here

For information about the postal ballot closing on 21 June 2011, email the WSDC Tournament Executive Secretary here

Registration for WSDC 2011 now open. Closing date 10 February 2011

Beth James, co-Chief Adjudicator with Andrew Marshall for WSDC 2011 writes;

Dear all

As many of you should hopefully already know, registration for WSDC Dundee is now open. To register please follow this link http://wsdctournament.wordpress.com/watch

Please remember that you must complete an adjudication questionnaire (also available by following the above link) for every judge which you would like to bring to Dundee.

When stage one of the registration process closes on 10th February we will confirm if your nation has been awarded a place in the competition based on the cap policy and we will allocate the additional spaces for any judges that have been requested using the information provided in the adjudication questionnaires. The information in the questionnaires will also be beneficial for us in preparing necessary adjudication training etc.

If you would like to be considered as an independent judge please also complete the questionnaire by 10th February and email it directly to this address; CAs@wsdcdundee.com

If you have any questions please contact contact@wsdcdundee.com for general queries or CAs@wsdcdundee.com
for adjudication queries.

All the best

Beth James

Co-CA WSDC Dundee 2011

Happy New Year and happy newsletter!

Kia ora everyone! Welcome to the revamped and reactivated WSDC blog.

You may well be able to come up with a better and more exciting title. I've taken the three key words from the charter - precious words as they are - but this blog is of course a work in progress. All suggestions welcome.

And welcome too to the first newsletter for Dundee 2011. Click hereand there it is!

The championship is now only 8 months away and this will be the first of a number of newsletters from Irene and her diligent and industrious Org Comm. Check out the Dundee 2011 website www.wsdcdundee.com and keep checking this blog at regular intervals.

In the meantime, Happy New Year and may 2011 be a good one for you:

Z novym hodam
Bonne Annee
Chestita Nova Godina
Feliz Año Nuevo
Xin Nian Kuai Le
Sretna Nova godina
Šťastný Nový rok
Head uut aastat
Ein Glückliches Neues Jahr
Kenourios Chronos
Sun Leen Fai Lok
Selamat Tahun Baru
Naye Varsha Ki Shubhkamanyen
Bliain nua fe mhaise dhuit
L'Shannah Tovah
Akimashite Omedetto Gozaimasu
Saehae Bock Mani ba deu sei yo
Antum salimoun
Laimingu Naujuju Metu
Srekna nova godina
Selamat Tahun Baru
Shine jiliin bayariin mend hurgeye
Marago Qhamwaka Waupe
Nhu Da Ya Vintuna
Gelukkig Niieuwjaar
Kia hari te tau hou
Naya Saal Mubbarak Ho
Manigong Bagong Taon
La Multi Ani
S novim godom
Bliadhna mhath ur
Stastny Novy rok
Srečno novo leto
Gelukkige nuwe jaar
Pudhu Varusha Vaazhthukkal
Wilujeng Tahun Baru
Gott nytt år
Sawadee Pee Mai
Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun
Bothi Oro Manyeni
Blwyddyn Newydd Dda

Kind regards,
Claire Ryan
Chairperson,
Executive Committee
WSDC Ltd