The purpose of Clarion Forensics is based on six Cs:

It’s about

Christ: His Word and His Spirit

Communication: Proclaiming and persuading

Companionship: Friends in fellowship

Competition: Sharpening and stirring

Character: Shaping and strengthening

The Great Commission: Making disciples in our own families and in the world.

History

Clarion Forensics was founded by three families in 2004 to promote effective communication in a Christ-honoring environment. From those three families, we have grown to over 80 participants. This year we are excited to see the birth of a new club in the Eagle Point area, started from many of the Clarion Forensics Families from that area.

Each year we have participated in local, regional and national speech tournaments under the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association (NCFCA). Many of our competitors have participated in other oratory competitions for national right-to-life organizations, in Rotary Club contests and in Toastmasters events. Clarion Forensics competitors have been recognized at all levels of competition for their communication and presentation skills.

Not only has our club grown in numbers and in awards over the years, but we have also seen growth in our students’ ability to present themselves to others in a winsome outgoing way, overcoming shyness, uncertainties and fear. Parents have grown as well in their ability to coach, encourage and give constructive feedback to their own children and to others.

We anticipate continued growth of our club and we aspire to multiplying other clubs in the area as the Lord continues to bless our efforts at equipping and challenging the next generation of communicators.

Membership

Membership in the club is open to parents who are home educating their children. The requirement is that each student is receiving at least 50% of his education at home from his parents.

The parents are the members of the club. The children (students) are the ones who prepare and deliver speeches and compete in tournaments. Parents serve as coaches, provide volunteer assistance, help with club meetings, and work together to plan and present our annual speech tournament.

Registration

Parents register by filling out the registration form, listing each child who will be participating in club activities, and submitting the membership fee to the board. The membership fee is $30 per family per year, covering the period of September through May. Membership in the club is subject to board approval.

The two registration periods are from August 1 through October 1 for the Fall session, and January 1 to January 31 for the Spring session. The number of club registrations may be limited by the capacity of the facility or other factors to be determined by the board. The board may also make exceptions to the registration deadlines, at its discretion.

Experienced club alumni may be invited by the board to participate as assistant coaches, trainers, tournament helpers or to assist students needing special guidance or encouragement. Alumni are not required to pay membership fees unless they have children who will be taking part in club activities.

Club meetings

Clarion Forensics club meets on Tuesday nights at Grants Pass High School in the Administration Building from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. We gather for a time of singing and prayer, general club announcements, group teaching and interaction, and then we break up into different groups according to the types of speeches we are working on. The meeting format changes from time to time based on club needs and on the tournament season.

We expect students to participate in all activities of the club, including worship and prayer, attending teaching and training sessions, writing and presenting speeches, giving constructive feedback to other students when requested, attending social activities, participating in tournaments and helping with club meetings as needed.

All participants are expected to maintain respectful conduct and speech at all times. We expect that each student will have a parent present at every club meeting. While parents may be involved helping in areas where their children are not present, parents are still responsible for the behavior of their students at all times. When possible, children under age 12 should be with their parent at all times.

In circumstances where the member wishes to have their student participate in a particular club meeting but the member is unable to attend that meeting, the parent must designate a substitute parent responsible for the student. The parent of the student must request permission from a member of the board of directors before sending their student to a meeting without them. Because we place a high value on parental involvement and because this is a club for parents of homeschooled children, this is intended to be a rare exception.

Dress code

SPIRIT OF THE DRESS CODE: The spirit of the dress policy is modesty and cleanliness with the intent to glorify God in all we do (1 Corinthians 10:31). The goal is to minimize the focus on the outward appearance or body and maximize the focus on the development of ideas and communication skills. Let’s communicate Christ in whatever we do!

Gentlemen: Cleanliness is the key element. Gentlemen shall wear appropriate semi-casual clothing. Jeans, shorts, and plain/solid colored t-shirts are acceptable. White t-shirts (meant to be worn as an undershirt), t-shirts with offensive or questionable graphics, and baseball caps are not permissible. Please make sure all under clothing (e.g. boxers) is covered at all times.

Ladies: Modesty is the key element. Ladies shall wear appropriate semi-casual clothing. Jeans and dress shorts are acceptable. Hemlines on dresses, skirts, and dress shorts should be within a few inches (approx. 2”) above the knee line or longer. Midriff must remain covered during club time and during speeches. Tight-fitting or low-cut tops, sun-dresses, sun-tops and see-through tops are not permissible. Please make sure all under-clothing (e.g. camisole straps, bra straps) is covered at all times.

Dress requirements for tournaments will be discussed in club meetings and appropriate examples will be demonstrated.

Visitor policy

Clarion Forensics is committed to equipping and training homeschooling families to be effective communicators. We desire to expand the influence and blessing of Clarion club in our community and in other communities in our region. We encourage member families to invite other interested homeschooling families to visit club meetings to discover how Clarion can be a part of their homeschooling experience. When families visit, we want to make every effort to help them understand what the club is all about, without disrupting or impeding club activities.

Visitors are welcome to attend club meetings on the first Tuesday of each month. Once a family has visited two club meetings, the family will be permitted to attend future meetings only if they register to join the club and are accepted into membership during the next registration period.

Visitors are responsible to abide by club policies of deportment, dress and respect of leadership.

NCFCA affiliation

Clarion Forensics students compete in tournaments sanctioned by the NCFCA. In order to compete in the NCFCA, it is necessary to register as an affiliate. We recommend early registration to receive a discount. You may see details at the NCFCA website: http://www.ncfca.org/.

Participation in tournaments under the NCFCA is limited to students ages 12 to 18 (as of January 1 of the competition year). Younger students are welcome to participate in club meetings and receive coaching. Younger students are also welcome to participate in junior tournaments, which are not sanctioned by the NCFCA. Students must be at least 50% home educated to compete.

Because of the high value of competition in motivating and strengthening our students, it is strongly recommended that each student between 12 and 18 years of age compete in at least one NCFCA tournament during the upcoming season.

Facility issues

Because we are guests in the facility we use, each person is responsible for helping maintain the cleanliness and orderliness of the areas we use. Running or roughhousing is not allowed and no one is allowed upstairs unless permission has been granted by a board member.

Clarion Web site

Please visit our club website: http://www.clarionforensics.com/ for more information and updates for the current season.

Directory

A directory of member families will be made available to participants each fall.

In case of emergency

Phone numbers of board members are included below.

President: Ron Strom (541) 441-7167 cell

Vice President and Tournament Director: Bryan Scott (541) 582-2055 home

Secretary: Jeff Gratias (541) 479-3837 home

Treasurer: Mary Howard (541) 292-0369 cell

Board Advisor: Richard Emmons (541) 660-2845 cell

Apologetics Coaching Form

Side 1 of Form

CoachingForm1

Side 2 of Form

CoachTraining2009