What does Quo Vadis mean?

Quo Vadis is Classical Latin and it means, “Where are you going?” This is a rallying cry for our club speaking to our purpose of producing effective communicators who can represent Christ in this world.

And by the way, it’s pronounced, [kwo ˈvadis].

Is speech and debate a club or a class?

That’s a great question…so glad you asked! Our club meets weekly and does not assign official grades to the
students, so it generally acts as a club. However, the nature of the activity requires the students to be committed
to the activity, complete their work, and be able to receive feedback on their speeches and debate cases from
parents, coaches and other students. As such, some families will list Speech and Debate as a core class or use it as another class on the students’ high school transcript, depending on the amount of work and their level of
commitment to the activity. So, for many families, it’s BOTH a club AND a class!

Is there homework?

There will be “homework” that we’ll encourage the students to complete — but here’s our philosophy about
homework and your role as their parent:

• Ultimately, parents are the “Teachers” and managers of their children’s workloads. If students have other commitments, we trust you’ll make the appropriate decision as it relates to the homework for S+D club, even if that means they don’t get their speech and debate homework done.
• For those starting out, our goal is to make public speaking a positive experience. We view this activity as a life long skill to practice — thus, we hold any homework assignment in that longer term perspective.
• As with any skill, you get out whatever you put in.

We don’t collect homework, but we will discuss the homework assignments at club meetings. We’ll use each club
meeting to discuss the concept(s), so that all club members may improve and grow as communicators.

What do you do for 5 hours during club?

The majority of the time students will be speaking, doing activities, or watching other speeches. Debate will be
more of a traditional classroom setting through about half of the semester. About halfway through, weekly
debates will begin. Here is a typical schedule:

• Songs, Devotion, Announcements (1pm to 1:30pm)
• Speech (1:30pm-2:50pm)
• Break
• Debate (3pm-5pm)
• Apologetics (5pm-6pm)

**Note: Club schedule subject to change week to week throughout the year.

Does my student need any experience?

No experience is necessary. We ask for students to have open hearts and minds and to be willing to try.
We’re all performing for an audience of One – Our Heavenly Father! We commit to following Jesus’ lead and strive to create a club environment where love and grace are foundational.

What do I bring to club?

• Notebook and pen/pencil.
• Water bottle and snacks (we do not have a designated snack time, however, students are encouraged to fuel themselves during class or breaks at their leisure).
• A willingness to grow and learn about growing your communication skills, for God’s glory!

Is there a dress code for club?

We do not have a specific dress code for our weekly club meetings. However, we do ask that clothes be modest
(Ladies, please be sure your tops do not expose your midriffs and are not tight or low cut).

Tournaments require tournament attire. NCFCA spells out these rules for what can be worn at the tournaments. Quo Vadis comes together to try and make sure that this dress code is not too burdensome for families.

Is there a deadline to register?
Can I join mid-school year?

No, we do not have a deadline to register. Yes, you can join us anytime during the academic school year. In order to make the most of the year, we DO recommend starting with us in September, but it’s never too late to join us.
Getting comfortable with public speaking is all about repetition – if the timing is right and our club is a fit for you’re family, jump on in with us anytime! We are happy to get your student up to speed.

What curriculum do you use?

In the fall semester (aka “Pre-Season”), we primarily teach from the NCFCA Comprehensive Guides to Speech and Debate (Coach’s Guide/Competitor Guide/Parent Guide). These are all available for purchase on the NCFCA Shop for your additional guidance throughout the year.

What’s my role as a parent?

• Check Email Faithfully – Email is the primary means of club communication.
• Speech and debate is really a family activity – Our club requires parents to attend club with their students or have a acceptable designated chaperone.
• We need the help and support of parents within the program.
• In addition, each family will need to volunteer to help in some way during the season.
• Non-participating siblings of students must be supervised at all times.
• Parents are required to help at our annual practice tournament.

Can younger siblings come to regular club?

Yes, we welcome siblings to come to club. We do not provide childcare for those who are not in the Juniors program, so please plan to supervise your littles. Our philosophy is that through “osmosis” the younger siblings will naturally begin learning the valuable skill of public speaking. We trust your judgement and know that you’ll strive to honor the other club members and take the appropriate steps to help guide your child if they do become a distraction. We’ll do it all in a spirit of love, and we hope you will too.