UN Ceremony: Secretary of State Kerry
signs Paris Climate Accord.
Kremlin Ceremony: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kerson and Zaporizhia join Russia.
USS Gerald Ford (foreground).
SDI’s Simulating National Greatness
Contact
302.300.9611
Sign-Up Details
Register
Conference Will Be Held in 2024
But Dates Are TBA
Payment
1. General Procedures
Choose either the Package of 3 Events or any individual Event.
All prices include Pre-Conference Briefings, Conference Admission, ZOOM Access, Insurance and Administration.
Each individual (or their guardian) must register and pay separately!
Initial committee assignments are first come, first serve.
Please fill out the registration form in the middle column and use a payment button in the column on far right.
Access to pre-conference briefings is via links that will be sent to you, according to what is said below in “Schedule.”
Terms and Conditions dated February 16, 2023, found below.
2. If Part Of A Group
If you are part of a group, then make sure everyone in the group adds a “GROUP SUFFIX” to their names. Example. The group leader goes by Peter Smith. You go by Jane Doe. Then Peter Smith would enter his name as Peter Smith PS, you would enter your name as Jane Doe PS.
3. Discounts
The package of 2 events is already discounted 11%, per participant. (No other discounts apply.)
Each individual event is discounted an extra 7% ($5), if you bring a group of 5 or more student participants. Discounts are rebated. Example. You are part of a club of 5 students. Each of you registers and pays $75. Each of you is rebated $5.
If part of a group be sure each individual enters their name and “group suffix.” See above.
4. Faculty Advisor
Each faculty advisor should register and pay via this page, too. Be sure to include your “group suffix.” See above. There are no discounts for faculty advisors, per individual events (conferences).
NOTE — Each individual (or their guardian) must register and pay separately!
Both SNG Conferences
$140
Climate Policy
Conference
$75
Arc of War
Conference
$75
SDI Terms and Conditions dated 2/16/23
Schedule
Register – Groups are welcome but registration must be done by and for an individual.
Fact Checking – SDI does everything it can to ensure a safe, instructive and enjoyable conference. First of all, our own staff are screened and undergo a security check. Also, we endeavor to verify the identity of conference participants, both students and their club faculty if any. The information that you supplied in filling out the application helps us to verify identities. Although SDI does not assume liability for a false application (someone who misrepresents themselves as a student participant or as a simulation faculty advisor), we do screen conference applicants and there is conference supervision. In the odd event that SDI suspects that there has been a misrepresentation, SDI will notify the applicant and may request additional information. If SDI still suspects misrepresentation, it reserves to itself the right to bar the applicant in question from conference participation and it reserves to itself the right to keep all registration fees. To put on a conference is time consuming and the aforementioned deterrent is in the interest of all legitimate conference participants.
No Substances Of Any Kind – SDI has a zero tolerance policy where substances, drug or alchohol or both, are concerned. Substance use during the conference is grounds for immediate dismissal and the application fee is forfeit.
Proprietary Rights And Limitation Of Rights – Instruction staff have the right to use electronic recording (audio or video) devices and to record the camp or event. All rights to such a recording that involve formal lecture (i.e., a SDI instructor or instructors addressing the students or taking and responding to questions) are exclusive to SDI. The portion of such a recording that features students in other settings, including debate, may only be used by SDI for promotional material, eg, on its website. SDI reserves the right to use any and all camp recordings for its own internal purposes, that is, coaching of its staff or private briefings of supporters or potential donors.
No other electronic recording of the camp or event can be made without the prior written approval of the SDI.
SDI may take photos and videos of debaters during session or on tour and has exclusive rights to these photos and videos for training and promotional purposes.
Testimonials from students and parents (or legal guardians) are welcomed. SDI has the right to publish such testimonials and to use first name and initial of last name as attribution.
Emergency Numbers – Emergency numbers are exchanged. We request emergency contact information. We supply a way for you to reach us, too, in the event of an unforeseen mishap. And our emergency number is supplied several days before the event, thus eliminating the risk of an out of date number.
Waivers – SDI is not responsible for damages that may befall a camp or event participant (student) or camp observer (his or her parent) because of the negligence of that student or parent or both, or because of the negligence of another student or another student’s parent or both, or because of the negligence of a third party. We, SDI, also assume no responsibility for any preexisting medical condition or for any medical situation that might arise during the event.
SAFETY FIRST
Very deliberate safety procedures are in place. SDI instructors are not permitted to coach unless they have undergone appropriate background checks; we ourselves have an internal review and safety training. Our staff are all adults, 18 years and up. Student attendance is frequently taken. Students remain in a group, under adult supervision, and are not permitted to wander. Alcoholic beverages and non-prescription drugs are prohibited during coaching. Anyone found in possession of prohibited items will be dismissed immediately and all tuition will be forfeited. There is no toleration of inappropriate behavior or what looks to be inappropriate behavior. The technology that we use (ZOOM) gives us, the SDI staff, exclusive control of the video and audio. In the event that an instructor deems a student’s conduct or attire to be inappropriate, the student will be removed from participation at once. There is no pro-rated refund of that portion of the coaching that is subsequently missed. SDI reserves to itself the right to remove the student in question from future coaching, as well, and in the event of total removal, tuition and all camp or event payment will be forfeited to SDI.
SENIOR INSTRUCTOR
Our Senior Instructor is without equal in the forensics community. And he interacts frequently with all the students that we coach. There are situations wherein he is the sole instructor. In other situations, he oversees several instructors and coaches too. One way or other, students receive a great deal of his time. Furthermore, he trains his assistants in advance of coaching.
TECHNICAL ASPECTS
Online Coaching takes place via ZOOM. (Links to sessions will be emailed to you; you do not need your own online account.) The instructor manages visibility. It is possible that debaters will scrimmage online or compete in tournaments online or both. One again, ZOOM is utilized.
Additional coaching and research support is provided via Google Documents.
ATTIRE
A modicum of dress up is encouraged during session. Dress shirt and tie for men, and dress-up blouse or dress for women, is encouraged.
CONTINGENCIES, INCLUDING REFUNDS, WAIT LIST
Statesman Debate Institute (SDI) intends to do everything it can to ensure safe, instructive and enjoyable coaching.
In the event that SDI has to cancel a coaching session or sessions–because of unforeseen circumstances or force majeure affecting the instruction staff or hosting or insufficient number of registered students—registration monies will be promptly returned.
A great deal of planning goes into our coaching. Regrettably, registration monies are non-refundable in all circumstances other than those already mentioned, unless an alternate is willing to take your place in a timely fashion as judged by SDI.
What does a “prompt” or “immediate” refund mean? A refund will be provided within 14 days of a cancellation by SDI.
CANCELLATION POLICY
All payments are nonrefundable, unless a written request is submitted to SDI and SDI grants the request.
CANCELLATION INSURANCE
Third parties, including www.aplusplans.com or www.insuremytrip.com, may enable you to insure all or part of your debate participation. Costs are affordable. If you want such insurance, make sure you acquire it before making camp payment.
ONLY PAYMENT IN ADVANCE SECURES A SPOT OR A BRIEF
This should be self-explanatory.
CONFIDENTIALITY CLAUSES
- All instruction and instruction material, and all Briefs, whether presented in a formal coaching session or in any other format by SDI, is the intellectual property of SDI, except if amended in accordance with the contract below.
- A student who receives SDI coaching or Briefs or both agrees to abide by a 60-month Confidentiality Clause, starting from January 1, 2023 and ending January 1, 2028.
- Except as amended in Item #4 or #5, a student who receives SDI coaching of any kind may not formally teach anything he observes via this coaching, whether as an independent contractor or employee of another organization or volunteer of another organization. This prohibition clause includes any and all techniques, information and knowledge that is taught in SDI coaching or Briefs. This ban on formal teaching and sharing extends through January 1, 2028.
- There are the following exceptions to the confidentiality clause (Item #3). He or she may make reasonable, incidental use of SDI information and technique in the course of interacting with other participants of the SDI Congress or in another similar setting. Regardless of setting, any use of specific SDI language requires attribution.
- He or she may formally teach or share or both if (1) SDI certifies him or her to work in a future SDI program, (2) SDI grants him or her express written permission to teach or share in another (non-SDI) setting, including other partnering (including a partner or partners on a school forensics team), tutoring, schools, governments or businesses.
- If SDI grants written permission to a student to teach or share or both in a formal fashion in a non-SDI setting what he observed via SDI coaching or Briefs, then SDI also has the option and right to require this student to pay an observation fee of $4000 or more. Furthermore, this student would only have the right to teach or share or both in a non-SDI setting after 48 hours had passed since SDI had received the confidentiality fee.
- The Congress Conference Briefing Book and password(s) to access the Briefing Book may not be circulated.
- SDI sells its Briefs to Schools, Groups and Individuals. Its Briefs are copyrighted and may not be circulated beyond the contracting School, Group or Individual without the express written permission of SDI. (Sometimes a solo homeschool family will purchase a Brief. SDI may advise them to find and may even help them find one or more other homeschool families that would be willing to enter into a “Group” for the purpose of using the same Brief.
| Online Conference Date, Time | Registration Opens | Recorded Briefings Available, LIve Webinar | Opening Speech Due | Registration HIghlights | Costs for Individual Conference | Costs for Package of Two Conferences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic Conntagion 2025, Saturday, 10 AM - 6 PM EST, Recess Noon - 1 pm | TBA | 2 weeks prior; 3 days prior, 7:30 - 9 PM EST | Midnight, 2 days prior. This speech is optional but some conference privileges at stake. | If participant is under 18, Advisor, Parent or Guardian must pay. No group registration. Access to Recorded Briefing will be provided. Advisors may participate in the Conference. | $75 - student $50 - advisor | $140 - student $95 - advisor |
| High Stakes Climate Policy, Friday, TBA --- July 20, 10 AM - 6 PM EST, Recess Noon - 1 PM | TBA | July 18, July 19 10 AM - Noon EST | 7 PM, July 19. This speech is optional but some conference privileges at stake. | If participant is under 18, Advisor, Parent or Guardian must pay. No group registration. Access to Recorded Briefing will be provided. Advisors may participate in the Conference. | $75 - student $50 - advisor | $140 - student $95 - advisor |
| Arc of War TBA -- Friday, Aug 4, 10 AM - 6 PM EST, Recess Noon - 1 PM | TBA | Aug 2, Aug 3 10 AM - Noon EST | 7 PM, Aug 3. This speech is optional but some conference privileges at stake. | If participant is under 18, Advisor, Parent or Guardian must pay. No group registration. Access to Recorded Briefing will be provided. Advisors may participate in the Conference. | $75 - student $50 - advisor | $140 - student $95 - advisor |
© Copyright, 2023, The Society of Statesmen, Inc, sponsor of Statesman Debate Institute. All Rights Reserved.
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