Following Fall Conference ACTAA Leadership would like to survey the member to assess community needs for future conferences. Based on feedback provided by members on Saturday, Sep 21,  the following survey was developed to collect information that will be used to plan future conference.

Conference Needs Assessment Survey

The ACTAA TAC Committee met at the 2024 Fall Conference on 09/20/2024 and Sean Petersen, TAC Chair, hereby puts out the following notes and summations of discussions from the TAC Forum Meeting to inform and guide Tournament Directors and competitive coaches for the 24’-25’ competitive season. 

• Tournament Directors are encouraged to clarify LD topics that are used by early tournaments for Jr. High division and perhaps think twice before using the Novice topic as these students will have the opportunity to debate that topic their Novice year of high school. 

• Tournament Directors are encouraged to recognize that if junior high students are going to be charged the same as high school students, there should be parity in judging, awards, and experience if entry costs are comparable.  

• Tournament Directors are encouraged to provide quality judges who can give high level quality and adjudication in Jr. High rounds and that student judges should only judge Jr. High students if they have 250 NSDA points. 

• Tournament Directors are encouraged to, in the current economy, to be mindful of raising costs at tournaments be those entry fees, judging fees, school fees, and concessions prices. Costs continue to escalate while students and family costs can stifle competitive entries. We were reminded that entry fees can not turn a profit for a tournament per AAA policy and instruction and must be kept low for all students are able to attend. 

• Coaches and Tournament Directors are encouraged to reexamine their culture of entering students in more that one draw events. Additionally the collected members wanted to stress that double entry in draw events harms tournaments and causes rounds and tournaments as a whole to run late. Please refrain from entering students into two different draw events at tournament (Ex: Extemp and IPDA) 

• There was a discussion of a return to Individual Events and Acting events returning to Saturday only competition. We agreed that this choice is best left with individual tournaments and directors as the size of tournaments varies and there should be no “one size fits all” rule.

• Tournament Directors are encouraged to take great care in drafting tournament invites to include all details on event times, judge requirements and other important information of note. It is incumbent on attending coaches to make sure to fully read each tournament’s invitation to know any changes from year to year before registering for all tournaments held in our state. When in doubt, coaches should reach out to Tournament Directors for clarification well in advance of any contest. 

• Coaches and Tournament Directors are encouraged to include and be explicit in their arrival details for the tournament and try as best they can to respect these instructions or contact tournament directors in advance if a team may be arriving earlier than the start time established in the invite. 

• Coaches and Tournament Directors are encouraged to clarify IPDA rules for prep, computer usage, times, weighing and other procedures of the event. If coaches and Tournament Directors need clarification of the rules of the IPDA format, please contact the IPDA High School Committee (Daniel Caudle offered to be the point person, his email address is daniel.caudle@sdale.org) or consult the IPDA established rules at the IPDA website at http://www.ipdadebate.info/constitution--bylaws.html. 

• Coaches and Tournament Directors are encouraged to highlight what Tournament Etiquette is and to stress to their teams that students should be professional in their interactions with adults at tournaments, watch their language, not run, etc. The committee briefly discussed that perhaps drafting a ACTAA Etiquette Guide as a base level of team expectation may be helpful, but no actions were taken towards that end. 

• The TAC Committee assembled encourages all coaches to note that if you have a Missing Judge Fee or Nuisance Fee for not having judges for your entries at tournaments that requesting that additional members of that school’s adult chaperone (be it parent of Coach)to  judge, as it is not a standard for our tournament circuit. If the school paid the Missing Judge or Nuisance Fee then they should be free of judging requirements and those fees should go to help recruiting or hiring judges for the tournament. We also discussed the difference between a Missing Judge and Nuisance Fee and when it is acceptable to include tournament fees and that they should be kept reasonable and not excessive as it limits those in our community who can compete. 

• Tournament Directors are encouraged to take note of judge overuse and to diversify the judging pool in all events. Additionally, Tournament Directors are encouraged to not overuse Coach judges so that we can be helpful to our teams at competitions. Often parent judges brought by teams report not getting judging rounds, Tournament Directors should make an effort to utilize all judges in the pool for preliminary rounds to allow for more qualified/ coach judge availability in elimination rounds.

• The TAC Committee assembled encourages all coaches to utilize the Neutrality notation in Tabroom.com to allow for judges to show their judging strikes or openness. Judges and Coaches need to make sure these settings are done before arriving at tournaments, but the fix is fairly easy and most Tabroom directors and assistants can help with these settings before rounds get underway if need be. Additionally, please have Judges use the notes feature in Tabroom to help better direct them if they have specific aspects that the tournament may need to know prior to judge pairing.

• The TAC Committee assembled encourages all coaches to maintain professional conduct when interacting with their teams both at their school and at tournaments. Teenagers talk and information and negative opinions often get back to teams that can cause animosity and upset. If we can’t stop focusing on our negative opinions our students will pick up on that and carry those negative associations to competitions. We should endeavor to be professional and positive whenever possible as Coaches and leaders of our teams. 

• The TAC Committee assembled encourages all coaches that the Grievance procedures of individual tournaments and of ACTAA as an organization should be reviewed and utilized as needed. Please keep in mind that these may differ, individual grievance complaints for individual tournaments should be outlined and highlighted in tournament instructions in the tournament invitation, and ACTAA’s Grievance Procedure per its Ethic Committee can be found on the ACTAA website, actaa.org/Governing-Documents.

Sep. 19-21, the Arkansas Communication & Theatre Arts Association (ACTAA) hosted its annual Fall Conference which included the organization’s annual General Business Meeting and regular meeting of the Board of Directors. The following outlines approved proposals of policies and programs that hope to advance the association's ability to better serve its membership and ensure continuity.

Membership Action:

The ASC Qualifying Tournament Document was amended to add back five theatre events (dramatic song lyric interpretation, solo acting, duet acting, solo musical acting, & duet musical acting) and the development of a Tabroom.com tournament shell for use on the Arkansas circuit. Ballots for these new theatre events have been added to the Membership Library on the website, actaa.org/ballots.

Support document(s): Updated ASC Qualifying Tournament Document 

The ACTAA Bylaws are amended to allow the Board of Directors to initiate changes outside of the annual general membership business following a thirty (30) day comment period before ratification. 

Support document(s): Updated ACTAA Bylaws

The Student Congress Bylaws were amended to add a late drop fee, limit use of fall competition topics for bills, require use of committee provided placards and other minor edits for clarification. 

Support document(s): Updated Student Congress Bylaws

A Nomination Committee was elected for the 2024-2026 term, namely Brittney McGloflin of Fayetteville (chair), Beck Greenway of Bentonville, & Breanne Selah of Cabot.

 

Board Action:

The ACTAA in Action Strategic Plan was adopted by the Board and announced to membership. The outstanding goals of the 2021 DEI Working Plan adopted by the DEI Taskforce was added to the draft strategic plan document that shared with the membership at Summer Workshop. 

Support document(s): Finalized ACTAA in Action Strategic Plan

The scholarship program named after Jennifer Akers, the individual Akers Scholarship established in 2021 was eliminated, the college scholarship amount was lowered from $1,000 to $500, and the forensics & theater scholarship was separated into two scholarships.

Support document(s): Approved scholarship proposal

The Student Advisory Board was more formalized with meeting schedule, participation requirements, and leadership training. Brittney McGloflin has agreed to serve as SAB Advisor. McGloflin and Tucker will work together to build out more resources over the next year to further structure of the program.

 Support document(s): Student Advisory Board Policy

The awards & recognition process and timelines were formalized for the organization’s five existing awards  (e.g., Teacher of the Year, Administrator of the Year, Spirit of ACTAA, Lifetime Member recognition, and NFHS Outstanding Educator recognition), and the board approved the creation of five additional new awards:

Support document(s): Awards & Recognition Policy

Appointments. Following Fall Conference, President Zackery Tucker appointed and the board confirmed the following appointments:

Spring Workshop 2025 was approved by the Board to be held July 20-22 in Little Rock. The facility will be announced before the Board's Winter Meeting on January 5, 2025.

Fall Conference 2025 was approved by the Board to be held at the Hotel Hot Springs August 28-30, 2025.

A new Board Meeting Schedule was approved for the 2024-2025 academic year. The Board agreed to start meeting bi-monthly on the first Sunday of scheduled month at 1:30 p.m. All meetings will be virtual, outside of the three in-person meeting we historically have (Summer Workshop, Fall Conference, & Winter Meeting).

2024-2025:

• July (during Summer Workshop, as required by the Constitution)
• September (during Fall Conference, as required by the Constitution)
• November 3, 2024 (virtually)
• January 5, 2025 (Winter Meeting, required by the Constitution)
• March 2, 2025 (virtually)
• May 4, 2025 (virtually)

As we return to the classroom for the 2024-2025 school year, I want to take this opportunity to remind our members and Arkansas’ communication and theatre teachers how important your work is to the students you serve and the future of the state of Arkansas. 

Without your hard work and commitment to communication and theatre education, the students of Arkansas wouldn’t have opportunities to think critically, interpret their feelings and opinions healthily, express themselves, communicate effectively and engage in their communities.  The unique opportunities our profession is afforded through hours of extra contact with your students open the door for students to grow and learn from each other and for them to have a trusted mentor in you.

As we look at the world around us, it is easy to see that our communities need communication and theatre education now more than ever. Our students face mounting generational and societal pressure locally in their communities and globally through technology. Whether the activity is debate, forensics, acting or public speaking, whether it’s hosting a competition or supporting local educators in a communication and theater classroom, whether it's constructing an argument or discovering a piece of literature, you are providing your community’s students a platform to learn how to positively and professionally formulate their independent feelings and thoughts and how to communicate or express said thoughts to others respectfully. Equipping your students to be confident, independent, intentional communicators is one of the more powerful gifts they will receive in their lifetime. Research shows Arkansas students who have mastered your curriculum’s communication skills (e.g., interpersonal communication, active listening, critical thinking, verbal communication, collaboration, teamwork, etc.) are more employable right out of high school, more successful in college and more likely to advance out of poverty. You positively change lives.

The next time the bell rings, and you are tired or discouraged, remember Arkansas needs you in the classroom, and our students need opportunities to be transformed through participation in your communication, debate, and/or theatre arts classroom.

Thank you again for your work with students and for helping teach the next generation of Arkansas leaders in your classroom and ACTAA. Together, we are working to inspire Arkansas to think, speak and act for a brighter future.

Yours for better discourse,

Zackery A. Tucker, ACTAA President

Not only can a positive volunteer experience be educational and fulfilling, it can also be a great way to connect with colleagues across the state who share your passions and are committed to advancing speech, debate, & theatre as a profession, life skill, & art form through service.

No matter your current skill level, years of experience in the classroom, or available time, you can tap into long-term career success through the many pathways into ACTAA leadership. Now is the time to communicate your interest in many of the leadership positions across the association, as well as dozens of committee and work team opportunities that will begin service in 2024-2025.

ACTAA Leadership Opportunities:

·        Arkansas State Championship Committee

·        Arkansas Student Congress Committee

·        Ethical Practices Committee

•   Newsletter Coordinator

·        Professional Standards Committee

·        Publicity & Promotion Committee

·        Recruitment & Mentoring Committee

·        Scholarship Committee

·        Student Advisory Board Sponsor(s)

Share your interest in serving. 

Following the Summer Workshop, July 21-23, the Board of Directors convened and approved several proposed policies and programs that hope to advance the association's ability to better serve its membership and ensure continuity.

Board & Committee Reform

To better lead the organization and be more responsive to the membership needs, the board approved increasing its regular meeting schedule from three times a year to bi-monthly. Additional action included adopting a board attendance policy, a requirement to publish board agendas three days before the meeting, standardizing board reports, procedures for asynchronous board votes via email.

Board Document(s): Proposed Board of Directors Reform.

Fundraising Initiative

In December 2023, the association was granted its 501(c)3 tax-exempt status. As ACTAA enters its new fiscal year on August 1, the board adopted a Strategic/ Corporate Partners Program. The initiative provides a structured program for soliciting financial donations through sponsorships for ACTAA core activities (e.g., Arkansas Forensics and Debate State Championship Tournament (ASC), Arkansas Student Congress (STUCO), Annual Fall Conference, Annual Summer Workshop, Scholarships). With the program, ACTAA Leadership will develop partnerships with external individuals and businesses to financially support the growth of the association’s programs. In addition to a three-level recognition program (e.g., Partner ($500.00-$999.99), Advocate ($1,000.00-$2,999.99), & Champion ($3,000 <), the initiative allows for naming rights to sessions, events, and meetings based on a financial contribution.

Board Document(s): Proposed Strategic/  Corporate Partners Program.

Website Policies

In February, Wild Apricot, Inc., our association’s website and membership management platform provider, advised its customers on new features to ensure compliance with recent data privacy laws adopted in areas of the United States. Although Arkansas does not currently require websites of businesses based in the state that collect user data and financial transitions to have a published privacy policy, cookie policy, and terms of services, state-wide media suggest that legislation proposed by the State Cybersecurity Office may be introduced this spring. Additionally, since Wild Apricot currently provides an affordable partnership with its preferred provider of non-profit web-based legal policies, Termly, Inc.,  the board approved several website policies.

Board Document(s): Website Privacy Policies, Website Cookie Policies, Website Terms of Service, & Website Design Guide.

ACTAA is seeking applications for the Student Advisory Board for the Arkansas speech & debate. Each year, ACTAA Leadership appoints eight students who have exhibited outstanding leadership skills, achievements in academics and activities, and a commitment to making a positive impact in their communities.

The Student Advisory Board is a team of high school students from diverse backgrounds who come together virtually to grow their leadership skills, bring youth perspectives to speech & debate, and support inter-program comradery and community within the Arkansas speech & debate circuit and the Arkansas Forensics & Debate State Championship.

Student Advisory Board Application Timeline:

Student Advisory Board Member Commitment:

Ready to apply to be a Student Advisory Board member?

Apply today

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June 10, ACTAA's website began a transition to a new look and organization that better supports the association's new branding and membership needs.

The site is undergoing a restructure in phases. In June, the design was updated and priority pages were reformatted and republished. As we approach Fall Conference, Sep. 19-21, at Petit Jean Mountain, additional pages will be republished to the site as they are reformatted in sections.

Members are encouraged to visit our site, actaa.org, over the summer to check out updates and the addition of several new functionally components of the site.

A few key items currently, available are:

• Welcome (landing) page with live feeds of upcoming events, organizational news and donation (income) goals.
• Updated Membership Application
• Membership Directory (Members Only)
• Governing Documents page
• Dynamic ACTAA Calendar
• Organizational News feed

Over the next month, there will be links to forms and content blocks that might not be complete at the time of publishing, as pages are updated and tandem items (i.e., digital forms, documents, etc.) are developed during this process.

One item we ask members to help verify is the ACTAA Calendar. We have transitioned the tournament calendar to the tool fully integrated in our website platform. Members are asked to help check the dates of events to verify the accuracy of the tournament schedule. The tournament schedule can be reviewed on the ACTAA Calendar or Tournament Calendar pages of the website.

Thank you for your input and collaboration during this process.

Captivating Community. As an organization, we must continue to grow by adapting to changing needs and environments. The focus of Fall Conference 2024 is to better engage as a community while learning in the rustic, natural surroundings of Petit Jean State Park. We will gather in different locations within a mile or two of one another. From Mather Lodge to the Visitor’s Center and finally to the Winthrop Rockefeller Center for our business meeting and luncheon. Fall Conference 2024 will be a rustic experience where we will rely on one another to know where we are going, literally and metaphorically.

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION

As with any event, there are multiple costs related. These fees cover facility rentals, meals, and other related costs to provide an enriching event. Register early to avoid fee increases. These must be passed along as vendors will charge us for late ordering.

LODGING AND RATES

Mather Lodge has reserved several cabins and rooms for us at reasonable rates. NOTE: the rooms at Mather Lodge are very ‘cozy’. Cabin rooms are more spacious and comfortable. This will encourage us to gather in the many scenic and social spaces at the lodge or one another’s cabins.

If staying at Mather Lodge, you must reserve by August 20th. Otherwise, a room cannot be guaranteed. They cannot book Group Reservations online. Group #833387 should be used to make confirmation with our Lodge at 501-727-5431 (open 24 hours, 7 days a week)

Learn more about Fall Conference. 

Other lodging options near the conference.

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