Verity Speech & Debate Policies and Registration

Policies

Welcome to Verity Speech & Debate 2026 - 2027

Please read through our policies in full before completing your registration. Registration and payment will be finalized after our policy pages are reviewed. For any questions, please contact us before completing your registration.

Verity Speech & Debate Club exists to nurture God's gift of communication in Christian homeschool students by providing rigorous training and spirited competition. Our mission is to empower students and parents to grow in Godly character, critical thinking, and the ability to articulate and defend their beliefs with clarity, conviction, and grace.

Our club is currently associated with the regional league, Christian Communicators of the Southeast (CCofSE) and the national league, Stoa. Our students compete in both of these leagues throughout the year.

Requirements for participation ​

Verity requires that you register yearly in order to participate. Family registration with Stoa each year is also required to participate in Verity. Each family will be required to join Stoa before attending the first meeting of the year due to our insurance requirements.

  • The cost to join Stoa and attend our required club-hosted tournament is not included in your Verity Speech & Debate Club Registration. These two fees are separate payments. The cost to attend a tournament varies by family size and the number of events students register for. 

We are a registered non-profit without any paid employees. We can provide families with the opportunity to learn and compete in Speech and Debate thanks to the parents and volunteers who willingly and graciously serve. Each year we have many wonderful parents serving in various roles. We rely on parents learning our processes and then volunteering to work either leading or assisting each week as well as during tournaments.

A parent or legal guardian is required to attend and take full responsibility of their children each time they are present for a club meeting. Parents/Guardians must remain in club and serve in various roles for the entirety of each meeting. Due to insurance and liability concerns, we can no longer make any exceptions to this rule.

Without the dedication of parents and our volunteer coaches, we would not be able to succeed as a club. Parent responsibilities include some of the following:

  • The parent or legal guardian member(s) must agree with the
  • Coaching/Instructor Role – Parents will serve as a parent coach/instructor/judge during club meetings. Verity will guide you in these roles so please do not feel intimidated. New parents will be paired with more experienced parents to not only help the students, but also so parents can learn and be able to help not only their own children but others. All parents have valuable feedback to give to the students.

  • Tournament Volunteer – Parents are required to serve for the entirety of each tournament hosted by our club in a capacity that will be coordinated with them by the tournament director. Tournaments are very exciting for the students but do take many volunteers to ensure a successful event.  We so appreciate and need your help in order to be able to offer this opportunity to our students. Tournament costs, just as Stoa fees are not included in your Verity registration. 

  • At Home Assistance – Parents are expected to work with their student(s) at home on their speech & debate preparations and assignments. This is very important to help your child succeed, especially for novices. Students typically spend 1-6 hours per week at home on their speeches/debate –researching, writing, revising, and practicing.  This is a rough guideline.  Sometimes students spend more time, sometimes less,
    depending on individual needs and goals. 

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