Congratulations on your qualification to represent your school and league at the CHSSA State Congress. The Congress Committee is determined to provide you with fair, efficient, and stimulating competition. We challenge all competitors to meet their responsibilities to the competition and bring distinction to themselves, their league, their school, and this activity. We are working to make this a memorable occasion. This requires that the highest standards of deportment and performance be met by all involved in this competition. This benchmark will be required in the preliminary rounds, semi-final rounds, as well as the final round. You are the emissaries of this event.

Sometimes, changes are made in the rules and procedures of the state congress to improve administration and the quality of the competition. The rules for the state tournament have been attached in this packet. Please discuss these rules with your coach. It is your responsibility to know all of the rules and procedures of the State Congress.

All competitors are expected to demonstrate respect for the competition by wearing appropriate, professional dress. Gentlemen will wear ties at all sessions. Ladies will wear attire suitable in a business setting. Hats, caps, casual, or athletic wear, including sport shoes, are not acceptable for this competition. Any persons not following the dress recommendations will be reported to their coach and the Congress Committee for further review and/or disqualification.

Presiding officers and all other competitors are required to attend a meeting with representatives of the Congress Committee. The location and time of this meeting will be posted in the registration area. Important information regarding the competition will be distributed at this meeting.

This booklet contains:

• Specific instructions for the State Tournament.
• Rules from the CHSSA Constitution for Student Congress.
• Judging instructions and criteria.
• The seven bills/resolutions that will be debated.
• The rules regarding priority cards and amendments.
• The Student Congress Oath of Office.

We look forward to meeting you and having an extraordinary Congress this year.

The CHSSA Congress Committee

All seven bills/resolutions that will be debated at this Student Congress are included in this booklet. Three of the bills/resolutions will be withheld for use in the semi-final and final sessions. The remaining four bills/resolutions will be used in the preliminary sessions. One bill/resolution will be assigned by the Congress Committee for each session. The bills/resolutions will be drawn at the tournament site on the day of the tournament.

 You will not be told which bills/resolutions will be debated in any session until thirty (30) minutes before that session opens. Therefore, you must research or prepare for all of the bills/resolutions contained in this packet.

PRESIDING OFFICER CANDIDATES

Presiding officer candidates should carefully review the chair instructions included in this packet. Presiding officers are also strongly encouraged to consult a current guide to parliamentary procedure, the NFL Congress Handbook, and the CHSSA Constitution (relating to Student Congress) to be conscientious with the rules, procedures, and conventions of their role. As stated, all candidates are required to meet with members of the Congress Committee. The site and time for this meeting will be posted in the registration area.

Important additional information will be distributed at this meeting, and your questions about rules and procedures will be answered.

A recent controversy that has arisen in the Presiding Officer competition involves "bribing" of Congress constituents by providing materials (such as pens, legal pads, etc.) to their constituents. Although it has not been explicitly stated in the CHSSA Bylaws or CHSSA Constitution that this practice is not allowed, it is highly discouraged as it does not ensure a clean competition between Presiding Officers. If you have any questions about this, please discuss it with your coach.

GENERAL RULES AND PROCEDURES:

• Speeches will alternate from affirmative to negative.
• The priority card system will be used.
• Speeches are limited to three minutes followed by one minute of cross-examination.
• Speakers are not to be interrupted during the three minutes of speaking time.
• Questioners are to be recognized at the discretion of the presiding officer.
• Questioners are limited to one question per recognition, which means no two-part  questions
• Any delegate ten minutes or more late to session will be seated only with the permission of the Congress Director after consideration of the cause of the tardiness.
• No bills or resolutions other than those assigned by the Congress Committee for that session are in order.
• Motions to suspend CHSSA or NFL rules or to impeach the presiding officer are not in order.
• Motions to adjourn before 80 minutes of elapsed time are not recommended.
• Motions to recess are not in order.
•  All preliminary and semi-final rounds are not to exceed 90 minutes from the set start time determined by the presiding officer in the round.
• Motions to divide the house are not in order unless there is a contested vote.
• All amendments must be submitted to the Congress Committee in writing before the start of the first (1st) session of Congress.
• The Congress Oath of Office will be collected at the ending of the Congress Competitors meeting at the state tournament.

  There are four preliminary sessions of one hour and thirty minutes each. Each speaker will receive six priority cards (1-6) for use in all preliminary sessions. These cards will

not be replaced easily. There are 15 speakers in each preliminary session. Sessions one and two are pre-matched. Sessions three and four are matched based on the result of sessions one and two. One bill/resolution will be assigned to each session. At the beginning of the session, the presiding officer will read the assigned bill/resolution and call for an affirmative speech to begin debate. A presiding officer and parliamentarian will be randomly assigned to each house; they will reverse roles at the expiration of one half time of that session. At the conclusion of session four, the 28 low cumulative scores will advance to the semi-final sessions.

There will be one semi-final sessions of one hour and thirty minutes. Fourteen speakers will be seated in each house. Three new priority cards will be issued for this round. There will be one bills/resolution assigned for this session. The four presiding officers will be elected by all members of the preliminary sessions will each preside for one half of their semi-final house.

The 14 low cumulative scores will advance to the final round. One presiding officer in each semi-final chamber will be elected to chair the final round.

The final round will be a unicameral session of the three hours divided at mid-point by a ten minute recess. New priority cards will be issued for this round. There will be two bills/resolutions assigned for this final session. This session may involve special logistical considerations, or very important persons. Those who advance to the final sessions are to stand by for instructions.

PRIORITY CARDS: Article IV Congress Rules, Section 7N; Paragraph 10, Page 3

10. Recognition of Delegates. Delegates shall be recognized on priority system. Each shall receive six numbered cards to be used in numerical order (1-6). Only official CHSSA priority cards are to be used. Any delegate who attempts to speak by use of a counterfeit, imitation, simulated, or otherwise unofficial priority card will also be disqualified from the State Tournament, Congress. Delegates who lose or misplace their priority cards must immediately appeal, in person, to the Congress Committee.

Upon investigation, the Congress Committee's may replace some or all of the missing priority cards at the Congress Committee's discretion. A delegate who has exhausted his/her supply of numbered cards may be recognized to speak if those holding cards choose not to be recognized. The procedure shall begin anew at the beginning of the semi-final round and the beginning of the final sessions.

PARLIAMENTARY MOTIONS

During the state tournament only a limited number of parliamentary motions will be considered in order.  A full list of these is available at http://www.cahssa.org/PDF/ST2009/CHSSA_Parliamentary_Motions.pdf.  If you have questions email the tournament director at nkamel@rbusd.org.

AMENDMENTS: Article IV Congress Rules, Section 7N; Paragraph 13, Page 3

13. No bills or resolutions are in order than those provided by the Congress Committee.

Amendments which do not alter the intent of the bill/resolution are in order if germane and if submitted in writing in double spaced typed form to the Congress Committee for approval of form and specific applicable content in advance of the sessions. This committee approval may be sought at any time prior to the sessions in which the amendment will be used. Upon approval, the written amendment be submitted to the presiding officer before gaining the floor. Those speaking on the amendment must surrender a priority card. No amendments to the amendment are in order.

STUDENT CONGRESS JUDGE INFORMATION

The coaches of the California High School Speech Association have agreed to the following information for judges of Student Congress. Many of these same instructions are included on the ballot.

Student Congress should be viewed as a process that included argumentation, analysis, questioning, clash of ideas, and delivery. A thorough knowledge of parliamentary procedure should be reflected in each speaker's courtesy and decorum. Judges should evaluate or rank speakers based on the speaker's overall contribution to the debate in this house.

Student Congress is modeled after the procedure of floor debate in a legislature. It is designed to test a student's ability to speak to an issue in both an extemporaneous and impromptu manner and to reveal the individual's knowledge of parliamentary procedure.

Bills and resolutions to be debated today have been determined in advance, and students have had time to prepare to speak on these issues. However, speeches should reflect the views of previous speakers and not be a totally polished or "canned" speech. Each session of Congress is one hour and thirty minutes long. A student presiding officer will chair each session. In order to speak or ask a question, a congressperson must be recognized by the presiding officer. The presiding officer will recognize speakers according to a priority card that the speaker will hold up. These cards are numbered with the lower card having priority over cards with higher numbers. Congresspersons who ask questions during cross examination are recognized at the discretion of the presiding officer. All speeches should be delivered from the front of the room. Each speech is limited to three minutes. In addition, each speaker is open for a maximum of one minute of cross examination. Notes and prepared material are allowed in delivering speeches. Debate speeches should alternate from affirmative to negative positions on the bill or resolution under consideration.

Please keep the following criteria in mind as you judge the student congress speakers:

•  Delivery - communicative and persuasive manner.
•  Original Arguments - new and innovative views on the issue backed up by evidence.
•  Clash - directly responds to the issues presented by previous speakers.
• Questioning - incisive, knowledgeable, and direct questions and answers.
•  Analysis - logical examination of the issues.

You are strongly encouraged to take notes during the session as a number of students will speak, and notes will help differentiate the speakers. You will be provided with a seating chart to identify the students. You will be asked to rank the speakers in order. In preliminary rounds, you will tie speakers at 10 th place. In the semi-finals and finals, you will be asked to rank all speakers in order, with no ties. Students will take positions on the bills or resolutions for reason of competition. Please be objective about the views expressed in the debate. Your personal views should not intrude on your evaluation of the speakers.

Keep to the time schedule. Time begins when the first speaker begins a speech. Put the starting time on the boards. The session must last according to the scheduled time.

1st Priority - Representatives with fewest speeches (lowest priority card).

• On the presiding officer seating chart, you should mark the above areas. Please make sure that you keep a clear record to ensure a fair session.

•  Accept only official priority cards. Use of any other form of priority card will result in  disqualification for both the delegate and the presiding officer.
• Adhere to the time limits and order of the speeches. Speeches are an uninterrupted three (3) minutes immediately followed by one (1) minute of cross examination of the speaker. Debate begins with a speech in the affirmative (for the bill) followed by a speech in the negative (opposed to the bill). The speeches in the session continue to alternate throughout the debate.
• Alternate between affirmative and negative speeches. Students may not suspend the rules to skip a side in a cycle. As the presiding officer you will need to encourage your chamber to be prepared to speak on either side of a bill or resolution.
• Know your role. The presiding officer's role is to maximize the number of speeches and questions on the bill/resolution under consideration in this house. The job of the chair is  to advance the debate. A superior chair does not permit non-germane amendments or unnecessary parliamentary maneuvers. A superior chair grants recognition to all speakers and questions equitably. You should show a cooperative yet competitive attitude. You will be elected to the semi-finals and the final round by the representatives.
• Dress properly. Presiding officers demonstrate respect for this event and the representatives by wearing appropriate professional dress.
• Be familiar with the required vote on parliamentary motions. For example, the vote to move the previous question requires a 2/3 vote while the motion to table only requires a simple majority.
• Know how to handle amendments. Amendments, that do not alter the intent of the legislation under consideration, must be submitted in writing to the presiding officer.
• No amendment can be considered or read if that amendment has not been approved by the Congress Director or Designee prior to the session. The presiding officer then decides whether to read the amendment to the house. Please wait until  two affirmative  and two negative speeches have been given prior to introduction of  any amendment. It requires a 1/3 vote to consider an amendment. Any member can speak to the amendment. This speech requires a priority card. The house then debates the amendment. A simple majority will pass the amendment. The presiding officer then returns to the bill/resolution under consideration.