Semper Patatus
Speech & Debate Club - A local chapter of NCFCA.
Registration Fees:
Registration for the 2026-27 school year is now open!
Early Bird discounts will be available until June 30th.
Cost to join is $50/Speech OR Debate & $75 for both per student of competition age.
Juniors program is offered free of charge for families with competitors only.
Families are capped at a total of $150 for in-person club dues.
Please note: NCFCA Affiliation is an additional cost ($130-150) and must be completed before September 1st.
*Club members are expected to participate in at least 1 tournament per season. This is where the hard work is rewarded and students are inspired to persevere toward a higher calling.
For the 2026-27 school year the Semper Paratus club will meet at Cherokee Christian School (High School Café) each Friday from 3:45-6pm.
Club Meetings will alternate between speech focus & debate focus. Some dates will offer both!
Weekly Club Meetings Details:
While meeting together is not required for competitors, it is highly recommended. During club parents give feedback and challenge students to improve, stretching their abilities in order to prepare for competitions.
Each week during fall semester we begin with student led devotions, move to speech / debate focused activities and then give students a chance to share the latest iteration of their speech / debate to receive feedback.
ALL parents are expected to participate in the feedback portions of club, unless they have registered to opt-out.
Semper Paratus
Translated to English: “Always Ready”
A local chapter of the National Christian Forensics & Communication Association
Semper Paratus Speech & Debate Club is an NCFCA affiliated coaching club with the mission of preparing students to participate in the NCFCA Tournaments.
All families are required to join the national organization and participate in at least one tournament per year. (This can mean traveling 3+ hours for the 3-4 day tournaments, unless a local tournament is offered.)
Please consider the cost of travel & professional attire before registering:
Participation can be costly (travel, tournament registrations, formal attire plus lodging & food, etc) but participation is well worth the investment in your children's abilities, development and future career. We just want you to be able to count the cost before committing.
Speech Categories:
Limited Prep: Apologetics, Impromptu, Extemporaneous
Interpretation: Duo, Open, Biblical, Original
Platform: Digital, Informative, Persuasive
Learn more about Speech Categories
Debate Categories:
Lincoln Douglas: Philosophical or Value debate (1:1 ratio)
In value debate, one debater affirms the resolution while another opposes or negates it. This style of debate, named after the famous debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, explores a philosophical clash of competing but morally defensible values.
Team Policy: (2:2 Ratio): Policy debate challenges students to think critically about laws, regulations, and policies that impact societies. It seeks to identify possible problems with current conditions (the status quo) and weigh the advantages and disadvantages associated with making a change in policy. The requirement to alternate between affirming and negating a resolution helps students learn that there are reasonable arguments for both sides of most policy proposals.
Registration Fees:
Registration for the 2026-27 school year is now open!
Early Bird discounts will be available until June 30th.
Cost to join is $50/Speech OR Debate & $75 for both per student of competition age.
Juniors program is offered free of charge for families with competitors only.
Families are capped at a total of $150.
NCFCA Affiliation is an additional cost and must be completed before September 1st.
*Club members are expected to participate in at least 1 tournament per season. This is where the hard work sees reward and students are inspired to persevere toward a higher calling.
Read the full NCFCA New Family guide here: https://lms.ncfca.org/ncfca-101
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We’re so glad you asked! Please read the full answer HERE.
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Contrary to popular belief, the art of debate does not teach arguing. Instead, students learn how to listen, think critically, and understand that most situations have many important perspectives. This is true for both male and female students.
Additionally, the debate resolutions are chosen through much prayer, research and consideration by the NCFCA National admin team. Students will focus on either both sides of a key Christian value (LD) or US policies and their implications (TP).
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The work load is entirely up to your family and student preferences.
With 10 different speech categories, some students like to use research papers they have already been writing, present a book they have already read, or focus on limited prep options. Students are invited to participate in 1-5 different speeches per tournament, giving each type three times. Those who compete in 5 more speeches do significantly more work.
Debate requires rather significant research, writing, and practice all of which is done during the Fall semester. Some team research is shareable. Team Policy especially is expected to do significant preparation. The winning teams often focus on their cases as one of their primary school subjects.
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While every student matures at their own pace, even the youngest students learn the importance of early preparation, practice, and planning.
During competitions students learn independance, time and appearance awareness and gain significant personal confidence by doing something that they are often afraid of and then being given positive feedback. Our judges are so gracious!
We held a live online club interest meeting on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 at 6pm.
Watch the recording here.
New to NCFCA?
Watch an introductory video here:
Is NCFCA right for your family? Watch here to find out. 👇👇👇