CANADIAN UNIVERSITY SOCIETY FOR INTERCOLLEGIATE DEBATE

General Meeting: October 25, 2003

Hart House, University of Toronto

Minutes taken by Wayne Chu

1. Call to Order

Meeting called to order by Konrad Koncewicz, Chair at 12:30pm.

2. Roll Call and Voting Rights

Present

Konrad Koncewicz, President

Wayne Chu, Executive Director

Gaurav Toshniwal, Treasurer

University of Alberta

University of Calgary (Proxy carried by Alberta)

Carleton University

Hart House, University of Toronto

Huron College, University of Western Ontario (Proxy carried by McGill)

King’s College, University of Western Ontario (Proxy carried by McGill)

McGill University

McMaster University

Memorial University of Newfoundland (Proxy carried by Ken Johnston)

University of Ottawa English Debating Society

Queen’s University

Royal Military College

University of British Columbia

University of Western Ontario (Proxy carried by McGill)

University of Waterloo

York University

3. Additions to and Approval of the Agenda

Motion to allow a non-CUSID member to act as proxy motioned by UBC, seconded by Queen’s.

MOTION PASSED

Motion to add to the agenda section 6, allowance of hybrid teams to participate in CUSID sanctioned tournaments.  Motioned by Waterloo, no seconder.

MOTION FAILS

Motion to allow Ken Johnston to carry Memorial University of Newfoundland Proxy.  Motioned by MUN, seconded by UBC.

MOTION PASSED

4. Approval of Previous Minutes

Motioned by UBC, seconded by Hart House

MOTION PASSED

5. Oral and Written Reports

• President
  • Most of work is administrative, especially scheduling.
  • Motivated by disputes in Central between Hart House and Queen’s over weekends.  Doesn’t really apply to other regions, due to space between tournaments.  Thanks to Gavin, and James for helping out.
  • New provisional members, with new clubs in East.  Mount Allison is now active (Schedule A school), King’s College in Halifax is provisional.
  • Dawson College (CEGEP) is working to become a provisional member, as well as Lakehead University.
  • Ombudsperson committee difficult to appoint.  Seems to have negative connotation.  Not all positions filled all at once.  Delay to September was to attempt one announcement at once for all positions.
  • Regarding controversy on World’s listservs: issue regarding block voting ignored as issue was a non-issue.  Regarding censorship with Singapore schools, NTU was not involved in incident.  Letter was sent to NTU, and response explained that government is not interfering in their running of the tournament.
  • Regarding Zagreb, pushed for a Canadian DCA.  Zagreb felt that they would appoint according to their interests as National viewpoint would be biased.  Happy, however, with their choice of North American DCA.
  • Talked with Angelo Carusone from APDA to improve standing with NorAms.  Angelo is also the representatives of the America’s on WUDC.
  • Letter sent out to Canadian High Commission to host reception for Canadian debaters at World’s.  No response yet.
  • Continue to work to try to get surplus.  Continuing to create CUSID training kit for all regions’ styles.

QUESTIONS:

• • UBC – talked to Nick yet?  PRESIDENT: Not yet.  Zagreb is taking place next year and most of the current efforts focused on Singapore.
  • OTTAWA – Regarding scheduling, releasing schedule in summer months is not helpful and executives aren’t active yet.  Perhaps we should move everything back by one or two weeks in the fall semester?

• Executive Director
  • (See written report).

• Treasurer
  • Regarding bank, they have a funny way to transfer accounts.  Account was transferred to Peterborough instead of Montreal.  Cleared up just now so CUSID can now provide reimbursements.
  • Regarding surplus, the money was sent via a bank draft but lost.  Not very worried as draft was addressed to CUSID and cannot be cashed except by us.  We don’t know where it is, but we will keep everyone informed.
  • We’re not near the number of 33 paid schools yet, but expected to reach that number by Nationals.

QUESTIONS:

• • OTTAWA – Bank charges are high? TREASURER: Doesn’t think we can get a cheaper account as this is the minimum business account and bank has been charging this for years.

• Director of French Language Debate
  • (Gaurav presenting on behalf of DoFLD)
  • Two major things: Been actively involved in getting clubs in Quebec to join CUSID.  Sherbrooke is hosting a French tournament in February and DoFLD encourages everyone to attend.
  • No host for French Nats yet and no one has volunteered.  November 1^st deadline to obtain host.  Afterwards, DoFLD might look at hosting Nats without a host school.  Concordia has offered to donate rooms.

• Regional Vice-Presidents

VP Western

• • Nothing to report.

VP Atlantic

• • Nothing to report

VP Central

• • Major points: Mac will be posting Leger info before Chancellor’s.  At Leger, there will be a central meeting where the VP Central will elected, Novice and Leger bids will be elected.
  • Proud of Ottawa for hosting a good tournament, and will be at Queen’s and Leger.

6. By-Law Amendment Motions

1. Creation of a CUSID British Parliamentary Debating Championship;

CUSID Sanctioned Tournament Allocation Rule

1.    CUSID-sanctioned tournaments shall be the Regional Novice Tournaments, the National Championship, the French National Championship, the British Parliamentary Debating Championship and the three Regional Championships.

4. the British Parliamentary Debating Championships will be held during the Fall Semester, preferably October or November. The format of this event shall follow that practiced at the World Universities Debating Championship.

Eligibility and Representation Rule

2. Not withstanding Section 1, debaters will not be required to be a representative of a full or provisional member of CUSID in order to attend the British Parliamentary Debating Championships.

Amend clause 7:

(7) Hybrid teams are prohibited from participation in CUSID-sanctioned tournaments, except in the case of the British Parliamentary Debating Championship.

Motioned by CUSID President, seconded by Alberta

DISCUSSION

• Motioned in response to growing interest in BP.
• Motion acknowledges demand (3 BP tournaments in schedule) and acknowledges interest in World’s.
• Also ensures that BP tournament will happen for World’s Prep, and encourages other regions to get involved in hosting.

QUESTIONS

OTTAWA:

Bid process?

PRESIDENT:

Same bid process as other sanctioned tournaments.

ALBERTA:

Is this a National BP Championship or an official World’s prep?  Seems odd that Britains would be able to win a National Championship.

PRESIDENT:

Meant more as ingraining a World’s Prep.  Think of it as more of a Canadian BP Open.  Sanctioning will also encourage more international participation which would enhance the tournament.

MCGILL:

1 or 4 tournaments?

PRESIDENT:

1 sanctioned tournament per year

ALBERTA:

Hybrids allowed?

PRESIDENT:

No hybrids allowed as per current rule.

YORK:

Dino’s allowed to participate?

PRESIDENT:

Rules regarding sanctioned tournament participation and perhaps World’s eligibility rules will apply.

OTTAWA:

It might be useful to allow hybrids and dinos.

PRESIDENT:

We can amend eligibility rule if so desired.

Add to clause 8 under Eligibility to rule to allow hybrids for BP Championship.  Motion is friendly, so amended.

HART HOUSE:

Will this hurt other BP Tournaments?

PRESIDENT:

We feel that this may encourage smaller schools to attend that normally would not attend a BP tournament.  This will not hurt other BP tournaments.

ALBERTA:

Why would be people go to be slaughtered by dinos?

PRESIDENT:

Intent of the tournament was not for dinos to attend.  Perhaps we should look into that and add caveats for participation.

UBC:

A lot of tournaments get lots of people (incl. international teams) by having hybrids.

ALBERTA:

Likes ideas of creating world’s type of environment, but why does CUSID itself have to have BP National Championships in addition to the National Championships?

PRESIDENT

Feels that prestige of Nationals will not be taken away by having this tournament.

Motion to close debate motioned by UBC, seconded by Ottawa.

Motioned passed.

MOTION PASSED WITH 9 FOR, 2 AGAINST, 5 ABSTENTIONS

B.     Amendment to the Eligibility and Representation Rule, Section 1 Exemptions for Regional Novice Tournaments and the French National Championship

3. The Executive may grant an exemption to section 1 if the following conditions are met:

(a) the debater attends a post-secondary institution in Canada,

(b) the debater’s post-secondary institution is neither a full nor provisional member of CUSID,

(c) the tournament is either a Regional Novice Tournament or the French National Championship.

Motioned by CUSID President, seconded by UBC.

DISCUSSION

1. • Schools in Quebec do not have a formalized structure, and there is a resistance to form clubs and join CUSID.  Feeling that French Nationals should have open policy to increase depth.
   • Regarding Novice, a de facto exemption already exists as most schools participating are not members in good standing anyways.

Motion to close debate motioned by UBC, seconded by Waterloo

Motion passed.

MOTION PASSED WITH 13 FOR, 0 AGAINST, 3 ABSTENTIONS

C.     Amendment to the Budget and Account Rule, Striking Section 5

5. Ratification of any spending proposal of the CUSID surplus requires a two-thirds vote at a general meeting.

Motioned by CUSID President, seconded by UBC.

DISCUSSION

• By-law can be repealed with a simple majority, so it’s a silly by-law.  This is simply a cleanup of the by-laws.  Executive has no intent to spend the surplus.
• Plus, we have another surplus, so there is no reason why there should be two different types of surplus.

McMASTER:

This has been in effect since last March, and we should let this run for a year and see how it runs its course.

TREASURER:

It’s not the intent of the by-law at issue, but the structure.  It is putting a standard on two different types of surplus, and this can be repealed easily anyways.  CUSID spending must be approved the members anyways.

Motion to close by Alberta, seconded by McGill.

Motioned passed.

MOTION PASSED, 12 FOR,  3 AGAINST, 1 ABSTENTION

D.     Motion to Re-number

May the by-laws be re-numbered in a logically consistent manner to reflect any alterations made at this General Meeting of CUSID.

Motioned by UBC, seconded by RMC.

MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY

7. New Business

A.     Approval of the 2003-2004 CUSID Budget

DISCUSSION

OTTAWA:

The figures for trophy engraving, those are for all title tournaments, correct?

TREASURER:

Yes.

OTTAWA:

Trophy repair?

TREASUER:

Costs just for CUSID West.

Motion close debate and move to approval motioned by Hart House, seconded by Ottawa.

Motion passed.

MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY

B.     CUSID Code of Conduct

DISCUSSION

1. • In White Paper, the committee made recommendation to create official Code of Conduct in 2003.  Want to look into a committee.  Will include ombudspeople and will have discretion to form as needed.
   • Committee should report back at nationals.

Motion to close debate motioned by UBC, seconded by McMaster.

Motion passed.

MOTION PASSED

C.     Potential Reforms for the North American Debating Championships

DISCUSSION

PRESIDENT:

• We feel that NorAms prestige is not befitting an international tournament.  When CUSID hosts it, APDA complains and vice versa.
• There are issues such as costs.  This rests on the bidding process.  Other national organization is not involved when selecting a host.
• Want to reform along lines of other international tournaments.
• Want to focus on bidding process.  Questions about a bid are then are answered in bidding process.  Hearing details one month before is inadequate.
• We should aspire to level of Australia/Asian, European Championships.   We will keep the international rotation in place, but bid for NorAms at NorAms.  All schools should have some kind of vote.
• Working on most appropriate and fair voting scheme to keep things equal.

UBC:

Having been to 2 NorAms in the states, this is necessary.  Voting is most important aspect.

OTTAWA:

Style is major issue.  Host currently dictates format.  In World’s, the style is, for example, different than Cambridge and Oxford.  For NorAms, we don’t necessarily need a style change, but we must look at judging.  Perhaps we should adopt a neutral third style.

QUEEN’S:

Queen’s has enough trouble teaching different styles as it stands.  Teaching a third style may not be feasible.  But looking at voting in the bid process is a good start.

PRESIDENT:

We should also work to formalize the position of DCA in tournament.  Hoping Queen’s appoints one.  We may have to rework MOU from scratch.

HART HOUSE:

Keep in mind the clubs that don’t go to NorAms.  Canadians who don’t go to States should still be able to vote for the Canadian NorAms.

OTTAWA:

If we can’t agree upon style, would we entertain alternating between different styles in in-rounds?

QUEEN’S:

Style not really issue that can be bridged as it the issue rests on judging.  Judging is not going to change.  Style is a concern, but no viable solution.

TREASURER:

Regarding absent votes, can have proxy system.

UBC:

Style issue is best addressed if there’s a formalized bidding process.  Bids should have style description.  That should take care of it.

OTTAWA:

Paneling Canadian and American Judges?  Should be in bid process.

QUEEN’S:

Queen’s will be doing that.  Perhaps best to have consulting system.  However, Queen’s is independently addressing these issues.

Motion to close debate on topic.

Motion passed.

8. Adjournment

Motion to adjourn meeting motioned by UBC, seconded by Alberta

MOTION PASSED