League Constitution

  1. CFL of Charlotte
    1. The CFL of Charlotte shall be a diocesan league in the National Catholic Forensic League (NCFL).
  2. Purpose of the CFL of Charlotte
    1. The CFL of Charlotte shall exist for the purpose of
      1. Expanding competitive forensic opportunities to schools in the Diocese of Charlotte.
      2. Qualifying the best high school speech and debate competitors to the NCFL Grand National Tournament.
  3. Member Schools
    1. The CFL of Charlotte shall represent all schools located within the geographic boundaries of the Diocese of Charlotte.
    2. A school is a member of the CFL of Charlotte for a period of one year once the following requirements are met:
      1. Dues to the NCFL are paid by the deadline set by the CFL of Charlotte Moderator.
      2. Dues to the CFL of Charlotte are paid by the deadline set by the CFL of Charlotte Moderator.
      3. The NCFL registration card is signed by the school's coach and principal/headmaster and returned to the CFL of Charlotte Moderator by the deadline set by the CFL of Charlotte Moderator.
    3. Voting Rights
      1. Any member school shall have the right to vote in all open matters as determined by the CFL of Charlotte Board of Directors and Moderator.
      2. Each school is limited to one vote on any open matter regardless of the school's size.
      3. Voting may be conducted via email or in regular, announced meetings at the discretion of the CFL of Charlotte Board of Directors and Moderator.
  4. Governance
    1. Moderator
      1. The Moderator of the CFL of Charlotte shall be the executive of the league and shall be responsible for
        1. Collection of all dues to the CFL of Charlotte and NCFL
        2. Collection of all monies for the CFL of Charlotte Grand Nationals Qualifying Tournament
        3. Collection of all registration fees for the NCFL Grand National Tournament
        4. Attending the NCFL Fall Meeting
        5. Recruitment of member schools into the CFL of Charlotte
        6. Running the day-to-day operations of the CFL of Charlotte
        7. Running the CFL of Charlotte Grand Nationals Qualifying Tournament
        8. Registration of the CFL of Charlotte for the Grand National Tournament
      2. The Moderator shall break ties that may arise on issues voted upon by the CFL of Charlotte Board of Directors
      3. Election and Terms
        1. The Moderator shall be elected by all member schools of the CFL of Charlotte.
          1. Election requires a majority of votes.
          2. In the case of multiple candidates where no candidate receives a majority, the candidate who received the fewest number of votes shall be removed from the ballot and the election re-run immediately.
            1. This process should continue until a majority exists.
            2. The CFL Board of Directors shall verify the election's accuracy and fairness.
          3. The election shall occur in the spring, preferably at the NCFL Grand Nationals Qualifying Tournament.
        2. Term
          1. The Moderator shall serve a term of two (2) years.
          2. No term limits shall exist for the Moderator.
    2. Board of Directors
      1. The CFL of Charlotte shall have a Board of Directors
      2. There shall be four members of the Board of Directors
      3. The duties of the Board of Directors shall be but are not limited to:
        1. Proposing changes to the CFL of Charlotte Constitution.
        2. Evaluating methods for improving selection of students to attend NCFL Grand Nationals.
        3. Recruiting member schools.
        4. Voting on matters related to the direct operation of the CFL of Charlotte
      4. Voting
        1. All Board members shall have one vote on any matter presented.
        2. A simple majority is required for a motion to pass.
      5. Board Membership
        1. Board members must be either head coach or an assistant coach of a forensic speech and debate program that is affiliated with a current member school of the CFL of Charlotte
        2. Only one representative from each member school may sit on the Board of Directors at one time.
      6. Election and Terms
        1. Voting for Board of Director members shall be done by all current member schools of the CFL of Charlotte.
        2. The election shall occur in the spring, preferably at the CFL of Charlotte Grand Nationals Qualifying Tournament.
        3. The election should occur directly after the election for Moderator in years when the Moderator is up for election.
        4. Board members shall serve a term of two (2) years.
          1. Two of the members elected in 2006 shall serve a term of one year in order to facilitate a rotation of members.
        5. Every year there shall be an election for two (2) of the Board Member positions.
        6. Board members who resign during their term shall be replaced at the next spring meeting of coaches. That replacement member will fulfill the remainder of the resigned member's term.
        7. No term limits shall exist for board members.
  5. Qualification to the NCFL Grand National Tournament
    1. The Moderator and CFL of Charlotte Board of Directors shall determine the method by which the CFL of Charlotte qualifies students to compete in the NCFL Grand National Tournament.
    2. The qualification process should be impartial and allow for all member schools to participate.
    3. It is preferred that a competitive method be used to qualify students to the NCFL Grand National Tournament.
  6. The NCFL Grand National Tournament
    1. All registration and organization for the NCFL Grand National Tournament shall be the responsibility of the CFL of Charlotte Moderator.
    2. Individual schools are responsible for all registration fees for their students.
    3. Individual schools are responsible to meet the judging requirements set by the NCFL.
    4. Any fines for dropped judges or missed judging assignments imposed on the CFL of Charlotte shall be paid for by the offending member school or schools.
  7. Amendment
    1. The CFL of Charlotte Constitution may be amended.
    2. Process
      1. The Moderator, Board of Directors member, or head coach from a member school may propose an amendment to the constitution.
      2. A proposed amendment is ratified when
        1. First, it is approved by the Board of Directors with a simple majority vote and
        2. Second, it is approved by member schools with a simple majority vote of all member schools.
    3. The amendment process should be conducted in the spring during the Grand National Qualifying Tournament, but may occur at any time via email at the discretion of the Moderator.