In this issue: - Welcome - Meeting times - Novice training session and tournament - Call for help from experienced debators for novice training - Exec opening - Collect your CUDS sweatshirts WELCOME First off, I'd like to extend a warm welcome to everyone either returning to debate for another year as well as those who have just signed up for the mailing list over the summer or at Prelude. We strongly encourage anyone to come out to the meetings. Whether it's just to work on your public speaking and argumentation, or if you want to give inter-varsity tournaments a try, everyone is welcome to attend. MEETING TIMES Meeting times have been set for the year. However, meeting location is still pending. Hopefully the booking will be confirmed within a couple days, and the locations will be sent out and posted on the website as soon as they're available. The meeting times are Wednesdays at 7:00pm and Fridays at 3:30pm. The time of the weekly business meeting will be determined shortly. The first meeting of the year will be this coming Wednesday, the 14th. NOVICE TRAINING SESSION AND TOURNAMENT It's that time of year again... the smell of fresh novices in the air!! A "novice" is anyone who hasn't debated in inter-varsity university tournaments before, even if you've debated in high school for years. On the weekend of September 30th to October 2nd, the Central Novice Championships will be held in Sherbrooke, Quebec. Carleton will be sending several teams, everything but food and beverages is covered by the club. Honestly, it's a blast. To avoid sending people completely unprepared, on top of the regular club meetings we will be holding a full-day preparation session for Novice debators on Saturday, September 17th, from 9:30am until we're done (let's say 4-5pm). We'll provide the lunch, you show up with pen and paper. Anyone who makes it out to this session and shows some commitment to the club will be sent to Sherbrooke if they're interested. CALL FOR HELP FROM EXPERIENCED DEBATORS FOR NOVICE TRAINING As part of the novice training will be a couple Pro-Am rounds, where a novice will be paired up with an experienced debator (if possible). Obviously, since we're expecting a good number of novice debators, we're going to need a good number of experienced ones. Please try to open a couple hours in the afternoon of the Saturday to help out (say from 1-5pm). Lunch will be provided if you can show up. If you're able to make it, please email Ben at president(a)carletondebate.org EXECUTIVE OPENING Just another reminder that the executive position of VP External is open, following the resignation of Wayne Chu, who is now beginning his graduate studies at U of T. The VPX is "Responsible for organizing Society participation in external debating events and maintaining the sign up list for external tournaments." The byelection for the position will take place at the second meeting of the year (Friday, September 16th). Anyone wishing to run for the position may present themselves for it then. CUDS SWEATSHIRTS Finally, the sweatshirt order from last year is in. If you ordered a sweatshirt custom-made, then it should be here. Also, there is a good number of un-personalized hoodies available. Since I don't own a car, I do not intend on lugging them around with me, so if you want your sweatshirt, please email me saying what meeting you will be at, and I will bring it. Alternatively, feel free to organize to swing by my house to pick it up. They are royal blue hoodies with the CUDS logo on the breast and "CUDS" embroidered on the hood. The cost is $17.50 each. To order one or to arrange pickup, email Ben at president(a)carletondebate.org Thanks for reading to the end. Hope to see everyone out next Wednesday. Cheers.