Approximately 427 volunteer judges are needed for the National Forensic League District Qualifier speech and debate tournament next month in Kalispell.

The tournament will be Feb. 8 and 9 at Flathead High School, starting at 2 p.m. Feb. 8 and 8 a.m. the next day. There is also an optional clinic for judges to attend at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 6.

There are 12 different rounds to judge and include memorized, short preparation, interpretation and debate events. No prior experience is needed, judge coordinator Wendy Putzler said in an email to The Daily Inter Lake. She said most people have some experience watching speeches.

“We see speakers speak on our television, in our churches, at our schools, in our community centers, in our workplace and at local events,” Putzler said. “Even if a judge has no experience judging for competition, he or she has much more experience than they realize.”

Judges may choose to score more than one round, Putzler said.

“We love to have judges score more than one round,” Putzler said. “Many judges feel that it gives them a chance to gain more experience. In most cases, judges are not allowed to see the same event twice, so this allows them to see how different all of the events are from each other.”

Judges should arrive 10 to 15 minutes prior to an event and allot an hour and 30 minutes for each round. Judge handbooks, event information and scoring ballots are supplied at check-in. Putzler said several coaches will be available to answer questions during the tournament.

Working as a judge allows people to see more than the casual observer. 

“When someone chooses to judge rather than just observe, more is invested in what they are watching and many find that they enjoy the experience more. Judges want to find out after the tournament how everyone did to see how well the competitor they ranked at the top did overall,” Putzler said.

This is the final home tournament of the season. Students who qualify go on to represent Montana in the National Forensic League tournament June 16-21.

“They are polished and amazing,” Putzler said. “These students research and compile evidence on policies and values that affect us daily. Not only can they argue both sides of the issue, but they do this while juggling schoolwork, jobs, and other activities. Judges will see some of the most talented and entertaining actors of our programs and their performances will bring tears of laughter and of sadness.”

Visit www.kalispellspeechdebate.org to register. Click on “NFL District Tournament,” enter an email address and click on the round or rounds you would like to judge. 

For more information, email putzlerw@sd5.k12.mt.us, call 751-3546 or visit www.kalispellspeechdebate.org.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.