Club Information

Membership dues

Dues for 2026-27 are $300 per family. Each new family will be asked to pay a $50 application fee. The balance of $250 will be due on or before the first club meeting in August.

Club meetings

Invictus Fides meets on Thursdays during the school year at Lakeside Presbyterian Church in Southlake, Texas.

3:00 to 5:00 pm — Speech and Parliamentary Debate

Two rotations of classes are offered, and each week students and parents choose which classes they will attend. Parliamentary Debate meets every other week.

5:00 to 5:15 pm — IF Moment and announcements

The IF Moment is a brief devotional time for students and parents before the dinner hour. Students are asked to sign up to lead one IF Moment per year.

5:15 to 6:00 pm — Dinner

Members provide meals for their own family. The dinner hour is considered part of club time and is required for all IF families.

6:00 to 9:00 pm — Debate

Lincoln Douglas and Team Policy Debate meet separately for instruction and practice debate rounds. Novice debaters and their parents will have special instruction during the fall which focuses on debate basics, case construction, and drills.

Parliamentary Debate is only offered to those who have competed in debate for at least two years, are 16 by October 1, and who have completed the Parliamentary Debate application and interview process.

Parent involvement

Parents are expected to attend all meetings with their students. Parents attend classes, learn about speech and debate, and give valuable feedback to students.

Speech and debate camps

All students are required to attend the Invictus Fides camps corresponding to the events which they intend to compete for the school year. Dates are tentative.

• Speech Camp: July 27-28, about $175
• Debate Camp (TP and LD): July 29-31, about $200

Choosing events

Can we compete in speech only, or debate only?

You may enroll your student in only speech or only debate if you so choose. However, we have found that speech and debate work together, and there is benefit to participating in both concurrently. In order to prioritize the growth of our club in both areas, we may find it necessary to prioritize families who are interested in both speech and debate.

Which form of debate should my student choose?

Due to the format and nature of Team Policy and the philosophical style of Lincoln Douglas, we recommend novice debaters to learn debate by starting in Team Policy. Students are free to participate in as many speech events as they would like. At the end of the summer, students attend the IF camps where they will learn so much more about speech and debate and connect with their teammates and coaches.

Academic impact

Participation in speech and debate is an educational decision and will often impact your ability to participate in other outside extracurricular activities. The average student working on both speech and debate will spend about 3 to 5 hours a week devoted to research and preparation. While club and tournament attendance requires a higher level of time commitment than many other activities, the reward is great.

Tournament expectations

Invictus Fides requires participants to compete in at least three tournaments. We are a competitive organization and much of our time and energy each week is devoted to preparing students to enter competition.

What a season costs

• Annual IF registration fees: $300
• Adult background check, Ministry Safe: $19
• Annual Stoa family membership (based on 2025-26 rates, before 9/30): $100
• Speech Camp: about $175
• Debate Camp: about $200
• Average tournament registration for one student, excluding travel: $150 per tournament, and at least three tournaments are required

Other things to plan for: competition clothes, debate supplies, a computer or other technology, and travel expenses.