C lassical onversations N A T I O N A L NATIONAL M EMORY M ASTER C OMPETITION R ULES B OOK
Selection Process Basic Requirements 1. Finalists must be no younger than ten (10) and no older than twelve (12) years as of April 30, 2016. 2. Finalists must have participated in a minimum of two (2) cycles of Foundations. Finalists may be in the middle of their second cycle. 3. Finalists must be U.S. citizens. Please note: Prizes must be considered as income in the United States and are likely taxable. Classical Conversations will issue a 1099 under the attending parent s Social Security number (SSN). 4. Finalists must be available to compete on location in the national championship during the week of May 1 5, 2016. 5. Finalists must be proficient with the memory work from all three (3) Foundations cycles, as the championship will test every cycle. 6. Finalists must currently be enrolled in a Foundations program in a Classical Conversations community. 7. Finalists may not be competing as a finalist in National Number Knockout. 8. Finalists may not be a sibling of another National Memory Master competitor. Students must know all three cycles of information well and be enthusiastic about handling the pressure of competing before an audience. The Six-Stage Proofing Process Sixteen (16) finalists will be selected to compete in the National Memory Master Championship. All national finalist hopefuls will be proofed as follows: 1. The parent will email a request to their student s Foundations Tutor and Foundations Director that their student be proofed for this year s Memory Master cycle in February (rather than the customary proofing time in April or May). 2. The tutor will proof the student, following the usual proofing process. (To learn more about Memory Master proofing, please contact your local Director.) After successfully passing this proofing with the tutor, the parent will arrange for proofing with the Director. If the student requesting proofing is the Director s child, Director proofing will occur with another CC adult in their community who is not a relative of the student. 3. The Director will proof the student on the current cycle s memory work in the customary fashion (i.e., spot proof or proofing 25% of the material). All Directors are encouraged to complete their proofing by the week of February 15 19, 2016. Upon successfully passing the Director s proof for the current cycle, the parent and student can prepare for the next stage. At this point in the process, parents do not need any approval from either the Tutor or Director to proceed. Students do not have to pass a proof for the remaining two cycles with either the Tutor or Director; however, before investing substantial time and effort, parents should consider the following before advancing a student to the next stage: Student s history within Classical Conversations: Is the student prepared to draw upon all three cycles of memory work in the national championship? Student s ability to present his/her information in front of an audience: Will the student be able to recall and present information in front of an audience in a high-pressure situation? 4. On March 1, 2016, National Memory Master will announce a story prompt for qualified students to retell in an interesting manner, using history facts from any of the three cycles. Parents and students should create a digital video submission (smartphone video quality is acceptable) that includes the following parts: a. The parent introduces the child. b. The student tells a history story based on the required prompt. Not every fact needs to be used, but the more included, the better. On the demonstration video (see www.facebook.com/nationalmemorymasters), Leigh Bortins suggests that parents allocate 15 seconds to their opening and closing statements, and 165 seconds to the student s history story. Please note: any video that exceeds 180 seconds (3 minutes) will be disqualified. c. The parent verbally grants permission for National Memory Master to use the video for promotional purposes and verbally approves of this submission of their student. Parents must upload videos by 11:59 PM EST on March 7, 2016, using the link provided on the National Memory Master web page (www.classicalconversations.com/ National-Memory-Master). The form will request a minimum amount of identifying information about the parent, the student, and the student s Foundation Director. If the student is NOT in fact enrolled in the Director s program, they will be disqualified. Submissions will not be accepted on or after 12:00 a.m., March 8, 2016. No exceptions.
5. Videos will be voted on by the student s family, friends and classmates until 11:59 p.m. EST March 13, 2016. Votes should be cast for the most interesting and accurate use of the history facts. Family and friends are encouraged to vote, but they should vote with care; they would not want to embarrass the student by entering them into a competition for which they are not equipped. After initial voting, applicants will be viewed and judged by the National Memory Master staff. 6. After additional review by the judges, the sixteen finalists will be selected by March 15, 2016, and subsequently announced to the public by March 18, 2016 (time TBA). The parent of each finalist will receive two (2) tickets to the Classical Conversations Capstone Cruise: one for their student and one for themselves. These tickets are considered prize winnings. (Note: Prizes must be considered as income and are likely taxable; the parent not the child will receive a 1099-MISC under the parent s Social Security number. Do not enter a child in the competition if this is a potential problem for the parent. Your tax advisor, not Classical Conversations, must make this determination with you.) Additional family members will have the option to purchase additional cruise tickets. Be aware that cruise tickets may be sold out or subject to particular terms and conditions set by the cruise line s selling decisions. All family members are encouraged to come. Finalists who have already booked the cruise will be reimbursed the cost of two tickets. To assist with transportation for the parent and student, National Memory Master will provide (at their discretion) an amount up to $800 as a travel stipend to the parent prior to May 1. Any additional costs are the parent s responsibility. Should the finalist not come to the event, the full amount of the travel stipend must be returned to National Memory Master by May 5, 2016. Upon notification, the parent will be required to submit all requested legal information before their student s position as a finalist is confirmed and announced. Parent and student agree to keep their notification private before their position is confirmed (i.e., they will not share this news via e-mail, social media, or other communications until after the formal announcement). Finalists will be announced to the public by National Memory Master on March 18, 2016 (time TBA). Finalists The National Memory Master Championship will include sixteen national finalists and will take place on the Classical Conversations Capstone Cruise during the week of May 1 5, 2016. The championship will be divided into rounds. The number of rounds will depend on how closely the students are matched in abilities. The first round will be simple recollection, and additional challenges will be added as the competition progresses. Students may be asked to recall facts out of order, forwards, or backwards. Competitors will be tested in these six categories: geography, history (timeline or history sentences), math, Latin, science, and English grammar. Round One: Warm Up In the first round, all sixteen finalists will compete at once. Each finalist will be summoned to one of six judge s stations where they will be tested in one of the six categories. Students will earn 8, 9, or 10 points in each category. Singing, chanting, motions, or plain speaking are all permitted and encouraged no one format will be considered better than another. The twelve students with the highest scores proceed to the next round. In the case of a tie, the finalists with the most 10s will advance. A second set of questions may be prepared in advance if needed to clearly identify twelve winners. Topic English Grammar Description (No more details will be given.) The student will be asked to recite the preposition list within sixty seconds. Geography The student will be asked to name five locations from anywhere in the three cycles with a prompt just like the local Memory Master. They will be prompted for sixty seconds. Science The student will be asked to recite the first twelve elements with atomic number and weight within sixty seconds. Timeline The student will hear three Classical Acts & Facts History Cards in normal sequence from anywhere in the timeline and then be asked to complete to a certain point within sixty seconds. Latin The student will be asked to say a specific declension and conjugation within sixty seconds. History The student will be given a prompt from anywhere in the three cycles and be asked to complete to a certain point within sixty seconds. Math The student will be asked to state the non-multiplication math facts within sixty seconds.
Round Two: Content Estimated time: 2 hours In Round Two, the students will play games in which the facts from all three cycles are possible answers. Questions will be similar to the prompts, though not exact. Questions will be publically directed to a student much like a spelling bee all will hear. Questions will be randomly selected from all subject areas. In each category, the finalists will earn either 6, 8, or 10 points. The four highest scores proceed to Round Three. In the case of a tie, the finalists with the most 10s will advance. A second set of questions may be prepared in advance if needed to clearly identify four winners. Round Two will send four students to the final round. Content Geography The students will play a game where the locations from all three cycles are possible answers. Timeline Students will be asked to correctly order timeline facts that have been given out of order. History Finish this sentence where student is given a date or prompt. Math Science Multiplication speed round. Questions answer prompt. Latin Translate John 1:1 7; passages from Latin to the Vulgate and vice versa. (In order that judges may compare fairly, all must use same version found in the Foundations Guide, 4th edition.) English Facts answer prompt. Round Three: Presentations Estimated time: 2 Hours Accuracy is important, but judges will use presentation skills to choose the winner in case of a tie. Students will quietly sit and complete maps in a room while families gather in the presentation room. Then, one at a time, students will stand in front of the presentation room to chant the timeline, then translate Latin, and then tell a story from the history presentations. During the presentations, the other competitors wait in a separate room. All will be judged and awarded at the ceremony. This contest is purposely beyond the scope of a normal Memory Master in Foundations since it includes all three cycles. Maps will be revealed after speeches. Students will rotate through tasks, and they will not hear or see one another. Finalists are judged on points plus a majority opinion of the judges. Point scores are not released to the final four competitors. Content Students will do tasks in turn rather than one student completing all tasks back to back. Geography (20 minutes total) Students will be given a blank map of a region and colored pencils and given 20 minutes to label every location they can think of from the Foundations material. Correct abbreviations are approved; therefore, USA is permitted for United States and UK for the United Kingdom. Maps will be collected to present to the audience at the end of Round Three. Timeline (5 minutes per student/about 25 minutes total) Students will be prompted with three early Classical Acts & Facts History Cards in sequence and asked to continue for 5 minutes. Judges award points on accuracy and presentation. This task will be given additional points if chanted and not just sung. Motions are acceptable if they add to the presentation. Latin (5 minutes per student/about 25 minutes total) Students will be asked to quote John 1:1 7 in both Latin and in the Vulgate. They can choose which language to recite first or recite each line in alternating languages. They can practice however they are most comfortable. History (5 minutes per student/about 25 minutes total) Students will be given one of the six stories and tell it the best that they can. Each cycle has two sets of history facts that are often memorized as disconnected trivia. But a clever person might notice that they are all related facts and can be intertwined into an interesting story about that time period. Students will be told which of the six stories to tell the audience and then expected to do their best in presenting that set of history facts. Maps (5 minutes) Presented by Evelyn Jenkins, the Foundations Academic Advisor, to audience so they know what we are judging. Everyone is dismissed until graduation ceremony. Graduation and Award Ceremony National Memory Master winners will be announced first, followed by National Number Knockout winners. After awards, the graduation ceremony will begin. This will give graduates a few extra minutes and allow anyone with young
children to leave if they only want to attend one of the two ceremonies. Prizes The Grand Prize Winner will receive a $10,000 check made payable to the parent. Please note: Prizes must be considered as income and are likely taxable. Classical Conversations will issue a 1099 under the parent s Social Security number. The finalists will be notified by March 15, 2016, so that additional family members may have time to buy cruise tickets. Be aware that cruise tickets might be sold out or subject to particular terms and conditions set by the cruise line s selling decisions. Two boarding passes for a two-person interior cabin per finalist will be previously purchased and guaranteed by Classical Conversations. All family members are encouraged to come; Classical Conversations does not materially benefit from attendance by additional family members. Winners who have already booked the cruise will be reimbursed.
N A T I O N A L NATIONAL M EMORY M ASTER C OMPETITION PARENT RELEASE Please scan or take a photo of the finalist s birth certificate as proof of U.S. citizenship and age. For the attending parent, please complete this form. Submit both documents to NM2@ClassicalConversations.com by March 7, 2016, 11:59 p.m. EST. Name of finalist Age (as of 4/30/2016) Date of birth Full legal name of attending parent Relationship Best phone number for quick contact Additional phone numbers Address Names of other adults attending Names and ages of other children in immediate family attending Additional Information The National Memory Master Championship (NMMC) is a subsidiary of Classical Conversations, Inc. Classical Conversations is its own legal entity and its actions are not the responsibility of its sponsor companies. Sponsors are strictly buying advertising from Classical Conversations and supporting education. Please signify you have read the following sections by inserting your initials on the blank lines. Finalist and parents must keep their finalist status a secret until NMMC makes a public announcement on or near March 18, 2016. Finalist announcements cannot be made unless all signed legal documents and copies of requested documents are received by NMMC by March 9, 2016. Another finalist will be chosen if you are unable to fulfill eligibility requirements.
NMMC judges make the final determination of the winner of the competition. Any challenges to scores will be based on the audio recordings, not on what the finalist meant to do or wrote down. You shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless National Memory Master Championship and its agents from and against any and all demands, claims, damages to persons and property, losses, and liabilities, including reasonable attorney s fees arising out of or caused by you in connection with the provision of the services of National Memory Master Championship except to the extent and percentage attributed to the fault of NMMC. Finalists are expected to behave honorably toward one another within the context of participating in an important contest that upholds good sportsmanship. It is the responsibility of the parent to research and prepare all documentation needed for the cruise itself. This may include, but is not restricted to: passports, medical forms, and parental releases. Regarding Finalist A copy of the finalist s birth certificate is needed to substantiate that the finalist is a U.S. citizen and will be between the age of 10 (ten) and 12 (twelve) years old on April 30, 2016. Additional prizes may be offered throughout the championship based on sponsor support. The grand prize of $10,000 for the champion is the only current prize to be paid. Finalist s parent or legal guardian will receive a 1099-MISC that indicates taxable winnings of up to $1400. The champion s parent or legal guardian will receive a 1099 for an amount up to $11,400. Any additional prizes will also be included in a 1099. These amounts are subject to change but will reflect the value of the accommodations provided by NMMC. Please indicate any food allergies: All meals are provided by Carnival Cruise Line. If you have special dietary restrictions, you are responsible for notifying the cruise line. Regarding Finalist Parents The parent will receive a travel stipend at NMMC s discretion for up to $800 to pay for and arrange transportation for him- or herself and the finalist. Any additional costs are the parent s responsibility. Should the finalist not come to the event, the travel stipend will be returned to NMMC.