Student Leadership Board Nominations 

The deadline for submissions is November 17th, 2023 at 11pm. The nomination form can be found HERE. Print the form, fill it out, scan, and upload to the Registration form HERE.

Executive Board Nomination Information

1. All troupes and/or troupe sponsor may nominate one Thespian to run for Executive Board.

2. All nominees must receive the approval of their sponsor in order to run for office.

3. The Executive Board will consist of the 6 nominees receiving the greatest number of votes.

4. The Chairperson of the Executive Board will be the student receiving the greatest number of votes.

   • The chairmanship may not be held by a school more than two consecutive years. If a school has held the chairmanship for two consecutive years and wins it a third year, that school will still serve on the board, and the student receiving the second highest number of votes will serve as chairman.

5. To be eligible to run for office the candidate must meet at least one of the following qualifications:

   • Must have attended at least one state conference OR

   • Must have been a Thespian at least one year in their local troupe.

6. Each candidate must submit a one paragraph resume about themselves. The resume should outline the candidate’s goals and ideas for the State Thespian organization.

7. If any candidate for Executive Board is in violation of any Thespian conference rules, your name will be taken off the ballot immediately.

Objectives of the Executive Board

1. To continue the Society’s chain of command to its legal conclusion . . . the students for whom the Society exists.

2. To form a bond among troupes in a state area for the promotion of secondary school theatre arts and to provide assistance in carrying out theatre-related programs.

3. To assist the state director in carrying out his/her duties and responsibilities as defined in Article V of the constitution of The International Thespian Society.

4. To unite Thespian troupes around the state, so they may serve as an official voice of theatre within their state.

5. To plan the annual state conference and other State Thespian activities.

Qualifications

1. Each candidate and their school Thespian troupe must be in good standing with the International Thespian Society.

2. A student may be elected for their Junior or Senior year, but may only serve 1 year on the Executive Board.

3. The term of office will run from January 12 to January 13 of the following year.

4. Executive Board members must be a Thespian in good standing during their term of office and must remain a student in a secondary school in Tennessee that has a registered Thespian troupe.

5. An Executive Board member must be able to travel across state at his/her own expense in order to plan and coordinate state Thespian activities. This includes traveling the day before conference on Thursday, January 12, 2023.

6. Executive Board members must attend ALL 5 Board meetings per year and must be able to spend the additional time necessary to assist in maintaining the State Thespian Organization.

   • Meetings will be in person in July/August, September, October, December and the afternoon before Conference.

   • Meetings will be in Williamson Co at Brentwood High School or Independence High School.

7. All Executive Board Members are required to be in and participate in a group message with the other board members, Mrs. Williams, and Mrs. Moody to discuss themes, ideas, and other conference related things.

8. An Executive Board member who fails to meet these obligations or who violates school, local, state, or federal laws may be subject to removal from office by the State Director.

All Candidates are Encouraged to:

1. Talk with as many people at the conference as possible prior to the election.

2. Campaign with posters, buttons, slogans, etc. All campaigning is to be done in a constructive manner so as not to interrupt meetings, workshops, performances, and the like. Campaigning may begin at 11:00 a.m. on Friday and all signs must be taken down after voting Saturday afternoon.

3. Posters and signs may only be posted in designated areas. Candidates will be notified about appropriate areas. Any posters or signs in non-designated areas will be removed and discarded.

4. Candidates may not use labels or stickers for campaign promotions due to the extreme difficulty of removing these items from conference surfaces (walls, floors, etc.)

5. Ask questions of the present board members if you are unclear on any issue.

6. Be courteous to all other candidates and present a positive image.

7. Dress appropriately – Be yourself, but look nice!

8. Enjoy your campaign and, win or lose, grow from your experiences.

Campaign Speech Guidelines

1. Prepare a speech and skit for the General Meeting.

2. The entire presentation must not exceed 4 minutes in length. 1 minute minimum should be used for your speech. Tell everyone why you want to be on the board, your passion for theater, and anything else you’d like to share.

3. Your speech must be positive, non-slanderous, and informative. Your skit/speech shall not contain lewd or offensive language, sexual innuendos, inappropriate material, etc.

4. All speeches and skits must be seen and approved by your sponsor prior to the conference. The speech and skit must be presented exactly as the sponsor previewed it prior to the conference.

5. All speeches and skits must adhere to local school rules of behavior and must contain appropriate content and actions as would be expected in a school setting. Be creative, original and appropriate!

6. You are allowed to have up to 15 additional people involved in your skit/dance/speech components if desired. (this is optional, but welcome)

7. You are allowed to provide 1 track that goes along with your skit. It should be easily accessible to be played in Tucker Theater.

8. Candidates are prohibited from using any item which may potentially cause harm to candidates or conference delegates.

9. Students who do not adhere to these rules will be disqualified.