| It is with great sorrow that I must inform you of the death of Joan Cargulia after a long battle with cancer. Joan was the coach of the speech team at Fontbonne Hall, and also served for the last 3 years as the BQCFL's publicity director and recording secretary. When I first began to coach forensics at Mary Louis in 1983, Joan was coaching the speech team at Nazareth Regional HS and was president of the BQCFL. She stepped down as BQCFL president several years later when she was asked to become Nazareth's director of development. Joan was out of forensics for a number of years before returning to the BQCFL as coach of the Fontbonne team.
Joan was a tremendous speech coach whose students have excelled at local, state and National tournaments. Many of her former students at Nazareth have gone on to coach forensics and to judge at BQCFL tournaments - a true legacy to Joan and the positive influence she had on her students.
Joan will be waked at the Clavin Funeral Home at 77-22 4th Avenue in Bay Ridge on Friday, July 23rd. The hours are 2-4 and 7-9 PM. The funeral will be at 10:30 AM on Saturday, July 24th, at Our ady of Angels RC Church at 74th St and 4th Avenue in Bay Ridge. The celebrant will be Msgr Sean Ogle, the former forensics coach at Cathedral Prep who replaced Joan as BQCFL president. |
The Brooklyn-Queens Catholic Forensic League has been a member of the National Catholic Forensic League since the inception of the NCFL in 1951. We welcome Catholic, public and private high schools located within the Diocese of Brooklyn (Kings and Queens Counties in New York City) to join us as members and to participate in the many speech, debate and student congress tournaments we sponsor throughout each academic year.
Our Mission Statement reflects the goals and aspirations of the National Catholic Forensic League, and echoes its motto "Leadership through Speech". Following the example of Jesus Christ. whose message and ministry espoused humble service and articulate leadership, we hope to use forensic activities as the medium through which our members learn to express themselves clearly and concisely, yet recognize through their spoken and written words the importance of truth and compassion.
Mission Statement
"It shall be the purpose of this League, as a member of the National
Catholic Forensic League, through participation in interscholastic
tournaments, in debate and public speaking, in the various forms of
discussion and community service, and in the dramatic arts, to prepare
high school students to become articulate Americans." |
