Westward

The ninth PKD National Convention in Tulsa, Oklahoma represented yet another step (along with Colorado in 1926) in the westward push for the activities of PKD which had predominately been the domain of the middle of the US in the past. This was long the desire of senior PKD Council members and ex-presidents; E.R. Nichols, Charles Marsh and J.R. MacArthur, all who had shifted to California. That this was happening was due in large part to the efforts of these leaders resulting in an increasingly heavier concentration of participants in the western states. 

One interesting aspect of the Tulsa Convention/Tournament was that it appears that it represents the peak of sentiment which began at the 1930 Wichita tournament that Debate competition was becoming obsolete and either had to be done away with entirely or changed drastically. There were flurries of articles prior to the convention arguing why it remained worthwhile and how it should be changed, including such methods as, the Oregon Plan, Single Judge, Audience judge, Critic-Judge, etc. There was even a suggestion that at the convention there should be a "debate on debating." The continued popularity of debate competition despite or because of its challenges appeared to eventually decide the argument.