THE DEBATING SOCIETY

Master-in-Charge: Mr Justin McGrath

Assistant Master-in-Charge: Mr Lachlan Stockbridge

Captain of Debating   Jordan Widjaya (12Mu)

Vice-Captain of Debating    Riordan Lee (12St)

1. DEBATING

Only boys in Years 10, 11 and 12 may specialise in Debating if selected after Trials held in Term IV, but anyone in Years 7, 8 and 9 may debate, also if selected, in addition to being in Cadets or a Music Group. As a Co-Curricular Activity the Debating Society aims to:

i.    Develop self-confidence, improve bearing, and encourage initiative;
ii.   Instil a capacity for constructive, critical thinking;
iii. Provide a vehicle for students to make a significant contribution to the cultural and literary life of the School; and
iv. Develop attitudes of responsibility and concern;

To achieve these broad aims those boys for whom Debating becomes a Co-Curricular Activity will attend one and a half hours of training sessions each week additional to the normal Debating meetings. These sessions will be devoted to practical work that will cover the fields of adjudication, criticism, public speaking, critical thinking and debating technique.  Attendance at these sessions is imperative for selection for ISDA and CAS Debating teams.

In Terms I and II we debate against several schools outside the CAS, as part of the ISDA competition, as well as numerous social rounds of debating. The CAS Competition is held in Term III.  In Term IV we hold numerous Trial Round debates for the following year’s team selection.

To ensure that boys who join the Society do not miss out on outdoor activity, a Camp that focuses largely on games, skiing, bushwalking and the like is held in Activities Week. Selection is based on the years of service, attitude, degree of interest and competence demonstrated in Years 10, 11 and 12.

Meeting Details:

• Years 7, 8 and 9 training sessions are held on Thursday afternoons from 3.45pm to 5.00pm in the English classrooms.
  
• Years 10, 11 and 12 training sessions are held on Wednesday afternoons from 3.45pm to 5.00pm in the English classrooms.
  
• Various competitions are held on Friday nights from 6.00pm to 10.30pm in the New School classrooms and/or the Founder’s Building.

This activity is open to boys in Years 10 and 11, and is run by the Law Society of NSW and Bond University. Teams from about 400 schools, state-wide, compete in regional round-robins during Semester I. If they qualify, competition goes into three-stage knockout to determine Quarter Final in September. Each school fields a team of six for any particular round. That team (1st and 2nd barrister, solicitor, two witnesses and court officers) will represent either the Prosecution or Defence, each being awarded points by a presiding magistrate (usually a practising lawyer appointed by the Law Society) in terms of their performance in presenting a “case” before the Mock Court. This Activity is stimulating and intellectually demanding, but great fun and involves building skills such as problem solving, oral presentation, performance, organisation, team work and “thinking on your feet.”

Meeting Details:
From 3:40pm to 5:00pm in Room F2.5 at various times throughout the year, depending on the dates of competitions.

Mooting, open to Year 12 students, similar to Mock Trial, but is a more exacting discipline, which combines the argumentative skills and organisation of Debating, the quick wittedness and verbal proficiency of Oratory, combined with the assimilation of a considerable amount of legal knowledge to allow the team to present and reason their case before a panel of three judges. Each team comprises three members: Senior Counsel, Junior Counsel and Solicitor. They are given a legal problem in the form of a hypothetical legal brief, which is based on a real life example. A legal basis for the brief, usually a decision by the High Court of Australia, is then provided. The team then has about six weeks to prepare its case, to be presented as an appeal to the Federal Court. Acting either for the Appellant or the Respondent, each Barrister (aided by the Solicitor) must present the case, in legal conversation, with the panel of judges as the Court.

Meeting Details:
From 3:40pm to 5:00pm in Room F2.5 at various times throughout the year, depending on the dates of competitions.

Oratory Competitions are held throughout the year. These are the Lawrence Campbell, Junior and Senior Plain English Speaking, the TGS Senior Invitational, Rostrum Voice of Youth, the Lions’ Youth of the Year as well as the School’s Oratory competitions. Students should see Mr McGrath early in Term I to express their interest in this area.

Meeting Details:
Oratory meetings are held at various times throughout the year during Debating training session times, depending on the dates of competitions.

5. PHILOSOPHY CLUB

Participation in Philosophy Club evenings is open to all members of the Debating Society, as well as other interested students. The focus is on open discussion, with guest speakers and lectures at various times throughout the year. Boys studying the International Baccalaureate are strongly encouraged to attend Philosophy Club evenings.

Meeting Details:
Thursday and Friday evenings, at various times throughout the year. Details are posted on the Debating Society Noticeboard and in the Daily Notices.