Wellington Speaking Union | Debating in Wellington

The Wellington Speaking Union 2008 AGM was held on Tuesday October 28 at Turnbull House.

The 2009 Executive is:

President: Christopher Bishop
Treasurer: Stephen Whittington
Secretary: David Dewar

The Wellington Speaking Union, which organises adult and schools debating in Wellington, is having its Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 28 October at 6.30pm in Turnbull House (on the corner of Bowen St and Lambton Quay).
 
This is an important meeting because a new constitution is being proposed for the WSU which will allow schools and adult debaters/adjudicators (as “clubs” in the formal sense do not exist) to vote for the committee with runs WSU throughout the year. 
 
The accounts of this year and the President’s Report will also be presented. A formal agenda will be sent out closer to the time, along with a draft constitution.
 
There will be supper at the meeting and it should go for no more than an hour.

The final intercollegiate debating grade final was tonight. Congratulations to Chilton St James School who defeated Marsden by 3-0 to win the Premier B grade and the Fred McComish Trophy.

A team from Victoria University (Gareth Richards and Yogesh Patel) won the Victoria Shield tonight, defeating Joe Connell and Kevin Moar in the final.

12 teams gathered at the Victoria University Student Union Building to compete in this impromptu knock-out competition.

Special congratulations to Maria English and Holly Jenkins, who reached the semi-finals despite still being at secondary school.

Thanks to Rosy Moar for organising everything, and to the adjudicators (Christopher Bishop, Stephen Whittington, and Simon Connell).

And also last week, Tawa College walked away the victors in the Senior Certificate grade, defeating Wellington College.

Last week in a hard-fought final, Wellington East Girls’ College beat Sacred Heart College to win the WSU Cup for the Junior Certificate debating for the first time.

Photos to come here soon.

Samuel Marsden Collegiate School defeated Queen Maragaret College in the Grand Final of the Premier A debating competition last night, winning the Henning Cup for the second time in the tournament’s 39 year history.

The team of Adele Quigley-McBride, Maria English, and Dipti Manchanda successfully negated the motion “This House believes all states should adopt open immigration policies”.

Maria English and Frances Ratner from QMC shared the Suffrage Cup for the best speaker in the Grand Final.

Judging the debate were Christopher Bishop, Clodagh O’Connor-McKenna, and Rosemary Moar. Stephen Whittington, the convenor of the Premier A Grade in 2008, chaired the debate, which was held in front of a lively and large audience.

The Stockley Cup prepared speaking competition was held tonight at Turnbull House. Six speakers entered in the junior competition, and five entered the senior competition.

The runners-up in the Junior competition were:

3rd: Stephen Petris – Scots College
2nd: Rayhan Langdana – Wellington College

And the winner of the Dunsheath Trophy for the best junior speech was Taase Pusa from Sacred Heart College

The place-getters in the Senior competition were:

3rd: Nicola Wood – St Mary’s College
2nd: Olivia Norling – Samuel Marsden Collegiate School

And the winner of the Stockley Cup for the best senior speech was Jacob Diggle from Wellington College.

Thanks very much to Mrs Melda Townsley who adjudicated the competition.

Samuel Marsden and Wellington College have both defended their titles at the WSU Impromptu Cup tournament, held at Queen Margaret College today.

In the senior section, Samuel Marsden (Maria English and Dipti Manchanda) beat Sacred Heart College (Holly Jenkins and Laura ?) in the Grand Final on the motion “This House would vote National”, taking home the IMPS Trophy for the second year in a row. Scots College and Queen Margaret College were the beaten semi-finalists.

In the junior section, Wellington College 1 (Nick Fenton and Rayhan Landana) and 2 (Josh Brian and Paul Turner) squared off in the final, ensuring that College retained the Evening Post Cup it won last year.  Wellington College 2 prevailed in a 4-1 decision on the motion “This House believes unhealthy foods should be banned from school canteens”.

Congratulations to both teams. Thanks to Stephen Whittington and Clodagh O’Connor-McKenna for running the two grades and organising adjudicators, and to Queen Margaret College for hosting the day.

Photos will be posted here shortly.

The Wellington Speaking Union Impromptu Cup tournament is tomorrow at Queen Margaret College. Twelve senior teams and five junior teams from around the Wellington region are competing. Results and photos will be posted here once the tournament is over.