The Parliamentary Shield, presented in 1909 by the Wellington Members of Parliament to be the trophy for interclub debating, is a prestigious debating competition for adult debaters in Wellington. Past winners can be found here.
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This year’s Parliamentary Shield will be held entirely over one weekend, rather than on weeknights throughout the year.
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Here are the key details:
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Dates: Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 October.
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Venues: Student Union Building, Victoria University on Saturday, Turnbull House/Parliament on Sunday.
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Timetable: Three rounds of debating on Satursday, one more preliminary round (if necessary) on Sunday morning, semis in afternoon, and Grand Final on late Sunday afternoon at Parliament.
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Debating style: 3 on 3, with limited preparation of 30 minutes for each debate.
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Speaking times: 8 minute speeches, with points of information.
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Team sizes: Teams must be a minimum of three people, with a maximum of five. For a speaker to be eligible to debate in the final they must do at least two debates up to and including the semi-finals.
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Adjudicators: It is my hope that people not debating in a particular round will volunteer to be used as judges.
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Other information:
There will be a BYO dinner organised for Saturday night (on an opt-in basis).
Teams need not represent a particular club or society; though obviously can if they wish.
No team cap.
Chief Adjudicator/organiser: Christopher Bishop
Entry fees: $50 per team. This will cover lunch on Saturday and some drinks/nibbles after the Final.
How to enter:
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Email Christopher Bishop by Friday 25 September with:
Your team name
Name of team captain, their email address, and contact cellphone number
Names of team members
Which team members are qualified/willing to act as adjudicators for rounds they do not debate in.
If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch on [email protected] or 027 683 8993.