A and B Grade
The A and B grades used to be the two adult debating grades below both Premier Reserve and the Premier Grade. It was designed for new and junior debaters in Wellington.
The A grade competition competed for the City of Wellington Trophy, which was presented in 1974 by the Wellington City Council to replace the Parliamentary Shield as the trophy for A Grade debating competition.
The B grade competition was also known as the Captain W J Lyons Memorial Contest, which commemorated Capt Lyons, MP for Waitemata who was killed in action in Greece in 1941. The Trophy was presented to The Wellington Speaking Union by the Watersiders Debating Club in 1942.
Past winners of the City of Wellington Trophy
1999: VUW (S Hutton, R Smith, M Birdling, S Rogers, K D’Souza)
1998: VUW (P Crewdson, J Kennard, D Reardon, K Singleton)
1997: VUW (A Reid, A McVey, M Black, E Gracie)
1996: VUW (P Zumbach, C Poff, S deVere, T Collins)
1995: VUW (B Gandy, A Teasdale, J Mossop)
1994: VUW (K McNamara, V Merrin, D Vincent, B Morris)
1993: VUW (M Smith, C Asher, E Bredin, K Pownall)
1992: VUW (M Bale, D Harmer, R Capie)
1991: IMPS (J Mason, Juliet Elworthy, C Fenwick, F Parnell)
1990: IMPS (J Davey, R Vermeer, M Smith)
1989: Hutt Valley ITC (S Sutherland, P Prendergast, B Ruddick)
1988: 22 Club (B Speirs, H Donaldson, R Hamill)
1987: VUW (A Howman, B Crowley, M Capie, P Foster)
1986: IMPS (I McNay, L Tyler, J Fletcher)
1985: VUW (A Barnes, M Hutton, R Kan)
1984: VUW (J Fortune, P Barber, J Roberts)
1983: VUW (P Doyle, IMM Bercinskas, A O’Donnell)
1982: IMPS (N Hannan, M Gledhill, J Elworthy)
1981: 22 Club (M Watkins, R Pitchforth, M Quigg, C Fisk)
1980: IMPS (A Munro, R Roberts, D Jowett, D Robbins)
1979: 22 Club (J Fanselow, I Hercus, B Luke)
1978: VUW (L O’Connor, T O’Brien, N Sainsbury)
1977: IMPS (E Curran, F Moore, P Bacos)
1976: VUW (B Moore, V Goldblatt, J Fanselow)
Past Winners of the Captain W J Lyons Memorial Contest
1999: Wellington Communicators (N Bain, S Clarke, M Hodson)
1998: VUW (N Evers-Swindell, R Goldstein-Hawes, A Chard, J Wong)
1997: IMPS (N McDonald, A Visser, P Natanasabapathy)
1996: VUW (C Robinson, J Sinkinson, ?)
1995: VUW (A Cooney, ??, ??)
1994: VUW (P Guiney, P Robertson, J Welham, G Webley)
1993: 22 Club (B Clarke, J Caldicott, N Lee)
1992: VUW (T Pepperell, K Anderson, S Shortall)
1991: Hutt Valley ITC (S Sutherland, P Prendergast, B Ruddick)
1990: IMPS (J Elworthy, ? Parnell, C Fenwick, J Mason)
1989: IMPS (B Feeney, J Davey, R Vermeer)
1988: Upper Hutt ITC (M White, B Service, M Pincott)
1987: IMPS (S Coffey, P Simpson, J Speedy, M Whooley)
1986: Johnsonville Tecorians (H Donaldson, H Troup, C Fenwick)
1985: Hutt Valley Toastmistress (G Foster, S Sutherland, P Clement)
1984: IMPS (E Garvey, R Watson, I Harrison)
1983: Wi Tako (M Maurice, G Laughlin, N Olsen)
1982: 22 Club (P Lorne, R Pratt, R Sawry)
1981: VUW (C McDonald, T Peters, P Rzepecky)
1980: IMPS (J Suhr, G Suhr, N Hannan)
1979: IMPS (R Roberts, D Jowett, A Munro)
1978: 22 Club
1977: Upper Hutt Toastmistress
1976: Kapiti Toastmistress (B Lindsay, K Clapcott, M Godber)
1975:
1974:
1973:
1972: Wellington Speakers (K Arthurs, M Haywood, D Burns, B Brown)
1971: Miramar Young Nats (R F Sutton, L B Bull, Miss J Wily)
1970:
1969: Hutt Civic (E DeFaan, D Oldham, D Broderick)
1968: 22 Club (C D Wardi, G B Duffy, S W Parks)
1967:
1966: Toastmasters (P Garrett, P Woods, P George)
1965: 22 Club (B E Brill, D C Mitchell, P J McLeod)
1964: Wellington Accounting Students’ Society (A D Martin, J H Dollimore, K B Bradley)
1963: VUW (Y Girbich, C Rose, D Shand)
1962: 22 Club (J C Tynan, P F Barber, R T Barber)
1961: Wellington Junior Chamber of Commerce (C Bewley, D C Craig, J D Martin)
1960: Junior National Party (A H Biss, N G Edmundson, J B Stevenson)
1959: Institute of Public Administration (E A Woodfield, R C J Phelan, D J Walker)
1958: VUW
1957: 22 Club
1956: Naenae Ch of Christ (R E Culpitt, R M O’Grady, A J Todd, T J Young)
1955: Dept of Labour (R J Mardle, C H Sorrell, A W Young)
1954: Jaycee (L Smith, C A West, B H Laurenson)
1953: 22 Club (T N Bright, I McLeod, B W Barnett)
1952: Naenae (H D Ferguson, A House, T J Young, J Child)
1951: Jaycee (A W Graham, J A McDonald, N F N Smith, H Strotton)
1950: Waterside Workers (R Gadd, Mrs H Southworth, P Oloen, C J Smyth)
1949: Karori Presbyterian (D Morrison, J L Mandeno, F G Caughley)
1948: 22 Club (A H Brooks, P A Taylor, L L Hoskins)
1947: Waterside Workers (B MacIntosh, R Darbyshire, G McHardy)
1946: Waterside Workers
1945: 22 Club
1944: 22 Club
1943: Unknown.
1942: Waterside Workers (R O’Donnell, E Locke, W H Gladwin, T Wells)