School debating

14 Aug 2013

Each year, the August meetings of three neighbouring Probus Clubs on the Central Coast of NSW are very different from usual. Instead of a normal guest speaker, each of these clubs hosts a debate between teams of senior high school students.

The Probus Debating Competition was an initiative of Lerryn Mutton, a member of the Probus Club of Kincumber. Lerryn is a WW2 veteran and a former member of the NSW Legislative Assembly. Throughout his entire adult life, he has had a passion for community service. In 2010 when he was awarded an OAM, he had notched up over 50 continuous years of membership of Rotary.

Lerryn joined the Probus Club of Kincumber in 1988. In 1993, during his five years as speaker convenor, he established the Probus Debating Competition. He managed it for the next 15 years.

The competition continues in essentially the same format that Lerryn established. The teams of debaters come from four Central Coast high schools – Erina High School, Green Point Christian College, Kincumber High School and Central Coast Grammar School. There are three debates – two heats and a final. The debate heats take place before the East Gosford and Avoca Beach Probus clubs. The winners of these heats debate in the final before the Probus Club of Kincumber. The winning school holds a perpetual shield for one year.

The Probus Debating Competition has many positive benefits. The students get the opportunity to debate before a mature, interested and discerning audience – their teachers tell us that this is not always the case when they debate before their peers. The teachers also say that debating in this environment is a very developmental experience for their students.

We Probians meet many outstanding young people. We hear them present their arguments, and rebut those of their opponents, on interesting and relevant topics. After a debate, it is not uncommon for a member of the audience to say that the experience of hearing these young people gives our generation confidence in the future.

The debating competition doesn’t just happen. Each year it is necessary to set up arrangements that fit in with the schedule of club meetings, and the competing demands on the students and their teachers. The teachers must spend valuable time helping their students prepare for the debates – a task that is often additional to their normal teaching responsibilities. The students themselves do the hard work on the day, and feel most of the pressure. Very importantly, an experienced adjudicator must be present who can objectively judge the performance of the teams, choose a winner, and justify that choice to both the debaters and the audience. It is a tribute to the worth of this initiative that all those involved in the debates are prepared to give their time and expertise to support it.

The success of every Probus club depends on the ongoing contributions of its members. Mostly, these contributions ensure that the club continues to operate well, and maintain the traditions that it has developed in the past. Every so often, however, a member introduces something entirely new into the activities of a club, which has long lasting benefits.

The Probus Debating Competition that Lerryn Mutton initiated 20 years ago has done just that for these three Central Coast Probus clubs.

Earlier this year, the Probus Club of Kincumber named the winner’s shield The Lerryn Mutton Shield to honour Lerryn for his vision in establishing this inter-generational tradition.

In the picture: Lerryn Mutton and the President of the Probus Club of Kincumber, John Rudd, with the Lerryn Mutton Debating shield.