Starting a debate program

Starting a Debate Club may seem like a challenging thing to do, but is in fact fairly straightforward, in part because it is very flexible. Some active clubs have just a few members, while others have a few dozen. Some meet regularly, while others meet occasionally. There are many models and many options, depending on what suits your situation best. Here are a few basic steps

1. You need at least two debaters and a staff member to supervise.

If you are a teacher, this is an opportunity to work with students who are interested in improving their speaking skills, logic, and knowledge -- a wonderful opportunity. If you are a student, this gives you the chance to develop your speaking skills, get better at arguing, and have fun doing so.

Notices and announcements in whatever internal communication system your school uses are a good way of attracting members, but approaching people directly often works better. You should find out which students like arguing and discussing issues, either in class or out of class, and encourage them to join. If you are a student, you should also ask your teachers or principal if there is someone who would be willing to supervise. That person does not need to know anything about debating, since they can get help and advice from the provincial and national debate associations.

2. Contact your provincial debate association for help and suggestions. These can be tailored to whatever suits your situation best. The links to the provincial associations are here.

3. Set up a meeting. The first or second meeting should probably have a workshop that explains how a debate works. Your provincial association may be able to provide people to run that workshop and/or do a demonstration debate if you would like them to.

4. Have some debates either in-club or with more experienced debaters from other schools, or some combination of the two. If you are debating with more experienced debaters, you may want to have coordinate debates, i.e. use teams consisting of one of your debaters with a more experienced debater as partner. This would allow your students to learn from their partners.

5. Take part in local tournaments if you would like to. Most of the tournaments have both a novice section for students in their first year of debating, although students can always enter the open (experienced) category if they want to. Tournaments are a great way to gain experience and improve your skills. To find out what to expect at a tournament, click here.