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This week: Four Way Debating Con-Test
Four entrants in the four way debate were form left Guthrie Moon (Trinity College), Eleanor Hanscombe (Camberwell Girls Grammar), Cara Goldthorpe (Methodist Ladies College) ande the winner Tyrone Connor (Scotch College).
Four schools in the Boroondara area entered the Balwyn Rotary Club’s annual debate on Rotary’s Four Way test with prizes sponsored by Dymocks of Camberwell for both the contestants and their schools. First prize carried a $3000 prize for the school and a $300 Dymocks’ voucher for the student winner with prizes scaling down $2000 and $200, $1000 and $100, $500 and $50.
Some schools such as Fintona Girls School regretted that the timing of the debate clashed with their regular school program – music and so on – and hoped they could compete next year.
First of the `Four Way Rotary Test' debaters was Eleanor Hanscombe from year 11 at Camberwell Girls Grammar School who chose to speak on restructuring of the former Abbotsford Convent arrangements with its restaurant on the banks of the Yarra in Collingwood.She took the view that the changes were outside the four Rotary principles and argued strongly that the changes to the organisation’s ways of dealing with the disadvantaged needed to be altered. Meals at the former convent’s vegetarian restaurant, Lentil as Anything, were priced according to the diner’s ability and willingness to pay rather than set amounts at other restaurants. Changes to this and other arrangements that will alter the way the former convent deals with the disadvantaged were plainly unfair and did not match Rotary’s aims of truth, fairness, building goodwill and friendship and benefitting all.
Speaking clearly and with great confidence and passion, she explained that the former convent's area on a bend in the Yarra below Studley Park had been occupied for thousands of years and it would be fair to allow all to continue to enjoy the benefits of the location and its social atmosphere.
The next speaker, Cara Goldthorpe from year 11 at Methodist Ladies College, began with an Indian inspired salutation and went on to argue Rotary’s principles could be well sought through examination of one’s inner principles and through each person doing this, they could relate to each other on a better plane. The message was that the place within us ``when we are together there, there is only one of us.
``Unity begins when we build good friendships and good will among us,'' she said. ``How does one do that? You must look within yourself,'' she said. ``We are all great and looking within will enable us to be fair and find strength to fight for justice.''
The third speaker, Guthrie Moon from year 11 at Trinity Grammar School, appeared to draw a long bow comparing life and Rotary's ur basic tenets in the context of the television cartoon series, the Simpsons. Speaking strongly and confidently, he described the cartoon characters and the way they mirrored so much of modern life and its apparently slippery grip on morality but also good values. It was a brave step because it embodied fluid originality and humour in a modern context against what could be seen as society's more rigid set of values.
The fourth speaker wasTyrone Connor from year 10 at Scotch College who argued for the proper of treatment of refugees as seen through the prism of rotary’s four core values. He presented cogent arguments connecting the way refugees are treated here that needed the influence of Rotary's core values.
``Refugees face difficulties with language and getting jobs,'' he said. ``They must see themselves trying different countries, each country being unwilling to share compassion.
``There has been opposition to great immigration but what is 20,000 people among 20 millon?'' he asked.
The judges said they were most impressed with all the entries and awarded equal third prize to the girls from Camberwell Girls Grammar and Methodist Ladies College requiring the sponsor, Dymocks, to amend the prize structure. Guthrie Moon from Trinity College was second and the winner was Tyrone Connor from Scotch College.
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