Debate Club

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Debate Club of the ErasmusPlus open sesame

Hi there! We are European teenagers with a passion for debating. Our pourpose is to discuss topics that will shape our future. We encourage each other to grow and include every memeber in the argumentation. We discuss topics like climate change, the corona virus, sexism or social media. By engaging with other countries we bring the continent closer together, support each other and get new experiences. Through the opportunity Erasmus+ has given us we also seek to travel in different countries of Europe, including France, Spain, Germany, Lativia and Italy. Crossing the language barriers we interact in English.
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How to Debate - An introduction by students of the St. Raphael-Gymnasium

  1. Debating can be a lot of fun, but rules are in order to get the full experience. This guide has been made to introduce you to the rules we would like to use.

Preparation - before the debate starts:

  1. For debating, you need a topic, two teams and debate chairs.
  2. So, choose you topic and then the people who take part in the debate decide who is chair. The chair's job is to manage the debate and to guide the participants through the debate.
  3. The other participants will be split into two teams. The teams have two opposite opinions on the topic.
  4. As soon as the opinions have been chosen, they will have to start preparing which means informing themselves on the topic and developing arguments for their opinion.
  5. The chair can also give both teams information on the topic, help them and decide what aspect of a topic is most interesting to them. He will have to prepare very well too.

The Debate:

  1. The chair will decide which group begins using a coinflip.
  2. The debate will start with an opening statement of both teams which should be a maximum of 3 minutes long.
  3. Then, the actual debate begins. Each team should give a speech that lasts about five minutes, the teams take turns speaking. Here the teams present their arguments, contradict the other team’s arguments and try to convince the chairs of their opinion.
  4. Just after that the Crossfire Debate starts. Here each team can ask the other team any questions they would like, both have five minutes to do so, the team who started with their opening statement begins here as well.
  5. At the end of the debate both teams give their closing statement. Here they use both preparation and things they learned during the debate to sum up and finalize their opinion, this is the last chance both teams must convince the chairs.

The Results:

  1. After the closing statements, the chairs decide which team won the Debate. They think about arguments, rhetorical skill, correctness of statements and overall quality of the statement.
  2. They then say who is winner and give reason why.


By Sebastian Ohlig

Statute of Principles

  1. Guiding Principles

    1. Central to all debate and discussion shall be the civil exchange of views, arguments and experiences relating to the topic being discussed. All statements in debate or discussion are to be made to advance the deliberation of the matter being discussed.

      Ad hominem attacks are to be sanctioned.

      This paragraph cannot be changed.

    2. The debate club sets out to work for the benefit of all of its members, the school community, and the Erasmus + Project. Members are expected to contribute to the advancement of the goals of the Debate Club actively and regularly and to engage in its functions.

    3. By engaging in debate about relevant topics, the debate club seeks to:

      1. Hone the debate and rhetorical skills of all involved in it.

      2. Encourage personal growth and advancement of all of its members.

      3. Encourage students to partake in the political process.

      4. Stimulate intercultural exchange and contact with other modes of life, philosophies and viewpoints.

    4. To attain these goals, the debate club seeks to:

      1. Engage in regular and frequent debate on the pressing issues of the day.

      2. Foster international contact via the Erasmus+ Community, frequent travel and participation in international competitions such as but not limited to Model United Nations Conferences.

      3. Invite and engage in discussion with experts and attend seminars for the advancement of the entirety or a subset of the debate club.

      4. Build on previous experiences in rhetoric, competition or other domains of individual participants and encourage them to share their knowledge.

  2. Organization

    1. The debate club is a democratic institution.

      All decisions are to be coordinated with the plenary and are to take into consideration all of the member’s interests as far as possible. The club seeks to be as representative of its individual members as possible.

    2. The debate club is to elect annually, guided solely by the principles of merit:

      1. A debate club captain and co-captain

        Captain and Co-Captain are to represent the club to the outside world, they are to organize and lead the meetings of the debate club. In the following, they are also going to be referred to as chairs.

      2. A treasury secretary

        The treasury secretary is concerned with matters of fundraising for projects and is responsible for the funds allocated to them within the club. They are to work closely with the captains and the entirety of the club.

        All decisions regarding the financials must pass the plenary with a two-thirds vote. The treasury secretary is to give insight into the financials when asked and is elsewise required to give a short presentation at the end of the school year on the financials. The treasury secretary may not simultaneously be captain or co-captain.

      3. A PR Team

        The PR Team, consisting of two secretaries, is concerned with matters of public relations.

        It is to organize and coordinate meetings with press and outsiders and is to create and cultivate social media.

        Additional coordinative duties in planning are to be split between the team and the Captains.

      4. All positions are to be elected with a simple majority of those present in the session in an open vote. A quorum of at least two-thirds of the club’s members must be present to elect.

      5. A Networking Team

        The networking team is to be concerned with matters of networking between the countries taking part in the Erasmus+ project.

        They are to organize events and debates together with the other debate clubs and to foster active contact with them. They will report to the other club members every two weeks.

        6. They are to keep the spirit of the Erasmus+ Project present at all times.

    3. Meeting dates are to be coordinated with all of the club’s members and are to be announced sufficiently in advance, as are the topics of the session.

    4. This document is to be approved with a simple majority the first day of proceedings, with its approval the club is formally established.

    5. If a chairperson happens to be absent, the treasury secretary or PR Secretary is to Their place for the session.

  3. Club Proceedings

    1. Formal Club Proceedings The formal club proceedings are opened and closed by the chairs.

      1. The formal club proceedings are to be chaired by the captain and co-captain. Every member has a right to speak, this right is to be acknowledged by the moderation.

      2. Every member may propose amendments to the statute of the club as it is designed to outlive the duration of the Erasmus+ Project.

        The amendments are to be thoroughly examined and debated upon before the club proceeds to an open vote. A two-thirds majority is needed to impose changes in the statute.

      3. Members are asked to present ideas for the upcoming meetings, the chairs in session decide on the daily schedule. The chairs are called upon to reduce formal proceedings to a necessary minimum and instead focus on debate and informal consultation such as presentations. The chairs may open and close formal and informal proceedings as well as debate in all of its forms.

      4. Every member has the right to motion to proceed to close formal meetings and to open debate.

        They may motion so by acclamation at any time. If the motion is granted by the chair, a simple majority may approve the motion.

        Participants are asked to motion only in relevant and useful moments.

      5. Chairs are regarded as club members with regard to amendments but are not eligible to motion.

    2. Informal Club Proceedings

      1. Informal proceedings are to be called for discussion, planning, presentation and teamwork- in short, all topics not under the jurisdiction of the formal club proceedings. The sessions are not moderated but the chairs are asked to intervene to ensure a certain level of order. The chairs may begin and end formal and informal meetings. Informal proceedings may be motioned for.