Headmaster's Debate

Friday night saw another enjoyable and disputatious evening as two teams locked horns in the annual Headmaster's Debate.

This year the teams were wrestling with the motion: "This House believes that Recession is Good for the Soul". The proposers, led by the Reverend Tony Hodgson, were attempting to cheer us all up by proving to us that there are more things in heaven and earth than money and possessions. He was ably backed up by OA Hannah Wildsmith, who returned to school from Magdalene College Cambridge to deliver a poetical plea to look around and, as they say, ‘smell the flowers'. Her team-mate Laura O'Neill of the Upper Sixth agreed - citing anything which stopped her from shopping as being a good thing for the environment (and Third-World sweatshops).

As you might expect, such special pleading found no favour with Yorkshireman, economist and Head of Business Studies, Mr Rod Bedford, who captained the opposition. There was no good news in a recession, as thousands of the unemployed would testify he told us. His realism found an ally in Michael O'Neill, back at his old school from his year abroad from Manchester University, who proved he had lost none of his theatrical skills in his speech. Lastly, Upper Sixth-former Matthew Strutte, in a quieter but no less effective style, urged us to think about the ramifications of previous recessions, which had had the opposite effect than that suggested by the motion.

A lively floor debate followed in which there was a fair balance of views. Both teams responded well to the tricky questions fired at them. Perhaps benefitting from having the ‘last word', the Reverend Tony's impassioned summing-up seemed to sway the audience's views as they voted overwhelmingly to support the motion. Was it a case of wishful thinking, or a firmly-held belief? Whatever the whys and wherefores, both teams provided a stimulating and enjoyable evening of cerebral and humorous discussion for an appreciative audience of parents, friends and students.

My thanks go, of course, to the speakers; Mr and Mrs Hughes for their reception before the debate, and many others who helped behind the scenes. Not forgetting the audience who play such a big part by their intelligent and forthright contributions to the debate. I feel sure that they left the debate spiritually enriched, and ready to face troubling times with ‘adversity's sweet milk, philosophy'.

Posted by: D E Smyth
Date: Thursday 21/05/2009