Lion has kindly started a club that I'm sure a lot of you will be interested in: the YWS Debate Club. I know this forum is for discussion and debate, but what we want to do is foster interest in formal, structured debate. If you're interested, go ahead and join.
We are still getting established, so feel free to post your ideas on how the debates should run. These are some points I came up with:
So this is the way I would do it:
Members issue challenges in a discussions thread. In your challenge you must include:
-The motion you wish to debate,
-Your stance (pro, con, random),
-How many rounds the debate should be( Minimum of 2),
-Definition of the motion (only if you're pro),
-How many people can participate (1 on 1, 2 on 2, etc),
-Agree on the order of speeches,
-Whether the debate is competitive or non-competitive.
If there are more than two people per side, collaborate with your partner through PMs.
On top of this, I suggest we have a Weekly Motion thread where anyone can participate, on any side.
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Additional debate rules:
-No heckling.
-No personal insults.
-Arguments should (to the best of your abilities) be clear and tie back to the bill.
-End the debate at the agreed upon time.
Additionally, specify if you wan the debate to be competitive or non-competitive.
A non-competitive debate may be friendly and does not require a declaration of winner.
In a competitive debate, other members are called upon to vote for the more successful arguments and more convincing case. Keep in mind that you should vote for the more convincing case, not simply the one you agree with. Debate is all about developing rhetoric, not necessarily being right.
For example, the motion may be "This House would kill puppies," and I may be arguing for it. You may not want to kill puppies (I don't either) but if my case is more convincing and better constructed than the other guys, you should vote for me.
Audience participation is encouraged, but not during the debate itself. We can also ask the audience where they stand before and after each debate. If the participants wish, you can award the winner points as a prize as well. (Thanks inkwell and polinkacreations!)