THE DEBATING SOCIETY

"Needless to say, Anya and me had fits as the Glyn boys filtrated in."  Photo:  the first inter-schools debate, Northampton 1960

T U E S D A Y,  3 1  O C T

Wore orange dress again.

At 1.40 I went along to Miss Lack’s room to represent our form. We sat on the floor! There were 13 of us, from the Upper and Lower Sixths, to talk to this American from Harvard University about education. He was very nice and very interesting, and we came to the conclusion that it isn’t just a good or bad teacher that makes the difference to a lesson but the girls themselves. People are always complaining about Vanessa because she puts her hand up all the time, but I think it’s jolly nice to see someone keen. He told us a bit about American education. The difference is, they have money there, and here they don’t, and practically everybody goes to college.

Went to the Debate after school and sat with Anya, Tig, Ruth and Claire. Needless to say, Anya and me had fits as the Glyn boys filtrated in! ‘Rosko’ had triangular sideboards; ‘Bright and Breezy’ went drifting along; ‘Baked Potato’ was huge and looked incredibly dense… we could hardly control ourselves. Ruth kept muttering, “more paper bags, please!” There was one snazz though, who looked like Mark.

“Behind us was the most dreadful set of weeds...”

The remarks they made were too funny for words. There were corny comments all around, all from the boys, because practically everyone who got up to speak was from Glyn. The debate – ‘This House is Against Burning Witches’ - was thoroughly enjoyable. Vanessa O was for not burning them – she was very good and very amusing. The boy sitting next to the snazz made a marvellous little speech and began by saying “Madam Chairman, Louts and Ladies”! In the end the motion was carried by 76 votes to 56. Afterwards there were refreshments in the main canteen (all I had was a biscuit). 

I’m so fed up. Sandra is having a party on Friday and I can’t go because of the theatre.