March 2020
At this month's debate Mary Lane proposed that "Old Entertainment is the Best" suggesting that the discussion should focus on television programmes produced before 1990 because they were of a much higher standard than those produced more recently. She believed this was because scripts had deteriorated, becoming reliant on silliness, vulgarity and swearing to make their point. Furthermore, they created characters which were both unbelievable and difficult for the audience to identify with.
Opposing the motion, Wally Bensilum asserted that it was selective memory that made old entertainment appear good to each passing generation arguing that while most programmes were avant-garde for their day, many were also discriminatory and would no longer be considered as suitable viewing. He cited various instances of this but hailed the more contemporary Les Miserables as being the best entertainment of all time.
After varied comments from the floor the motion was won by 9 votes to 2 with 2 abstentions and both speakers were thanked for leading a thought-provoking debate. Issues related to the Corona virus were subsequently discussed.
February 2020
For the February debate Derek Cheek proposed that "Friendship is the most Important Thing in Life”. He argued that friends were essential for our physical and mental health and a better emotional resource than families because they helped us to weather life’s pains, losses and disappointments without the obligatory requirements associated with some relatives. Various research articles which found that having a social network could lengthen human lifespans by buffering the harmful influences of stress were also cited.
Opposer Lorry Greenall disagreed asserting that while friendship was important, the elements of oxygen, food and water were intrinsically fundamental to human survival. Furthermore, she felt that we usually turned to our families in times of difficulty making them more valuable than transitory mates. In addition, good health, inner peace, freedom and time were also suggested as being crucial to human well-being.Following a variety of comments from the floor the motion was lost by 4 to 3 with 2 abstentions.