Recognition

It has been 10 years since Paul Carroll banged the gavel for the first time at 104 London Debaters in September 2014. At our 10th Anniversary Debate Meeting on Tuesday the 10th of September 2024, it was our 10th President, KB, who banged the gavel and called the 33 attendees to order amid streams of bunting and clinking glasses.

After welcoming the gathered flock, and tempting them to stay for cake after the meeting, our current President promptly handed over to our Immediate Past President, David Sexton, to Chair the Table Topic session.

David had a whole slew of Presidential and political topics, from election colleges in the US and age limits on Presidents via the relative merit of the Parliamentary system vs. the Presidential system, to funding for political parties and whether Larry The Cat should be made Prime Minister. Phil’s assertion that it would be rude to make the 1% unhappy had the crowd tickled pink, but it was William who gave the audience paws for thought with his advocacy for a purrfect feline prime minister, and so he won the Audience Prize for Best Table Topic speaker by a whisker.

All debate positions at 104 London Debaters are assigned, so debaters do not necessarily express their personal opinions. (And we are not biased in favour of cats).

During the break, the club served free drinks to all members and guests, and with glasses refilled, President KB handed over to one of our founding members and former Presidents, Joann Walsh, to chair the 10 year anniversary Presidential Debate.

For this special meeting, debate itself was under debate with the motion This House Believes That Social Media Renders Debate Futile, Online and Offline.

Before the debate 5 voted in favour, 18 against with 6 abstaining. After a debate with a plethora of claims, grounds for claims, warrants, claims of fallacies, logical deductions, anadiplosis, and a bravura summary from club founder Paul Carroll, the motion was defeated but with a substantial swing to the Proposition, with 14 in favour, 16 against and 2 abstaining.

Congratulations to the Opposition for defeating the motion – thank goodness, debating was not voted futile at a debating club – but also very well done to the Proposition for winning the swing.

Paul Carroll also won the Audience Prize for Best Debate Speech with his summary for the Proposition.

After President KB closed the formal proceedings, we then transferred our attention to the cake, and our founder Paul had the honour of cutting the club’s birthday cake.

We also had 15 vegan chocolate muffins baked especially for the club on the baker’s day off, by Norwegian Baker’s Jessika Hagerup (William’s ex-wife), and donated them to the club with best wishes for another 10 years of free speech and good quality debates.

Paul Carroll, co-founder of the club, cutting the birthday cake.