Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1911-03-16

Missouri Valleys High School Debating League
many readers of this paper doubt will be interested
the history Of the work the Missouri Valley High School De-
batting League At this time just preceding the big sgourney
Missouri Valley debate will be Of especial interest to the pa
irons Of schools and these in sympathy with public
work its lines in detail the work Of our De-
batting League.
The Iowa State High Debating League in its
fifth year. Five years ago the school of the State
University few school superntendens got together and
planned league The league organized oceed by an
executive committee the chairman Of this being the Instructor
of Public Speaking the State University at that time Prof
i H E. Gordon, now Prof W. E Jones'
The general plan Of the league to divide the state into
four districts for debating purposes Any fully sccr dlted
district has the right the payment OF two dol
the league The number of schools usually enter
f each district from to H. The schools of each district
the direction of the district director hold series
of debates necessary determine the district chap
school when defeated drops Of the league for the
the of each district determined these four Win
ers Of two Debates called the seminals ard
reduce the The big debate to be held at
EM Valley on Friday evening" March a. between Sigourney
Mo- Valley will be the seinal between the Southeast ard
olthwe districts The two winners Of the semfnas meet
final debate at Iowa City, time in April to determine
the state winner.
The first wear Of the league no final was held the
teams Dodge Iowa City could agree to the n
tepretaon of the sides Of the question In the
three years the league past Fort Dodge high school has
the state championship each year. defeating the teams
from Cedar Falls, Iowa City and Sgourney.
At the beginning Of this year Fort Dodge withdrew fr
league The semna the northern half of the state for
year will be between Cherokee and Forest City, The win
this debate will the winner of the Sgourney
| ls ,uri Valley debate in the final debate
Our interest the work our home
year 08 the first year Mo- Valley was member
ae Previous to this the local debate work con-
ucte feature Of the high school literary society," and
1ose ed tally interested for two, members OF
vounA debating league doing informal work under the d
IA }scton of the Supt
The for this first year consisted Of three senior boys
Worcester Warren Charles Kennedy and Ralph Erickson The
b under the training of Supt Beverdge and Mr. Redman
.de strong team and able to win the first district
championship for the Mo- Valley high school, The question for
year the disarmament of our land and naval forces
Valley team met and unanimously defeated the team from
I'D The then met the Bedford team at Bedford
result of this debate tie One Judge failed appear
the other judges could not agree week later tie
held at the Valley and Bedford unanimously
Efeated. Mo- Valley thus the district champion few
weeks later the Valley Fort Dodge the semna Fort
Dodge and the champion of Western Iowa. In this
Of the debate the Valley team the only team of the
that only both sides of the question bat that
Aeven debated both sides.
The year 1908 9 successful 1t resulted
victory but very valuable in that trained for the
fowng year. Mr. Redman of the high school had charge Of
debates this Eight took part in TIE
preliminary The judges chose the for the Luea
Sadduth of the Senior class Scugh McGavren Gus Heiman
land as substitute Tom Tomey Junior
question this year the control of corpora
as doing interstate business Our team first defeated Den
III sa with decision We then Council Bluffs
a defeated by two decision This defeat put
v Of the league for the remainder of the year. Council Bluffs