The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1914-12-02
HIGH SCHOOLS
Debating League to BE Divided Into
Districts i'm Contest for Honors.

Sioux Falls, Dec. Great en-
thusiasm is being shown by the high
schools of South Dakota this year in
debating. A proposed constitution
for a state debating league was
adopted at the annual meeting of
the state teachers association in Oc-
tober and officers were elected, who
have since been at work sending out
circulars to the high schools of the
state, and have secured a member
ship in the league of the following
high schools: Pierre, Madison.
Langford, Canton, Clark, Howard,
Flandreau. Lead. Alexandria. Stur-
gis, Rapid City. Mitchell, Aberdeen,
Webster, Lake Preston, Belle
Fourche and Sioux Falls. Others
have expressed their intention TO join
but have not yet enrolled with the
secretary-treasurer of the league.
Principal r. b. Irons of the Rapid
City high school.
The question to be debated by the
schools of the league for the current
year is. Resolved, That the United
States should the policy OF
the Monroe Doctrine" Previous to
the organization of the state debat-
ing league it was proposed and
agreed TO form a rectangular league
of Aberdeen, Yankton, Huron, Sioux
Falls and Mitchell. These schools
each submitted two questions TO a
board of arbitration at the state uni
~versity headed by Prof. Clarence +.
Lyons of the public speaking depart
ment. The result was hat the above
question was chosen by this board as
the one most suitable of those sub
mitted for high school debates.
When the state debating league was
organized the following week, it was
decided to adopt the same question
for the state league.
The many details for the work OF
the year have not yet been fully de-
veloped by the executive committee,
but the general plan is to divide the
eastern part of the state into several
districts for debating. to probably al
low the western half of the state to
remain in one large district. Each
school will probably be allowed to en-
ter two teams. IN upon each side oil
the question for the first debate
| which will take place the latter part
of February. all the schools OF the
state debating league debating the
same question on the same night,
with either one or two other schools,
The winning teams of the first debate
will enter against the winning teams
of a second debate TO take place some
| weeks later, the debating to continue
| until one team in each district shall
have been adjudged the champion oil
| it's respective district. These cham
pion district teams will then hold in
terdistrict contests until they decide
| finally what team is the champion
| of the entire state.
That the high schools appreciate
| the Importance of this line of high
| school activity is fully attested by
the fact that eighteen of them eve
this fall, when il was at first thought
too late to launch the project for this
year after the organization of the
league q month ago, have already en-
| rolled and begun work upon the cur
rent question. 1t is hoped that the
membership of the league will be
completed for this year. by the close
of the present week. Any other
| schools desiring membership should
| enroll at one with Prof. Irons OF
Rapid City.