Читать книгу Scouting for Boys - Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell Baron Baden-Powell of Gilwell - Страница 39

A good exercise for a winter's evening in the clubroom is to hold a debate on any subject of topical interest, the Instructor acting as chairman. He will see that there is a speaker on one side prepared beforehand to introduce and support one view of the subject, and that there is another speaker prepared to expound another view. After hearing them, he will call on the others present in turn to express their views. And in the end he takes the votes for and against the motion.

At first boys will be very shy of speaking unless the subject selected by the Instructor is one which really interests them and takes them out of themselves.

After a debate or two they get greater confidence, and are able to express themselves coherently; and also pick up the proper procedure for public meetings, such as seconding the motion, moving amendments, obeying chairman's ruling, voting, according votes of thanks to chair—etc., etc.

In place of a debate a mock trial may be of interest as a change.

For instance, the story of the murder given in Part I. might form the subject of trial.

The Instructor would appoint himself to act the judge, and detail boys to the following parts: