One of the most popular competitions in the YFCU calendar, the Group Debating Competition will kick off in November with regional heats throughout Northern Ireland and with the support of the Army the YFCU believes this year's contest will be better than ever.
The competition encourages members to 'think on their feet' as the teams taking part only receive the motion or their side of the argument thirty minutes before they debate it on the night. This encourages spontaneous debating and encourages members to work together as a team.
At each heat, teams of three have to argue either 'for' or 'against' the motion in order to convince judges to side with their argument and award them a coveted place in the Northern Ireland finals. As part of the sponsorship the Army will provide some of the topics for debate during the 2008 competition.
YFCU President Adrian Cooper was very pleased to learn that the Army had decided to come onboard and sponsor the competition.
"I was delighted to learn that the Army has agreed to sponsor our Group Debating Competition. Support from sponsors like this is very important to the running of the YFCU programme of competitions," said Adrian.
"The skills that our members gain from the competition are invaluable for their academic and working lives and with the support of the Army, this year's competition is sure to be as popular as ever," he added.
The YFCU Group Debating regional heats will begin on Monday10th November in Cookstown High School for Counties Fermanagh, Tyrone and Londonderry. Members from Counties Armagh and Down will travel to Banbridge High School on Tuesday 11th November for their heat. Finally County Antrim will travel to Ballee Community High School in Ballymena for their regional heat on Wednesday 12th November 2008.
The Final will be held on Wednesday 26th November in Ballee Community High School and the winners will be treated to an Army 'Boot Camp' experience at Ballykinler Army base.