0:09  
Welcome! Tonight at the Toronto debating society, it is October 25, 2016. This is a comedy debate. I read our resolution is Hillary Clinton is more trustworthy than Donald Trump.

0:29  
At Swansea Town Hall near Runnymead and Bloor, where the Toronto debate society meets every other Tuesday from September to May. David Furlong acts as the Prime Minister for this debate. 

0:40  
Thank you madam speaker. We will offer two arguments. 

0:45  
He organization allows members to volunteer for different positions every week. Two members serve as the government who in this case support the position that Hillary Clinton is more trustworthy than Donald Trump. Two members serve as the opposition.

1:09  
Both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition are given seven minutes to speak. Once both leaders speak their seconds have an opportunity to speak for five minutes each.

1:20  
A lifetime and public service qualifies one to be looked upon as trustworthy. I remind the government that Richard Nixon, Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler were also...

1:30  
The nonprofit organization was founded in 1995, the Swansea Debating and Public Speaking Society. In 2001, the membership of the club was dwindling, and its activities were suspended. But once vigorous attempts were made to increase membership, the club was renamed the Toronto Debating Society.

1:48  
He says he hates overweight women. You can trust he's never met a woman he didn't grope.

1:54  
Once both sides have delivered their arguments wherever serves as adjudicator judges the performance of both sides and announces the winning team, as well as the best debater. For this debate, Dean Gerard offered commentary on the debate.

2:12  
So not particularly strong in the summations.

2:15  
And in the end, the debate to the opposition.

2:22  
Tonight isn't over yet. After the debate, the group meets in the Dark Horse pub a few blocks away for a chance to catch up and chat about the debate. This is where I got the chance to speak to a few of the members about how they got into debating and what this organization means to them.

2:38  
My name is David Furlong, and I've been a member now for 10 years. Now my partner tonight was debating for the first time and she joined two weeks ago and that was exactly my experience 10 years ago. I came along one night and the next meeting two weeks later I was debating. Well I'm a Newfoundlander so we like argument, like the the repartee the give and take, you know. The chance for humour, you know. And as one of our members remarked a few years ago, I never forget it, he said it's the only place that I get a chance to have the last word. I certainly don't get it at home.

3:16  
My name is Dean Gerard and I've been a member of the Toronto Debating Society for 19 years. When I joined in, in 1997 I just moved to the city from Peterborough and I found out about the club through a notice in the Toronto Star.

3:31  
Next week the Toronto Debating Society, will be hosting an unscripted debate. Which is where participants are not allowed to do any research  on the topic of whether guaranteed annual income is a waste of money.

3:42  
And I thought okay, I just come from a Toastmasters group in Peterborough. Where I'd been there for four years and I thought, okay, let's go beyond just public speaking and we'll try debating.

3:54  
 And we have the best humour. 

3:55  
There's an annual $75 fee to become a member which covers the cost of using the second floor council chamber in the Swansea Town Hall.  Guests who cannot participate in the actual debates are always free to attend meetings and offer their commentary or thoughts before and after the debates.

4:11  
Of the debate, because of the humorous part. It was a fair and honest forum with a lot of camaraderie, a lot of rhetoric, a lot of humor and just wonderful times afterwards. It's everything that they wanted it to be and more.

4:29  
The organization creates educational videos that include tips on how to speak in public and best practices for successful debating.  Ian Gerrard calls part of the group's public service. These videos as well as past debates can be found on their YouTube channel, Toronto Debating. For more information you can visit their website, torontodebating.com in Toronto, I'm Ryan Tushow.