Althing Speakers rough guide

Doors open 7pm, start 7.30pm – please be there in good time, to meet your fellow speakers and chair. Two speakers each side, first speaker ‘for’ sits to right of Chair, first speaker against sits to left of Chair. 

First half

Chair’s intro. Audience first vote on the motion. For/ Against/ Undecided.

First speaker for motion speaks – 10-15 mins

First speaker against speaks – 10-15 mins

Second speaker for – 10 mins

Second speaker against – 10 mins

(All speakers speak uninterrupted, and it is strongly advised to prepare a paper in advance, as even confident speakers can ‘dry’ without something to refer to.)

15 min break, tea and biscuits

Second half

Audience contributions. 20-30 mins.

Opinions and points of information are preferred, rather than questions that put the speakers on the spot. Depending on the amount of contributions, some questions can be accepted at the Chair’s discretion, and the panel can come back in, but we prefer this half to be more audience participation than Q & A. This is partly to widen scope of contributions, partly so that speakers are not put under too much pressure. Also so that keen speakers do not dominate too much, as they have already had their chance in the first half.

Speakers can address audience points in their summing up at the end, rather than answer them all during the audience part.

Summings up:

First speaker AGAINST motion sums up first – 2-3 mins. First speaker FOR motion sums up last, also 2-3 mins.

(Note – second speakers do not take part in the summing up.) Second audience vote For/Against/Undecided, and the Chair declares the winner.