From Mifflinburg Telegraph Weekly Newspaper
Trail of History for Week of December 24, 2009
Dec 23, 2009 - 9:50:51 AM
This article first appeared in the the Mifflinburg Telegraph, April 29, 1926.
The Mifflinburg High School debating team, champions of the Central Pennsylvania High School Debating League, were presented with the Lybarger Trophy at a banquet given by the Debating Board of Bucknell University at the New Cameron House in Lewisburg Tuesday night. The local team won the cup by defeating Williamsport in the final debates held simultaneously at Williamsport and at this place last Friday night.
The banquet Tuesday night was presided over by Prof. W.H. Coleman, as toastmaster, Lee Francis Lybarger, of Mifflinburg, donor of the trophy and honorary president of the high school league, handed the cup to T. Burns Drum, manager of the Bucknell University Debating Board and president of the league. Mr. Drum then presented the cup to the Mifflinburg teams. A brief speech of acceptance was made by Charles Snyder.
The banquet was also attended by the two men’s and the two women’s debating teams of Bucknell University and the following guests: Dr. Emory W. Hunt, president of Bucknell University; R.H. Rivenburg, dean of men, Bucknell University; Federal Judge Albert W. Johnson of Lewisburg; Dr. Raymond M. West, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Lewisburg; Miss Amelia Clark, dean of women, Bucknell University; Alfred G. Stoughton, alumni secretary, Bucknell University; Frank P. Boyer, principal, Mifflinburg High School; and Miss Louise K. Glover of the Mifflinburg High School faculty.
The league championship came to Mifflinburg last Friday night when both Mifflinburg teams defeated the two teams of Williamsport High School. The score in each instance was two to one in favor of Mifflinburg. The local negative team, composed of Charles Snyder (‘26), Gladys Church (’27), Laura Everett (‘26) and Pauline Klingman (’27) alternate, met the Williamsport affirmative team at Williamsport.
The victory at Williamsport gave the negative team the record of winning every debate in which it was entered.
The Mifflinburg affirmative team composed of William Musser (‘27), Mary Snyder (‘29), Elizabeth Kieffer, (‘26), and Larry Diehl (’28), alternate, debated with the Williamsport negative team in the auditorium of the Mifflinburg High School before an audience of 500 persons.
Mifflinburg gained the opportunity to enter the final debates by defeating both Lewisburg teams in the semi-finals on April 23.
The local teams entered the semi-finals by eliminating Shamokin and Watsontown in the initial triangular debate held on April 16. It is estimated that about 4,000 persons listened to the debates of the league.
More than 300 high school students participated in the eighteen debates culminating in the finals last Friday night. To be acclaimed league champions, it was necessary for the local debaters to eliminate teams representing the following high schools: Bloomsburg, Lewisburg, Lock Haven, Milton, Montgomery, Mount Carmel, Northumberland, Shamokin, Sunbury, Watsontown and Williamsport.
The idea of the high school league was conceived last November by T. Burns Drum of Lewisburg, a senior at Bucknell and manager of the Bucknell University Debating Board. The debating board agreed to sponsor the scheme and Lee Francis Lybarger, of Mifflinburg, came forward with the trophy which he agreed to present to the winning team.
Invitations were issued to high schools throughout this part of the state to attend a meeting at Bucknell. At that meeting a constitution and subject for debate was adopted.
The subject was “Resolved, that the United States government should compel settlement by arbitration of all disputes in the fuel and transportation industries.”
Officers of the league were chosen as follows: president T. Burns Drum, Bucknell University Debating Board; vice president, Hayes L. Person, faculty of Williamsport High School; secretary, Francis Lybarger, Bucknell University Debating Board; treasurer, Paul B. Cooley, faculty of Lewisburg High School.
© Copyright 2009 by Mifflinburg Telegraph Weekly Newspaper