Clubs & Societies

All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad

The All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad takes place every year and is a competition which challenges secondary pupils of all ages to think logically.  The two hour qualifying paper is not a mathematical challenge but the questions use ancient and modern languages from all around the world to test pupils’ powers of deduction.  In previous qualifying rounds, which are held in school, the questions have been based on the Danish, Swedish and Japanese languages as well as Ancient and Modern Greek.  On average 20 Methody pupils participate in the qualifying round, which is held at the end of January or the beginning of February and usually about 8-12 qualify for the National Final in Dublin City University at the end of March. 

The National Final which has grown over the years to have 125 representatives from schools all over Ireland, consists of 2 parts – an individual paper and a team round.  While the individual paper can be quite intense, the team round is more relaxed, though no less challenging, and after the demands of the morning round it can be refreshing to brainstorm with team members. 

Methody has an impressive record in AILO.  4 past pupils have qualified to represent Ireland, mostly recently Zara Watson (Class of 2020).  Methody also won the last team event to be held in 2019.  

This extracurricular activity is recommended to anyone who enjoys primarily the challenges of Modern Languages and Maths but has not yet seen a way of combining these two interests.  If Computer Science is more your thing it might also appeal. 

See Miss Moore in E2 for further details.

This year proved very successful for Methody in terms of linguistics, as eight students qualified for the final of the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad. Impressively, each finalist scored well within the top 100 participants, with William Zhang and Anhukrisha Karthikeyan scoring sixth and seventh in the Junior Competition, and Zara Watson achieving the highest score overall.

Zara's report. 

Art Club (Junior)

The Junior Art Club is open to all pupils in Forms 1-3. It meets every Monday Lunchtime in V3. 

Pupils work on a range of arts and crafts activities, often linked to seasonal events or festivals and sometimes collaborate on entries for competitions. This very popular club is often over-subscribed so all interested pupils are asked to enrol at the beginning of the year. 

Chess Club

Chess is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide and a small, but dedicated, number of pupils who meet every lunchtime in R21 or R28. 

Computing Club

Students can take part in activities to develop IT and coding skills including Swift programming on the iPad, Microbit, BitBot and Minecraft.

In June 2019 members of the Computer Club went on a trip to the Queen’s University Belfast to see the many different projects that the students there are doing including using Virtual Reality.

Cookery Club

Cookery club is held every Tuesday in the Food and Nutrition department from 3.15-4.30 and is open to all pupils. This is a very popular club and is a fantastic opportunity for pupils to have fun in a more relaxed setting while also developing their practical skills in the kitchen. Throughout the year pupils make a range of sweet and savoury dishes such as raspberry and white chocolate muffins, lemon drizzle cake, Thai green curry and sausage rolls to name but a few. Pupils also have the opportunity to take part in projects throughout the year such as a cupcake masterclass and a Christmas workshop. Themed seasonal cookery is always popular such as Halloween and Easter cookery.

 For more information please see Mrs Kelly. 

Debating Society (Junior)

The Junior Debating Society meets on Wednesdays of Week A in A5 at lunch and currently has about 30 pupils who regularly take part. Students from Forms 1 – 3 are welcome.  Debates begin at 12.15pm. You may bring your lunch along with you or pop out to the Deli Bar or Canteen to avoid the rush.  

We debate and discuss a range of light-hearted and serious issues ranging from our thoughts on the latest celebrity news to whether or not exams should be abolished.  There is no pressure to speak formally and the club has a very relaxed, informal atmosphere.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Debating Society (Senior)

The Senior Debating Society meets every Friday during lunchtime in A18 and is open to anyone in Form Four to Upper Sixth with an interest in public speaking and team debating. The teacher in charge is Mr Latimer. We enter a range of competitions throughout the year, offering opportunities for exercising skills in individual and team performances against other schools. In February 2020, Zara Watson and Jasmijn Hofman won the QUB Literific Schools’ Competition. This year, we will be taking part in the Edgar Graham Memorial Public Speaking Competition, the Northern Ireland Schools’ Debating Competition and the Cambridge Schools’ Debating Competition.

Drama (Junior)

Mary Poppins 2018

Mary Poppins is the story of a Victorian family who has lost their way. The Banks’ employ a nanny, Mary Poppins, to look after their troublesome children. Little do they know that Mary is no ordinary nanny. As she helps them realize the importance of family the banks’ discover that a spoonful of sugar really does help the medicine go down. “The level of professional acting shown by such a young group was not only a wonderful surprise but also a relief on my part as it is one of my favourite stories.” “Mary was expertly portrayed with such poise and grace yet with a firm grasp on discipline which many adults still have not mastered. The chorus was always enthusiastic, and their clear enjoyment of the show radiated out of them delighting the audience. The singing ability of all the performers was superb and really shone in the group performance numbers.” This was a beautifully performed play full of joy and emotion with the perfect casting of characters. The production only happened with the participation of students and teachers alike. A massive thank you should be given to the drama department for the time and dedication it took to put in to the play. It was a complete success and a wonderful way to Celebrate Methody’s 150th year.

Drama (Senior)

Legally Blonde - June 2018

The 2018 Senior School Production was Legally Blonde JR. The cast, crew and staff involved are to be congratulated on putting on a highly professional, energetic and engaging musical that thoroughly impressed and entertained the audience.

The story is based on the novel Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown and the 2001 film of the same name. It tells the story of Elle Woods, a sorority girl who enrols at Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend Warner. She discovers how her knowledge of law can help others, and successfully defends exercise queen Brooke Wyndham in a murder trial. Throughout the show, no one has faith in Elle Woods, but she manages to surprise them when she defies expectations while staying true to herself.

Duke of Edinburgh Award

The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme is all about new experiences, setting goals and exploring your passions. At Methodist College we currently offer Silver Award to Form 5 pupils.

What is involved in the Award Scheme?

There are four sections at Silver Level. Pupils select and set objectives in each of the following areas:

• Volunteering: undertaking service to individuals or the community.
• Physical: improving in an area of sport, dance or fitness activities.
• Skills: developing practical and social skills and personal interests.
• Expedition: planning, training for and completion of an adventurous journey in the Mourne Mountains

Each section must be done for a minimum period of time. It must be monitored and then assessed by someone with knowledge of that particular activity to achieve an Award.

The Expedition section

Pupils receive classroom and outdoor training in order to prepare them for the expedition section. The pupils meet every Thursday after school to receive training in navigation and map skills. Outdoor training in navigation and camp craft takes place in the Mourne Mountains.

Participants must complete a Practice and a Qualifying expedition. To prepare for their expeditions, participants plan a route, complete route cards and decide on a menu plan.

Some participants share their experiences of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

If students don’t have the opportunity or availability to complete their award in school, we would encourage them to consider  an Open Award Centre such as BAC, YMCA. 

Film Club

“Our young film critics and filmmakers at MCB Filmclub are delighted to be teaming up with INTO FILM this year.Junior Film Club runs every Tuesday lunch time in V2 with Miss Curran. All form 1-3 welcome!

The film club is designed to give first to third form students an opportunity to view, study and make films. Pupils have the opportunity to meet new friends in a relaxed environment and discuss their common interests. It is the aim of the club to put film at the heart of learning and education and help pupils to develop culturally, socially and personally. Films shown in our club will be suitable for the age range.

6^th form prefects lead the club and lead discussions about film language and film-making techniques, including live action and animation.”

Hewitt Society

The Hewitt Society, named after poet and Methody alumnus John Hewitt, is Methody’s Creative Writing Society society.
Pupils from F4 to U6th are welcome at the meetings, which vary in content but always have a literary theme. We enjoy creative writing workshops, reading and getting feedback on our own writing projects and discussing our latest reading. We have also held readings of our work in the MCB library and entered creative writing competitions.
To find out more, join us on Tuesday lunchtimes in M1.

India Society

The College India Society raises money to help the ASHA Slum Project in Delhi. The Society meets on Thursdays at lunchtime in K4.

Main activities include:

• Planning fundraising for ASHA
•  Making cards using designs provided by the women in the slums
•  Finding out more about India and the work of ASHA in the slums

To find out more about the work of Asha, visit the ASHA website or read this report from Asha  which gives an excellent overview of the work the project covers in the Kalkaji district.

If you would like to make a contribution to the project, we would be more than grateful. 
Cheques to be made payable to Methodist College Belfast and sent to The India Society c/o Methodist College, 1 Malone Road, Belfast, BT9 6BY

Junior Christian Union (1st – 3rd Form)

Every Tuesday lunchtime a group of Lower Sixth Assistant Prefects and Junior pupils from Forms 1 – 3 meet in the Drama Studio for Junior Christian Union. Junior CU is a time for everyone interested to meet together, share their faith story, ask questions about the Bible and learn from each other. It is also a time to chill out and have fun together, taking a break from the business of school life.
Usually, the first thing we do is play games but we also have a talk from either one of the Assistant Prefects, a teacher or sometimes guest speakers. This is a really important part of our time together as it means we will grow in our faith; develop our understanding and encourage each other. To round off our time together we have a short time of worship and prayer before returning to lots of school work and all the other many activities we are involved in.The teachers involved in overseeing Junior CU are Mr Gibson and Mr Crothers.

LGBTQI+ Society

Founded in 2018 during MCB’s 150^th anniversary year, the LGBTQ+ Society is a space for pupils 4^th form and above who either identify as LGBTQ+ or are allies to the community. Meeting weekly, the society aims to explore the history and current issues within LGBTQ+ culture. There are presentations from members on various topics from information on the Gay Rights movement to LGBTQ+ participation in the circus. After the presentation there is a breakout session, where members of the society can socialise and get to know one another.The LGBTQ+ Society is a friendly space where all middle and senior school pupils are welcome.

Model United Nations

Model United Nations or MUN, is one of the most unique societies Methody has to offer. MUN is a simulation of the United Nations, where pupils participate as delegates to represent a member state and debate global issues. Topics we have debated both within school and at conferences have ranged from Human Trafficking to the impact Fast Fashion has on the environment.

It combines debating, public speaking and negotiation, offering lessons not learnt within the classroom.  For many, MUN is the most rewarding extra-curricular activity as it builds confidence, teamwork and interpersonal skills as you compete both as a delegate and as part of a delegation. MUN allows you to gain an insight into the world of law and international relations whilst simultaneously building knowledge of each country’s individual make up. Universities admire a background in MUN specifically, because of the broad range of skills you acquire in undertaking the required level of research and the high-level of debate it provides.  Many universities offer also offer MUN as an extra-curricular activity.

One of the most admirable aspects of MCBMUN is its inclusivity, as any pupil from Form 1 to Upper 6 can take part. Public-speaking and the knowledge of international relations are both skills which can be acquired. Methody has a very successful MUN history, particularly at WCDMUN (Wesley College Dublin), where we compete every year.  We have won seven consecutive ‘Best Delegation’ awards at this conference and many pupils have been very successful in taking home individual awards, such as Best Delegate, Highly Commended Delegate or Best Junior Delegate. We planned to host our own MCBMUN Conference in October 2020 however it was yet another event postponed due to the pandemic, but we have high hopes for 2021!

Nina, currently in L6, sums up what MCBMUN has done for her.  “I have been part of MCBMUN Society since Form 1 and in five years I have learnt an incredible amount and made some of my closest friends through MUN. It has given me the opportunity to make friends across the year groups that I am confident will last beyond MUN and Methody. If I had to pick one single, hugely rewarding aspect, it would have to be MUN. The friendships made, the skillset it provides and the experiences are truly unique!”

WCD MUN 2020

Model United Nations Society 

Moneybox

"Helping others to help themselves"Moneybox is a charity group within the college which organises a range of different events throughout the year, from which all proceeds go to various charities chosen by the Moneybox Committee.
In the past money has been raised for The British Heart Foundation, Northern Ireland Association for Mental Health, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Bryson House and the Thorndale Family Centre in Belfast (to name a few!).
We would encourage everyone to get involved in fundraising by supporting the many events that take place within school every year. Here is just a taste of what Moneybox have been involved with so far this year.
 
Christmas is a very busy time of year for Moneybox.  Each year, Moneybox, in tandem with Bryson House, co-ordinates the distribution of Christmas Hampers to families within the Belfast area. Each Tutor Group (as well as Admin staff!) put together a hamper containing a wide variety of things, from daily grocery staples such as tea, coffee and sugar etc to more festive fare like mince pies, chocolates, shortbread and christmas pud!
The hampers get distributed in the last weeks of the Christmas term and it is (very roughly) estimated that somewhere in the region of £4000 of grocery items are packaged up and given to families in need of a bit of help.

Politics and Current Affairs Society

The Politics department runs the Politics and Current Affairs Society, which is open to pupils from Forms Four to Upper Sixth with an interest in politics and current affairs. The society meets on Thursdays 3.30 – 4.30 when we have guest speakers from a range of political parties and media commentators. Recently we welcomed our first guest speaker of the year, the SDLP’s Claire Hanna MLA for South Belfast. Topics covered in the wide ranging discussion included Brexit, the prospects for a return of devolution at Stormont and climate change.

Robotics Club

The Robotics Club (F1-F2) meet on Thursday at lunch time on week B only in M4.  

The Robotics Club (F3-U6th) meet on Monday at 3.15pm-4.30pm in M4. 

Using Lego Mindstorms EV3 kits the students solve missions in an arena.

 For more details contact Mr Wright.

Romania Society

Methody has been involved in a project with the charity School Aid Romania from 1990 and each year a group of students and staff from the College go to Romania to visit some of the projects. These include orphanages, an Old Peoples’ home, TB hospital, a school for the deaf and care homes for children with disabilities.This is a cross-community project and we work closely with St Patrick’s College in Maghera. School Aid Romania was set up in 1990 with two main aims: To assist children in need in Romania & To bring together pupils from different schools and different communities in Northern Ireland.In pursuit of its aims, School Aid Romania's objectives are to contribute to the development of community relations and mutual understanding between young people in Northern Ireland and to secure, by joint ventures, material assistance to relieve poverty and improve the well-being of young people in Romania. The organisation endeavours to undertake its work with children and young people in the full awareness of its responsibilities to them.

Russian Club (Junior & Senior)

For pupils in Form 1, the Junior Russian Club meets every Monday lunchtime in R38. Pupils get the opportunity to play Russian games, as well as taking part in competitions with the chance to win prizes. Read on to find out what some of our current pupils think!

For pupils in Forms 2 and 3, the Homework Club meets on Mondays at lunchtime in E7, helping pupils get to grips with Russian grammar.

The Senior Russian Club meets on a weekly basis to discuss aspects of Russian literature, history and contemporary politics. This club is particularly useful for those who wish to apply to the universities of Oxford or Cambridge. It also gives the students the opportunity to practise their interview skills.

Science Club (Junior)

Junior Science Club takes place on a Monday lunchtime, this will be due to commence after the October half term.

This is a great opportunity to see the really fun side of science, particularly at Halloween and Christmas with spooky and seasonal science parties! So far this year we have made rockets, glow in the dark slime and sugar monsters. If you’re interested in seeing what other cool things science is capable of and trying it for yourself, please come along! Everyone is welcome, for more details contact Mrs Burton and Mrs Sowney.

Senior Christian Union (4th Form – U6th)

The Senior CU meets in R21 at Friday Lunchtime and everyone in Middle and Senior School is welcome to come along for fellowship and fun. There is a committee which organises Senior CU and in the course of the year welcomes speakers from organisations like Exodus and the Scripture Union who come to talk about matters of faith. Pupils themselves also take turns speaking and contributing to the lunchtime activities.The teachers involved in overseeing Senior CU are Mr Lindsay and Mr Lyttle.

Joint Junior and Senior CU Activities

The CU weekend caters for both the Junior and Senior CU’s and over the last number of years we’ve been to Sheep Island View Youth Hostel near Ballintoy, the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum near Hollywood and last year we were at the Kilbroney Centre in Rostrevor. There is also a joint Christmas party and end of year BBQ.

This all adds to make CU in MCB a very enjoyable place to be where lots of fun is had, friendships are made and we learn more about our Christian faith together.

Sewing Club

In Methody, we have a sewing club called ‘Sew Lovely’.  It meets on a Thursday lunchtime and is attended by first form pupils.  At the start of the school year we learn a variety of hand stitches in order to create some handmade Christmas decorations.  In the spring and summer terms, we put our new sewing machine to great use by making door signs, hair scrunchies and Easter crafts, amongst other items.  A lovely group of pupils and L6th helpers attend regularly and enjoy a very productive year.