Debating workshops are run every Monday evening and all pupils from Chalmers West and above are welcome. The lively debates cover a wide range of topics and the motions are often put forward by the students. Both short and long preparation tournaments run by universities, the English Speaking Union and the Law Society are entered. Juniors have the opportunity to enter a national competition run by the ESU.

There are also debates held at Pringle level with St Mary's Melrose and Ardvreck Prep Schools.

AstroSoc is aimed at enthusing boys in the Senior School for observational astronomy.  We have a regular meeting on Thursday evenings when, if the weather is suitable, we go out to observe from the playing fields, or, if not, then we meet to discuss related topics or plan future observing sessions.  AstroSoc has three telescopes and various sets of binoculars, allowing a group of boys all to be involved in observing the night sky simultaneously.  The boys are encouraged to spend time planning an observation and also to record what they see.  They can also make contributions to the AstroSoc blog (merchistonastronomy.blogspot.com).  One of the telescopes is a large aperture scope which enables deep sky object such as galaxies and nebula to be observed.  Another, a smaller aperture refractor scope, has a high quality tracking mount.  This accurately follows the stars as they move through the sky and enables long exposure astrophotography to be done. 

We are also registered with the Faulkes Telescope, enabling boys to use two research standard telescopes, situated in Hawaii and New Zealand.  These telescopes can be controlled remotely via the internet enabling AstroSoc members to image deep sky astronomical objects such as galaxies and nebulas from sites in prime locations.  The example here taken by AstroSoc members shows the spiral galaxy, M95.