Annual General Meeting - 1890 Style

Now that the Society's Council is trying to make Annual General Meetings more attractive to members, it is interesting to note what happened in the 1890s. The Rules at that time stated: 'A General Meeting of the Society shall be held at some place rendered interesting by its antiquities in the eastern and western divisions of the County alternately ... At the said General Meeting, antiquities shall be exhibited, and papers read on subjects of archaeological interest.' The meetings were very different to present day A.G.M.s as the following extracts from the Society's Proceedings for 1890 (Arch. Cant. vol.XIX) shows:

Annual report read by Hon. Secretary

'During the past year death has removed from the County the Earl Sydney, who for five years was President of the Society ... The Council will ever remember with pleasure the kindly hospitality accorded them by the late President and the Countess Sydney, on various occasions when they met in London or at Deal Castle. Nor can members ever forget their reception at the sumptuous entertainment provided for them, by the late Earl and Countess of Sydney when they invited the Society to Frognal, during the Annual meeting in 1878 ...

Many other valuable members have been withdrawn from our ranks but our numbers are still well maintained, standing at the present time at 871, while 12 candidates await election at your hands today ... Since the last Annual meeting, the 18th Volume of Arch. Cant. was issued to members, early in 1890 ... The total cost of Vol. XVIII was £597.l0s. 2d. yet in spite of so large an outlay there still remains a balance to the Society's credit, at the Bankers, of £580.19s. 4d .... The Council appeals to members to do all in their power to further the interests of the Society, and of Archaeology generally, by reporting to the Hon. Secretary any discoveries which may come under their notice, or any act of vandalism about to be committed. In the one case it would ensure every discovery being properly recorded, and in the other it might be the means of saving from destruction many interesting monuments.'

After the business meeting was concluded some four hundred ladies and gentlemen went on a tour of the churches, 'a perambulation of the Cathedral' and listened to a number of 'papers' before partaking of tea on the lawn of Mr & Mrs. Mapleton Chapman. Later on came the 'annual dinner' followed by the 'evening meeting' and yet more papers were read. The following day held another strenuous programme of visits and lectures.

One can only admire the stamina of our Victorian counterparts.

Andrew Moffat