CREATING AND SUSTAINING A CLASSICAL ASSOCIATION: THE UK EXPERIENCE Dr Emma Stafford (University of Leeds) Honorary Secretary of the Classical Association (2012>) A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CLASSICAL ASSOCIATION Foundation in 1903: context and early concerns Local branches and affiliated organisations Major developments 1960-90: JACT and the conference John Percival
Postgate (18531926), one of the founders. Christopher Stray (ed.) The Classical Association: the first century 19032003, Greece and Rome Supplement (Oxford 2003) Percy the CA bear Convenors of the December 1903 foundation meeting: Dr John Percival Postgate (Cambridge and UCL, later professor at Liverpool) Mr Arthur Sidgwick (Oxford) Prof. Edward Adolf Sonnenschein
(Birmingham) Principal Nathan Bodington (Leeds) Miss Emily Penrose (later Dame, Principal of Royal Holloway College) 1st resolution an Association open to persons of either Familiar concerns?: J.P. Postgate, Are the Classics to go?, Fortnightly Review ns 72 (November 1902), 876-80 On many sides we hear confident assertions, met for the most part by half-hearted and apologetic denials, that the work of Greek and Latin is done that their day is past. If the extinction of these languages as potent instruments of education is a sacrifice inexorably demanded by the advancement of civilisation, regrets are idle, and we must bow to necessity. But we know from history that not the least of the causes of the fall of great supremacies has
been the supineness and shortsightedness of their defenders. It is therefore the duty of those who believe, as I do, that Greek and Latin may continue to confer in the future, as they have done in the past, priceless benefits upon all higher human education, to inquire whether these causes exist, and how they may be at once removed. Context for early developments Balfours Education Act (1902): change from c.2,500 School Boards to 140 Local Education Authorities > centralisation Latin dropped as compulsory University of London matriculation qualification (1902) Establishment of other subject associations: e.g. Modern Languages Association (1892), History Association (1906) Establishment of cross-disciplinary teachers associations: e.g. Association of Assistant Mistresses (1884), Assistant Masters Association (1891).
Establishment of other classical bodies: SPHS (1879), BSA (1883), BSR (1900), Roman Society (1910), ARLT (1913) Botanical Theatre, University College London, site of the December 1903 meeting (late C19th photo). Foundation of local branches of the CA (still extant): Established by 1930 Bangor & North Wales Earliest branches Cambridge & District (May 1903) (1920) Sheffield & District (1920,
Manchester & District (1904) refounded 2011) Birmingham & Midlands (1905) Oxford (1922) Liverpool (1907) Sussex (1922) Nottingham (1909) South West (1922) London (1912) Southampton (1923) Bristol (1912) Hull & District (1928) Northumberland & Durham (1912) Cardiff & District (1914 Frogs Swansea superseded by South West Wales (1928) Society 1898/9) Reading & District (1929) Leeds & District (1914) Leicestershire & Rutland Later foundations
Most recent (1930) North Staffordshire Lampeter & Mid-Wales (1950) (1996) Salisbury & District Lytham St. Annes (2000s) (1965) Roehampton & SW London Gloucestershire (1967) Other affiliated classical associations: The Classical Association of Scotland (1902) Local Scottish associations: Tayside Edinburgh & South East Centre (1922)
Glasgow & West Centre (1921, reconstituted Overseas 1972) South Australia (1908) New South Wales (1909) Bombay (1909/101917) Victoria (1912) Otago (1922) Queensland (1923) South Africa (1928) Ceylon (1935) Olaf Wilhelm Kns, Uppsala (1838-1907): requested copy of rules 1904, Swedish CA founded 1906 Major developments 1960-90
Formation of Joint Association of Classical Teachers (1962) Abolition of Latin O-level as requirement for Oxbridge entrance (1960) Southampton CA conference (1960) debated implications and need for support for school teachers 1962 Greece and Rome Supplement: Reappraisal Cambridge School Classics Project (1966) > The Cambridge Latin Course (CUP 1970) Scottish Teachers Group: Ecce Romani (1971) Reformation of the annual conference Old format: 6 x 1-hour plenary papers by invited speakers + Presidential Address, excursions and receptions 1989 conference (Sheffield): 101 participants at the moment we are too few and too old (David West letter). Discussions > agreement at Council April 1990 to adopt
radical new format. Trialled Warwick April 1991: 50 short papers (30 mins), in two or three parallel session; 175 participants. Dr Stan Ireland: organiser of Warwick 1991 (and 2003). HOW THE CA WORKS TODAY CA-JACT merger January 2015 Annual conference Publications Grants Membership Governance and staffing
The balance sheet A typical CA conference programme DAY 1 1.30 onwards Arrival CA Finance Committee and Council meetings Reception/welcome Plenary session Dinner / evening activity DAY 2 Parallel sessions 9-11 and 11.30-1 (8 or 9 panels) Lunch Parallel sessions 2-4 (8 or 9 panels) Plenary session 5-6 Dinner/evening activity
DAY 3 Parallel sessions 9-11 and 11.30-1 (8 or 9 panels) Lunch Excursions / round table session 2-5 CA AGM Presidential Address 6-7 Conference Dinner / entertainment DAY 4 Finish with lunch Parallel sessions 9-11 and 11.30-1 (8 or 9 panels) The local organisational team CA 2013 (Reading): student helpers in conspicuous T-shirts with logo.
Logo from CA 2012 (Exeter). Book-stalls Cambridge University Press The Presidential Address CA 2011 (Reading): Prof. Robin Osborne The Association Dinner (and afterdinner entertainment) CA 2014 (Nottingham): traditional disco The CA Prize
Awarded to Barbara Bell for the Minimus Project at CA 2005 (Reading); with Prof. Brian Sparkes. Awarded to Tom Holland, author of Rubicon, Persian Fire and other popular ancient history books at CA 2007 (Birmingham); with Lyndsey Davies, author of the Falco Roman detective series. CA merchandising Launched at CA 2012 (Exeter) Publications: (i) the journals
CR (1887) and CQ (1906) bought by CA in 1909 G&R established 1931 New Surveys established 1967 Production moved to Clarendon Press 1938 Moved to Cambridge University Press in 2000s Publications (ii): various Omnibus: since 1980, two issues per year; issue 68 = last as JACT publication; 69 onwards = CA publications. Journal of Classics Teaching: since 1999, two issues per year; to move to e-publication in 2015, delivered via CUP Journals platform. CA News: since 1989, two issues per year; some content
to move online from 2015. Presidential Addresses: pamphlets in 1940s and 50s, CA website: http:// classicalassociation.org/ Open access: blog, new monthly enewsletter. Social Media Grants (Grants Committee) 1. Funding for Summer Schools: bursaries to enable people to attend extra-mural courses in Greek, Latin and Classical Civilisation + bursaries for courses specifically aimed at teachers professional development, such as the British School at Athens Easter Course and the ARLT Summer School. 2. Funding for Conferences: (i) bursaries to attend the CA Conference; (ii) bursaries for other conferences with PG student participation. 3. School-teaching and Outreach: Greek and Latin reading
competitions, regional Greek/Roman days and school conferences; any other activities tending towards the promotion of public awareness of the importance of Classics and/or to support Classics in schools. 4. Major Projects: a small number of these have significant funding, included the Primary Latin Project (Minimus), the New Greek Lexicon Project, LAnnee Philologique and the Logie Collection (Christchurch, NZ). Membership Currently c.3,000 (5,000+ Twitter followers) Subscription: 17 per annum (15 direct debit) 5 shillings (25p) in 1903! Benefits: CA News / Omnibus reduced rates on journal subscriptions, other academic publishers special offers
Dont have to be member to attend conference or apply for grants Governance: committee structure Journal s Board CA News/ Omnibus editorial board Grants Committe e Counci l Finance
Committe e Teaching Board (from 2015) Vice Presidents Officers (in 2015) President) President *The Right Hon. The Lord Bragg Prof. D.L.Cairns, MA, PhD, FHEA *Sir Anthony Cleaver, MA,
FBCS Prof. Peter Rhodes Chair Prof. Roy Gibson Honorary Secretary Dr Emma Stafford Honorary
Treasurer Mr Philip Hooker Outreach Officer Dr Kathryn Tempest Allied Mrs Association Barbara s Officer Finney (* denotes former
*Miss E. Kirkby, MA Dr Jenny March *Sir Jeremy Morse, KCMG, MA *Prof. R. Osborne, MA, PhD, Prof. C. Collard, MA, Mlitt FBA *Prof. C. Rowe, MA, PhD, Ms Nina Curtis FBA, OBE *Prof. M. Schofield, MA, *Ms L. Davis, MA DPhil, FBA *Prof. M. Schofield, MA, Prof. P.E. Easterling, MA DPhil, FBA *Prof. R.A.S. Seaford, MA, Prof. R.L. Fowler, MA, Dphil Dphil
*Baroness Susan Greenfield *Prof. B.A. Sparkes *Mrs C.M. Handley, BA Dr R. Stoneman *Mr Robert Harris *Sir Peter Stothard Mr J. Ellis Jones, BA, PhD, *Prof. O. Taplin, MA, DPhil, FSA FBA *Dr Peter Jones, MBE Mr R. Wallace, MA, Mlitt *Prof. T.P.Wiseman, MA, *Prof. E.J. Kenney, MA, FBA DPhil, FBA CA Staff Claire Davenport, CA Secretary Clare Roberts, Assistant Editor and Journals
Administrator Jane Fortuna, CA Assistant Secretary CA Offices: in Londons Senate House, and (since 2012) in Watford CONCLUSION Percy in front of the Viking on the waterfront in Gteberg, ahead of the inaugural meeting of NordClass, one of a several overseas classical associations with whom we are pleased to have informal links.. For more information on the current running of the CA, please see the CA website (http://www.classicalassociation.org/). On the CAs history, see: Christopher Stray (ed.) The Classical Association: the first century 19032003, Greece and Rome Supplement (Oxford 2003)
