Showing 9 results

At irregular intervals a Special General Meeting is called by the Council. These are to discuss and vote upon major changes within the Society such as a change in the Charter or Byelaws, the sale of some part of the collections, or the necessity of moving premises. Much of the discussion concerning these Meetings will be minuted in the Council Minutes and the meetings minuted in the General Meeting Minutes. This archive contains the supplementary material that has been collected concerned with Special General Meetings.

A Special General Meeting was held on 15 April 2010 to consider amendments to the current Byelaws of the Society. The associated material is:

• Notice of the Special General Meeting with Note from the President concerning the Bye Laws and Standing Orders, dated 1 March 2010.
• Signatures of Fellows attending the Special General Meeting.
• Minutes from the meeting.

Special General Meetings were held in 2004 and 2005 concerning the Society moving premises from 60 Queen's Gardens. The material is:

Special General Meeting 13 May 2004

• Notice of the Special General Meeting with Note from the President regarding the decision to sell Queen's Gardens and purchase 20/21 Jockey Fields, dated 21 April 2004.
• Agenda for the Meeting. Amendment to the proposal for the Meeting to allow the Council to purchase a property within a certain location at their discretion, dated 13 May 2004.
• Signatures of those present at the meeting and lists of apologies.

• Correspondence from Fellows concerning the meeting, 5 letters, dated 26 - 30 April 2004.

  Special General Meeting 12 May 2005

• Notice of the Special General Meeting for the purpose of approving the sale of 60 Queen's Gardens and the purchase of 14 Stephenson Way.
• Honorary Treasurer's Statement for the Special General Meeting.
• Letter from the President to Fellows concerning the sale and purchase of the properties, dated 20 April 2005.

A Special General Meeting was held on 10 May 1990 for the adoption of new Byelaws on entry procedure and on 10 October 1991 for a change to the Byelaw concerning the auditors of the Society. On 9 December 1993 the Meeting was held to consider the resolutions concerning disposal of the Society's assets. A further Special General Meeting was held on 14 May 1998 for further amendments of the Byelaws. The material is:

Special General Meeting 10 May 1990

• Notice of the meeting with a Note from the President and a copy of the Proposed Byelaws, dated 24 April 1990.

  Special General Meeting 10 October 1991

• Notice of the meeting with a Note from the Honorary Treasurer, dated 3 September 1991.

  Special General Meeting 9 December 1993

• Notice of a Special General Meeting to be held on 9 December 1993, including a statement by the President and an Extract of the President's address of 13 May 1993. The notice concerns sales of major assets. Sent by Lydia Collins, Secretary, dated 1 December 1993.
• Minutes of the Special General Meeting of 9 December 1993, 2 pieces, signed Dennis Duncanson, dated 13 January 1994.
• List and signatures of attendees at the Meeting, handwritten, 3 pieces.
• Correspondence from Fellows concerning the Meeting and expressing their views and requesting to speak, 41 pieces, handwritten and typed, dated 3 November 1993 - 4 January 1994.

• Notification from D.J. Duncanson, Director, to the Fellows unable to be present at the Special General Meeting. He informs of the two major resolutions adopted at the meeting.

  Special General Meeting 14 May 1998

• Notice of a Special General Meeting to be held on 14 May 1998 to consider proposed amendments to the Byelaws.
• List and signatures of attendees at the Meeting, handwritten, 2 pieces.

Special General Meetings were called in 1984 and again in 1987 concerning finding new premises for the Society. The material from these meetings is:

Special General Meeting 12 January 1984

• Notice of the Meeting accompanied by a Note from the Director, 1 item, dated 15 December 1983.

  Special General Meeting 12 March 1987

• Notice of the Special General Meeting concerning the removal of a limitation in the Society's Charter, 1 item, dated 23 February 1987.

• Notification of where Members of the Council may see the draft documents, 1 item, dated 5 March 1987.

  Special General Meeting 9 April 1987

• Notice of Special General Meeting and a circular letter entitled 'A Policy on Premises, 2 items, undated.

• Correspondence from Fellows concerning the meeting and their views on A Policy on Premises, 11 items, dated 31 March - 8 April 1987.

  Special General Meeting 11 June 1987

• Notice of the Special General Meeting to enable the Council to dispose of the lease of 56 Queen Anne Street following the successful purchase of 60 Queen's Gardens, 1 item, dated 26 May 1987.

Three Special General Meetings were held in 1979 and a further Meeting in 1980. The meetings on 9 January and 8 February 1979 concerned the granting of leases for the parts of the property. The meeting of the 8 November 1979 concerned increasing the subscription rates for Fellows. The Special General Meeting on 8 May 1980 concerned the creating of Library Associates and some other amendments to the Byelaws. The material associated with these Meetings is:

Special General Meeting 9 January 1979

• Notice of the Special General Meeting, associated papers and Minutes for the Meeting, 6 items.

• Associated correspondence, 3 letters, dated 2 November 1978 - 29 January 1979.

  Special General Meeting 8 February 1979

• Notice of the Special General Meeting and a letter from the Director, 2 items, dated 19 January 1979.

  Special General Meeting 8 November 1979

• Notice of the Special General Meeting, dated 12 October 1979

• Correspondence from Fellows concerning the Special General Meeting, 7 items, dated 21 October - 30 November 1979.

  Special General Meeting 8 May 1980

• Agenda and Notice for the Special General Meeting, 2 items, undated.

In 1978 two Special General Meetings were called and these were preceded by a Special Council Meeting on 7th March. These meetings were concerned with the financial state of the Society and the possibility of selling some of its possessions in order to boost its finances and secure a long-term future. The material associated with these Meetings are:

Special Council Meeting 7 March 1978

• A letter from the President explaining his reasoning for calling the Special Meeting, dated 5 March 1978
• 'Reflections on the Presidential memorandum of 5 March 1978'.

• Correspondence expressing views on the memorandum and decisions made at the meeting, 3 letters, dated 7 - 28 March 1978.

  Special General Meeting 26 July 1978

• Agenda for Special General Meeting with Statement by the President, sent out 30 June 1978.
• Copy of the signed Minutes for the Meeting on 26 July 1978.
• Correspondence from Fellows expressing their views or giving apologies prior to the meeting, 14 letters, dated 7 - 25 July 1978.

• Correspondence from Fellows after the meeting expressing their response to the outcome, 16 letters dated 26 July - 22 August 1978.

  Special General Meeting 7 December 1978

• Correspondence and paperwork regarding the requisitioning by some Members of another Special General Meeting to reconsider the outcome of the Meeting of 26 July, 19 items, dated 2 August 1978 - 14 November 1978.
• Agenda, Minutes and Statements for the Special General Meeting, 5 items, dated 14 November - 7 December 1978.
• Correspondence with Fellows concerning the forthcoming meeting, 55 items, dated 14 September - 7 December 1978.
• Correspondence from Fellows after the meeting to express their views, 10 letters, dated 10 December 1978 - 2 January 1979. Press Statement from the Director, dated 11 December 1978.

The archives for Special General Meetings from1974-1977 are: 1974

• Letter from E.H.S. Simmonds, President, Royal Asiatic Society, to the Society's Fellows informing them of a Special General Meeting on 13 June 1974 to discuss raising subscription rates. The letter is typed, dated 20 May 1974.
• Notification of the details of the proposed changes to be discussed at the Special General Meeting, sent from D. Crawford, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, 20 May 1974, typed.
• Correspondence between Dr. O.R. Gurney and the Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society to ascertain whether the proposed changes affected compounded subscriptions already in existence. The letters also discuss the dearth of Assyriological material in the Journal of the Society. Two letters, typed, dated 26 and 30 May 1974.
• Letter from Gordon H Luce to the President and Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to declare his concurrence with the proposed changes. Handwritten, dated 26 May 1974.
• Correspondence between A.H.C. Westlake and E.H.S. Simmonds, President, Royal Asiatic Society, concerning the proposed changes and how perhaps those overseas Fellows that cannot attend a meeting in London should also be balloted concerning their views. Two letters, typed, dated 2 June and 3 July 1974.

• Notification to Fellows of the new subscription rates agreed at the Special General Meeting, Typed, sent from D. Crawford, Royal Asiatic Society, dated September 1974.

  1976

• Notice of a Special General Meeting to be held on 13 May 1976 to discuss a proposed sale of the Qajar painting of the two Persian ladies (RAS Head Cat. 01.002). Sent from D. Crawford, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, 2 copies, typed, dated 26 May 1976 (This is probably incorrectly dated and should read April).

• Correspondence from G.A. Calver and [Charles] Dunn to send their apologies for the Meeting but both expressing their support for the sale to go ahead. Handwritten and typed, dated 30 April and 6 May 1976.

  1977

• Notification of a Special General Meeting to be held on 14 July 1977 to discuss a change in the subscription rates. The notice also informs that the Meeting will be followed by a lecture by Basil Robinson on 'Two Shahnamas in the Royal Library at Windsor'.
• Letter from D.F. Pocock, Professor of Social Anthropology, University of Sussex, to D. Crawford, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to send his apologies and express his support. Typed, dated 1 July 1977.

There is a small amount of material covering Special General Meetings within this period. The items are:

• 1907 - Notice from C. Hughes, Secretary of the Royal Asiatic Society, to inform Members that a Special General Meeting will be held on 14 May 1907 to consider revision of the Rules. Printed material, dated 23 April 1907.
• 1908 - Notice from C. Hughes, Secretary of the Royal Asiatic Society to inform Members that a Special General Meeting will be held on 26 May 1908 to consider revision of the Rules. Printed material, dated 9 May 1908.
• 1922 - Notice from Ella Sykes, Secretary of Royal Asiatic Society, to inform Members that at a Special General Meeting on 17 January 1922 certain amendments to the Rules were agreed. These amendments are listed. Printed material, dated April 1922.
• 1929 - Notification of a Special General Meeting on 1 July 1929 regarding Rule 65 concerning the day on which General meetings were held. Sent from C. Frazer, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, printed card. On the observe is a handwritten list concerning Persian texts.
• 1934 - 'Proposed Alterations and Additions to the Rules of the Society for Consideration by a Special General Meeting'. Notification giving the proposed rules to be changed and the date of the meeting, 11 January 1934 and Agenda for the Special General Meeting on 8 March 1934. Printed material.
• 1936 - Notification of a Special General Meeting to be held on 12 November 1936 to decide whether it was desirable for the Asiatic Society of Japan in Tokyo to be accepted as an Associate Member. Printed material, 2 copies.
• 1965 - Notification of the changes to subscription rates to be discussed at a Special General Meeting, 14 October 1965, typed; Minutes of the Special General Meeting when the subscription changes were unanimously accept, typed; Notification for a Council or Finance meeting (Item 6 i on the Agenda) regarding the unanimous acceptance of new subscription rates, typed; 'Notice on Subscriptions' to inform members of the new rate. Sent from D. Crawford, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, printed material.
• June 1969 - Agenda for a Special General Meeting to be held on 24 June 1979, 3 copies, typed with annotations; Minutes of the Special General Meeting, 2 copies typed with annotations; letters of apology from C.H. Philips, Sir Ralph Turner and Susan Skilliter, 3 items, typed and handwritten.
• October 1969 - Agenda for a Special General Meeting to be held on 29 October 1979, typed; Minutes of the Special General Meeting, typed with annotations.
• 1970 - Notice of a Special General Meeting to be held on 8 January 1970 to consider the revised Bye-laws of the Society. Notification is given as to where the bye-laws were available for consultation. Sent by D. Crawford, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, November 1969. Printed material.