Cambridge Union Society
Encyclopedia
The Cambridge Union Society, commonly referred to as simply "the Cambridge Union" or "the Union," is a debating
Debate
Debate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion...
society in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and is the largest society at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. Since its founding in 1815, the Union has developed a worldwide reputation as a noted symbol of free speech and open debate. Additionally, the Cambridge Union has served as a model for the subsequent foundation of similar societies at several other prominent universities, including the Oxford Union
Oxford Union
The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, Britain, whose membership is drawn primarily but not exclusively from the University of Oxford...
and the Yale Political Union
Yale Political Union
The Yale Political Union , a debate society now the largest student organization at Yale University, was founded in 1934 by Professor Alfred Whitney Griswold , to enliven the university's political culture of the time. It was modelled on the Cambridge Union Society and Oxford Union...
. The Union is a private members' club, and is distinct from Cambridge University Students' Union
Cambridge University Students' Union
Cambridge University Students' Union is the university-wide representative body for students at the University of Cambridge, England...
.
The Union has a long and distinguished history of hosting leading state and international political and other figures in its chamber, from Presidents to Prime ministers and Oscar winners to Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
legends. Over its history, these have included the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
, President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, Professor Germaine Greer
Germaine Greer
Germaine Greer is an Australian writer, academic, journalist and scholar of early modern English literature, widely regarded as one of the most significant feminist voices of the later 20th century....
, Prime Minister Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
and Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
, while in the last year the society's guest speakers have included academic Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins
Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL , known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author...
, former British Prime Minister John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
, comedian Dara Ó Briain
Dara Ó Briain
Dara Ó Briain is an Irish stand-up comedian and television presenter, noted for hosting topical panel shows such as The Panel and Mock the Week....
, civil rights leader Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...
, Olympic legend Seb Coe, actor Sir Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE is an English actor. He has received a Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, and five Emmy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction...
and Wikileaks founder Julian Assange
Julian Assange
Julian Paul Assange is an Australian publisher, journalist, writer, computer programmer and Internet activist. He is the editor in chief of WikiLeaks, a whistleblower website and conduit for worldwide news leaks with the stated purpose of creating open governments.WikiLeaks has published material...
.
History of the Society
The Cambridge Union was founded on 13 February 1815 as a union of two or three debating societies. The Society quickly rose to prominence in University life. Early officers included historian and essayist Thomas Macaulay, and many subsequent officers have gone on to become influential leaders in a wide variety of fields and professions. Just a few years after it was founded, on 24 March 1817, the Union was temporarily shut down by the University for being too contentious. In 1821 the Society was allowed to reform, under strict guidelines. In its effort to uphold the right to free speech, the Union disregarded them and continued to debate contentious topics in disguised form.
Alfred Waterhouse
Alfred Waterhouse was a British architect, particularly associated with the Victorian Gothic Revival architecture. He is perhaps best known for his design for the Natural History Museum in London, and Manchester Town Hall, although he also built a wide variety of other buildings throughout the...
(who went on to design the Oxford Union Society's building) and formally opened on 30 October 1866. An additional wing to the building was added several decades later. The future radical Liberal politician, Sir Charles Dilke, was the President chiefly responsible for construction. Included among the building's many rooms are the famous debating chamber, a dining room, bar, snooker room, the Keynes
John Maynard Keynes
John Maynard Keynes, Baron Keynes of Tilton, CB FBA , was a British economist whose ideas have profoundly affected the theory and practice of modern macroeconomics, as well as the economic policies of governments...
Library and various offices.
Although Cambridge escaped virtually undamaged from the widespread bombing destruction of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Union's building was hit by a bomb dropped during one attack. The explosion caused extensive damage to the Society's library. Some older books still show shrapnel damage.
The Union is legally a self-funded private members' club which owns and has full control over its private property and buildings in the Cambridge city centre. It enjoys strong relations with the university, and allows other societies to hire rooms out. It often admits guests to its events and sometimes opens event to all students. Recently, the Society's building has proved to be a popular filming location; scenes for several British television programs and an upcoming feature-length film have been shot on the premises.
After nearly 200 years, the Cambridge Union is still best known for its debates, which often receive national and international media attention. The top members of its debating team compete internationally against other top debating societies. Cambridge regularly fields one of the most successful teams at the World Universities Debating Championships. The union also organises talks by visiting speakers and a wide array of entertainments throughout the academic year.
The Cambridge Union is sometimes confused with the Cambridge University Students' Union
Cambridge University Students' Union
Cambridge University Students' Union is the university-wide representative body for students at the University of Cambridge, England...
, the student representative body set up in 1971. Consequently, the term 'President of the Union' may cause confusion. Despite the Cambridge Union Society's never having been a students' union
Students' union
A students' union, student government, student senate, students' association, guild of students or government of student body is a student organization present in many colleges and universities, and has started appearing in some high schools...
in the modern sense, it did briefly affiliate to the UK's National Union of Students in 1924.
Membership of the Society
The Cambridge Union receives no formal funding from the University and raises funds for event expenses and building maintenance through membership fees. Membership is open to students at the University of CambridgeUniversity of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
and Anglia Ruskin University
Anglia Ruskin University
Anglia Ruskin University is one of the largest universities in Eastern England, United Kingdom, with a total student population of around 30,000.-History:...
. Members are able to bring guests to certain functions. Some events are open to the public free of charge, others through the purchase of a ticket.
The society awards honorary memberships to particularly distinguished individuals and maintains reciprocal membership policies with similar societies such as the Yale Political Union
Yale Political Union
The Yale Political Union , a debate society now the largest student organization at Yale University, was founded in 1934 by Professor Alfred Whitney Griswold , to enliven the university's political culture of the time. It was modelled on the Cambridge Union Society and Oxford Union...
and the Oxford Union Society. Recently, Sir Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE is an English actor. He has received a Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, and five Emmy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction...
was awarded honorary membership when he addressed the Union Society in January 2011, as were Lord Sebastian Coe in May 2010 and former British Prime Minister John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
in April 2010.
Events of the Society
The Union puts on a wide variety of events for its members, but is best known for its Thursday night debates and individual speaker events. In both of these, leading figures from public life are invited to discuss something of interest to the membership.Debates in the past year have seen such figures as Andrew Mitchell
Andrew Mitchell
The Right Honourable Andrew John Bower Mitchell MP is a British Conservative Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Sutton Coldfield...
, David Blunkett
David Blunkett
David Blunkett is a British Labour Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, having represented Sheffield Brightside from 1987 to 2010...
and Nigel Farage
Nigel Farage
Nigel Paul Farage MEP , a position he previously held from September 2006 to November 2009. He is a current Member of the European Parliament for South East England and co-chairs the Eurosceptic Europe of Freedom and Democracy group....
discussing the merits of the coalition government, Max Mosley
Max Mosley
Max Rufus Mosley is the former president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile , a non-profit association that represents the interests of motoring organisations and car users worldwide...
debating whether the British press have too much freedom and Max Clifford
Max Clifford
Maxwell Frank Clifford is an English publicist, considered the highest-profile and best-known publicist in the United Kingdom...
discussing reality TV. The motion for a week's debate varies widely, and often touch on politics, science, the arts, religion, the economy and comedy. Generally, the proposition and opposition sides of a debate each have three speakers, with speeches alternating between the two sides. Before the last speech on each side, the debate is opened up to the floor, where any member can have their say and question either side. Those watching then vote by exiting the chamber through one of three doors: "Ayes", "Noes" or "Abstentions", with the result announced moments later in the bar.
Recent individual speaker events have included Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
, former BP CEO Tony Hayward
Tony Hayward
Anthony Bryan "Tony" Hayward is a British businessman, the former chief executive of oil and energy company BP. He replaced John Browne, Baron Browne of Madingley on 1 May 2007. His tenure ended on 1 October 2010 in large part due to the circumstances of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill...
, comedienne Jo Brand
Jo Brand
Josephine Grace "Jo" Brand is a BAFTA winning British comedian, writer, and actor.- Early life :Jo Brand was born 23 July 1957 in Wandsworth, London. Her mother was a social worker. Brand is the middle of three children, with two brothers...
, actor Bill Nighy
Bill Nighy
William Francis "Bill" Nighy is an English actor and comedian. He worked in theatre and television before his first cinema role in 1981, and made his name in television with The Men's Room in 1991, in which he played the womanizer Prof...
, Australian Prime Minister John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
, the first democratically elected President of Iraq Jalal Talabani
Jalal Talabani
Jalal Talabani is the sixth and current President of Iraq, a leading Kurdish politician. He is the first non-Arab president of Iraq, although Abdul Kareem Qasim was half Kurdish....
, Libyan dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
and UN weapons inspector Hans Blix
Hans Blix
is a Swedish diplomat and politician for the Liberal People's Party. He was Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs . Blix was also the head of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission from March 2000 to June 2003, when he was succeeded by Dimitris Perrikos...
The Union also puts on a wide range of social entertainments for its members, including yoga & pilates, comedy evenings, an annual Valentine's Ball, a summertime 'Garden Party', cocktail workshops, a weekly pub quiz and much more.
The Society’s leadership
The Standing Committee, the Union’s primary day-to-day managing body, consists of the current President, Vice-President and Officers, the President-Elect and Officers-Elect. The Standing Committee also appoints several positions in the society including the Secretary, Head of Event Management, Head of Publicity and Press Officer, some of whom are entitled to attend the committee without voting rights, along with the most senior paid employee, the Bursar.Major positions
President – The President serves as the Chairman of Standing Committee, Debates, and Members' Business Meetings (the Union's governing body). They are responsible for organising a programme of debates and overseeing planning for the other events during their term in office. Term in office is one academic term plus its preceding vacation (about 14–23 weeks).Vice President – The VP has general control of the business and premises of the Society. The VP is also responsible for overseeing longer-term planning within the Society, and is essentially a permanent secretary. Term in office is one calendar year (July–June), appointed by vote of the Standing Committee the preceding March.
Executive Officer – The Executive Officer is responsible for implementing the decisions of Standing Committee, particularly if they do not fall clearly under a specific officer's role. The EO also receives feedback from members and chairs certain sub-committees, including the team of College Representatives and the Invitations Committee. Term in office is one academic term plus its preceding vacation (about 14–23 weeks).
Treasurer – The Treasurer is responsible for raising sponsorship funds, maintaining relations with corporations and local businesses (creating 'Treasurer's Treats' which provide discounts for members in local shops and restaurants), running merchandising operations and investigating the financial implications of decisions made by committees. However, the Bursar is the officer primarily responsible for monitoring the finances. Term in office is one academic term plus its preceding vacation (about 14–23 weeks).
Speakers Officer – The Speakers Officer is responsible for organising the term's series of speaker events. Term in office is one academic term plus its preceding vacation (about 14–23 weeks).
Social Events Officer – The Social Events (known as 'Ents') Officer is responsible for organising the term's line-up of social events such as club nights, food/drink tastings, aerobics sessions or speed dating. Term in office is one academic term plus its preceding vacation (about 14–23 weeks).
Debating Officers – This position is jointly held by two individuals who are responsible for organising the Society's activities in relation to competitive debating. The Debating Officers are considered members of Standing Committee and maintain a full vote each. Term in office is one calendar year (March–March).
Secretary – The Secretary is responsible for minuting debates, meetings of the Standing Committee and Members' Business Meetings (the Union's governing body). They are also technically responsible for the Society's records. Term of office is one academic term, appointed by vote of the Standing Committee, and the Secretary may serve multiple terms.
Head of Events Management – The Head of Events Management (HoEM) is in charge of running the Society's events by managing and encouraging stewards to work on events. The HoEM is a permanent invitee of the Standing Committee, where they advise on the logistics of event running. Term of office is one academic term, appointed by vote of the Standing Committee.
The Senior Officers – No more senior officers remains in the Constitution: these used to be The Senior Librarian, who was responsible for the administration of the Society's extensive library, and The Steward, responsible for advising the Society on legal and other matters. The role of the Senior Treasurer has been reconstituted as the Bursar. Each of the Senior Officers were elected for one year terms, but it is common for the same individual to serve many successive terms.
The Trustees – The Board of Trustees, currently chaired by Sir Richard Dearlove
Richard Dearlove
Sir Richard Billing Dearlove, KCMG, OBE was head of the British Secret Intelligence Service from 1999 until 6 May 2004.-Career:...
, is responsible for overseeing the long-term development of the Union's finances and property. Whilst the Trustees are not intimately involved with the day-to-day running of the Society, they maintain ultimate legal responsibility for the organization, its assets and status as a registered charity.
Termly elected officers serve a term (and its preceding vacation) as "officer-elect", prior to entering office, during which time they are voting members of the Standing Committee. This time is to be used to plan their term in office.
In addition to these posts the Society also maintains an employed staff consisting of a Bursar, responsible for overseeing the long-term health of the Society, Office Managers and a Bar Manager. The Society also holds contracts for catering, cleaning, building maintenance, property management, IT services and legal advice.