The Annual General Meeting of the Society was held at 2pm on Saturday 6 June 2015, in the Woburn Suite, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU. The President, Professor Dominic Rathbone, was in the chair and welcomed members and non-members.
The President began by remembering two members of the Society who had died during the year. Professor Sheppard Frere, CBE, FBA (d. 25 February 2015) had served as President 1983–1986 and as the first Editor of Britannia 1970–1980. He had also been greatly instrumental in setting up the Britannia Monograph series. Britannia 46 (2015) will include a tribute to his role in the Roman Society and, more generally, to his contribution to the study of Roman Britain. Another member who will be much missed is Dennis Blandford. A regular attender of Roman Society events, he died just a week before the AGM. He joined the Society in 1957 and had been a Life Member since 1995.
The President reported on the Society's activities over the previous year, starting with its publication programme. He thanked the Publications Secretary, Dr Lynn Pitts, the current Editors, Professor Catherine Steel (JRS) and Professor Barry Burnham (Britannia), and the Review Editors, Dr Christopher Kelly (JRS) and Dr Hella Eckardt (Britannia). The Society published two monographs in 2014: the Society's centenary volume, AD 410: The History and Archaeology of Late and Post-Roman Britain, edited by F.K. Haarer with R. Collins, K. Fitzpatrick-Matthews, S. Moorhead, D. Petts and P. Walton, and Britannia Monograph 26, A Late Roman Town House and its Environs. The Excavations of C.D. Drew and K.C. Collingwood Selby in Colliton Park, Dorchester, Dorset 1937–8 by Emma Durham and Michael Fulford. In April 2015, the Society published Britannia Monograph 27, The Towns of Roman Britain. The Contribution of Commercial Archaeology since 1990, edited by Michael Fulford and Neil Holbrook. Since the last AGM, Paul Bidwell has taken over from Dr John Peter Wild as the Editor of Britannia Monographs. Dr Wild had been involved with the Editorial Committee since 1975 as Review Editor (1985–1989) and Editor of Britannia (1989–1994) and subsequently as Monographs Editor from 2001. We are very pleased that Council has recommended that he becomes an Honorary Vice-President in recognition of this long service. Finally, the President noted that two issues of Epistula had been published online, and he thanked the Editors, Dr Ben Croxford and Dr Louise Revell, and the two commissioning editors for history and literature, Professor Neville Morley and Dr Emma Buckley.
The President then turned to the programme of events and lectures. He referred to a number of joint events which had already taken place: the conference with the Association for Roman Archaeology at the British Museum on Augustus, the First Emperor; the Joan Pye Lecture (with the Roman Research Trust) delivered by Dr Peter Guest; and with the Hellenic Society, an evening of lectures on Greek and Roman Curses with talks by Dr Esther Eidinow, Stephen Clews and Dr Margaret Mountford. Out of London, members of the Society enjoyed a guided tour of Fishbourne last September. We have also been involved in a number of events including the first Nottinghamshire Local History and Archaeology day; a joint conference in Malton with the Roman Antiquaries Section (of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society); and an event in South Shields on recent work on Hadrian's Wall with Wall Quest Community Archaeology and the Arbeia Society. We have sponsored a lecture by Dr Thomas Kiely at Brading Roman Villa, and collaborated with Cotswold Archaeology to host their annual Mick Aston Lecture, this year delivered by Professor Timothy Darvill and Neil Holbrook. In April, we helped sponsor the Beau Street Hoard Symposium in Bath, a two-day conference preceded by a public lecture given by Dr Richard Abdy. Another initiative was the sponsorship of a series of lectures given at regional museums hosting the British Museum travelling exhibition, The Roman Empire: Power and People — these took place in Coventry, Leeds and Dundee, with a fourth scheduled later in June at the Society of Antiquaries in Newcastle.
The President also drew attention to a number of other forthcoming events including a day school at Caerwent; this year's conferences in Yorkshire (Rural Settlement in Roman Yorkshire) and the annual conference at the British Museum (Recent Archaeology in Roman Britain). In September, the Society will co-host a lecture by Tim Mitford with the British Institute at Ankara at the British Academy, and a guided tour around Roman London, including a presentation on the Bloomberg London site and finds, has been arranged for October. The next major event is a day conference on Greek and Roman Armour on 20 July at Senate House; the Society is very grateful to Christian Levett for his generous sponsorship.
As ever, many of these events have been co-ordinated by the Archaeology Committee and the President thanked its members, and especially the Chair, Dr Peter Guest and Secretary, Dr Fraser Hunter. Dr Hunter is now stepping down as Secretary. He has served on the Committee since 2003 and has been Secretary since 2007.
The President also thanked the Honorary Librarian, Professor Michael Crawford, the Librarian, Colin Annis, and his team; Mrs Jane Fisher-Hunt who was stepping down as Honorary Secretary; and all who had served on the Society's Committees, including the retiring Council members: Dr Emma Buckley, Professor Kate Cooper, Dr Jean-Michel Hulls, Professor David Mattingly, Professor Stephen Mitchell, Sir Peter Stothard, and Professor Maria Wyke. Dr Christopher Kelly was also retiring as a Trustee, but remains on Council as the Review Editor of the JRS. Above all he thanked the Secretary, Dr Fiona Haarer, who has as ever devoted enormous energy and diligence to the Society's affairs.
The President reported that, following the formation of a joint grants committee with the Roman Research Trust last year to disburse the Donald Atkinson Fund, we have now formed a Roman Studies Committee. This is replacing the Schools Committee, and will deal with grants to schools, museum internship bursaries and, as the Hugh Last Committee, applications to the Hugh Last Fund. Its general remit will be to consider and develop ways to promote interest in Roman Studies among the general public, especially in Latin language and literature and Roman history, thought and art.
The President also noted progress on negotiations to secure the future of the Library. As reported last year, the Societies have set up a company (HARL, the Hellenic and Roman Library) to oversee the management of the Joint Library. We are now working to conclude a 25-year Agreement with the University of London to replace the original 1953 Agreement. By the new Agreement the University (ICS) will be responsible for all space charges and costs while the Societies will be responsible for all the librarians' salaries. It is hoped that this agreement will safeguard the premises for the Library. The increased financial contribution from the Societies will be partly off-set by a five-year contribution from UCL, but will require a fundraising campaign. It is planned that the agreement will begin on 1 January 2016, and the current MoU, which is due to expire 31 July, will be rolled over until then. The Societies will hold EGMs in December in order to approve this new Agreement.
The President asked Dr Philip Kay, the Honorary Treasurer, to deliver his report. Dr Kay presented the accounts for 2014, and referred members to MacIntyre Hudson's statement approving the Accounts. He noted that the accounts showed net incoming resources, before investment gains, of £79,593, and of £145,671 after investment gains. The total net cash inflows to the Society were £114,579 (£64,879 in 2013). The major factors were again the increase in expenditure on the rent for the Joint Library (£51,843 in 2014 compared to £18,742 only three years ago), and conversely, the increase in income from CUP (£114,032). The Society's investments continued to be held in the Newton Growth & Income Fund for Charities. It was up by 10 per cent on a total return basis in 2014 and outperformed its benchmark by 3.7 per cent. The Society's portfolio was valued at £1,360,549 (£1,232,088 in 2013).
The President thanked the Treasurer for all his work for the Society during the year. The Report and Accounts for 2014 were approved on the proposal of Mrs Elizabeth McKnight and seconded by Ms Lesley Kumiega. The remuneration of MacIntyre Hudson was proposed by Mrs Jane Fisher-Hunt and seconded by Mr Andrew Selkirk, and the reappointment of MacIntyre Hudson was proposed by Mr Graham Kentfield and seconded by Professor Andrew Poulter.
Mr Steven Cockings proposed and Mr Allan Wilson seconded the following nominations for Council: as President for 2015–18: Professor C.H. Edwards; Vice-Presidents for 2015–16: Dr A.M. Burnett, CBE, FBA, FSA, Professor M.G. Fulford, CBE, FBA, FSA, and Professor D.W. Rathbone; as Hon. Treasurer and Hon. Secretary for 2015–16: Dr P.B. Kay, FSA and Mrs E.S. McKnight respectively; and as Council members for 2015–18: Mr R. Lister, Dr D. Lowe, Professor A. Marzano, and Mr J. Spencer.
All the above Resolutions were passed nem. con.
Dr Kay then thanked the outgoing President, Professor Dominic Rathbone as follows:
This is the last AGM which our President, Professor Dominic Rathbone, will be chairing and I want to thank him on behalf of the Society for all he has done for us over the last three years. Dominic has thrown himself into the role with his characteristic energy and enthusiasm and I want to touch on a few of the achievements of his Presidency.
To begin with, he instigated a review of the Society's activities which led to the creation of two working parties.
The first of these working parties focused on developing and strengthening links with schools, museums and other similar organisations. As a result, we sponsored a series of lectures in regional museums hosting the British Museum's travelling exhibition The Roman Empire: Power and People, and Dominic himself delivered one of these lectures last year in Coventry. We have also begun what we hope is a series of annual lectures with the other British Schools and Institutes: the first of these will be in September at the British Academy with the British Institute at Ankara.
The second working party has led to the recently-formed Roman Studies Committee, which has a particular focus on the promotion of Latin language and literature and Roman history, thought and art — while continuing the support and development of Roman studies in schools. In total, it will have more than £20,000 to award in annual grants and, once fully up and running, it will also have a mandate to review what more the Society can offer to its members.
In another initiative to reshape the Committee structure of the Society, and to continue the theme of developing links with similar organisations, we also now have a joint grant-giving committee with the Roman Research Trust, awarding up to £35,000 in grants annually for projects relating to the archaeology and art history of Roman Britain and the Roman Empire.
More recently, Dominic has been the architect behind a day-long seminar on Greek and Roman Armour which will be held in this building on Monday 20 July. This will comprise illustrated presentations by six world experts on the effectiveness of ancient armour; it promises to be absolutely fascinating; it is free to register; and I would encourage everyone who can to attend.
But it is for Dominic's efforts on behalf of the Library for which I am personally most grateful. As you all know, the Roman and Hellenic Societies' relationship with the University of London over the combined ICS Library has been a constant problem — almost, it seems, since time immemorial, but certainly for the last twenty years. A five-year agreement which the Societies had with the University of London came to an end a year ago and, after much to-ing and fro-ing was extended for another year. It would be an understatement to say that, until very recently, the University has treated the Societies with disdain. The University in effect refused to negotiate with us in any meaningful way over our contribution to the running costs of the Library and our desire to have a more stable and longer-term agreement.
We are, though, close — very close, I believe — to a long-term solution which would circumscribe our expenditure on the Library and would in turn allow us to spend more of our resources on promoting Roman Studies in the broad sense, rather than having to harbour them against another ludicrous rent-increase from the University.
If this latest round of negotiations is successful, it will owe a very great deal to Dominic. It has occupied a disproportionate amount of his attention and his time (which, of course, is given pro bono) — in fact, I am sure much more time than he ever foresaw or would have desired. But, if these negotiations are successful, they will ensure the stability of the Library for the next quarter century at least.
Dominic: I cannot wish you a happy retirement, because you will now become a Vice-President, but I am sure I speak for all the officers of the Society, the members of Council and of the various sub-committees in saying how much we have all enjoyed working with you in your role as President.
The AGM was followed by a colloquium: Romanisation? Provincial Cultures in the Principate. The speakers were Professor Dominic Rathbone: Gods, Soldiers, Mummies: Making Egypt Roman; Dr Andrew Gardner: Post-Romanisation Perspectives on the Provincial West; Professor Tony Spawforth: Romanization? Modern Problems and Ancient Greeks; and Professor Tessa Rajak: Changing Faces, Changing Places, in Roman Judaea.
