The Annual General Meeting of the Society was held at 2 pm on Saturday 7 June, 2025, in Room G22/26, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU. The President, Professor Roy Gibson, was in the chair and welcomed members and non-members to the AGM.
The President reported on the Society’s activities during the previous year, starting with its publication programme. He thanked the current Editors, Professor Myles Lavan (JRS) and Professor Will Bowden (Britannia), and the Reviews Editors, Professor Neville Morley (JRS) and Dr Nick Hodgson (Britannia). The President also noted that two further editions of Epistula had been published online and emailed to members, and he thanked the Editor, Dr Alex Smith.
The President then turned to the programme of events and lectures. The academic year started with an event at the Society of Antiquaries in October when Dr Nicola Terrenato gave a lecture on Urban borehole surveys and the origins of the Roman Forum. In November, Professor Jonathan Prag gave a lecture at Senate House on Crossreads: multidisciplinary approaches to Sicilian epigraphic culture. In March, we joined with the Hellenic Society for a series of lectures on Paestum with Dr Tiziana D’Angelo, Professor Christopher Smith and Professor Elena Isayev, and Dr Kathryn Lomas. The Society also organised a visit to Fishbourne Roman Palace and Bignor Roman Villa and we are very grateful to Dr David Rudling for leading this visit.
There were also two events organised under the auspices of the Archaeology Committee. In November, the third iteration of the day conference, ‘Reconnecting Roman Britain’ was held at the Grosvenor Museum in Chester, arranged by Dr Caroline Pudney and in August in Lincoln, Dr Lacey Wallace organised a conference on ‘Roman discoveries in Lincolnshire’.
The President noted that the various grants committees had continued with their work, disbursing grants from our various funds. He congratulated Amelia Reeves and Naomi Norden (joint winners of the MA dissertation prize) and Lucy Halfacre (winner of the BA dissertation prize in Roman Archaeology). Erin Evett, Kitty Low and Izzy Shirley had won the three PGCE Research Paper prizes. The Britannia Awards, offered by the Archaeology Committee to recognise voluntary contributions to Roman archaeology in Britain, have been won by Ann Hetherington (individual prize) and by the Druce Farm Volunteer Group (group prize): their prizes will be presented at the next ‘Reconnecting Roman Britain’ conference in Nottingham in November. Six students received bursaries for the Museum and Heritage Organisation summer placement scheme, and Gabrielle Hill-Smith secured the Roman Society bursary to work at Falerii Novi with the BSR and ICS.
The President thanked the Archaeology Committee, and its Chair, Dr Tanja Romankiewicz; the Schools Committee and its chair, Dr Jean-Michel Hulls; the Roman Studies Committee, and its chair Professor Roland Mayer; and Dr Claire Millington for all her work on the Society’s social media accounts. The President also thanked everyone who had served on all the Society’s Committees and Council, including the retiring Council members: Dr Clive Cheesman, Dr Elisabeth O’Connell, Dr Andrew Roberts, Professor Federico Santangelo and Dr Marguerite Spoerri Butcher.
The President then gave an update about the Library and the Society’s agreement with the UoL. Due to the concerns about the reduction in income from CUP while maintaining our support of the Library and other charitable activities, the Society had successfully negotiated a 50% reduction on our contribution to the Library (service charge and salaries) for five years. In the meantime, we have formed a small taskforce (with the Hellenic Society and ICS, chaired by the Hon. Librarian, Professor Gesine Manuwald) to consider the future and sustainability of the Library and we will be reporting back to the Councils next spring and to the AGM next June with any recommendations. The Society is very grateful to the Director of the ICS, Professor Katherine Harloe, for her support and involvement with this process. The fundraising appeal continues and the Society and Library remain grateful to all members who continue to make donations: members can still contribute online via the HARL website: www.hellenicandromanlibrary.org.
The President also thanked Joanna Ashe and the team of Librarians as ever, for all their work for the Library during the last year, and he noted that Ms Sue Willetts and Mr Paul Jackson are marking seventy years of collective service this year.
Professor Gibson then invited Dr Kay to introduce the accounts.
Dr Kay began by giving some background to the late production of the Society’s accounts for the year to 31 December 2024. He noted that firstly, the accounts were severely delayed by a cybersecurity attack at Cambridge University Press. Normally, CUP send the revenue figures generated by JRS and Britannia in January, but this year we did not receive them until late April. Secondly, the Society’s Articles now allow for an Independent Examination of the Society’s accounts and we had hoped to request such examinations for both the 2023 and 2024 financial years. However, we are only able to utilise this cheaper method of finalising our accounts if the Society’s gross assets do not exceed £3.26 million; otherwise the accounts must be audited. The good news for the financial health of the Society is that, for the second year running, our gross assets have been too large for an Independent Examination. The bad news is that the accounts have therefore had to be audited, which costs more and takes longer. We have only just received sign-off from the auditors, and Dr Kay apologised for the fact that the final version of the accounts had not been available until today, although an advanced draft of the accounts had been posted on the Roman Society website earlier this week.
Moving on to the formalities, Dr Kay read an extract from the report of the Society’s independent auditors, UHY Ross Brooke, which is contained in the Society’s Annual Report and Financial Statements for 2024:
“In our opinion the financial statements give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company’s affairs as at 31st December 2024, and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended.”
Turning to the 2024 financial results themselves, total income for the year was £424,000 — down 6% compared to 2023. But our total costs were also down 6% — at £398,000 — so the result was still a positive one and your Society had net income (before investment gains and losses) of £25,000, the same as last year.
Within those numbers, income from our publishing agreements with Cambridge University Press (for JRS and Britannia) fell by 6% to £124,000, whilst revenue from membership subscriptions increased by 10% to £104,000.
In addition, the Society’s investment portfolio, which is managed by Newton Investment Management, delivered net investment gains for the year of £138,000.
So, at the bottom line, net income for 2024 (after investment gains and losses) was a positive £163,000 compared to net income in 2023 of £133,000. Meanwhile, the value of your Society’s investment portfolio at the end of the year was just under £2.1 million.
This time last year, the outlook for 2025 and thereafter had looked very bleak. This was because Cambridge University Press has decided, unilaterally, to change the economics for the journals it publishes by reducing the amount they were prepared to pay to the producers of content, like the Roman Society. We estimated that, from 2025 onwards, this would roughly halve the Society’s income from the publication of our journals, JRS and Britannia. However, as the President has explained, the University of London have kindly agreed to pay half the fees of the Librarians that the Society was previously paying and so financially we are in a better position than we thought we would be. We are not out of the woods yet because we will not know until next January exactly how much revenue we shall receive from CUP for the journals in respect of 2025, but Dr Kay said that he was hopeful that our charitable activities will be able to continue unaffected.
Professor Gibson thanked Dr Kay for all his work as Hon. Treasurer. He asked the members to approve the Report of the Council and Financial Statements for 1 January to 31 December 2024: he proposed and Mrs Sally Carter-Esdale seconded the motion. He also proposed that the Council be authorised to agree the remuneration of the Auditors and this was seconded by Mr Paul Drew. That UHY Ross Brooke be appointed Auditors or Independent Examiner of the Society for the period 1 January to 31 December 2025 was also proposed by Professor Gibson and seconded by Ms Susan Biddle.
Professor Gibson proposed and Ms Hazel Bird seconded the following nominations for Council: as President for 2025–26: Professor Roy Gibson; Vice-Presidents for 2025–26: Professor T.J. Cornell, Professor C.H. Edwards, FBA, Professor D.W. Rathbone; as Hon. Treasurer and Hon. Secretary for 2025–26: Dr P.B. Kay, FSA and Professor R.G. Mayer, respectively; and as Council members for 2025–28: Dr D. Agri, Mr M. Beddoe, Mrs K. Drummond, Professor G. Kelly, Dr K. Madden, Dr M. Stewart.
All the above Resolutions were passed nem. con.
Before Resolution 5 (Change of Subscription Rate), a Special Resolution was put to the Meeting. This was to make certain changes to the Memorandum & Articles to allow the Society to offer the ‘student’ membership rate to those under the age of thirty, and also to allow members to receive online access to the journals (rather than print copies) as part of the standard membership subscription.
These changes were set out in the Special Resolutions on the AGM agenda as follows:
Delete Article 8 regarding Student Associates and replace it with the following:
8. The Council may at their discretion elect from Universities and other institutions of higher education of the United Kingdom and of any other country in the World as student-associate non-statutory members:-
(a) undergraduates;
(b) post-graduate students registered for a higher degree or diploma;
and
c) any person under the age of 30 on 1 January in the year in question.
The names of candidates wishing to become student-associates shall be submitted to the Council in the manner prescribed for the election of members of the Society. Student-associates shall be entitled to receive all the privileges of membership as set out in Article 17 except that of notice of General Meetings and of voting at General Meetings and of being eligible for election to the Council. The Council may but shall not be obliged to make regulations for verifying the status or age of any person applying to be a Student Associate.
Delete Article 17 regarding Rights of Members and replace it with the following:
17. All members of the Society (whether statutory or non-statutory, with the exception of special associate members) shall have the right to receive free online access to the current issues of the Society’s journals. Council may, but shall not be obliged to, make arrangements for any Member who wishes to receive a printed copy of the current issue of any one or both of the Society’s journals, at the member’s choice, to do so against payment of such amount(s) as Council may from time to time determine. All members of the Society (whether statutory or non-statutory, with the exception of special associate members) shall have the right to attend and, subject to Articles 7, 8, 9 and 10, to vote at all meetings of the Society; to use the Society's library and any collections of slides, etc., which may be formed by the Society, subject to such regulations as the Council may from time to time lay down; and to enjoy such privileges not inconsistent with the Memorandum of Association as the Council may from time to time determine.
18. Online access to the current issue of any of the Society's journals shall not be available free of charge to any member whose subscription is in arrears.
After discussion of these points, the President invited members to vote by a show of hands, indicating whether they supported or opposed the Resolution. The Resolutions were passed nem. con.
5. Change of Subscription Rate
The President referred to the expected fall in revenue from the publishing agreement with CUP which has led the Society to restructure our own subscriptions in order for us to continue to support the Library and our other charitable activities, including our grants programme. From 2026, there will be a standard subscription rate, and then an additional sum to receive a print copy of the journals which reflects the increased costs charged by CUP for the production and despatch of the print copies. The standard subscription will include some additional benefits, including online access to both (rather than one) journals; 20% discount with CUP; and a 50% discount on our new online courses.
Current rates 2025 (including print copies)
Full Membership
£64 for one journal (JRS or Britannia) (£63 by direct debit)
£95 for both journals (£92 by direct debit)
Student Members
£25 for online access
£40 for online access & a print copy of one journal
£60 for both journals online & in print
Life Members
£532 including subscription to either the JRS or Britannia. Both journals: £64 p/a
From 2026
Benefits for standard membership
a) online access to both the JRS and Britannia, current issues and complete archive
b) Epistula
c) discounts on new Britannia Monographs
d) 20% discount on CUP publications
e) access & borrowing rights from the Library
f) events, including guided visits to sites and museums, and discounts for conference
g) 50% discount on the online courses
Rates
Full Membership
£64 (£63 by direct debit) for standard membership
£84 (£82 by direct debit) standard membership + one journal in print
£104 (£102 by direct debit) standard membership + both journals in print
Student Members and those up to 30 yrs old
£30 for standard membership
£50 for standard membership + one journal in print
£70 for standard membership + both journals in print
New Life Members
£640 for standard membership
£840 for standard membership + one journal in print
£1040 for standard membership + both journals in print
Current Life Members
£20 for one journal in print
£40 for both journals in print
The new rates for 2026 were proposed by Professor Roy Gibson, and seconded by Mr James Renshaw. The Resolution was passed with one vote against.
6. There was no other business.
The AGM was followed by a Colloquium on ‘Voices Waiting to be Heard? Notable Women of Romano-British Archaeology’.
2.30–2.50: Dr Tatiana Ivleva, ‘Present but forgotten: why we need historiography of women archaeologists in Romano-British studies and beyond’
2.50–3.15: Dr Martha Stewart, ‘Margerie Venables Taylor (1881–1963): an unsung heroine of Roman Britain?’
3.15–3.45: Dr Natasha Harlow, ‘Championing the contribution of women archaeologists at Caistor: Atkinson, Hankinson and Green’
3.45–4.15: Tea and cake. Viewing of the archive and photographs
4.15–4.25: Dr Amara Thornton, ‘Beyond Notability’ project
4.25–4.45: Dr Frances McIntosh, ‘Her father’s daughter: did Grace Simpson ever escape the shadow of F G Simpson?’
4.45–5.15: Prof. Dr David Breeze, ‘Elizabeth Hodgson: a dispassionate recorder of Hadrian's Wall?’
5.15–5.30: Questions and discussion
5.30–6.00: Reception. Viewing of the archive and photographs
The colloquium was accompanied by a small display of water colours and drawings (digitally reprinted) by Jessie Mothersole and Elizabeth Hodgson, archival material associated with M.V. Taylor and J. Toynbee, and an exhibition of banners representing the lives of eleven Romano-British women archaeologists. In addition, a display of books, archival materials and photographs relating to some of the women archaeologists was on display in the lobby outside the Library.
