Special General Meeting of the Society’s Fellows on 18 May 2009

Result

Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) have voted decisively to support the Society’s present policy of funding a wide range of research projects and scientific expeditions studying important contemporary issues in many different places across the world.

Read details of the result

Special General Meeting

A Special General Meeting (SGM) has been requested by 78 Fellows who have proposed a resolution on the matter of how the Society supports the generation of new knowledge through field research and scientific expeditions, and the implications of that. The Society’s Council of Trustees has considered the resolution and is against it.

• Read more about the resolution and the issue

The SGM was held on 18 May at 3.00pm in the Ondaatje Theatre.

• Read more about the SGM

Fellows, including Postgradute Fellows, will receive ballot materials from the Electoral Reform Services in the post in late April, including the President’s letter and 500 word statements by those calling for the resolution and by the Society’s Council of Trustees. The papers also include voting papers. Voting can be by post or in person at the SGM.

• Read the President’s letter (PDF)
• Read 500 word statement by the Society’s Council of Trustees (PDF)
• Read 500 word statement by those calling for the resolution (PDF)

• The Society wishes to clarify statements that have been reported by others publicly either through the media or on websites relating to the issue. RGS-IBG Comments on statements in the press and on websites (PDF)

The President encourages all Fellows and Postgraduate Fellows to exercise their vote please as the Society wishes the vote to be as representative as possible of the Fellowship as a whole. Ordinary Members and Young Geographers will receive papers for information and may attend the SGM but are not eligible to vote.

The vote is important. It relates to the Society’s strategy, its balance of activities, and how we support research and scientific expeditions in the future.

For futher information, you may like to read:

• The Society’s 2008 Annual Review (PDF)
• Initial statement from the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) (PDF)
• Comment piece from the President (PDF)
• Research and Scientific Expeditions:
  · Examples of recent projects funded: Fire in the Amazon, Microbes and Glacier Melt, Climate Change in the Kalahari, The Dustiest Place on Earth
  · Historical perspective
  · Reviews in 2001 and 2004
  · Changing research environment
  · Society’s approach since 2001
  · Details of the Society’s recent support through grants (link to grants page)
  · Outcomes of this approach (link to grants page)
  · Ongoing review
• Representation and breadth within the Society
• Communication with Fellows
• The Society’s approach to the press re the SGM
  · Letters published and submitted
  · RGS-IBG Comments on statements in the press and on websites

Fellows and members are informed that those calling for the resolution are adopting an active campaigning approach. The Society asks please that Fellows read the voting papers when they arrive and exercise their own judgement on this internal matter.  

The Society’s AGM will go ahead as planned on Monday 1 June, with the President’s address and the presentation of Medals and Awards as highlights. AGM papers will reach you in early May and will include a ballot paper for Council elections.

We hope to see many of you at the AGM and the Annual Reception afterwards. To book tickets please call the Events Office on +44 (0)20 7591 3100 or email events@rgs.org

The SGM could not be combined with the AGM owing to the timing of the submission of the resolution to the Society.