| Description | Meeting Papers and correspondence for the British Psychological Society BPS Centenary Working Party, [later in this year known as the Centenary Sub-Committee] for 1999.
10 April 1999: BPS Centenary Working Party Minutes and papers. Discussed were the matter of Sponsorship, who makes buying decisions, and a presentation was received from CASIL [Conference Associates and Services International Limited - an external conference firm] outlining sponsorship opportunities, also for consideration was CASIL's contract with the European Congress; Notes on changes to the structure and membership of the CWP; Regarding Science Museum activity and the History of Psychology Book, updates given on feedback from BSPG (Books and Special Projects Group). Geoff Bunn reported on the potential sites for exhibitions; that there will be a one day conference in July for all the authors involved in the History of Psychology Book; Geoff Bunn will attend the History and Philosophy Section Conference;A suggestion about the production of posters in relation to the exhibition, and a discussion about six potential blue plaques to historical psychologists; Regarding expenditure, noting the Council and Board of Directors have allocated a budget of £250,000 to the Centenary, but that the Council wants the costs of the 'birthday party' scaled down. There may be a birthday celebration during the Conference in Glasgow, Branches will also be encouraged to host similar events in October, with a video link-up; the birthday party at the Science Museum could be scaled down and could include a formal hour for dignitaries folloed by a more relaxed celebration; Latest version of Centenary schedule noted; The schedule of centenary items in The Psychologist was noted; Plans for liaising with other bodies such as the Royal Societies and the British Academy-speakers for various events; a document about advertising on the London Underground was noted; discussion of The Times supplement was deferred; a letter from the Notre Dame Centre would be passed to the SCC (Standing Conference Committee); the fiftieth anniversary of the Ergonomics Society was noted; noted that the Board of Directors would shortly issue documentation about corporate procedures.
21 April 1999: Letter from Richard L Gregory at the University of Bristol to Diane Berry regarding the 'Mind' zone in the Millenium Dome.
24 May - 2 June 1999: Various correspondence on finance and a draft budget of the Centenary.
14 June 1999: BPS Centenary Sub-Committee (previously known as the Centenary Working Party) Minutes and papers. Discussion included: Science Museum exhibition activity- four cabinets to be updated in the Wellcome Gallery, that in reference to Cyril Burt it would mention he was a controversial figure and a press statement would be drafted in advance of any queries, regarding the Science Museum’s editorial control, regarding reassurance of the Board of Directors, regarding correspondence with English Heritage about a plaque to Charles Myers, regarding a Centenary Associate editor; Regarding Sponsorship, no choice but to go with CASIL, and that a contract should be drawn up; Regarding the Centenary Reception, that there would be an early evening reception at the Science Museum, possibly with video link-up to Belfast, Edinburgh, Cardiff and a re-enactment of the Society’s first meeting considered; Regarding the Annual Conference and money to support sub-system events; regarding Staffing; regarding Budget to be prepared to include: Science Museum Project, Staffing, Video Archive, Sub-system meetings, 'Milestones' day conference, Presidential addresses book, Centenary Sub-Committee meetings, Centenary Speakers, Centenary reception in London and regional capitals, Centenary celebration at the Annual Conference, Contingencies and the History of British Psychology; Liaison with other bodies noted; that the Times Supplement should go ahead; noted that there was no updated from the Presidential Addresses project and Chris Cullen had withdrawn from the project; Regarding Psychlab, that proposals from two authors should proceed; that Vicki Bruce would write to Richard Wiseman and David Perrett regarding 'Megalab' type projects in 2001; Discussion of centenary vice president and the chair of the Centenary Sub-Committee, and that Steve Newstead was willing to become a co-opted member of the committee once his term of office as chair ceased.
24 September 1999: BPS Centenary Sub-Committee (previously known as the Centenary Working Party) Minutes and papers. Discussion included the election of the Centenary President; the Science Museum exhibition activity – including that the Joint Collecting Committee had collected about 60 objects so far - and the edited History of Psychology book–where the title was noted as ‘Psychology in Britain: historical essays and personal reflections’; Regarding the National Portrait Gallery exhibition, that the NPG would have overall curatorial control, and discussion of including portraits of ‘psychologists of the future’; Regarding Sponsorship, drawing up the contract with CASIL for their support in fundraising; Regarding staffing of the centenary activity, that David Legge and Stephen White would identify individuals to carry out work on a project basis; Regarding Liaison with other speakers that Alan Cowie should be invited to give the Royal Society lecture, bearing in mind the theme [and centenary slogan] ‘Bringing Psychology to Society’; Regarding the book of Presidential addresses, a review of the selection compared to the original proposal; Regarding other ideas: that a symposium of famous non-psychologist speakers at the 2001 Annual Conference, without financial input from the Centenary funds; that there was no longer a consortium of universities planning a Midlands/North of England 2001 psychology exhibition; that there should be an article in The Psychologist highlighting the calendar events planned so far for the centenary; that Geoff Bunn made a bid to the European Society for the History of Human Sciences Conference which may be in Britain in 2001; That the Developmental Section should be invited to submit their research proposal to the SAB (Scientific Affairs Board) and is in the remit of the SAB seminar series; Regarding the Centenary Schedule: that possible speakers for the ‘Milestones’ conference should be discussed on the themes Health, Education, Law, Work; that a list of invitees was needed; that contact with the National Branches should be made in the hope they would have parallel receptions on the birthday and that budget would be allocated, and a video link planned; In other business that Vicki Bruce and Tommy MacKay would consider further that possible names for a Centenary Vice President; that Steve Newstead’s draft report to Council should be submitted with the amended Centenary schedule.
13 December 1999: BPS Centenary Sub-Committee Minutes and papers. Discussion includes Science Museum Activity and the edited History of Psychology book: the full book title ‘Psychology in Britain: historical essays and personal reflections, G.C. Bunn, A.D. Lovie and G. Richards (eds.)’, that John Groeger had put in a bid to COPUS for funding a psychology trail at the Science Museum, that the board of Directors had now seen the small psychology update exhibition at the Science Museum and liked it, that English Heritage were looking at the ‘range of influence’ of C.S. Myers to determine awarding a blue plaque, that 80 objects had been acquired for the Science Museum Psychology Collection; regarding the Visual archive project, Halla Belloff reporting on the progress of the video archive, that a leaflet should be produced to accompany the exhibition and the possibility of it as a pull out in The Psychologist (depending on copyright). That six young psychologists should be commissioned to work in different settings to provide a portrait of psychology. That if possible, these psychologists should be anonymised, and that the commission of them ‘should bear in mind balance in terms of sex and race’. Regarding other portraits, they should be of eminent deceased psychologists. Regarding Sponsorship, the contract with CASIL [Conference Associates and Services International Limited-an external conference firm] still not finalised; Regarding other speakers, that Alan Cowie accepted the invitation to give the Royal Society lecture; Regarding the book of Presidential lectures, that Ingrid Lunt is the sole editor, and that no formal report had been received; Regarding the Centenary Schedule, that members of the Committee should look at the task list and contact Stephen White for additions, that national branches responded enthusiastically to the plans for the 24 October reception; That regarding the Midlands/North of England Psychology exhibition, that Graham Richards may be able to mount on at the University of Staffordshire; Regarding the ‘Milestones’ conference, that a list of suggested speakers be considered; Regarding the Centenary Vice President, that the committee would agree and recommend unanimously to the Council that Steve Newstead be appointed.
20 December 1999: Notes from the Sub-systems Annual Conference 2001 representatives meeting.
The members of the Centenary Sub-Committee in 1999 are listed as: Steve Newstead; Geoff Lindsay; Margaret McAllister; Margaret Mitchell; John Groeger; Diane Houston; Vicki Bruce; Rory O’Connor and Advisors as Stephen White; Allan Sakne; Sue Cavill; Geoffrey Bunn; For info: Maryon Tysoe; Ingid Lunt; Halla Belloff. |
| AdminHistory | The Psychological Society was founded on 24 October 1901 at University College London. Its aim was 'to advance scientific psychological research, and to further the co-operation of investigators in the various branches of Psychology.' It changed its name to 'The British Psychological Society' in 1906, to avoid confusion with another society.
In August 1991, ten years before the centenary of BPS in 2001, Stephen White [BPS Director of Information], initiated activity among BPS staff to support the celebration centenary.
A working party was founded in August 1991 following a meeting of Stephen White, Allan Sakne [BPS Business Manager], Amanda Briggs [BPS Conference and Events Manager] and David Bird [BPS Assistant Executive Secretary].
The working party was later to be established as a formal Sub-Committee under the Finance & General Purposes Committee in 1996.
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