IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 1538 RCOG/A18
Held at: Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Title: Court of Patrons
Date(s): 1981-1996
Level of description: Collection
Extent: 1 box
Name of creator(s): Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
CONTEXT
Administrative/Biographical history:
The Court of Patrons was inaugurated following the decision of Council on 30 November 1982, with HM Elizabeth the Queen Mother presiding as Patron of the College. Members of the Court were to be 'composed of persons of distinction who have an interest in and concern for the College' (Council minutes, 28 November 1981). The Court was comprised of up to thirty members and the first members were admitted at a Fellows Admission Ceremony on 2 June 1982. Honorary officers were ex-officio members. Membership included seventeen lay members and eight medical members, comprising five former presidents and three former vice-presidents of the College. Members of the Court were appointed by Council. The Court was intended to recognise and honour those who had contributed to securing the fortunes and future of the College, financially or in another capacity.
It was initially intended the Court would meet annually followed by a dinner, meetings however became infrequent and the Court only met a few times. A possible reason for this was that there was never a clear statement of the Court's aims and objectives. This led to its role and remit being discussed and investigated on a number of occasions between 1993-1996. As the Court had no specfic place in the College constitution The Court was serviced variously by the President's Office and the College Secretary's Office.
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
Court of Patrons papers includes correspondence and papers of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists President, the College Secretary and the Deputy College Secretary concerning the establishment of the Court of Patrons. The series also contains meeting minutes and papers (1982-1988), as well as records regarding the admission of M V Blank to the Court in 1996.
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: English
System of arrangement:
As set out above in Scope and Content.
Conditions governing access:
Conditions governing reproduction:
Physical characteristics:
Finding aids:
An alphabetical list of founder Members is available from the College Archivist. This is list has been copied from the first Annual Report 1929-1930 and there is also a copy from the fifth Annual Report 1934.
The College Archives holds card indexes of deceased and living MRCOG holders between 1929 and 1998. The indexes note the date of admission to the MRCOG.
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:
Records were appraised in July 2008 and most of the original series destroyed or removed to current Archives departmental reference files.
Accruals:
Archival history:
The records of the committee have been transferred on an ad hoc basis.
Immediate source of acquisition:
These records have been removed from the President's file on the Court of Patrons to create this series.
ALLIED MATERIALS
Existence and location of originals:
Existence and location of copies:
Related material:
Publication note:
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Note:
Archivist's note: Imported from the RCOG catalogue and edited by Sarah Drewery.
Date(s) of descriptions: January 2009