Honorary Secretary and Junior Vice-President

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 1538 RCOG/A7
Held at	: Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists   Click here to find out how to view this collection at https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/library-services/archives-and-heritage/archives/ ›
Full title	: Honorary Secretary and Junior Vice-President
Date(s)	: 1942-2004
Level of description	: fonds
Extent	: 13 boxes
Name of creator(s)	: Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

The Office of Honorary Secretary is elected to Council by Fellows and Members, the term of office is a maximum of seven years. The post has been in place since 1926, where William Fletcher Shaw was made Secretary. In 2008 the Honorary Secretary's main responsiblities were:
Supporting and assisting the President
The agenda for Council and Finance and Executive Committee
Chairing the Services Board and Services Group
Deputy Chair of the Consumers Forum
Representing the College Officers on the Staff Committee
RCOG Press Officer
RCOG awards, prizes & lectures
Attending meetings of Regional College Advisers, College Tutors and Overseas Chairmen
Fellows ad eundem selection process
Representation on European Board and College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Ex officio member of all Boards and Standing Committees
Department of Health Workforce matters

The Honorary Secretary works closely with Membership services in respect of:
a) Approving requests for the purchase of data about Fellows and Members
b) Corresponding with the family members of deceased Fellows and Members
c) Advice and approval of applications for Associates and Affiliates
d) The organisation of MRCOG and FRCOG Admission Ceremonies

He also works closely with the Communications and External Affairs department in respect of:
a) RCOG communications to Associates and Affiliates
b) Communications with Fellows and Members on contemporary issues
c) Membership benefits
d) Approving publicity material for national and international meetings
e) Medical Students' Evenings

The Honorary Secretary is a member of various Committees/Working Parties including: Management Audit Committee; Work life Balance; RCOG/APOG Working Group; Clinical Standards Working Party; Future Workforce in Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Honorary Secretaries' correspondence for 1942 and 1950, then for each Honorary Secretary running from 1960-2004; subject files 1985-2002.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

As set out above in Scope and Content.

Conditions governing access:

These records are closed because they contain information about planning and policy.

Conditions governing reproduction:

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

Archival history:

An identifiable class of Honorary Secretary's correspondence and papers does not appear before 1960. Records prior to those of I M Jackson (1960) were frequently included in the personal or official papers of the incumbent, for example Fletcher Shaw's papers as Honorary Secretary are mixed in with his papers as College President in RCOG/A4/4 and his personal papers at S34.

Immediate source of acquisition:

The records now numbered as A7/1/1 were found in an unnumbered folder amongst the official papers of Sir Norman Jeffcoate as President.

The Honorary Secretary's correspondence files are transferred from the Administration Department.

Allied Materials

Related material:

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:
Imported from the RCOG catalogue and edited by Sarah Drewery.

Rules or conventions:
General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal Place and Corporate Names 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
Import: Oct 2008; edit: Feb 2009.