Description | Minutes of early committee meetings contain information about arrangements for inter-varsity debates, and some details about subjects for debates within the university. Debates seem to have been categorised with contemporary political and social issues often being discussed as well as more general topics. There is evidence about joint debates with other institutions including the Midland Institute, the YMCA, and the Edgbaston Ladies Debating Society. Early minutes also give information about the structure of the society and discussion about membership, and include lists of members for the 1908-1909 and 1909-1910 academic sessions. Some staff members appear to have been involved in the society, including Rose Sidgwick. In addition, there are some financial records for the years 1908 to 1913, together with secretary's report for the same years and also for 1914-1915, 1915-1916 and 1917-1918, although there are no minutes for these years.
There are no minutes for meetings between May 1916 and October 1968, but the volume described at UB/GUILD/A/15/3 contains information about meetings held during the 1950s |
Administrative History | The Debating Society committee continued to function at least until the 1990s |