Glasgow University Union

Glasgow University Union

Motto	Gradatim Vincemus - Latin: (We overcome by degrees)
Institution	University of Glasgow
Location	Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Established	1885
President	Chris Sibbald
Members	c. 17,000 (13,000 Life Members)
Affiliations	Glasgow University Dialectic Society University of Glasgow Medico-Chirurgical Society Glasgow University Sports Association
Website	www.theguu.com

Glasgow University Union (GUU) is one of the largest and oldest students' unions in the UK, serving students and alumni of the University of Glasgow since 1885.

The GUU organises social affairs for its members, provides value catering and entertainments and generally seeks to enhance the experience of its members during their time at the University of Glasgow and beyond. Students are eligible to become members for free at any point throughout their University career and alumni may become Life Members by applying to the Board of Management.

Foundation

Students at the university instituted the idea of a union building in 1885 to help promote social interaction on campus. The union's formation was driven by members of Glasgow University Dialectic Society, the Glasgow University Medico-Chirurgical Society and the Glasgow University Athletic Club. The same group formed a Students’ Representative Council in 1886 to raise funds for the building and procured the sum of £5000 from Dr John McIntyre of Odiham, Hampshire.

In 1889 the Glasgow University Students' Representative Council obtained statutory recognition under the Act of 1889 and in 1890 they managed to raise sufficient funds to build the Union.^[1]

The Glasgow University Union's building at the bottom of University Avenue has been home to the GUU since 1931.

The Union was originally accommodated in the John McIntyre Building, named for a major benefactor, which opened in 1890 and was designed by John James Burnet.^[2] These premises soon proved to be inadequate however, and a new building at the foot of University Avenue was designed by the architect Alan McNaughton of Arthur & McNaughton in the Scots Baronial style and erected between 1929 and 1931, with the women of the Queen Margaret Union (QMU) moving into the John McIntyre Building in 1932. It has been the location of the Glasgow University Students' Representative Council, since the new QMU building opened in 1969. An extension to the Glasgow University Union building was designed by Keppie, Henderson & Partners and opened in 1965, which now houses four bars: Deep Six, the Gallery Bar, Altitude and Playing Fields - and the Union's nightclub, The Hive.^[3]

Two-Union Structure

The GUU is one of two unions at the University of Glasgow, the other being the Queen Margaret Union, which was established in 1890, after the first matriculation of women at the university in the wake of its merger with Queen Margaret College.^[4]

The reason for this separation is that the GUU originally only permitted men to join, while the QMU only admitted women; in fact, the GUU was the last student union in the UK to have single-sex membership. In 1977, in the wake of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, there was a referendum to mix the two unions, but this was defeated by a large majority. A mixing campaign got seriously under way in 1979, at one point the strictly all-male "Beer Bar" being occupied by a large mixed group of students. An extraordinary general meeting of the QMU voted overwhelmingly to admit men into membership, a move which subverted the whole structure of separate unions. Eventually, in 1980, a GUU special general meeting voted overwhelmingly to admit women into membership, under threat from the University Court of losing the lease on the extension to its building, with just 139 votes against.^[5]

Board of Management

The Union is managed by a Board in conjunction with an appointed Manager. The Board consists of seventeen student and seven former student members and is elected annually. The President, Honorary Secretary and Assistant Honorary Secretary form the Executive, and are the trustees of the Union, together with two Vice-Presidents and the Honorary Treasurer (who are elected life members). Convenors are Board Members tasked with specific roles, namely Debates, Games, Libraries and Entertainments. Present Student Members assist in the operation of various union activities. The current Executive consists of Chris Sibbald (President), Neil MacGregor (Honorary Secretary) and Helen Dennison (Assistant Honorary Secretary).^[6]

Services

The objects of the Union shall be to maintain Reading, Writing and Dining Rooms, to promote social interaction among the members, to form a centre to which the various University Societies may be affiliated, and generally to fulfill the function of a Club for the members. The Union shall at all times remain an autonomous body with ultimate sovereignty vested in the members in General Meeting. - GUU Constitution.

The GUU is a social hub for the University, providing a Billiards room, bars, live entertainment and a nightclub. It is one of the largest licensed premises in Scotland with nine bars (and a tenth which is portable for use during functions). In addition, members can eat in the Refectory, which includes a Subway franchise, purchase essentials in the Union Shop (formerly the Smoking room) and take advantage of two libraries provided for study.

The two libraries and the Reading Room are available for study twenty-four hours a day and for booking for social events. The Elliot Library is named after former inter-war Cabinet Minister Walter Elliot;^[7] the Bridie Library after Osborne Mavor, physician and dramatist, who wrote under the pseudonym, "James Bridie";^[8] and the Reading Room is dedicated to Donald Dewar, former President of the Union, Secretary of State for Scotland and First Minister of Scotland.

Daft Friday

After its impromptu initiation as a piano Sing-along by the then Honorary Secretary Osborne Henry Mavor on the last day of the 1909 Martinmas Academic term, the highlight of the Union's social calendar is the annual Daft Friday black tie ball which continues to be held at the end of the Martinmas term exam diet.^[9] Over the years the event has become increasingly elaborate with the entire union building decorated to a theme and devoted to the festivities. The 2009 centenary saw Jack Peñate "headline" Daft Friday, and 2010 included Bombay Bicycle Club and The Klaxons, followed by a Ceilidh till 5am.

Debating

The Convener of Debates on the GUU Board is elected from the Union membership and heads the Union Debates Committee. They are responsible for the internal and intervarsity debating activities of the GUU. The current Convenor is Gavin Tulloch. The Union's Debates Chamber spans the first and second floors of the building.

The Union holds the biennial John Smith Memorial Debate in memory of the former Leader of the Labour Party and former member of the Union. The most recent Debate was held in 2011, when guest speakers included Shadow Scottish Secretary Ann McKechin and former Conservative Health Minister Gerry Malone, and which was chaired by Rector of the University and former leader of the Liberal Democrats Charles Kennedy.

Inter-Varsity Debating

The GUU is well known for the number of university debaters it has produced. It hosted the first World Universities Debating Championship in its current form in 1981 and again in 1990 and 2001. The Union won the Championship five times, in 1983, 1987, 1992, 1994 and 1997.^[10] In addition, the GUU has a distinguished history in the John Smith Memorial Mace, a competition between the winners of regional competitions in Ireland, England, Scotland and, latterly, Wales. It currently holds the record for the most overall wins with a total of seventeen.

Parliamentary Debating

The Union is notable for its five annual Parliamentary Debates, currently held between five Clubs: the Scottish Nationalist Association, Her Majesty's Loyal Tory Club, the Whigs, the Independent Socialists and the World Almighty Distributist League.^[11] While some members join clubs to which they are actually politically aligned, others join clubs for social reasons or due to the possibility of being selected by that party leader to deliver speeches during desirable portions of the debate. In each of the five annual debates, the clubs rotate as the "Government" and "Opposition". The Government presents a Bill of three clauses, which is then argued over the course of about nine hours of debate, concluded by the "Prime Minister" who typically gives a speech of between thirty and sixty minutes to sum up the debate. The current champions are the Independent Socialists.

Dialectic Society

Main article: Glasgow University Dialectic Society

The Glasgow University Dialectic Society was the original debating society for students at the University, thought to have originated from some time around the University's foundation in 1451 but re-instituted in 1861. The Dialectic Society was one of the organisations which contributed to the establishment of the Union in 1885 and continues to be involved in the debating activities of the Union, whilst retaining an independent status. The GUU Convenor of Debates is an ex officio member of the Board of the Dialectic Society, and the fourth Parliamentary of the year is dedicated the Dialectic Parliamentary.

Entertainments

The Union offers an array of regular entertainments and competitions for members and non-members alike. Comedy nights run regularly in the Debates Chamber, while Open Mic runs on a Friday evening in the Deep 6 bar. The Union's nightclub, The Hive, is open on a Thursday (Thursday Night Hive), and Saturday (Hive Extra) until 2am.

Games

The Games Convenor was originally charged with ensuring that the tables in the Union's Billiard room were kept to a good standard. The Games Committee now runs numerous weekly events as well as the annual Month of Games. All events are free to enter. Weekly events include the Beer Bar Quiz (Mondays at 8pm), Snooker Competition (Wednesdays), Darts and Pool Competitions (Fridays) and annual events comprise snooker and darts competitions, a dodgeball tournament, drinking and Iron Stomach competitions and B.A.D.G.E. (Big All Day Games Event).^[12]

Notable members

The Union counts many distinguished figures amongst its former members, including:

• John Buchan, author and former Governor General of Canada
• Menzies Campbell, former leader of the Liberal Democrats (President)
• Donald Dewar, former First Minister of Scotland (President)
• Walter Elliot, former Cabinet Minister, after whom the Elliot Library is named
• Fred Goodwin, former Chief Executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland
• Hugh Henry, Labour MSP and former Scottish Minister for Education (Assistant Honorary Secretary)
• Robert Stevenson Horne, former Chancellor of the Exchequer
• Derry Irvine, former Lord Chancellor
• Charles Kennedy, former leader of the Liberal Democrats and Rector of the University (President)
• John MacCormick, one of the founders of the Scottish National Party, former Rector of the University
• Dickson Mabon, former Scottish Office Minister and Labour MP for Greenock (President)
• Andrew Neil, journalist and broadcaster
• Gordon Prentice, Labour MP (President)
• John Smith, former Leader of the Labour Party (Convener of Debates)
• Brian McBride, Managing Director of Amazon.com in the UK (President)
• David Muir, Former CEO of The Channel and pollster and strategist to Rt. Hon Gordon Brown.
• Liam Fox, Conservative MP and Secretary of State for Defence
• Gerald Warner, Journalist and Author of Conquering By Degrees, Glasgow University Union: A Centenary History 1885-1985

Archives

The archives relating to the Glasgow University Union are maintained by the Archives of the University of Glasgow (GUAS).

External links

• Official Web Site: Glasgow University Union

References

1. ^ Glasgow University Archives - The Glasgow University Union Administrative History
2. ^ University of Glasgow Story - The Glasgow University Union
3. ^ The Glasgow Story - The Glasgow University Union
4. ^ The Glasgow Story - The Queen Margaret Union
5. ^ Glasgow University Archives - The Glasgow University Union Administrative History
6. ^ The Glasgow University Union - Board of Management
7. ^ The University of Glasgow Story - The Elliot Library
8. ^ Glasgow University Story - The James Bridie Library
9. ^ The University of Glasgow News - "Daft Friday gets dafter", Issued: Fri, 20 Dec 2002
10. ^ The Glasgow University Union - Inter-varsity Debating
11. ^ The Glasgow University Union - Parliamentaries
12. ^ Glasgow University Union - Games

Coordinates: 55°52′21″N 4°17′06″W / 55.8724°N 4.2850°W / 55.8724; -4.2850