The Clare
Dilettante Society
The committee members in the adjacent 2005 photo
are (left to right):
Ben Pearson, Richard Charlton (President 05-06), Sir Nicholas
Barrington, Richard Haddon (President 04-05), Timothy Wogan.
2008-9
Patron: Sir Nicholas Barrington KCMG CVO
President: Jonny Austin, e-mail jma64@cam.ac.uk
Treasurer: Will Buchanan, email wb233@cam.ac.uk
Secretary: Nicola Partridge, email ncp25@cam.ac.uk
Publicity: Morgan Lewis, email mgl24@cam.ac.uk
The Dilettante Society was originally founded back in 1882 by a
group of students. It served as a forum for informal discussion
where undergraduates and fellows could meet and debate issues in
a relaxed environment. The topics were varied, but the format for
the meetings was well standardised: a speaker would talk on the
subject of interest for between 20 and 30 minutes, followed by a
general discussion where everyone would have a chance to air their
views.
Unfortunately, the Dilettante Society has not had a constant existence.
Every so often, interest in the Society would wane and the Society
would fold. However, it has always, eventually, been revived. The
current Society dates its own renaissance to 1997, when an alumnus
of the College and the Society, Sir Nicholas Barrington, became
an honorary fellow and took measures to bring it back to life.
A large group gathered to hear the first talk of the Michaelmas term this academic year, which was given by Mr Stephen Jolly, fellow of Clare, and entitled "Is Psychological Warfare any different to Public Relations?".
For more information, please contact Jonny Austin on jma64@cam.ac.uk 
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