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.
2010-11
Patron: Sir Nicholas Barrington KCMG CVO
President: Mark Schenk (ms652@cam.ac.uk)
Treasurer: Ahir Shah (as2021@cam.ac.uk)
Secretary: Alison McDougall-Weil (afm35@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.
For more information, please contact Mark Schenk ms652@cam.ac.uk
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