News

Presdient's Report - April 2008

Firstly this month, I'm very pleased to report that, for the first time in its history, membership of The Royal Photographic Society has broken comfortably through the 10,000 threshold. While membership of The Society has been steadily increasing for the past three years, it was another bumper year for The Society at Focus that took us over the 10,000 mark, with 99 new members joining during the four-day event.
Focus is always a special occasion for us, not least because it allows the officers and senior staff of The Society a real opportunity to meet large numbers of both members and prospective members. Our stand attracted a continuous stream of visitors, and I'd like to thank all of those whom I met for sharing their thoughts and opinions with me so candidly.
Our one-to-one portfolio advice sessions proved very popular again this year, and we are looking into the possibility of extending them in future.
My thanks go to John Long ARPS and John Chamberlin FRPS for their help with this, and to John also for chairing the Licentiateship Panel.
May I extend a special welcome to the new members that joined over the course of the event, and offer my congratulations to everyone who passed their LRPS with a submission of prints to the assessment panel that sat at Focus. Twenty-one applicants gained their LRPS, equating to a pass rate of 64%. Among them was 10 year-old Raphaella Philcox, the youngest person ever to achieve an LRPS, to whom our special congratulations go.
Our success at Focus is the result of hard work and planning on the part of many, and my thanks go to all the staff at Bath; Panel members Jack Bates FRPS, Steve Boyle FRPS, Anne Cassidy FRPS, Trevor Gellard FRPS and Vanessa Slawson FRPS; and to all of the volunteers who worked so hard on our behalf.
Also this month, I am very pleased to congratulate Dominique Brewster James LRPS on the National Portrait Gallery's recent acceptance into its permanent collection of her portrait of photographer Michael Birt.
As RPS President I am keen, wherever possible, to recognise Distinctions successes by personally presenting certificates at Society meetings. If you are planning such an event therefore, please contact the Distinctions Department so that the necessary arrangements can be made.
A full report of the recent Membership Survey is available for download from the members' area of the website. Thanks to Derek Birch FRPS for compiling the report.
The Royal Meteorological Society has suggested a joint meeting on Weather and Photography in November this year. Anyone interested in this area, or in speaking at the meeting, is asked to contact Liz Williams at Fenton House.
Email has the potential to be a swift, efficient and cost effective way for The Society to communicate with its members regarding events and other business. However, many of the addresses that we have on file are out of date or inaccurate, and we would ask therefore that you please be sure to update your email address on the form when your membership renewal becomes due.