These are largely records of decisions taken on general policy and administration. They also contain confirmations or rejections of reports from committees. The Society minutes finish in 1925, and thereafter the Council dealt with the adminstrative matters of the Society. The last set of Society minutes for 1924-1925 can be found in the volume RSA/AD/MA/100/12/05/01. After this, the volume recorded AGM minutes.
The Management Group was responsible for the day to day management of the Society. It met fortnightly, and was chaired by the Director of the RSA
The Council dealt with the administration of the Society. Its nature and scope changed over the years \n\nIts position seems to have altered significantly in 2004, when they became an advisory body as opposed to a decision making body. From this date it was known as the Advisory Council. This change appears to have been quite a lengthy process that begun around 1998/9. This move towards an advisory body (and the necessary changes in the bye laws and charter) resulted in a special general meeting in June 2003. The changes were then approved in the 2003 AGM, but weren't official until the beginning of the following year once the Privy Council had approved them. It was not until October 2004 that Council had its supervisory powers officially removed. It carried on as an Advisory Council until 2008,in some form (the official nature of the minutes and agendas etc. is lacking at this point). In 2009 the Fellowship Council was established which superceded the Advisory Council.
In 1991, the F&GP committee became the Executive Committee. Some of the previous functions of the F&GP committee were transferred to the Finance and Resource management Committee.
This formed out of the Finance and General Purposes Committee, after a recommendation delivered by Michael Fry to Council in September 1991. Its main function was to be the key operational committee through which all plans,projects, key events and their respective budgets passed, before being forwarded on to Council as recommendations. They then saw to the execution of the approved plans, monitored them and kept Council appropriately advised. This was first chaired by the Chairman of the Council and was the link between Council and the Management Group.
The Future Policy Committee was set up to look at the Society's programme and to discuss new areas of activity
Prior to 1925, AGM minutes can be found in the Society Minutes. From 1925-1994 they are in bound volumes, with some of the later minutes printed or typewritten and pasted into the volumes. After 1994 they were no longer pasted into the bound volumes and were left as loose douments. This sub series also includes minutes and papers from Special General meetings.
Letters sent by the Society 7 May 1767-1 June 1770.\nIndexed.
Includes correspondence from Sir George B K Airy, Sir William Armstrong, Lord Ashburton, and Sir Fredrick Able.
Minutes were not maintained in a separate filing system and the original arrangement has been maintained. Arranged chronologically.