ESU News THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING UNION
Creating global understanding through English ISSUE No. 114 JANUARY 2004
Award Ceremony at Buckingham Palace "Clever, charming, witty and above all suitable for young users" was the accolade given to the winner of the 2003 Duke of Edinburgh ESU English Language Book Award, ‘The Jolly Dictionary’, published by Jolly Learning Limited.
Contents John Smith Memorial Mace . . . .Page 2 The 2003 ESU Churchill Lecture . . .Page 3 The Churchill Room .Page 4 Churchill and the English Language . . .Page 4 British Debate Squad . . . . . . . . . . .Page 6 2004 England Debate Team . . . . . .Page 6 Nurse Workshadow Programme . . . . . . .Page 6 Gala Concert . . . . . .Page 7 Chilton Art History Scholarship . . . . . . .Page 8 Gill Hale joins ESU Team . . . . . . . . .Page 8 Scholarship announced . . . . . . . .Page 8 ESU Strasbourg . . . .Page 8 ESU Thailand . . . . . .Page 9
Above: Sara Wernham, Angela Hockley, Michael Janes and Christopher Jolly, of Jolly Learning Ltd receiving their certificates from HRH Prince Philip.
International At Home . . . . . . . . . .Page 9
Taking three years to complete, this innovative and colourful dictionary is written to appeal to 5-7 year old children. This Award, together with various others, was presented by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh at a ceremony on 12 November at Buckingham Palace.
This year, a new Award has been created to recognise innovation and excellence in the use of new, freestanding technologies in the teaching and learning of English. Called the ESU President’s Award, the winner was ‘Kids’ Word Bank 2’, published by Oxford University Press.
ESU Poland . . . . . . .Page 9
Highly commended certificates were awarded to Macmillan for ‘Mini Magic’ and ‘Story Magic’ and Pearson Education for ‘Focus on IELTS’.
In May 2003, fifty-three competitors from 34 different countries participated in the ESU International Public Speaking Competition sponsored by HSBC Holdings plc. The final was won by Palesa Mohapi for her speech entitled "African Renaissance". She travelled from Pretoria, South Africa with her parents to collect her Award from HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.
World Members’ Conference . . . . . .Page 10
‘Mini Magic’ and ‘Story Magic’ are a series of six books at six levels for children aged between 6-12 years old. The books are primarily designed for the Spanish, Italian and Eastern European markets, to encourage the learning of English, which now starts, in some countries, at the age of four.
Telephone : 020 7529 1550 Fax : 020 7495 6108 Email : esu@esu.org
SSE Thanksgiving Dinner . . . . . . . . . . .Page 9 ESU Lebanon . . . . .Page 10
2004 Important Events . . . . . . . . . .Page 10 Diary Dates . . . . . .Page 11 85th Anniversary Video Order Form . .Page 12
Web : www.esu.org
Above: Prince Philip presenting Mary Waireri and Caitlin Stevens, winners of the London Debate Programme Championships with their Awards.
Above: The Duke of Edinburgh, Rob Sved, Dawn Ellis and Mila Rendle of Oxford University Press look at the President Award’s winning entry.
Other students collecting their prizes were Matthew Collins, James Langman and Charlie Samuda from Warwick School, who won the 2002-2003 ESU National Public Speaking Competition for Schools, which this year had over 400 entries.
Winners of two of the largest and oldest parliamentary debating competitions for schools and universities in the world received their certificates from HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. The ESU Schools Mace, which now involves over 500 schools, was won by Richard Goodman and Nick Devlin, and The John Smith Memorial Mace by Cian Murphy and Stephen Coutts from University College Cork Law Society.
The last of the students receiving their Awards at Buckingham Palace were Mary Waireri and Caitlin Stevens of St Ursula’s Convent School, Greenwich who were winners of The London Debate Programme Championships sponsored by Tesco PLC. Mary said "It is quite exciting to visit Buckingham Palace and, because of my interest in art, it was particularly thrilling for me to see the many paintings that line the walls of the grand corridors."
The ESU Essex Court Chambers National Mooting Competition promotes the skills of courtroom advocacy for legal students in Britain. The winners were David Birrell and Simon Douglas from the University of Liverpool.
Above: L-R Valerie Mitchell, Lord Watson and HRH Prince Philip.
Above: Palesa Mohapi receiving her certificate from the Duke of Edinburgh.
England Final of the John Smith Memorial Mace This year is the 50th Anniversary of the John Smith Memorial Mace and the weekend of 29-30 November 2003 saw the first major component of this, the English National Championships. The competition was the biggest ever with 56 teams competing. After six rounds of debate, a semi-final and a final in the Commonwealth Institute on the motion Left: Winners of the John Smith Memorial Mace, Harriet Jones-Fenleigh and Nicholas Tan, the University of Cambridge. 2
"This House believes that the UK should prioritise the Commonwealth in its allocation of development aid", the championships were won by Harriet JonesFenleigh and Nicholas Tan of the University of Cambridge. The team will go on to represent England against the winners of the Welsh, Scottish and Irish Championships in the International final next year.
The 2003 ESU Churchill Lecture
Above: Margarita Mudrak, Chairman ESU Russia St Petersburg, talking to Lord Robertson.
Above: L-R Lord Chadlington, Chief-Executive Huntsworth PLC, Lady Soames, Lord Robertson and Mr John Foulds, Chairman Huntsworth PLC.
In the wake of the State Visit of President George Bush, and the arrival earlier in the day of President Chirac, the NATO Secretary-General Lord Robertson’s ESU Churchill lecture on 24 November was eagerly awaited. His title was ‘The New NATO – The Key Transatlantic Partnership’. Lord Robertson focused on NATO’s new role, its developing relationship with Russia, its importance as the key transatlantic relationship and the development of its effective liaison with the European Union. Before an audience, representing Embassies, High Commissions, Government, ESU members and their guests, gathered in the formal surroundings of Merchant Taylors’ Hall, Lord Robertson was welcomed by the ESU Chairman, Lord Watson of Richmond. He remarked that when Lord Robertson had been appointed to NATO everyone knew that the right man had been found for the job. Any politician who included in his career successfully negotiating the Scottish Whiskey industry as a trade union leader
would have little trouble navigating the troubled waters of International diplomacy and so it has proved.
…Transformation is easy to describe, difficult to do, especially when two dozen or so countries are involved. I am delighted to report that a year on from Prague that the NATO response force is already in being – and the biggest national contributor so far is … France. Major progress on air tankers and strategic air transport is being made by a consortia lead by Spain and ... Germany. …President Bush and Tony Blair, together with their European Colleagues, want a genuinely stronger Europe, which reinforces NATO, because that is the only way in which the international community… can rise to the challenges of this new Century.
Above: Lord Robertson with Valerie Mitchell and Lord Watson.
In his speech, Lord Robertson argued that the concept of choice between Europe or America, NATO or the EU, multilateralism or unilateralism, was simplistic and damaging. He said that, …Britain can no more choose between Europe and America than you or I can choose between food and drink. We need both. As Europe needs the United States, so the United States needs Europe. …Churchill understood that a strong transatlantic relationship and a strong Europe were essential components of peace and stability, complementary, not contradictory.
In his Vote of Thanks, Field Marshall The Lord Inge, former Chief of the General Staff paid tribute to the inspirational and remarkable leadership of NATO by Lord Robertson, during what must be considered to be a difficult time in NATO’s history. As is tradition, Lord Watson presented the speaker of the Churchill Lecture with ‘The History of the English-Speaking Peoples’, by Sir Winston Churchill. Lady Soames then presented Lord Robertson with the Churchill Medal of Honour saying that she was both proud and privileged to make this presentation and that his lecture would strengthen international understanding. A reception was held following the lecture, which was sponsored by Huntsworth PLC.
…A former Secretary-General of NATO, Lord Carrington, said that NATO’s strength was that members sang in harmony, not in unison. He was right. Above: Lady Soames with Lord Robertson after presenting him with his ESU Churchill Medal of Honour.
…No single organisation can defeat today’s threats alone. We are stronger and more effective when we work closely together.
Above: L-R Lord Robertson with Lord Inge. 3
Lady Soames names the Churchill Room Guests admired the portrait of Sir Winston Churchill, painted during his term in Office by John Wilson Jowsey, which now hangs at the top of the Grand Staircase, and has been kindly loaned by Churchill College, Cambridge. The most poignant moment of the evening was when Lord Watson presented Lady Soames with the ESU Churchill Medal of Honour. In accepting the medal, Lady Soames was obviously moved by the honour and said “…on many occasions I have been delighted to present this medal, in memory of my father, never thinking for one moment that I would be a recipient. I am truly honoured.”
Above: Lady Soames at the exhibition of Churchill’s life at Dartmouth House.
Governors, Trustees, Ambassadors and guests were welcomed by Lord Watson as they gathered at Dartmouth House on 20 November for the inauguration of the Churchill Room. In her speech, Lady Soames, daughter of Sir Winston Churchill, said “…it is indeed the right place and a fit way to recognise my father’s links with the English-Speaking Union.
Above: Dr Piers Brendon, Churchill College, and Professor David Crystal, ESU Governor.
Following the presentation, Lord Watson encouraged guests to view an exhibition of Churchill’s life, loaned by Churchill College. Through the generosity of Monsieur Christian de Billy, Chairman, Champagne Pol Roger, guests enjoyed champagne throughout the evening.
Above: L-R Mrs Anne Collins, Monsieur Christian de Billy and Mr John Roberts.
He was Chairman from 1921-24 and from 1954 he was Deputy President of the ESU until his death. …This long association marks a theme, which dominated his thought through much of his public life, namely the importance to the whole world of the close ties, which should bind together the English-speaking peoples. …I am gratified that my father’s inspiration and his association with the English-Speaking Union – its aims and work – is marked by the naming of this room in his honour”.
Above: Lord Watson presenting Lady Soames with her ESU Churchill Medal of Honour.
Dr Piers Brendon, Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge, spoke at the opening of the Churchill Room at Dartmouth House. His speech is below.
Churchill and the English Language It’s a great honour and a real pleasure to have been asked to speak on this notable occasion. But it’s also rather daunting to have to talk about Sir Winston Churchill and the English language in the presence of Lady Soames – I feel a bit like a curate preaching in front of the Pope. It’s particularly presumptuous because Mary herself is a chip off the old block. As we’ve just heard, her own speeches always transcend the occasion and turn it into a little piece of history. However, she’s very tolerant. So here goes. Since the greater the man the greater the apocrypha he attracts, let me start with a story I’ve come across but cannot 4
authenticate. After a war-time meeting with Churchill, who had flown home, Franklin Roosevelt and his staff were mulling over what kind of presidential address he should give to report on their deliberations. Then someone switched on the wireless and Churchill’s unmistakable tones resounded over the air waves. He had got his bulletin in first, written, as always, by himself. A White House aide commented: "He rolls his own, Mr President." If that’s not true it ought to be, for it captures the spirit of the man who, as President Kennedy said in 1963, "mobilised the English language and sent it into
By Piers Brendon
battle". That line, incidentally, was not written by Kennedy or even by his speechwriter. It was lifted from the citation for Churchill’s 1953 Nobel Prize for Literature. But the sentence did not even originate there. It was formulated perhaps by Ed Murrow or, more probably and less heroically, by Beverley Nichols. I mention the Nobel Prize – a unique accolade to which no other Prime Minister in our history could have aspired with the possible exception of Disraeli – because we think of Churchill primarily as the war leader who inspired the British people in their darkest - and finest - hour. Quite right. But he revived the nation’s dormant
martial spirit largely through oratory, animating it with the famous phrases and passages that live in our memories. Indeed, when Attlee was asked what Churchill did to win the war, he replied, "Talk about it." Of course, what he did was at least as vital as what he said. But there was a real sense in which World War II was a war of words and he was a dictator in the sense that he dictated incessantly. David Cannadine is surely right to say that Churchill "talked his way to immortality". Certainly Churchill spoke for the nation in his magnificent speeches, as Attlee himself acknowledged on Churchill’s 80th birthday. Churchill himself famously replied to that tribute: If I found the right words, you must remember that I have always earned my living by my pen and by my tongue. It was the nation and a race dwelling all round the globe that had the lion heart. I had the luck to be called upon to give the roar. Let me pose the question asked by Francis Jeffrey of Macaulay: "Where did he get that style?" The answer is that he worked hard at words, for which he had a powerful affinity but perhaps less natural ability than either his father or his son. Churchill used to say that he had learnt to write an English sentence (that "noble thing") because he had been too stupid to learn Latin at school. As a subaltern in India he went on learning English at its best, reading Gibbon and Macaulay during the long hot afternoons while his brother officers snoozed. He educated himself. It was said that he lived with Blue Books and slept with encyclopaedias. He learned to write with fluency, partiality and virtuosity. The holograph manuscript of his first book, The Story of the Malakand Field Force, is in the Churchill Archives Centre and it is remarkable how few alterations it contains. His books were unashamedly advertisements for himself – history would be his judge, to repeat his well-worn aphorism, and he would write the history. But his history, like that of Tacitus, aspired to the condition of art. He also studied the art of rhetoric, saying that an orator should employ the best possible words to express his full meaning. He should achieve a balance and rhythm of phrasing to produce a cadence resembling blank verse - Churchill’s speeches were later set out on the page in "psalm form". And he should beat home his argument with "a rapid succession of waves of sound and vivid pictures". In a sense Churchill was always rehearsing his speeches along these lines. "Certainly he is a wonderful talker," said Sir Almeric
Fitzroy, "daring, not to say reckless, but always with a sub-current of method, striking in phrase, vivid in colour, elegant to the verge of romance, picturesquely vehement, and at the same time persuasive." Sometimes he addressed "himself in a looking-glass," Ettie Grenfell recorded, "a sympathetic and admiring audience". Churchill was well aware of the danger of becoming the slave of words rather than their master. Sir Robert Menzies later said that Churchill’s "real tyrant is the glittering phrase" and he himself acknowledged that he sometimes yielded to the temptation to adapt his facts to his phrases. Here are a few of the phrases that captured his imagination: "The Garden of England" (Kent), "The Pearl of the Antilles" (Cuba), "The hooligan of the Empire" (Natal), "The Light of Asia" (India), "The olive of the north". This was the buckthorn shrub – its alias literally put Churchill off his stroke while he was playing golf with Asquith and, when turning it over in his mind and trying out variations on it, he lost a game he had been winning. Sometimes seductive formulations, such as the "soft under-belly of Europe", deluded Churchill and encouraged his tendency to melodrama and bombast. On the other hand, Churchill coined a large number of phrases which added glory to the language. And he studied to perfect them, trying out different versions over decades, as he did with his famous tribute to "the few": "Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few." Churchill hammered out words like a literary Vulcan. There are tomes colossal in size and heroic in scope: of The World Crisis Balfour said, "Winston has written an enormous book about himself disguised as a history of the universe." There was a vast amount of journalism, by no means all of it ephemeral. There were minutes which were often lessons in eloquence. Churchill chose the correct terminology: not Local Defence Volunteers but Home Guard; not Communal Feeding Centres but British Restaurants. He hated euphemism: witness this early minute in which he sarcastically condemned Colonel Lugard's so-called "pacification" of northern Nigeria: "the whole enterprise is liable to be misrepresented by persons unacquainted with Imperial terminology as the murdering of natives and the stealing of their lands." Churchill demanded clarity, cogency and brevity of language. He rejected jargon, such as the American term "Top Secret": "Secrecy is not to be measured in altitude. If it were so, many might think 'Bottom Secret' would be more forceful and suggestive." Indeed he was a stickler for precision at all times. On one journey his valet Sawyers pointed out that the PM was sitting on
his hot water bottle: "Not a good idea." Churchill replied: "It’s not an idea, it’s a coincidence." But Churchill was not in thrall to magniloquence like, say, Lord Curzon, whose words were always a size too big for his thoughts. As Lord D’Abernon said, Curzon talked to his servants in language that would not have disgraced Cicero addressing the Roman Senate: "Housemaid, throw wide the casement"; "Footman, add fuel to the flame." Churchill’s collected speeches amount to some 5 million words and, according to Jock Colville, each minute of his great war-time orations cost him an hour’s worth of preparation. In some ways they were rather old fashioned set-pieces: music-hall performances, so to speak, rather than fire-side chats. Churchill employed archaic terms: "men of valour" performed "feats of arms". Yet the tenor of his language was wonderfully attuned to the solemnity of the moment. And the idiom was not just sublime but authentic, just as neo-classical architecture is authentic. "One of the reasons why one is stirred by his Elizabethan phrases," wrote Vita Sackville-West, "is that one feels the whole massive backing of power and resolve behind them, like a great fortress: they are never words for words’ sake." Moreover, as her husband Harold Nicolson noted, the purple passages were lightened with flashes of irony. Soaring flights of classical prose, full of antique reverberations, dipped all of a sudden into homely, even earthy, vernacular – "Some chicken … some neck!" The strange emphases, the gruff intimacy, the urchin wit, the comic quirks of pronunciation (Narzies for Nazis, and for Gestapo the rude Just-a-pot) - all this and more made Churchill a spell-binding speaker and left his indelible imprint on the language he loved. I should like to go on. There’s a fascinating dissertation to be composed on Churchill’s command of the French language - he could only be understood by Frenchmen with a colloquial knowledge of English. But I must stop. Let me finish with another claim which may or may not be correct. Churchill loved Kipling’s poetry, which he used to recite in his bath, and he was not too proud to take literary lessons from a contemporary master. According to David Gilmour, the cadences of Churchill’s "we shall fight them on the beaches" speech may have owed something to the seals in the Jungle Book who "fought in the breakers, they fought on the sand, and they fought on the smooth-worn basalt rocks of the nurseries". It would be marvellous to think that the laureate of Empire inspired that majestic paean of defiance from the champion of the English-speaking peoples. Once again, if it’s not true it ought to be. 5
British Debate Squad visit Japan
Sixth successful year for Nurse Workshadow Programme What originally started out as a casual conversation between ESU member, Gill Prior, and ESU host, Ed Bracher, on an ESU visit to Bucharest in 1997, has become a hugely successful, well structured, bi-annual programme. This most impressive nurse workshadow scheme helps nurses worldwide to improve their professional skills and English.
Above: The British Debate Squad with students from the International Christian University High School.
Debbie Newman, Head of the Centre for Speech and Debate, accompanied Rachel Carrell and Fiona Dewar (University of Oxford), Alex Ward (University of Newcastle), and Alex Deane (Honourable Society of the Middle Temple) in October, for a tour of Japan.
students, who helped them to get a flavour of Japanese culture, by showing them everything from Buddhist temples to Karaoke bars.
The Squad performed display debates at universities and high schools in Tokyo and Osaka and at the ESUJ National Universities Debating Tournament and Debbie Newman delivered seminars and lectures on debate.
The warm hospitality of everyone at ESUJ made the trip an experience of a lifetime for everybody involved. One squad member, Rachel Carrell said, "It was an exhausting and happy week with a truly wonderful group of people, and one I will always remember very fondly. By the end of the tour, the Japanese students had become friends as well as hosts."
There were many opportunities for the British students to mix with Japanese
Many thanks to ESUJ and to the Sasakawa Foundation for supporting this valuable trip.
Selection of 2004 England Debate Team On the weekend of 18 and 19 October the World Schools Debating Committee selected the schools debate team which will represent England at the World Schools Debating Championships in Stuttgart in February 2004. Chosen from 51 applicants this year’s team are: Alexandra Hill (Howard of Effingham School) Sam Block (Dulwich College) Lewis Iwu (St Bonaventure’s RC School) Tom Shinner (Dr Challoner’s Grammar School). Last year’s team reached the semi-finals of the Championships held in Peru and we have high hopes for this year’s team to continue England’s outstanding record at the Championships. Lewis Iwu, a team member, was one of the first winners of the Tesco London Debate 6
Programme. Since then he has been actively involved in ESU debating programmes and gave a reading earlier in the year at the 85th Anniversary service at Westminster Abbey. In speaking about his experience at the selection day, Lewis said, "With over 20 schools participating, the atmosphere was very tense, but everyone was friendly. Two debates took place on both days. The field was narrowed down to sixteen on day one and to eight on day two. A final debate then took place followed by a one-to-one interview with the judging panel. Four team members were selected to represent the England team. I found that it was one of the toughest debates I have ever participated in but am very excited to have been selected to represent England."
Gill was a non-executive director for a NHS hospital in Bath, and was involved with Salisbury Hospital and recently close links have also been formed with Great Western Hospital, Swindon. Through her contacts, she was able to arrange a 3-4 week shadow programme for fully trained nurses. Visits take place during the spring and autumn, and to date, paediatric, surgical, mid-wifery and community nurses have visited the UK from Brazil, Georgia, Latvia, Lebanon and Poland. This autumn the nurses were Agita Melbarde, a Latvian nurse, and Bayan Kaddoura, a Lebanese nurse who spent three weeks at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon. The scholarship was funded by voluntary contributions arranged by the Salisbury Branch. The Nurse Workshadow Programme promotes understanding and provides a link between hospitals and nurses from around the world. Whilst at the hospital, Agita and Bayan, were able to see Best Practice, improve their English and returned to their countries as ESU ambassadors. The UK nurses expressed admiration and respect for their dedication. Thanks go to Gill Prior, ESU Work Nurse Programme Co-ordinator, for organising this beneficial scheme, The Great Western Hospital in Swindon, for so generously providing accommodation and the Salisbury Branch for their hospitality.
Above: Bayan Theddoura, Cardiac Surgical Nurse, from Makassed General Hospital, Beirut, and Gill Prior, ESU Nurse Workshadow Programme, taking a break in Salisbury during his work experience at the Great Western Hospital, Swindon.
Gala Concert a success We are also grateful to Pommery for providing the champagne and Mrs Martin McLaren for providing the flowers. We are indebted to Mrs Edward Norman-Butler, Cllr Mrs Terence Mallinson, Mr Nicolas Wickham-Irving and all members of the Gala Council for their hard work in making the evening such a great success.
Above: Pianist Nigel Hutchinson and ‘cellist Robert Cohen.
The glittering surroundings of the Goldsmiths Hall were the setting for an ESU Gala Concert at the beginning of November, held to celebrate the ESU’s 85th Anniversary Year. Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester was the Guest of Honour and former ESU music scholar, the ‘cellist Robert Cohen, accompanied by Nigel Hutchison, was the guest artist. The evening began with a champagne reception in the beautiful Drawing and Exhibition Rooms, where guests were able to enjoy canapés and Pommery champagne, kindly donated for this special occasion, before the concert in the Livery Hall.
Robert Cohen and Nigel Hutchison played a delightful programme of Bach, Brahms and Beethoven, against the backdrop of the Goldsmiths Company’s dazzling collection of gold plate. Robert received an ESU scholarship to Tanglewood in the United States in 1978 and since then has played at a number of ESU concerts.
Above: The Duchess of Gloucester with Mr and Mrs Peter Watts of Bourner Bullock.
Proceeds from the evening will go to support the ESU Music Scholarship programme, founded in 1970 by Mrs Edward Norman-Butler. Our thanks go to the sponsors of the evening, Bourner Bullock and Singer & Friedlander Investment Management Ltd and to the Goldsmiths Company for the use of their Hall. Above: L-R Music Scholarship Auditions Chairman Edward Greenfield with Dr John Amis.
Above: Gala Concert Chairman Mrs Terence Mallinson with Richard Killingbeck of Singer & Friedlander Investment Management (left) and Nicholas Hely-Hutchinson (right).
Above: L-R Mrs Clive Wilson, daughter of Mrs Edward Norman-Butler, presents The Duchess of Gloucester with a posy of flowers, while Valerie Mitchell and Lord Watson look on. Above: Rae Woodland and Nicholas WickhamIrving with Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester. 7
Chilton Art History Scholarship Gill Hale joins Lecture ESU team It was a capacity audience who attended the lecture given by Sir Hugh Roberts, Director of the Royal Collection and Surveyor of The Queen’s Works of Art, held at Dartmouth House on 6 November. The lecture was preceded by a lively reception where many friends and supporters of the Chilton Art History Scholarship gathered. Speaking on "The Royal Collection – A Brief Survey of the Principle Collectors from Henry VIII to the Present Day", Sir Hugh
Roberts presented some wonderful slides on Royal artefacts, paintings, furniture, jewellery and ceramics. He told the well informed audience how the Collection had been acquired and in many cases, how much was paid for them. The lecture, which was introduced by Mrs Richard Chilton, was held in aid of the ESU Chilton Art History Scholarship, and raised over £1,400 towards the Scholarship. The Vote of Thanks was given by Lady Luce, former deputy chairman of the ESU.
ESU announces scholarship at Winter Park, Florida The English-Speaking Union is pleased to announce that Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, is again offering the sabbatical scholarship known as the Cole Scholar/EnglishSpeaking Union Drey Lecturer. This is a unique opportunity to live and work in one of the oldest and most respected institutions of higher learning in the Southern United States. The successful scholar will teach two courses in the autumn semester at Rollins College from late August to mid-December 2004. Travel costs and housing will be provided, along with a substantial teaching stipend.
On behalf of the English-Speaking Union, we should like to thank Andrea Wathern who, after nine years of service to the ESU as the Librarian, has left following the birth of her second child. Andrea contributed immensely to the library through her knowledge and deep interest in this organisation, and played an important role in helping to establish a working archive room and to develop the extension of the ESU Books Across the Sea Scheme into Eastern Europe to include Russia, Romania and Latvia. We send her our heartfelt thanks. We welcome Gill Hale who arrived at the ESU at the beginning of November. Gill has worked in academic libraries, including The Girls Day School Trust at Croydon High School and at the now named, Southbank University for most of her professional life. During the past five years, she has written three books on subjects of Eastern Philosophy and Garden Designs. Her main interest is the smooth delivery of information via appropriate means, ranging from the written word, photos and artefacts to the latest technological channels.
Applicants should be holders of a Doctorate or Master’s degree, preferably in economics, psychology, philosophy/ethics or literature.
Left: Gill Hale, the new ESU Librarian.
For further information, and an application form, please contact Mary Dawson, Education Officer at Dartmouth House.
Lord Watson’s Visit to Strasbourg ESU Strasbourg was delighted to have Lord Watson as the guest-speaker at a dinner on 25 September at the Cercle Européen in Strasbourg. A capacity audience of sixty-five participants, including students from the International Space University in Strasbourg, enjoyed a most eloquent and stimulating speech on ‘The New Europe: "United in Diversity" or in Adversity? The Role of English in Solving this Problem’. Lord Watson's main premise was that English had a very significant part to play in an enlarged Europe but that at the same time, national languages were of importance in this new entity. As a token of appreciation, Lord Watson was presented with a bottle of ESU's own wine - a Trimbach Pinot Blanc 2000 imprinted with ESU Strasbourg's own logo, and a copy of ‘Let's Learn English through Alsatian’, the latest book of Mr Paul Adolf, a member of ESU Strasbourg. 8
Above: Lord Watson at the ESU Strasbourg dinner with Margaret Killerby, an ESU Strasbourg member, and three of the students from the International Space University, Brooke Owens (USA), Elizabeth Rogers (Canada) and Bhavini Patel (UK).
We were also pleased to recognise on this occasion Mr Marc Ledoux, another member, as the recipient of the Royal Society of Chemistry's 2004 Century Lectureships Award for most renowned foreign chemist.
As a result of Lord Watson’s visit, plans are now in hand to run a conference under the aegis of the ESU in Strasbourg in September 2004.
ESU Thailand welcomes Lord Watson Lord Watson was the guest of honour and speaker at a lunch hosted for him by Phornsake Karnchanachari, Chairman ESU Thailand, Mrs Karnchanachari and the Committee of ESU Thailand, at the British Club in Bangkok on 20 October. Lord Watson was in Bangkok on business and during his visit ESU Thailand also organised a tour of Bangkok including Jim Thompson’s House and the Vimanmek Teakwood Mansion. Left: Lord Watson with members of the ESU Thailand Committee. Front Row: (L-R) Mr Peter Schuler, Vice-Chairman, Mr Phornsake Karnchanachari, Chairman, Lord Watson, and Mrs Lalivan Karnchanachari, Honorary Secretary.
International At Home
Above: L-R Mrs Marina Nikitovic, Mrs Sue Bull, Mr Ronnie Raymond Cox, Mrs Margarita Ozerova, Mrs Hugh Stirling, Seated L-R Mrs Ronnie Raymond Cox and Mrs Marija Senjur, wife of the Slovenian Ambassador.
Mrs Valerie Mitchell welcomed guests from nine different countries to an International At Home event at Dartmouth House on 12 November. Guests included members of the international diplomatic and business communities in London.
ESU Poland Supports Local Libraries
Above: ESU Zlotow, with the support of ESU Poland and the AngloAmerican-Polish Association, has begun a project to build up the English collections in the two local libraries. Michael Senter, Chairman of ESU Poland, opening the new English section of the Zlotow main public library, with Mrs Zofia Nowicka (left) representing the Mayor, and Mrs Monika Klein (right), library director, and Grzegorz Lubina (far right), Chairman of ESU Zlotow.
SSE Thanksgiving Dinner Thirty-eight North American and British SSE scholars made their way to Dartmouth House on November 21 to celebrate Thanksgiving together. The hungry travellers tucked into a splendid supper with traditional turkey and dressing followed by pumpkin pie. Earlier in the day a briefing had been held for the UK two term scholars taking up their scholarships at US high schools in January. Alumni of the programme and
current US scholars helped to make the day fun as well as informative and we wish them the best of luck over the next six months. The SSE gap year scholarships enable British and North American students to spend a year studying at a school across the Atlantic. If you would like more information or application forms, please contact Mary Dawson, Education Officer at Dartmouth House.
Above: Cyprian Vella (right), ESU Alumnus, enjoying dinner with US SSE Scholars at Dartmouth House. 9
Lebanese flag flies at Dartmouth House
Above: The Lebanese flag flying at Dartmouth House.
Mitchell, Director-General, and Mr Alex Finnis, Chairman, National Committee for England and Wales. Above: Valerie Mitchell, HE Mr Jihad Mortada, Youmna Asseily and Alex Finnis.
The ESU is delighted to announce that the flags of ESU countries will fly at Dartmouth House on their National Days. This programme was initiated to coincide with the National Day of Lebanon on 22 November.
The ESU received HE Mr Jihad Mortada, the Lebanese Ambassador, together with the Chairman of ESU Lebanon, Mrs Youmna Asseily. A small reception was held in his honour hosted by Mrs Valerie
Amongst the guests was Mrs Gill Prior who had just organised the Nurse Workshadow Programme, in which a young Lebanese nurse from Beirut had participated. His Excellency also had the opportunity to meet ESU supporters and key members of staff who had links with the Lebanon.
New York welcomes the world The English-Speaking Union of the United States will host the next World Members’ Conference in New York City, October 6 - 10, 2004. It will be a four-day fest of stimulating discussion and exchange of ideas with ESU members from all over the world, and the ESU US has invited renowned writers and scholars to speak and participate.
ceremony, bringing together authors, publishers, poets and critics to celebrate the American books selected to be shipped to ESUs around the world; and a closing dinner at the historic Ellis Island Immigration Museum, with the Statue of Liberty and the magnificent New York skyline as the backdrop.
Between conference sessions, you’ll be able to explore this vibrant city with ESU friends. Renowned museums and galleries, instantly recognizable landmarks, world-class restaurants, shopping opportunities that range from street peddlers to high-end designer boutiques, and every conceivable kind of music and theater experience are not the only reasons why millions of visitors return to this inimitable city year after year.
The World Members’ Conference will be held at the Roosevelt Hotel, East 45th Street and Madison Avenue. Although New York is "the city that never sleeps," you may want to, – so reserve a room right away. Hotel rooms have been reserved at two rates: $179 and $139. Reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis and should be made by phone: country code + 001 + 212-661-9600 or fax: country code + 001 + 212-885-6162. Please specify that you are a member of The English-Speaking Union. We have also set aside a small number of rooms at the Vanderbilt YMCA, on East 47th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues – an easy walk to the Roosevelt. Rates are $60 for a single, $70 for a double, both with a shared bath. YMCA Reservations should be made on-line to the ESU of the US at: patpeters@esuus.org. For registration material, please write, call, e-mail or fax: The English-Speaking Union, Branch Services, 144 East 39th Street, New York, NY 10016, phone: 212-818-1200, fax: 212-867-4177, email: info@esuus.org
Programmatic plans include the launch of the ESU of the United States’ new educational initiative, an international co-operative venture that will involve an Internet component and would accommodate a diverse group of English speakers at varying skill levels. The Conference will allow both American and global partners to meet and discuss current and future collaboration. Conference highlights will include dinner at the Yale Club, with spectacular views of the city; the 2004 Ambassador Book Award
2004 will be an important year for the ESU… The Launch of ESU Korea will take place on Thursday 15 April 2004 and a programme of events will be organised around this date. Contact: Helen Green The 2004 ESU Churchill Lecture will take place on Tuesday 26 October at 6.15pm at Guildhall with guest speaker Senator George Mitchell Contact: Sarah Spinney The World Members Conference will take place in New York between 6-10 October 2004 See contacts in article above 10
Diary Dates
Unless otherwise stated we regret that no refunds can be made for cancellations within seven working days of an event.
For members: We accept payment for Dartmouth House events and membership subscriptions by credit/debit cards. Cards bearing Visa, Master-Card, Maestro, Switch, Solo or Delta symbols can now be used to make bookings by post, telephone or email. DARTMOUTH HOUSE Telephone : 020 7529 1550
JANUARY Wednesday March at 7.00pm Debating Society meeting at Dartmouth House ‘Democratising the Middle East’ Contact: James Probert Wednesday 14 January at 10.30-11.30am At Home at Dartmouth House Members and their friends are invited to coffee at Dartmouth House Contact: Jacqueline Abbott
FEBRUARY Tuesday 3 February at 7.00pm The music critic and broadcaster Edward Greenfield will give a lecture evening in aid of the Music Scholarship Fund Tickets: £10 Contact: Tim Rolph Wednesday 4 February at 7.30pm Debating Society meeting at Dartmouth House ‘The House would re-elect George W Bush’ Contact: James Probert Wednesday 11 February at 10.30-11.30am At Home at Dartmouth House Members and their friends are invited to coffee at Dartmouth House Contact: Jacqueline Abbott Thursday 19 February at 7.00pm The author Leonie Frieda will present her new biography of Catherine de Medici at a Literary Lecture at Dartmouth House Tickets: £5.50 Contact: Tim Rolph
MARCH Wednesday 3 March at 7.30pm Debating Society meeting at Dartmouth House ‘This House supports the right of deaf couples to have deaf children’ Contact: James Probert Monday 8 March at 3.00pm Commonwealth Day Observance 2004 Held at Westminster Abbey, admission is by ticket only. A limited number of tickets are available to ESU members. Names of all ticket holders must be submitted. Apply now for tickets, which will be available at the end of February. Please enclose a stamped addressed envelope with your application Contact: Jacqueline Abbott Wednesday 10 March at 10.30-11.30am At Home at Dartmouth House Members and their friends are invited to coffee at Dartmouth House Contact: Jacqueline Abbott Thursday 11 March at 7.00pm An Insider’s View of Latin American Experience: A Novelist’s Perspective Santa Montefiore will speak about her love of Latin America and the inspiration provided for her four novels. Her talk will include scenes from her books, set against the panorama of Chile and Argentina Tickets: £5.50 Contact: Tim Rolph
Wednesday 24 March 7.00pm Armenian Evening of traditional Dance and Poetry £7.50 to include a wine reception Contact: Helen Green
ADVANCE NOTICE Thursday 6 May at 7.00pm Literary Lecture at Dartmouth House. Historian Andrew Roberts will present his new book What If…Not? which examines alternative outcomes to turning points in history Tickets: £5.50 Contact: Tim Rolph Friday 14 May The International Public Speaking Competition will take place with heats at Dartmouth House in the morning and the final at South Africa House, Trafalgar Square, in the afternoon. The competition is sponsored by HSBC Holdings plc Contact: Helen Green The ESU is looking for members to host participants for the weekend 15-17 May. If you are interested, or would like to discuss what is involved in the homestay programme, please contact Helen Sender
ESU American Arts Scholarship to Attingham Lecture Series 2004 Proceeds from the lectures support an ESU scholar at Attingham Time: 7.00pm Cost: £7.50 (to include wine) Contact: Tim Rolph 16 March 2004 Rainer Towle Mack, Manager of Education at the Villa J Paul Getty Museum from 2003, on "A New Home for Antiquities: The Getty Villa
in Malibu re-opening in 2005" 24 June 2004 Bruce Robertson, Professor Art History Department University of California, Santa Barbara; and Chief Curator Center for American Art Los Angeles County Museum of Art, on "High Culture in the Wild
West: the Development of Art Museums in the American West" 24 Sept 2004 Thomas Michie, since 1991 Curator of Decorative Arts at the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, on "Cargo and
Adventure: Rhode Island and the China Trade 1700 – 1900" 17 Nov 2004 Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen, Anthony W. and Lulu C Wang Curator of American Decorative Arts at the Metropolitan Museum, New York, on "Louis Comfort Tiffany, 1848-1933, Interior Designer,
Glassmaker, Metalworker and Jeweller Extraordinaire"
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The ESU needs your help If you would like to support the ESU’s ever increasing educational programme by a donation or a legacy in your Will, please contact Jo Wedderspoon at Dartmouth House, 37 Charles Street,
London, W1J 5ED, telephone 020 7529 1550, email jo_wedderspoon@esu.org. Your help would be greatly appreciated.
ESU 85th Anniversary Service of Thanksgiving
Westminster Abbey, Thursday 26 June 2003 SOUVENIR VIDEO ORDER FORM If you would like a unique reminder of this special service please complete the video order form below. Videos are priced at £15 each, additional copies £12 each, + P&P (£1 UK / £2 Europe / £2.50 Overseas per video)
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PLEASE RETURN THE COMPLETED FORM TO: Sarah Spinney, Communications Officer, The English-Speaking Union Dartmouth House, 37 Charles Street, London W1J 5ED. Email: sarah_spinney@esu.org Fax: +44 (0)20 7495 6108
Published by the English-Speaking Union, Registered Charity No. 273136 Dartmouth House, 37 Charles Street, London W1J 5ED Tel : 020 7529 1550 Fax : 020 7495 6108 Email : esu@esu.org Web : www.esu.org Produced by Accountability PR, Tel : 020 7247 0367 Design by Carbonari, Tel : 01392 215 993
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