Glasgow University Dialectic Society was instituted in 1861 at the University of Glasgow , Scotland, as a society for the discussion of literary, philosophical and political subjects. The Society, in some form, has been in existence for some years earlier. The Society has been prominent in University life and in 1885 , along with the Glasgow University Medico-Chirurgical Society , helped to establish the Glasgow University Union (GUU).
Originally a male only club, membership is now mixed and open to matriculated members of the University and ex-members upon payment of a subscription. The Society's main aim is to foster and promote debate. The highlight of the Society's debating year is the Glasgow University Union debate lasting 12 hours, which is a contest based on the Westminster parliament with five debating clubs: Tories, Whigs, Scottish Nationalists, Distributists, and Independent Socialists. The Society also runs it own annual competitions, the Reftable Debate, the Intravarsity Competition, and the Roddy Neilson. In addition, the Society runs workshops, lunchtime debates and sends teams to compete in inter-varsity competitions. The Society however is not all debating and it provides its members with a full calendar of social events, the highlight of which is the Annual Dinner held in January as well as holding 2 major debates each term.
In 2002, the society is administered by a Board consisting of president, vice-president, secretary, assistant secretary, treasurer, whip secretary, publicity secretary, macer, and social convenor; the first 5 of whom constitute the Executive committee. These are elected from the ordinary members of the society at the annual general meeting held each year in the Whitsun term.
From the guide to the Records of the Glasgow University Dialectic Society, student society, University of Glasgow, Scotland, c1877-1983, (Glasgow University Archive Services)
