Annual Review 2007-2008 - The Royal Commonwealth Society

Director-General’s Report
My eight years, to date, as the Society’s chief officer are very little compared to the rich
history that has unfolded since its foundation in 1868. In those 140 years, the RCS has had
its triumphs and disasters and, on rare occasions, its very existence has been in doubt. Today,
longevity and an eminent reputation are not sufficient, in themselves, to guarantee our future.
The mission and relevance of the Society
must be sound and compelling, its voice
respected and its projects admired; the
service, food and drink provided in the
clubhouse need to be of the highest
quality; the facilities, furnishings and
ambience of the Club must continue to
attract members and clients alike; and our
finances, governance and administration
– the underpinning of it all – must be
soundly constructed and efficiently run.
Of course, the RCS has always been
both a meeting place and a cause; an
attractive and comfortable venue for its
members, but also a forum for the
exchange of ideas and the living out of its
international ideals. That is equally true
today – even if there is an apparent
separation between the RCS and its
commercial subsidiary, Commonwealth
Club Ltd. In practice, Club and charity are
one, and need to remain so.
As I see it, there are four immediate
challenges for the RCS and the Club in
the coming year.
First, we need to communicate
effectively with our members, listen to
what they say and respond positively.
There was a time when membership of a
London club was seen as a lifelong badge
of identity, rather than a more specific
and limited contract for the delivery of
certain facilities and services. But times
have changed, and rightly so. The costs
of membership are rising (given that
operating in central London is an
expensive undertaking) and members
nowadays need to be able to justify the
costs of club membership against the
services and facilities provided, and for it
to fit with their work and lifestyle choices.
With a new, more interactive website due
for completion in the next few months,
better electronic communications, and
our other initiatives to get to know our
members better, I hope we can improve
our service and tailor it more effectively to
what members want. That way,
membership will grow.
Second, despite having spent £4.5
million on the extension and
refurbishment of the clubhouse, there are
RCS has always
been both a meeting
place and a forum
for the exchange
of ideas
‘‘‘‘
clearly improvements we can make, as
funds allow. The new Business Area on
the mezzanine is well used and much
appreciated, and the electronic gadgets
on every table, allowing a member to
summon a variety of services at the touch
of a button, are a welcome improvement.
But not everything has worked out as we
might have wished and the drive for
improvements will continue. This will
include changing the heavy and rather
unwelcoming front doors (planning
consent is currently being denied on
aesthetic grounds) and doing more to
create a more intimate Members’ Lounge,
untroubled by intrusive business
meetings.
Third, we must maintain and extend
the Society’s capacity to generate new
ideas; to bring together proven experts
from the Commonwealth, and
internationally; to influence governments;
and to be a neutral and safe meeting
ground for civil society organisations or
for those who otherwise feel that they are
marginalised and their voices unheard.
Recently, this was epitomised by an
overflowing meeting in the new
auditorium on the current crisis in Kenya.
Fourth, the RCS must be unafraid to
campaign and to speak out on issues of
concern and principle. More is being
done to lobby the UK parliament on
international and Commonwealth issues.
But we also take our case directly to
Commonwealth governments – as we did
on Zimbabwe, at the time of the 2007
Kampala summit – and campaign with our
international network of societies and
branches, some of whom – in Pakistan
and Fiji, for example – are in the frontline
of upholding our values.
None of this is, or will be, possible
without the dedication, skill and hard
work of our staff and the support of
trustees, members and volunteers. This is
perhaps exemplified by Mark Page, the
Head Chef, and Chris Cloke whose ten
years service, as part of Shaun
Whitehouse’s team, are a crucial
ingredient in what makes the Club
special. This is as true of their staff
colleagues, in both Club and charity.
Similarly, the officers and trustees give
their skills and their time freely and
generously, and none have served the
Society more than Sir Michael McWilliam
and Sir Peter Marshall, who retire from
Council this year.
As my own retirement as Director-
General beckons at the end of the year, I
look back with immense pride at our
achievements and feel honoured and
privileged to have been able to make a
contribution to our growth and
development since the turn of the new
millennium.
Stuart Mole
www.rcsint.org
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