Glasgow University Union
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Glasgow University Union (GUU) is one of the largest and oldest students' unions in the UK, serving students of the University of Glasgow since 1885. Unlike other Scottish universities, Glasgow has various bodies that co-ordinate different aspects of student life at the university. The GUU organises social affairs for its members, provides value catering and entertainments and generally seeks to enhance the experience of its members during their time at the University of Glasgow and beyond. Students can become members for free at any point throughout their University career and upon leaving University may become Life Members by contacting the Board of Management.
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[edit] Foundation
The GUU was formed by students at the university in 1885 to help promote social intercourse on campus and borrow from the ideals of the colleges springing up around Europe at the time. It was not until 1890 that they managed to raise sufficient funds to build a residence for their activities. The union's formation was driven by the Glasgow University Dialectic Society, the Glasgow University Medico-Chirurgical Society and the Glasgow University Athletic Club (now replaced by the Glasgow University Sports Association)
[edit] Public Duties
The Union is managed by a Board in conjunction with an appointed Manager. The Board consists of nineteen student and seven former student members and is elected annually. The President, Honorary Secretary and Assistant Honorary Secretary are members of the day to day "Executive". They are also the trustees of the Union together with two Vice-Presidents and the Honorary Treasurer (who are elected life members). "Conveners" are board members tasked with specific roles such as the Conveners of Debates, Games, Libraries and Entertainments. "Present Student Members" assist in the operation of various union activities. The current Glasgow University Union executive consists of Christopher Birrell (President), Jonathan Fisher (Honorary Secretary) and Andrew Pender (Assistant Honorary Secretary).
[edit] Services
The objects of the Union shall be to maintain Reading, Writing and Dining Rooms, to promote social intercourse among the members, to form a centre to which the various University Societies may be affiliated, and generally to fulfill the function of a Club for the members. The Union shall at all times remain an autonomous body with ultimate sovereignty vested in the members in General Meeting. - GUU Constitution.
The GUU is a social hub for campus, providing games rooms, bars, music and a nightclub. It is one of the largest licensed premises in Scotland with 9 bars (and a tenth which is portable for use during functions). In addition, members can eat in the various facilities, get the essentials in the Union Shop and Bookshop,get heir hair cut or coloured at the UNion's unisex hairdresser and even do laundry.
The two libraries and the Reading Room, are available for study (24 hours a day) and for booking for social events. The Elliot Library is named after former inter-war Cabinet Minister Walter Elliot and the Bridie is named after Osborne Mavor, physician and dramatist who wrote under the name "James Bridie".
The main social event at the GUU is held just before Christmas and is referred to as "Daft Friday". The entire union building is redecorated and devoted to the festivities.
More recently 10 Hour Hive has also been popular on the last Friday of each term.
[edit] Debating
The position of "Convener of Debates" on the GUU board is elected from the Union membership and heads the Union Debates Committee. He is responsible for the internal and intervarsity debating activities of the GUU. The current Convenor is David Tait.
The GUU is well known as being strong for the number of university debaters it has produced. It hosted the first World Universities Debating Championship in its current form in 1981 and again in 1990 and 2001. The Glasgow University Dialectic Society won the Championship five times, in 1983, 1987, 1992, 1994 and 1997. In addition, the GUU has a distinguished history in the John Smith Memorial Mace, a competition between the winners of regional competitions in Ireland, England, Scotland and, latterly, Wales. It currently holds the record for the most overall wins with a total of seventeen.
The union is notable for its five annual "parliamentary" debates, where the debate is held between five "clubs": the Scottish National Association, the Tories, the Whigs, the Independent Socialists and the World Distributist League. While some members join clubs to which they are politically aligned, others join clubs with the possibility of vacancies in desirable portions of the debate. A Bill of three clauses is argued over the course of about nine hours of debate, concluded by the "Prime Minister" who typically gives a speech of between thirty and sixty minutes to sum up the debate.
The current champions are Her Majesty's Loyal Tory Club.
[edit] Games and entertainments
The Union offers an array of regular entertainments and competitions for members and non-members alike. The Beer Bar Quiz takes place on a Monday at 8pm, while Open Mic and Bandwagon (featuring unsigned local bands) run on a Tuesday and Wednesday respectively (both 9 p.m., Deep 6).
The Union's nightclub, The Hive, is open on a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and until 2 a.m. A new games event for Friday nights in 2006/07 is Boys 'n' Girls, a battle of the sexes with large prizes on offer. This takes place at 11 p.m. on Fridays in Deep 6.
Smaller competitions, such as darts (Fridays, 5:30 p.m., Beer Bar), snooker (Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m., Billiard Hall) and pool (Fridays, 7:30 p.m., Altitude) also take place regularly.
[edit] Notable members
It is also well known for the number of high profile political figures who have been members. Donald Dewar, Charles Kennedy and Menzies Campbell have all been union presidents, and figures such as John Smith and Derry Irvine were active there too. The union holds the bi-annual John Smith Memorial Debate in memory of John Smith, most recently in 2006, which attracts the largest quality of guest speakers in the UK
Other notable members (and former board members) include John Buchan (author), John MacCormick (one of the founders of the Scottish National Party), Walter Elliot (UK politician), Andrew Neil (journalist and broadcaster), Gordon Prentice (Labour MP), Hugh Henry (Labour MSP and former Scottish Minister for Education) and Robert Stevenson Horne (Chancellor of the Exchequer).
[edit] Admission of women to the Union
An interesting aspect of the GUU's history is that it was in fact the last student union in the UK to have a single-sex membership. In 1977 there was a referendum to mix the two Glasgow University unions, GUU (the men's union) and QMU (the women's union) but this was defeated by a large majority. A mixing campaign got seriously under way in 1979, at one point the strictly all-male "Beer Bar" being occupied by a large mixed group of students. An extraordinary general meeting of QMU voted overwhelmingly to admit men into membership, a move which subverted the whole structure of separate unions. Eventually in 1980 a GUU special general meeting voted overwhelmingly to admit women into membership, under threat by the university court of losing the lease on the extension to its building, with just 139 votes against.
[edit] Politics
The Glasgow University Union has a lively interest in world politics and encourages the formation of thought and discussion through its extremely successful debates program. The Union itself holds no political affiliation and is home to many different political societies.
In recent years however, the GUU has had a role in a number of student campaigns including leading the Charles Kennedy for Rector and No2NUS Campaigns.
