AHS National Convention - Conway Hall and UCL Cruciform, London, March 12th-13th 2011

The AHS's third annual convention saw the convention for the first time be spread over two days, with the Saturday being a day of speakers in Conway Hall, Holborn, and the Sunday being a committee-oriented day in the UCL Cruciform. A write-up of the weekend by AHS President Richy Thompson can be found here.

Saturday 12th - Speakers Day

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Events on Saturday were jointly hosted by South Place Ethical Society and run from 12 pm to 6 pm in Conway Hall. Tickets for the day cost £3 for students, other members of AHS-affiliated societies and members of societies in the Humanist Liaison Group and £6 for anyone else. A write-up of the Saturday by University of Liverpool Humanist, Atheist, Secular and Agnostic Society President Sam Adjerian can be seen here.

Non-religious organisations fair: 12.00 - 13.30

Saturday 12th started with the annual non-religious organisations fair, featuring stands from the national organisations that campaign for atheist, Humanist, secular and skeptical causes. The fair is a chance to find out more about these organisations.

Organisations with stands this year were:

The fair was also a chance to mingle with other people there, getting to know students from up and down the country.

Speakers: 13.30 - 18.00

A C Grayling

A C Grayling is Professor of Philosophy at Birkbeck College, University of London and is one of Britain's best known intellectuals. He has written and edited over twenty books on philosophy and other subjects, with Thinking of Answers: Questions in the Philosophy of Everyday Life due out in March, and has written for The Times, Financial Times, Observer, Independent on Sunday, Economist, Literary Review, New Statesman and Prospect. Grayling is a Vice President of the British Humanist Association and a frequent contributor to New Humanist magazine.

Johann Hari

Johann Hari is an award-winning journalist who writes twice-weekly for The Independent and for The Huffington Post. He is a contributing writer for Slate, and regularly appears on the BBC's Newsnight Review. Johann has written about many issues relevant to Humanists and secularists, from faith schools to ritual slaughter to the Pope's recent state visit. In 2008 he became the youngest person to ever win the George Orwell Prize, Britain's leading award for political writing.

Robin Ince

Robin Ince is a stand-up comedian, actor and writer who is the curator of Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People. Robin also curated last year's Protest the Pope comedy show, Relief-o-Matic, and is a distinguished supporter of the British Humanist Association. Robin also hosts BBC Radio 4 show The Infinite Monkey Cage with Brian Cox, and along with Ben Goldacre and Simon Singh, the pair will shortly embark on the Uncaged Monkeys comedy/science tour.

Andrew Copson

Andrew Copson became Chief Executive of the British Humanist Association in 2010, after five years coordinating the BHA's education and public affairs work. He has written on humanist and secularist issues for The Guardian, The Independent, The Times and New Statesman. He is a former director of the European Humanist Federation (EHF) and is currently a Vice President of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU).

Gerard Phillips

Gerard Phillips is a Vice President of the National Secular Society and this year was elected Chair of the NSS Council, the ruling body of the NSS. He is an active campaigner for the promotion of secularism and was a founder member of the Protest the Pope coalition which organised the opposition to last year's state visit by Josef Ratzinger.

Lord Warner

Lord Warner of Brockley has been chair of the All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group since June 2010. Lord Warner is a Labour member of the House of Lords, having been appointed in 1998. He was a junior minister in the Department of Health from 2003 to 2006, and is a member of the Privy Council. He is a commissioner of the government's Commission on the Funding of Care and Support.

and featuring... the BHA Choir

The British Humanist Association Choir is a humanist choir based in London. The Choir formed in May 2009 with the support of the BHA and made their debut at the BHA AGM in July 2009. Since then have performed at numerous BHA events as well as Robin Ince's 9 Lessons and Carols for a Godless People, Relief-O-Matic and the 2010 AHS Convention. The choir's repertoire is wide ranging, including classical pieces, the oldest known folk song and the Flaming Lips.

This event is being recorded live by the Pod Delusion.

Timetable

The schedule for the day was as follows:

  • 12.00-13.30: Doors open, organisations fair
  • 13.30-14.00: Break
  • 14.00-14.20: Lord Warner of Brockley
  • 14.20-14.40: Gerard Phillips
  • 14.40-15.00: Andrew Copson
  • 15.00-15.30: Break
  • 15.30-16.00: Robin Ince
  • 16.00-16.30: Johann Hari
  • 16.30-17.00: Break
  • 17.00-17.30: A C Grayling
  • 17.30-18.00: British Humanist Association Choir

Getting to Conway Hall

Details on how to get to Conway Hall can be seen here. You can get bus tickets from Megabus or National Express, and train tickets from National Rail. Once on the Underground:

  • From Euston: Get the Victoria Line to Oxford Circus, then the Central Line to Holborn
  • From Kings Cross St Pancras: Get the Picadilly Line to Holborn
  • From Paddington: Get the Bakerloo Line to Oxford Circus, then the Central Line to Holborn
  • From Victoria: Get the Victoria Line to Green Park, then the Piccadilly Line to Holborn
  • From Waterloo: Get the Bakerloo Line to Piccadilly Circus, then the Piccadilly Line to Holborn

You might want to consider getting an Oyster Card for travelling round London by public transport.

Sunday 13th - Committee Day

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The Sunday was free, and aimed at student society committees or those interested in helping run a society at their University.

Events

The schedule for the day was as follows:

  • 10.00-10.30: start, registration and (10.15) overview of the day
  • 10.30-11.15: First round of workshops:
    • BHA Choir choral workshop - the Choir will teach one of the songs in their repertoire to a novice audience
    • Sustainability and finances with AHS Treasurer James Murray and ex-AHS President Norman Ralph
    • Starting a new society with AHS President (and Oxford Atheist Society founder) Richy Thompson
  • 11.15-11.45: Themed break - Get to know people from your region of the UK
  • 11.45-12.30: Second round of workshops:
    • Practice debating with BHA Chief Executive Andrew Copson and European Humanist Federation President David Pollock
    • Dealing with the media with AHS Press Officer (and Durham University Humanist and Secularist Society President) Emma Bryce
    • How to Run a "Reason Week" with AHS President (and coordinator of the first Oxford Think Week) Richy Thompson and ex-AHS President (and Leeds Rationalist Week 2009 organiser) Norman Ralph
  • 12.30-13.30: Break for lunch
  • 13.30-14.15: Brief speeches from member societies
  • 14.15-15.00: Extraordinary General Meeting, including:
    • Electing a new AHS Treasurer
    • Voting on expanding to cover Ireland
  • 15.00-15.30: Break
  • 15.30-15.45: Launch of the AHS campaigns initiative
  • 15.45-16.00: AHS review and member feedback
  • 16.00-16.30: Society awards

Refreshments will be provided.

Society awards

The following awards will be given out:

The results can be seen here.

Where to Stay

Trying to work out where to stay on the night of the 12th? We recommend the following hostels, in order of proximity to Conway Hall:

© The AHS 2012 - 1 Gower Street, London, WC1E 6HD