Urological Club of Great Britain & Ireland
Teaching Hospital urologists
The Urological Club of Great Britain and Ireland (UCGBI) came into being on Thursday 24 May 1948 at the Royal Society of Medicine in London. Mr Arthur Jacobs (Glasgow) was in the Chair for the foundation meeting, which was also attended by Terence Millin, John Anderson, Dennis Poole-Wilson, Thomas Lane, Cecil Woodside, Cosbie Ross, Joey Robinson, Geoffrey Yates-Bell, Eric Riches, Alex Roche, Hugh Donovan, George Feggetter and Malcolm Pyrah; David Band was unable to attend and sent his apologies.
It was resolved to form:
... a small Urological Club ... of surgeons wholly, or largely, interested in genito-urinary surgery
It was suggested from the outset that the Club be small and that 4 - 5 surgeons from London
Teaching Hospitals and one from all, or most, of the provincial teaching hospitals should become foundation members of the Club. The meeting agreed that the first President of the Club should be Mr Thomas Lane of Dublin, and Mr Malcolm Pyrah of Leeds was agreed as the first Secretary. The inaugural meeting was hosted by Mr Lane in Dublin in October 1948.
The Club Emblem
The Club emblem (above right), which was incorporated into the Club tie and used at the letterhead for all Club correspondence, shows the plant Utricularia vulgaris - a plant whose colloquial English name, common bladderwort, was considered highly appropriate for a group of urological surgeons!
The Present UCGBI
Unfortunately, lack of organisational support has meant that the Urological Club of Great Britain and Ireland has not met since 2015 and has now, in effect, been disbanded
The most recent Secretary was Mr David Quinlan of Dublin.
The Club met once a year, with the host being chosen, in turn, from the membership; the intention being that every member hosts the meeting once during their membership. Traditionally, organisation of the Annual Meeting was left to the host but normally took the form of an evening meal in the host's own home, two mornings of scientific presentation (from the local Urology Department), a formal dinner and assorted social activities for both members and their partners.
The original criteria for membership were retained, but more than one Consultant from each teaching hospital was encouraged, and new members were invited to join on a regular basis, so that membership was perpetual.
The combination of scientific discussion and diverse social activities proved to be a great success over the years, with each different host/venue putting their own, unique stamp on the Annual Meeting.
Members of the UCGBI and their partners (with the local speakers & the Master of the
College, Professor Adrian Dixon) dining in Peterhouse College during the 2009 Cambridge meeting
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