Welcome to the Oxford Union

PRESIDENT'S WELCOME

Dear Members,

In 1823 a group of students came together and set up a society that was one of the first of its kind, “having for its object the promotion of Debates and the maintenance of a Library and Reading Room”. Since then, the Oxford Union has become the most famous student society in the world. It has survived two World Wars and witnessed the foundation of 121 independent nations. It has seen forty-seven general elections, the reigns of eight British monarchs and thirty-eight US Presidencies. Union members have debated and voted on thousands of motions tracking the changes of the last 187 years. Nearly six hundred Presidents have made their mark here.

The weight of this history means expectations are always high for the Union and its Committee, and it is often claimed that we don’t live up to this. There is perhaps an element of truth to this assertion. As an organisation we are by no means perfect: our elections can provoke farcical behaviour, the omnipresent spectre of hackery casts a shadow over much that we do and we can often drift towards introspection. It is easy to become disillusioned with the Oxford Union – at times, I have.

Yet in spite of these things, despite these flaws, so much of what the Union does is incredible. Where else could you hear a former Chief of the Defence Staff defend the United Kingdom’s mission in Afghanistan against the Chair of the Stop the War Coalition and anti-war MPs? Where else can you hear the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Health Ministers defend the NHS against leading American healthcare advocates, and then the next day listen to the Speaker of the House of Commons discuss the expenses scandal? What other student society hosts the Pakistani and Indian High Commissioners, the Chief Rabbi and the Head of the Muslim Council of Britain, the President of Georgia and former Irish Taoiseach (and Katie Melua) all in the same eight weeks?

Term in, term out, we have speakers that other societies in Oxford, in Britain and across the world would die for. We run social events which are the best value for money you can find (buy your tickets for the ball early!) On the debating front, just this Christmas, our Shengwu Li was ranked as the best speaker at the World Championship in Turkey, whilst Oxford as a University remains unchallenged in first place. Simply put, if you want to learn, practise or hone your debating skills there is nowhere better than the Union. The Committee and I have done our best to live up to our history, but the truth is that whilst the Society’s term is set up by us, it is you who make the Union what it is, and so we need you too. Whatever you want to get out of the Union, I hope that this term involves all of the best things about this Society.

Stuart Cullen
Christ Church

TICKETS

The following tickets to social events are currently available from the General Office, subject to availability:

• From Russia with Love Ball: 19th Feb - Ł45 Members  :  SOLD OUT

You may purchase tickets for yourself and up to three other members (i.e. four tickets in all) ONLY PROVIDED you have the absent Members' Membership Cards.  Cheques should be payable to 'The Oxford Union' and have cheque guarantee card details on the reverse. For further ticket purchase terms & conditions applicable to all Union social events, please click here.