Some countries, such as Cyprus, Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Australia and New Zealand\u00a0have Lyceum Clubs active in most major cities. Others, such as Belgium, Portugal, Sweden, Austria, the UK, Greece, Russia and\u00a0the USA have, so far, only one Lyceum Club established in the capital city or in a major city (Philadelphia Pa.).<\/p>\n
Whether a country has one or many Lyceum Clubs, it constitutes a national Federation and, as such, can apply\u00a0to be a member of the IALC and enjoy the rights and benefits offered by the international body.<\/p>\n
The IALC is headquartered in Switzerland, at the premises of the Lyceum Club which retains the IALC archives \u2013 currently the International Lyceum Club of Zurich.<\/p>\n
It is an apolitical and secular organisation, legally constituted under the Swiss Civil Code.<\/p>\n
In some countries, the National Federation of Lyceum Clubs is referred to as the National Association of Lyceum Clubs. We have used the word \u2018Federation\u2019 to mean both types of national organisations.<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”International Central Bureau (BCI)” tab_id=”1614087838487-ad74bddc-c655″][vc_column_text]Between International Congresses, at which the International Council meets, the IALC is governed by an executive group, the International Central Bureau.<\/p>\n The International Central Bureau is composed of:<\/p>\n The International Central Bureau maintains regular contact with all national Federations and is responsible for acting as the IALC Statutes prescribe.[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/6″][vc_single_image image=”518″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow_border”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Muriel Hannart International President<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/6″][vc_single_image image=”531″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow_border”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Monique Gaechter International Vice-President Northern Hemisphere<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/6″][vc_single_image image=”533″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow_border”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Marilyn Mackinder International Vice-President Southern Hemisphere<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/6″][vc_single_image image=”536″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow_border”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Marie-France Thouard International Treasurer<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/6″][vc_single_image image=”539″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow_border”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Annie Formont International Secretary<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”What We Do \/ Congress \/ Past Events” tab_id=”1614087997574-e91f294c-9bae”][vc_custom_heading text=”What We Do” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:center” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n THE Clubs are Apolitical and Non-Sectarian<\/p>\n They allow for:<\/strong><\/p>\n Opportunities to continue lifelong learning<\/p>\n Participation in special interest groups (known as Circles)<\/p>\n A varied program of lectures by experts in their fields<\/p>\n Friendship and support engendered by sharing mutual interests<\/p>\n Listening and learning from each other<\/p>\n Expanding networks<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Congress” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:center” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n THE Clubs are Apolitical and Non-Sectarian<\/p>\n They allow for:<\/strong><\/p>\n Opportunities to continue lifelong learning<\/p>\n Participation in special interest groups (known as Circles)<\/p>\n A varied program of lectures by experts in their fields<\/p>\n Friendship and support engendered by sharing mutual interests<\/p>\n Listening and learning from each other<\/p>\n Expanding networks<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Past Events” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:center” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n 2019: Stockholm, Sweden \u201dSWEDISH FOOTPRINTS\u201dCultural Visit<\/p>\n 2018: Oulu, Finland<\/p>\n IALC Cultural Visit: May, 2017:\u00a0Paris, France<\/p>\n 2016: IALC Congress: Amsterdam, The Netherlands May 2016\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Meet the Dutch Below, At and Above Sea Level<\/p>\n IALC Cultural Visit: Berlin Saturday May 2015<\/p>\n IALC Cultural Visit:<\/strong>\u00a0Florence May 2014<\/p>\n IALC XXXII Triennial Congress:\u00a0<\/strong>Perth April\/May 2013. This was the first Congress in the southern hemisphere since Rotorua, New Zealand in 2001<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”History of Lyceum” tab_id=”1614089739800-45b7be49-e5f1″][vc_column_text]Like many of life\u2019s great achievements, the International Association of Lyceum Clubs began as a dream\u2014the dream of a young woman and a small group of her friends, living in London in the early years of the twentieth century. The young woman\u2019s name was Constance Smedley and she and her friends, Christina Gowans Whyte, Elsa Hahn, Violet Alcock, and an American, Jessie Trimble, were members of the Writers Club.<\/p>\n By 1902, women were moving tentatively into the male professional world and it is not unrealistic to suppose that Constance and her group, observing men, comfortably ensconced in their London Clubs, began to wonder \u201cWhy not Women?\u201d<\/p>\n As they talked among themselves, the group began to envisage, \u201can ideal Club [for women] with its branches in all countries of the world and [a] chain of Clubhouses\u201d in the world\u2019s chief capitals. In essence, they had foreseen the present world of Lyceum.<\/p>\n Constance was chosen by her \u201cchief coadjutors,\u201d as she liked to call her four friends, to approach the Committee of the Writers Club with such an idea. In her autobiography\u00a0Crusaders<\/em>, she tells how she was asked by the Committee of the Writers Club, \u201cAnd who is to organize this?\u201d<\/p>\n Full of youthful confidence, and perhaps a touch of bravado, she replied, \u201cI will.\u201d To her \u201camazement, disgrace and shame,\u201d the Committee turned her down.<\/p>\n However, this rebuff motivated, rather than deterred Constance. The decision was taken by the group to \u201cstart a new Club,\u201d and although the group had no money, they were determined to pursue their dream. They therefore decided that they must first form a Provisional Committee. As their proposed Club was then intended only for \u201cwriters and illustrators,\u201d Constance forwarded out the first letters, sixty in all, to prominent women in these fields. Only two offered their support.<\/p>\n Still undaunted by the lack of interest, she wrote back again to those who appeared to refuse regretfully, and also to other women she hoped might be interested. Slowly a Provisional Committee began to take shape.<\/p>\n At this stage, they began to realise that if there was to be a Club, there must be a Clubhouse in which to meet. Constance and her friends turned to her father, Mr W. T. Smedley, for help. A successful businessman, he was experienced in financing and the purchase of property, and blessed with a modern point of view. Mr Smedley believed women were entitled to \u201ca professional life and full freedom of development\u201d and he promised to help them find a suitable building. However, like all the best fairytales\u2014and in a way, the founding of the first Lyceum Club, does have some of the aspects of such a tale, there was a condition.<\/p>\n First, the Provisional Committee must secure a thousand members at an annual subscription of a guinea (twenty-one English shillings) each. Even this prospect did not dissuade Constance from her objective. As she says in her autobiography,\u00a0Crusaders<\/em>,\u00a0 \u201cThe oddest part about the founding of Lyceum was that in all the discouragement of the start, it never occurred to me to lose faith for one moment in the idea.\u201d So there were more letters and more interviews.<\/p>\n The name, \u201cLyceum,\u201d was suggested by the American Jessie Trimble for the new Club. In the United States, the name was known as representing a centre for lectures and discussions, while in Europe, where the term had originated many centuries ago in Athens, the term was equally understood.<\/p>\n By then the group had decided that its membership must be open to more than just writers and artists. Constance Smedley\u2019s sister suggested\u00a0women with academic qualifications be accepted, and a third group was included, \u201cwives and daughters of distinguished men.\u201d<\/p>\n Finally, the group decided it was necessary to have a recognisable, well-respected woman to lead this new Lyceum Club. One of the group suggested Lady Frances Balfour, daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll, and the sister-in-law of the British Prime Minister, Arthur Balfour. Lady Frances, a fluent speaker, was devoted to women\u2019s issues and though she spoke often at suffragist public meetings, she was not in favour of violent protests. Although she had decided to refuse the invitation to lead the Provisional Committee, Lady Frances arranged to meet with Constance. As she listened to the plans for the new Lyceum Club, her attitude changed and she decided to accept their invitation to become the first Chairman of the Provisional Committee. For fifteen years, she served as Chair of the Executive and President of the Club. Lady Frances had been a superb choice.<\/p>\n Soon it became evident, that 1000 members would be forthcoming for the new London Lyceum Club. The first election notices were issued in March 1903; the new Clubhouse followed a year later in Piccadilly.<\/p>\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ilc-georgia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/crusaders_21.jpg\")
This history is based on material contained in the following book: Constance Smedley,Crusaders: The Reminiscences of Constance Smedley (Mrs Maxwell Armfield)<\/em>(London: Duckworth, 1929).[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][\/vc_tta_tabs][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”512″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” image_hovers=”false” lazy_loading=”true”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_tta_tabs alignment=”center” active_section=”1″][vc_tta_section title=”International Association of Lyceum Clubs” tab_id=”1614087838481-8e28c030-2ce6″][vc_column_text]The International…","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ilc-georgia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ilc-georgia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ilc-georgia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ilc-georgia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ilc-georgia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25"}],"version-history":[{"count":67,"href":"https:\/\/ilc-georgia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":579,"href":"https:\/\/ilc-georgia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25\/revisions\/579"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ilc-georgia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}