Pre-Congress Notices

From Alive (VSUK magazine) January/February 1979:

I.V.U.
The Intenational Vegetarian Congress which is being held from 25th August-9th September next year (sic) will be a land mark in the history of the vegetarian movementand an occasion for celebration for two reasons. It is ten years since the Vegetarian Society based at Manchester and the London Vegetarian Society united to fom the Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom. The Congress at Loughborough will be the 25th held since the formation of IVU in 1908.

Saturday afternoon, 1st September 1979, has been reserved for the VSUK Annual General Meeting and will be preceeded in the morning by two lectures. In the evening there will be a Celebration Dinner/Dance at the Commodore, Nottingham, at which it is anticipated there will be several hundred guests of many nationalities. The Dinner/Dance tickets will include conveyance by coach from the University to the Commodoreand the event is expected to be a clourful and memorable occasion. It is hoped members of the VSUK who wish to attend the AGM will also participate in the Congress, but for those who wish to visit the University for the Saturday only, special rates for meals and accommodation can be arranged. Further information and booking forms for the Conference, and Dinner/Dance tickets may be obtained from the Conference Organiser, Parkdale, Dunham Road, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 4GQ, on receipt of a stamped addressed 9in x 6in envelope.

Editorial from Alive (VSUK magazine) May/June 1979:

25th I.V.U. Congress
Once you sit down and think about it, there's no escaping the fact that 1979 is a very special year indeed for British Vegetarianism. Of course, we all know that vegetarianism has been a way of life for centuries in some parts of the world, far too long for any accurate records to survive, but the organised vegetarian movement, as far as is known, began in Britain in 1809 with the Bible Christian Church in Salford. The Vegetarian Society based in Manchester grew out of this in 1847 when several members felt vegetarianism should be promoted through a secular society, without the religious connections. The first journal was produced in 1849, and, under various titles, has been in continuous publication ever since. Alive is its direct successor and we are very proud of its 130 years history.

International vegetarianism had its beginnings when the I.V.U. (International Vegetarian Union) was founded in 1907 at the Diamond Jubilee of the Manchester based Vegetarian Society. Since then the I.V.U. has been organising Congresses in different parts of the world - the first one being in Dresden in 1908. Except for breaks during the First and Second World Wars, they were held at about 3 yearly intervals until 1963 and every two years since then. As the 1979 Congress is the 25th it seemed fitting to mark the occasion by holding it in England where it all started.

It also happens to co-incide with the 10th Anniversary of the Vegetarian Society (UK) Ltd. This was formed in 1969 by the amalgamation of the two major national societies, one in Manchester, the other in London, and many small local societies. The Celebration Dance to be held half-way through the Congress on the Saturday, 1 September, will be in honour of this anniversary.

Loughborough University of Technology was chosen as the centre for the Congress because of its excellent facilities and its accesibility. It is easily reached from London by train or motorway and the near-by East Midlans Airport at Castle Donnington maintains regular flights to and from Glasgow, Dublin and Belfast, as well as overseas. Although Loughborough is a medium sized industrial town, it is situated in the heart of attractive countryside, including Charnwood Forest with its impressive geological formations. Not far from the University is Bradgate Park, home of Lady Jane Grey. Visitors to the Congress will have plenty of opportunties for sightseeing. Several walks around the environs of Loughborough have been arranged and there will be outings to places of interest further afield.

The Congress provides a forum for all aspects of vegetariansim to be discussed; where groups from very different parts of the world can share experiences and help each other overcome problems. Delegates can talk over new ideas for promoting vegetarianism, or listen to lectures that will bring them up-to-date with the latest findings of medical and nutritional science. Some of the notable speakers who will be attending include:Professor Sinclair - Oxford, Dr.Alan Long - London, Mr Conrad Latto - Reading, Herr Hiller - Germany, Sir George Trevelyan of the Wrekin Trust, Mr Leonard Lasky - USA, Dr Hildegard Pellnat - Germany, Herr Gunter-Baumbach - Germany. Incidentally, it is hoped that simultaneous translations will be availbale in English, German, French or Spanish, and Japanese.

We don't always realise the full extent of VSUK activities so our own members as well as overseas visitors, will find a lot to interest them in the exhibits put on by the Food & Cookery Section, the Research Section and the Youth Section. There will also be exhibits by the Jersey Children's Home, the Liverpool Children's Charity, Homes for Elderly Vegetarians, teh Jewish Vegetarian Society and the Vegan Society.

A great deal of serious work is covered at the Congress but the entertainment side hasn't been forgotten.For sports enthusiasts, there is use of the covered swimming pool and the squash and tennis courts. Tennis demonstrations will be provided by Peter Burwash International and the Vegetarian Cycling and Athletic Club will be giving ample proof that the vegetarian diet affects neither speed nor stamina! Evening entertainment will be provided by various groups including the Namdhari Sikhs, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Nottingham Branch of the VSUK, Friends from Germany, Young Indian Vegetarians, and the VSUK Youth Secion. The Celebration Dinner Dance has already been mentioned and on the final night there will be a Fancy Dress Dance.

Don't let this opportunity pass by, it's a marvellous chance to make new friends, to meet vegetarians from all over the world and learn how their life-styles differ from ours. Remember, everyone is coming to meet you at Loughborough! If you can't make it for the whole fortnight, you can book for one week, or for part of a week. And you don't have to be a member of the Society either, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian friends will be very welcome. Be sure you get your booking in now before it's too late.

From Alive (VSUK magazine) May/June 1979, 'Newsdesk' page:

World Vegetarian Congress
THE middle weekend of the World Vegetarian Congress is going to be crammed full of interest for people who go to Loughborough University for this event.

During the morning of Saturday, 1st September there will be two lectures followed by lunch and in the afternoon the Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom will hold the Annual General Meeting followed by a period for discussion. Immediately after this at about 5pm the Liverpool Children's Charity will hold its AGM.

The Saturday evening will be one of the highlights of the Congress when coaches will take participants to the Commodore International at Nottingham for the Grand Celebration Dinner/Dance presided over by the President of the International Vegetarian Union, Dr Gordon Latto, supported by the Deputy President from Germany Herr Hiller. It is anticipated that the Lord Mayor of Nottingham will be the honoured guest. The dance will follow the dinner in the Banqueting Suite which is one of the finest in the Midlands.

On Sunday morning, 2nd September there will be exercises for the energetic and meditation before breakfast. After breakfast the Research Section of the VSUK will hold its AGM until the coffee break or fruit interval at 11am. A talk about the work of the Research Section will follow the interval until lunch-time.

After lunch there will be free-time to visit the War Memorial Tower in Queens Park, Loughborough with the opportunity to listen to a recital at 3.30pm from the forty-seven bell Grand Carillon. The Tower and Carillon were erected to the memory of the men who fell in the 1914-18 war.

For people wishing to attend part of the Congress or for the week-end of 1st/2nd September, a casual booking form is available.

Information and booking forms are obtainable from the Conference Organiser, Parkdale, Dunham Road, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 4GQ.

From Alive (VSUK magazine) July/August 1979:

World Congress
THE three previous Annual General Meetings of the VSUK have been combined with a week-end conference and held in different universities in England. Before 1976 it was the custom to hold a week-end conference during the month of May and this became famous as the May Meetings. These May Meetings were originally the gathering of the many independent vegetarian societies throughout the United Kingdom which were affiliated to the Vegetarian Society. After the amalgamation of the Vegetarian Society and the London Vegetarian Society to become the VSUK the tradition was continued and members from the branches formed the audience.

Financial considerations in 1976 caused the Council of the Society to combine the May Meetings week-end with the Annual General Meeting. This year another change will take place because the International Vegetarian Union has chosen England for its biennial congress and as this takes place at about the same time the VSUK conference should be held, it seemed semsible to incorporate the latter into the programme of the 25th World Vegetarian Congress. The Congress is held in a different country every two years and so it will probably not come back to England again for a couple of decades. This makes the VSUK conference weekend an exceptionally interesting one. The programme for the weekend will be similar to our customary ones but there will be the added interest of meeting vegetarians from all over India, America and many European countries especially Germany. Concurrently with the AGM there will be a Beauty Without Cruelty Fashion show in one of the conference halls.

The usual dinner following the AGM will be attended by the Lord Mayor of Nottingham. The occasion calls for a double celebration because it is the 25th World Vegetarian Congress and the 10th year of the VSUK since amalgamation. The dinner will be presided over by Dr Gordon Latto who will be wearing two hats! He is President of the IVU and President of the VSUK. Dr Latto will be supported on the top table by the IVU Deputy President, Herr Hiller, the Chairman of the VSUK Council, Mrs Beryl Williams, and many other VIPs from both overseas societies and our own.

On Sunday, 2nd September, the Research Section of the Society will hold its Annual General Meeting and this will be folowed by a talk on the work of the Research Section. The same evening, a talk will be given by Swami Satchitananda. For those staying over the week-end there is an interesting coach ride through the Derbyshire countryside for a moderate cost of £1.80. The coach will leave the campus after breakfast and return intime for lunch. In the afternoon there is a choice between attending a discussion group or another coach tour to Coventry leaving after lunch and back in time for dinner. This tour costs £1.70.

Of special interest to conservationists, during the Monday evening will be an illustrated talk on the de-inking of paper and re-pulping it for newsprint.

The whole fifteen days of the Congress is full of interesting talks, tours and entertainments, but space does not permit full details so if you wish to know more about this exciting World Congress, write to the Conference Organiser, Parkdale, Dunham Road, Altrincham, Cheshire. By the way a 7p stamp for return postage would be appreciated..