St Cuthbert's Society

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St Cuthbert's Society, Durham
Image:StcuthbertsCrest.jpg
Motto	Gratia gratiam parit "Friendship begets friendship"
Founded	1888
Principal	Prof Roy Boyne
Location	South Bailey
Students	~1300

Image:2006-08-12-DSCN8306.JPG

St Cuthbert's Society, almost universally known as Cuth's, is a college-level body of the University of Durham in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1888 to cater for non-resident students and is named after Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, whose body rests behind the high altar in nearby Durham Cathedral. St Cuthbert's was the third of Durham's collegiate bodies to be founded, following University and Hatfield College. It is located on Durham's peninsula, so is considered one of the 'Bailey' colleges.

1 Relationship with the University
2 Location
3 Traditions
4 Coat of Arms
5 Distinguished Alumni
6 Further reading
7 External links

[edit] Relationship with the University

St Cuthbert's foundation as a Society differed from that of the earlier colleges in that it was founded as much by its students as established by the University. Several other Societies followed, including St Aidan's Society (now St Aidan's College) and the Graduate Society (now Ustinov College), but St Cuthbert's is the only remaining Society. As such, it retains some structural differences from the colleges - for example, the position of President of the Society is a student position rather than a staff one and, accordingly, the leading member of the university staff is known as the Principal, rather than 'president' or 'master' or 'mistress'. The retention of such modest, and largely historic, elements of its autonomy from the University is intrinsic to the identity of St. Cuthbert's Society.

[edit] Location

The Society owns accommodation across Durham, but most central facilities are provided at its main site at the end of the South Bailey, in and around a large, late 17th century building. Notable among these facilities is the bar, which is the only Durham college bar to have regular day-time, as well as evening, opening. Since 2005 the Society has also housed students at its Parson's Field site off Old Elvet. The Parson's Field site includes Refounders House, Fonteyn Court and Parsons Field Court. A new 192-bedroom accommodation block, to be known as Brooks House, after former Principal, Professor Leslie Brooks, is due to be completed by the start of the 2006-2007 academic year.

In 2002 the University proposed that the Society should relocate and become ‘St Cuthbert’s College’ along with new purpose-built facilities, the second or third such attempt since the War to alter Cuths' identity and/or location. The Junior Common Room (JCR) absolutely rejected any such move which they say would "destroy the traditions and ethos laid down by our founders in 1888 and re-emphasised by the Refounders in 1946". The Society Staff firmly agreed with the comments of the JCR on this matter.

[edit] Traditions

The Society's patron, St Cuthbert, continues to be remembered annually, if somewhat incongruously for an ascetic, in "The Feast", a traditionally uproarious, members-only banquet held on or near St Cuthbert's feast day on 20 March.

Another, summer-based event is "Cuth's Day". This includes entertainment conducted on, off and in the River Wear, which curls around the foot of the Society's gardens, live music, and a day-long garden party. In both its baccanalian spirit, and aquatic activity, it has much in common with the revels held at Magdalen College, Oxford each May Morning.

In contrast, more solemn events, held on both the Society's own Cuth's Day and the traditional ecclesiastical festival, comprise a silent gathering of Cuth's students at the shrine of St. Cuthbert at the East end of Durham Cathedral at dawn, followed by a hearty breakfast in one of the city's better hotels.

The surving Refounders of the College hold a reunion weekend every September. The Founders of the College are remembered at the annual Founders Formal. Past Presidents attend the President's Formal.

[edit] Coat of Arms

The Society's arms depict the original, seventh century pectoral cross of St Cuthbert, discovered when his grave was opened in 1827, and now preserved in the cathedral treasury. The motto, gratia gratiam parit, appears in the Adagia of Erasmus, a collection of Greek and Latin adages, and can be translated as ‘friendship begets friendship’ or ‘kindness begets kindness’. The college crest includes an eider duck. This is because, while resident in the Farne Islands, St Cuthbert instituted special laws to protect these and other seabirds nesting there, instituting what may have been the first bird protection laws anywhere in the world. Consequently, eider ducks have long been known as 'cuddy ducks' (Cuthbert's ducks) in the Pitmatic dialect as spoken in Northumberland.